Introduction to Sports Betting – Learn How to Bet on Sports

Betting on sports is a popular pastime. And when we say popular, we REALLY mean it. Countless people all over the world enjoy sports betting, so much that they collectively spend billions of dollars on it each year. Not only is it a lot of fun, but there’s also the chance to win money.

The same could be said for almost all forms of gambling, though, and few (if any) are as popular as sports betting. This is especially true online, where the top gambling sites take millions of sports wagers every day.

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Why does sports betting attract so much attention? It’s difficult to know for sure without surveying every single sports bettor in the world.

Still, after considering everything we know about betting on sports, we believe that it ultimately comes down to two main reasons.

The first is simply that sports themselves are extremely popular. Not everyone is into sports, of course, but there sure are A LOT of people who are. For many of them, betting on the sports they enjoy watching is just a natural progression.

The second main reason is that sports betting is very straightforward. You can start placing wagers with just a limited amount of background knowledge and still have a chance of winning money, especially when betting on sports that you truly understand.

Now, winning money CONSISTENTLY is a different matter. That does require a lot more knowledge and a lot more effort. An understanding of the sports you wager on definitely helps, but it’s not enough to be successful in the long run. You also need to learn and develop certain skills.

There’s no need to worry about all of that when starting out. It’s just something to bear in mind if your long-term goal is to be a profitable bettor. And even if you’re only interested in having some fun, it’s important to know that winning doesn’t come easy.

As straightforward as sports betting is, there are several advantages to learning more about what’s involved before putting your money at risk. This introduction to sports betting is the ideal place to do that. This is designed for complete beginners. We plan to teach you everything you need to know to have the best possible sports betting experience.

Our introduction is divided into three distinct sections. The first section features some essential information to consider before you even get started. It will help you to decide whether sports betting is right for you, and it provides you with insight into how everything works. The second section is basically a step-by-step guide to actually getting started, and the third section focuses on teaching you some basic betting skills that will really help.

We’ve told you how easy it is to get started with sports betting, and we genuinely believe that. But it’s important to remember that there’s real risk involved here. It doesn’t matter how knowledgeable you are about the sport you’re betting on; every time you place a wager, you are putting your money at risk. Unfortunately, beginners are more likely to lose than win.

So if you’re looking to jump straight into sports betting because you think you’re going to win a ton of money straight away, please think again. Can you win money as a beginner? Absolutely. Will you? Probably not.

We’re not saying this because we want to deter you from betting on sports. That’s not our intention at all. In fact, we hope that when you do try it, you’ll find that you really enjoy it! We just want to make sure that your eyes are wide open. Sports betting is NOT for everyone. That’s why the first article in this introduction is a must-read. It highlights the risks and rewards of betting on sports and will help you to decide whether this is the right activity for you.

The next article compares sports betting with other forms of gambling. This is definitely worth reading, too. It’s interesting to look at the differences between the various forms of gambling and the pros and cons of each one. You might realize that playing casino games is more suitable for you, or that playing poker is more appealing. Maybe you’ll want to try them all, or maybe you won’t want to try any of them.

Assuming you decide that you DO want to try your hand at sports betting, you should start thinking about WHY. Is the goal simply to have some fun, or to try to make a few extra bucks? Maybe you have aspirations of betting full-time and earning a good income from it. Although there’s no reason why you can’t have fun AND make some money, betting for profit requires a different approach than betting primarily for recreational purposes. We explain more in the following article.

If betting for fun appeals to you the most, you need to ask yourself the following questions.

If you answered yes to both of these questions, then there’s no reason at all why you can’t enjoy betting on sports as a form of entertainment. If you answered no to either of them, sports betting might not be right for you.

If betting for profit is the route you’d like to take, please ask yourself the following questions.

If you answered yes to both of these questions, that’s a good starting point. If you answered no to either of these questions, then it might be better to focus on having some fun with betting: for now at least. You can always start taking things more seriously further down the road.

Sports betting laws can be very confusing. It doesn’t help that they vary wildly from one part of the world to the next. Here, we examine the relevant laws in different regions and explain exactly how they affect you.

Sports betting can present a lot of challenges, especially for those wishing to make money consistently. To make things a little easier, we also offer some expert advice for overcoming these challenges.

When a bettor is focused on winning a lot of wagers, and betting on likely outcomes, they’re going to be betting at low odds. This leads to low payouts that can easily be wiped out when they lose.

Does this mean you should never bet at low odds? No. Nor does it mean you should bet at high odds every opportunity you get. It just means that focusing on winning lots of wagers isn’t the right approach. Wise up; think carefully about the odds on offer before a placing wager.

