Millions of sports fans worldwide enjoy placing bets on their favorite teams and players every week. Being a sports fan and an avid sports bettor seem to go hand in hand nowadays and it is hard to separate the two.
Most modern sports enthusiasts enjoy nothing more than to both cheer on their favorite teams and players and wait for them to deliver on the bets, doubling the excitement and fun during the nail-biting scenes.
Moreover, thanks to the advancements in technology and the wider acceptance of contemporary practices, the online betting apps have brought gambling to a much broader audience, which has allowed the bettors to place bets from the comfort of their own home or when on the move using their smartphone devices and even tablets.
However, there is no easy way to beat the bookies and betting should never be viewed as a sure-fire way to make money. It cannot because there are simply too many factors to consider and anything can happen in sports in just a few seconds.
Instead, you must rely on your knowledge of the sport and research to pick up a profit or at least increase your chances while decreasing how much saying Lady Luck has to say.
Even if you cover most of them, you will need at least some luck on your side to win it big more often than you lose.
From betting on the always unpredictable NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, the exciting NBA Finals, or the biggest event in sport in the soccer World Cup, there are ways to improve your chances of beating the bookies as well as escaping the pitfalls that will present themselves along the way.
Basically, if you are serious about securing a long-term profit from sports betting and if you want to make it a lucrative side hustle, there are certain things you should make sure of.
This article looks at five common mistakes sports bettors make and how you can prevent them. This would be the best thing you can do in an effort to become a better sports betting player.
1. Betting with the wrong bookie
It all starts with the right place and the right betting offers. You must bet with the right bookmaker, and in order to find one of the best on the market you should check out mytoposportsbooks.com.
You want to gamble with a betting app that gives excellent coverage on your favorite sports since there are always numerous and seemingly infinite chances across countries, sports, leagues, and other competitions.
If you are passionate about the NHL, for example, you want the ice hockey tab to be packed with upcoming matches and outright betting opportunities. You also need to see the in-game betting options right then and there so that you can react quickly.
What is crucial in modern times is mobile optimization, so the bookie you choose has to have the mobile site stylish, easy to use, and fast.
The homepage must have quick links to the most popular sports betting events of the day, such as the next horse race due off or a big match scheduled to be shown live on national TV.
This allows you to place a good bet quickly, which is ideal if you are betting on the move or eager to get your stake down before the odds change on your bet and you miss the value.
All of these little features will only be available with the best bookies out there.
2. Not researching your odds
Many bettors fail to properly research their gambles before making them, and this is dangerous and hurts the wallet.
What they do is open an account, see a team they love offered at decent odds, and they snap at it, rushing to get their cash down without any type of further research or thinking.
That is a foolish approach when betting on sports and something you should avoid at all costs, a rather bad business and strategic move.
Whenever you plan to bet even on a fun and indecent match, carry out as much research as possible before you actually place it.
You want to know the form of both teams, the injury news and updates, the season stats up to that point, the head-to-head scores between the teams, expected formations and strategies, even the officials who will be regulating the game.
Research is key to beating the bookies as well as limiting the randomness and luck factors, and you can be sure the traders have spent hours reading up on a fixture before publishing their odds. You should do the same to balance things out.
3. Taking lower odds
Some bettors see odds offered on a bet and click to place their wager without a second thought. We already established why this does not work but here is another reason.
Would you buy a car from one dealer if the shop across the street sold the exact vehicle for a lower price? Of course not. It is essential to shop around to get the best deal on every purchase, and placing bets is no different.
Taking the lower odds does not mean you now have a better chance of winning. The game is still the same and if you had bet on better odds you, maybe could have won more.
Visit any respected betting odds comparison sites and check out the odds of various bookmakers on your pick to see how big the differences can be.
The most generous odds will be highlighted, and that is the bookie you should bet with no matter the match in question.
The differences may seem small on individual bets, but those margins soon build up and have a huge impact on your total annual profits and losses. It is always about profit when you bet on sports, because what else is there?
4. Not securing a welcome bonus
The most successful bookmakers offer new customers a welcome bonus used to drive players to their site and attract more potential players to their betting service.
They know how much you love betting on sports and want to convince you to do it with them over the competition, which is a nice tactic to get a larger portion of the fan base than the competition.
So how do they achieve that in such a competitive market? It is quite simple. They give out free betting bonuses that leave the competition in the shadows. The standout welcome bonuses include free bets, risk-free bets and enhanced odds.
Do not take the first one you see or go with a bookie because you know them just by their name and reputation. Shop around and secure the best welcome bonus you can because they are literally free shots at more money than you hoped for.
5. Following a bad tipster
Finally, there are many sports betting tipsters online and on social media claiming they know more than the rest of the people involved in sports betting. Some are better than others and there are certainly those worth your time, trust, and money.
If you choose to follow a tipster however, you should ask to see their stats and track record first. Have they made a profit in recent bets, what is their profit/loss over the last year and do they intend to charge for their tips?
Remember, if a tipster was that good, they would be making enough cash off the bookies and would not need to charge you for advice and tips.
Rarely anyone goes the extra mile and starts a new side job if they are satisfied with what they already have.
