9 Sports Betting Hacks to Succeed in Sports Betting
Even though the sports betting concept is more straightforward than playing casinos, it is still challenging. In contrast to what most bettors know, there isn't a betting strategy or technique that offers a 100% success rate. The dynamics of sports betting are highly unpredictable for an activity based on prediction.
There's nothing easy about becoming successful in sports betting. Even the odds suggest that most sports bettors lose in the long run. However, we have compiled a list of ways to improve your game in the sports betting space. Whether you're a beginner or not, you can follow these sports betting hacks to try and beat the bookmakers.
1. Focus on the Sports You Know and Follow
The one major edge sportsbooks hold over the regular bettor is that they have specific experts in sports who frame the odds of every sport. If you're betting just for a hobby, you simply can't be an expert in every sport, but you can be knowledgeable in one or two.
As a bettor, you should focus on betting in areas that you are most familiar and experienced with. Because of your wealth of knowledge of a particular sport, you can easily spot a weak line. Go harder at these instead of betting on obscure markets where bookies will have a bigger chance of crushing you.
Keep yourself updated on the sports you enjoy watching; eventually, the game will pay you back in big wins!
2. Don't Focus on the Favourites Every Time
There are many moments of frustration involved in sports betting. But one of the most frustrating moments is when we bet on a hot favourite, only to see them get beaten by an underdog.
Undoubtedly, the favourite in any competition has received a lot of bets from bettors. This doesn't increase their winning rate; instead, it means you'll be paid less when you bet on it. On many occasions, you should avoid betting on favourites and look closely at the underdog. Indeed, the favourite has high winning rates, but the odds makers have often made the favourite's odds shorter than they should be.
There are times when you need to be conservative when betting on sports, but betting on a favourite and assuming that they'll win every time is the recipe for failure in the long term. Instead, the key to betting success is your ability to carefully select the underdogs.
3. Understand Value
Every betting market represents a level of intrinsic value or the lack thereof. Finding value is crucial as it offers you the best chance of winning your bet.
So, what is the value? It's actually subjective. However, a value bet is essentially the bet where the odds offered on the market appear to be greater than what you believe the true odds are. For example, a team may be offered 3.2 odds on a 1x2 market, but after you've weighed up the form and checked out the match conditions, you think that the team's winning chances are better, for example, 2.8. It would make sense to bet on the 3.2 odds here as it represents true value. The bottom line is to find value and then go hard on it.
4. Have a Long-Term Mindset
Sports betting is a long-term game. There are particular days when you'll experience a beat down on your bankroll, and other times when your bankroll seems to multiply and exceed your expectations.
These up-and-down moments may also point to a trend line that moves much slower but hopefully upward. As a bettor, it's important that you think long-term. Risking a significant amount of your money on one event is unnecessary. There will always be another championship or league to bet on, so find a system and stick to it. And focus on grinding out your wins.
5. Use Multiple Bookies and Find Out Their Differences
All the different deals, performances and odds you can find in other bookies are great, especially for new bettors. However, there is always one that stands out among the rest, which is up to you to decide. Remember that the betting industry is a highly tight competition where bonuses are their most effective ways to attract new bettors. However, scammers may also use these bonuses to lure out their victims.
Thus, it's crucial to compare bookies' differences to spot legitimate bookmakers and for an opportunity to obtain leverage. Indeed, it's a time-consuming process, but it's a hack that might potentially bring you big gains. If you are having a hard time choosing one bookie among the many bookmakers out there, having multiple bookies is not a problem as long as it's manageable. Besides, having more than one bookmaker gives you a better advantage than only having one. The more bookmakers you have, the more access you have to the best offers.
6. Expect Downturns
As much as every bettor wants to avoid this, in reality, there are times during your sports betting journey when it seems impossible to find your next winning bet. You will stumble from bad beats to bad bets. You'll feel discouraged and even consider the possibility of placing your bankroll on the brink. This is the brutal reality of playing the odds, as no matter how much you've researched, committed, or successful you've previously been, sometimes it just doesn't click.
Therefore, don't despair too much and accept that downturns are part of your betting journey. Make room for it in your budgeting and bankroll management. Stick to your system, continue your due diligence and rest assured that things will turn around at some point. Your next upswing might just be around the corner.
7. Don't Bet for the Thrill (Too Often)
The entire point of sports betting is to have fun while making money. So, implementing a 'no thrill bets' policy to betting seems counterintuitive to the fun aspect of betting. Long-term sports bettors would tell you that the least enjoyable part of betting is losing. Indeed, thrill betting will lead to frequent losses instead of winnings.
So, what is thrill betting? Thrill betting is when you bet on a market that is usually obscure, in an area you may not be familiar with, and often at long juicy odds. It's when you bet on a market without research and forethought and just want the thrill of action while hoping to win big. Bookies know bettors love to get into thrill bet markets which is the reason they offer them. The truth is, these long odds are often not long enough. With this in mind, these sportsbooks usually won't provide the true odds on a long shot while also giving you the illusion that you're up for a big happy payday.
Thrill betting is very thrilling indeed! And because of this reason, if you want to place these types of bets, then do it with a small stake, as in the long run, these bets will be less likely to yield any real profit.
8. Look for Sportsbook Promotions
We all love something without any extra cost! And as we've mentioned earlier, sports betting is a super competitive industry. It offers you, the customer, with many opportunities to take advantage of their bonuses. The best may promotions appear weekly, sometimes even daily, and are provided by the most popular bookies. These promotions can range from cashbacks, bonus bets, merchandise and other free stuff.
You can unlock promotions just by betting on specific markets or near misses (also known as insurance), especially in accumulator bets. It may be worth looking around for what's on offer, as you may be allowed to qualify by betting on a market you're looking to bet on. Indeed, you'll need accounts with more than one bookie to have any kind of choice of promotions. Suppose you're comfortable with having an account for only one sportsbook. In that case, it's best to pick a bookie that offers generous daily or weekly promotions.
9. Keep Track of Your Betting Record
Experienced and professional bettors keep track of their betting history. A deeper knowledge of their personal record lets them know if they need to adjust their systems to optimize results by knowing what works and doesn't. Also, this helps track the trends they've been using or discover new ones as new trends tend to constantly appear in the ever-changing world of sports betting.
To improve your betting skills, look deeper into your track record. All bookies should offer a downloadable betting history complete with deposit history, rolling account balance and win/loss records. The download comes in a spreadsheet that lets you analyse your records easily.
Conclusion – Best Sports Betting Hacks
It's easy to bet on any sport, but being successful in sports betting is difficult. Like the unpredictable outcome in betting, no one will ever know when success will come to you. But if you're patient and dedicated to sports betting, it will be easier to succeed in the long term.
Also, remember to have fun! If sports betting offers you genuine enjoyment, keep doing it. However, if it turns into a burden or drags you down emotionally, then let it go. We are usually more successful at the stuff we enjoy most.