To determine whether or not the odds are in your favor, you need to understand the concept of value. In the context of sports betting, value basically describes the relationship between the chances of a wager winning and the odds. When a wager is more likely to win than the odds suggest, it has positive value. This means the odds are effectively in your favor, and that it’s a good wager to place.

Understanding every aspect of a bookmaker’s job is far from necessary. Still, it doesn’t hurt to be familiar with what they do.

Online bookmakers have become the number one option for millions of sports bettors all over the world. This is not just because they’re safe to use, they’re also the easiest and most convenient option. Placing wagers online is VERY straightforward, and can be done from the comfort of your own home.

Some additional advantages of using online bookmakers include the following.

We’re almost done with this section now. There’s just one more useful resource we need to make you aware of: our sports betting glossary. This is not something you’ll necessarily want to read in its entirety, but it’s still good to know where to locate it if and when you need it. It contains detailed definitions of virtually all the words and phrases you’re likely to encounter when wagering on sports.

There are a few alternatives to traditional fixed odds betting, including the ones listed below.

Each one of these involves risking money on the outcome of sports events in one way or another. But they all work a little differently. Let’s take a closer look at each one of them.

This is based on the same fundamental concept as traditional fixed odds sports betting, as wagers are still placed at fixed odds. However, there’s one very significant difference. With traditional fixed odds betting, wagers must be placed BEFORE an event starts. With in-play betting, however, wagers can be placed DURING an event. This opens up a whole new range of betting opportunities, and it’s proved to be incredibly popular with bettors.

Exchange betting also uses fixed odds, but there’s no bookmaker involved. Instead, the two parties to a wager are always bettors. One bettor is backing a selection, while the other is laying that selection. The person laying is effectively ACTING as the bookmaker, and offering the other party fixed odds on their selection. If the backer’s selection is correct, then the layer has to pay them out at the agreed odds. If the backer’s selection is incorrect, then the layer receives their stake.

This might sound a little complicated, but we promise that it’s really not. The following guide should clarify everything for you.

There are no fixed odds involved at all in spread betting, and a wager doesn’t simply win or lose. You have to choose whether a particular number will be higher or lower than the bookmaker’s posted spread, and the amount you win or lose will depend on HOW MUCH higher or lower the number is.

For example, you can wager on the total number of goals scored in a soccer game. A bookmaker might post a spread of 2-3, and you must decide whether you think there will be more than three goals or less than two. Backing more than three goals would mean “buying the spread.” For every goal scored past three, you’ll win one multiple of your initial stake. So if four goals were scored, you’d win an amount equal to your initial stake. If five goals were scored, you’d win twice your initial stake.

If less than three goals were scored, you’d lose one multiple of your stake per goal below three. So if two goals were scored, you’d lose an amount equal to your initial stake. If just one goal was scored, you’d lose twice your initial stake.

Backing less than two goals would mean “selling the spread.” Your payouts or losses would be calculated in the same way as we’ve just outlined, but in reverse. You’d stand to win if there were less than two goals, and lose if there were more than two.

Check out the following guide for more information.

Pari-mutuel betting is used mostly for wagering on horse racing, but it can be used for other sports as well. It’s another form of wagering that removes the need for a bookmaker, and there are no odds involved here either. For each specific betting market, everyone’s stakes are paid into a “pool.” At the conclusion of the relevant event, those who backed the winning selection are all paid out a share of this pool. Each person’s share is calculated based on how much they staked and how many others backed the winning selection.

Our guide to pari-mutuel betting explains things in a lot more detail.

Esports betting is very similar to traditional fixed odds betting. There is one major difference, though; it doesn’t involve wagering on traditional sports. Instead, those who choose esports betting will be placing wagers on competitive video gaming.

Although competitive video gaming has been around for decades, it wasn’t until recently that it really took off. Many events and leagues are now televised or streamed online, and they attract large audiences. Can this really be considered a sport? That’s perhaps up for debate, but there are certainly plenty of people who believe so.

That’s why it’s often referred to as “esports,” and like most other sports, it’s possible to place wagers on it these days. Interested in learning more? Check out our guide!

There’s one other activity to mention here, and that’s daily fantasy sports (DFS). Real money DFS contests have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially in the United States. Maybe it’s because they represent an entirely different way to potentially win money using sports knowledge.

These contests involve risking money in exchange for the chance of winning, but there’s a strong argument that they’re not technically gambling. DFS is not subject to the same laws as traditional sports betting in the US, so the argument clearly has some merit.

