There are chances of you interested in handicap sports betting if you fancy yourself as a big sports fan. Both these things go hand in hand as you tend to enjoy the game you love and can make a profit out of it at the same time.
Unfortunately, many people get into sports betting without putting much effort into it. Some people tend to assume they can wing it or stand a chance to win by doing a little research. Some people get lucky with a big win or score wins inconsistently without doing much hard work.
It is high time that bettors learn that some type of strategy is necessary if they are serious about making consistent profits. Usually, there are two kinds of bettors: one is sharp and the other one squares. Here’s a simple guide on handicap sports betting for beginners and professional sports bettors while sports betting online.
Sports handicapping
If you are willing to do sports handicapping, you should first learn some ways to perceive it. Usually, there are two kinds of sports handicapping: vegas handicapping games and you handicapping the pick.
You need to know about sports handicapping, where the oddsmakers provide bettors with a spread or line to bet with. Technically, sports betting is neither race nor contest as sportsbook gives everyone a chance by issuing point spreads for any given matchup.
It is not always as simple as people think this team will win or lose. You can enhance the bet by vegas. Not only this, it simplifies the bet by allowing the bettors to pick an underdog without really picking them.
Another way to perceive sports handicapping is whether the bettor does all they can to favor the potential edge. For instance, bettor trying to pick a tough NFL game between New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans. But with this, do not think that you’ll be at the top.
As it’s not about the big win or beating Vegas, many bettors refer to the grind of sports betting. In reality, it’s about handicapping each game you plan to bet and securing as many wins as you can. Lastly, sports handicapping is an act of researching, explaining, and proving that a pick will be correct.
How to do sports handicapping?
In any sport, almost anyone can handicap, and that too any game. For sports handicapping, there isn’t anyone’s precise strategy as there are diverse strategies, data, and betting values to be used while doing sports handicapping.
What matters over here is that bettor tries to make his way to profit against the sportsbooks. You need to work hard to maximize the money you’re risking. Here are some of the steps to guide you towards sports handicapping.
Research
The foremost thing to sports handicapping is research. The bettors need to realize that the knowledge they have in their heads is not enough to help you win. Every day and week brings new matchups. It usually depends on the sport you have chosen to handicap. Certain things impact the way you perceive games, like injuries and rotations.
One thing crucial to sustaining betting success is staying on top of the specific sport you plan on betting.
Track data and trends
One should not ignore this as this is a significant one and deserves your special attention. You can stumble upon many basic statistics, but some hard data and trends will uncover hidden games in the betting world.
The data you choose for this will be solely based on your discretion, but one should not ignore a few things. Have a look at a few things to consider while sports are handicapping.
Matchup history
Home away records
Stats concerning player and team
Winning and losing streaks
Reffing
Coaching changes and game plans
Individual positional matchups
Against the spread data
The list can keep going depending upon the extent of the research. The main thing is to consider all your resources to come across the best bet. The more you know, the more you’ll be in a position to have the edge and win the bet.
Look for value
Understanding value when you see it is a huge part of sports handicapping. Along with it, also search high and low for it. It’s a bit difficult to define what exactly betting value is, especially in the eyes of the beholder. Usually, people perceive value by two things:
Matchup
Matchup scored by vegas
Before odds come into play, how you look at the teams in any given matchup will have you lean one way or the other. Vegas can also impact how you plan on betting once you have odds to work with. But you can manipulate it according to you by considering all your options and by picking your spots.
Another way is to maximize value by persuading sports betting sites to compete with each other. Depending on which side of the team you’re on for a specific bet, most sites will have specific lines for the same matchups. You can think of it for point spreads, totals, or any other bet.
Basic principles of sports handicapping
Have a look at some of the basic principles for sports handicapping to secure most of the wins.
Evaluating injuries
Who’s going to be playing in the game matters the most. One thing that bettors wonder is if there is an injury at a key position. You not only need to be aware of the injuries to the quarterback, as there are key players in almost every team because they are virtually irreplaceable.
As a result, every bettor should know if an important player is missing from the team. It will help you to decide whether to bet on that side or not.
Home field advantage
Many sports bettors neglect the home-field advantage in the rush of placing the bet, but it should not be done. Home field advantage has an impact on the outcomes of the game. There are some discrepancies on how a team plays at home vs how it plays in the other city.
Bettors fail to realize that noise has a huge impact on the game’s outcome, but not all home-field advantage is created equal. A key component in evaluating the outcome of a game is understanding the impact on each team’s home-field advantage.
Weather conditions
Another factor in sports handicapping is the weather conditions. The conditions in which the game is being played matters the most and should not be overlooked. You need to consider whether the game is played in snow, wind, or rain, as it goes a long way in impacting the result of the match.
Usually, it is said that snow is bad for the team as it becomes difficult to play in the snow. It’s difficult to move your body to react if the footing on the field makes things slippery. Consequently, if a team is playing in harsh conditions, it is of immense advantage to the offense.
Measuring intangibles while sports handicapping
1. Motivation
There are little things that make a huge difference to the game, especially for the professional sports bettors. There isn’t much difference between teams as every team has elite athletes and premier quarterback play.
While sports betting online, you need to look into the team in the playoff hunt versus a team with nothing to play for. Besides this, look for the traditional rivals that play hard regardless of the circumstances.
2. Travel schedules and byes
No matter what, always follow the part of the schedule a team is on. You need to see whether they are on the road trip or is their bye coming up? No doubt these are all human elements but can be turned into factors that eventually decide the outcome, especially if it is an even game on paper.
Conclusion
All the professional sports bettors out there should look into the above-mentioned things while sports betting online.