Okay, so you’re ready to get started. Now what? Well, we suggest reading the following article next. It summarizes a few basic aspects of sports betting that all beginners should know when they’re about to start risking their money.

There are now just five more steps to follow, and you’ll be well on your way to enjoying the thrills and excitement that sports betting has to offer.

• Know the different types of wagers
• Understand odds and learn how to calculate payouts
• Choose which sports to bet on
• Learn how to make selections and place wagers
• Decide where to bet

Let’s go through these steps one by one.

Do you know the difference between a moneyline wager and a point spread wager? Or the difference between a prop and a totals wager? Heard of futures? What about parlays? Do you know how teasers and pleasers work?

If they’re being completely honest, most beginners will answer no to all of these questions. In fact, most beginners aren’t even aware that there are so many types of wagers that can be placed on sports events. But there are. Bookmakers generally offer a wide range of different wagering options. Some are very simple, while others are a little more complex.

It’s unlikely that you’ll want to use too many different types as a beginner.

Sports betting doesn’t come any simpler than the win bet, or moneyline wager. Both these terms refer to the exact same type of wager. Win bet is used almost universally, while moneyline wager is used in the United States and a few other regions. The term “straight bet” is also used in some regions for this type of wager, but in the US, a straight bet refers to point spread wagers (which we will cover shortly).

A win bet is one of the most popular wagers that can be placed, partially because it’s so easy to understand and partially because it’s considered the “traditional” way to bet on several sports. This wager can be used in virtually every sport we can bet on, and it involves simply picking who is going to win a game, match, or other event.

Point spread wagers are extremely popular in the United States, especially for football. They’re also commonly placed on basketball games, and they can be used for a wide range of other sports, too. As we stated earlier, a point spread wager can be referred to as a straight bet in the US. Point spreads are used outside the US as well, as this wager is essentially a universal one.

The concept here is different from the win bet, as you’re not betting directly on which participant will win a game or match. Instead, you’re betting on which participant will “cover the spread.” The spread is created by a bookmaker who makes the participants equal favorites for the purposes of betting. A favorite is effectively “deducted” points, and an underdog is effectively “given” points. The size of the spread determines how many points are awarded and deducted.

Handicap betting is used in many parts of the world, and for several sports. It’s very similar to point spread betting. Points (or goals) are still awarded and deducted from teams for the purposes of the betting, but the aim is not specifically to make the participants equal favorites. Instead, it’s really just about presenting different options. Handicap betting effectively gives you the opportunity to improve your chances of winning.

Totals and over-unders are two different terms for the same wager. Some regions only use one term of the other, but in most parts of the world, the two terms are interchangeable. This type of wager is extremely popular, extremely straightforward, and available on a wide range of sports.

The idea here is that a bookmaker sets a line for the total number of points, goals, or runs to be scored in a game. They then give you the option of betting on whether the actual total will be higher or lower than the line they’ve set. Betting on higher is referred to as backing the over, while betting on lower is referred to as backing the under.

For some sports, the bookmaker will set the line at what they estimate the total is likely to be. This is similar to the point spread wager in that they’re effectively creating 50/50 proposition, so the odds for the over will typically be the same as the odds for the under. They’ll at least be very close, as each one is theoretically as likely as the other.

For other sports, the bookmaker will set several different lines. The odds for the over and the under on these are often quite different, as one outcome may be much more likely than the other.

Prop bets (short for proposition bet) and specials are again two different terms used to describe the same type of wager. This particular type of wager is generally considered to be a wager that’s placed more for a bit of fun than anything else, and many experts advise that serious bettors should leave them well alone. We don’t believe this is good advice. A lot of props involve little more than guesswork, but some of them can present good opportunities for making informed decisions about which way to bet.

Broadly speaking, props or specials are wagers on specific aspects of a sports event that do not necessarily have a direct effect on the final outcome of that event. A prime example is a wager on which team will score first in a game.

Future and outrights are the same thing. Either of these terms can be used to describe wagers on the winner of a specific tournament, league, or competition in advance of the relevant event starting. This is also known as ante-post betting.

Here are some examples of futures and outrights.

Parlays, or accumulators, are what we call multiples. They involve making more than one selection as a part of a single wager. For example, if you wanted to back five football teams to each win their next game, you’d include all five teams in an accumulator or parlay.

Wagers of this type are hard to win, as you have to get EVERY selection correct. If just one single selection is wrong, the whole wager is a loser. The upside is that the returns can be very attractive when you do win.

Progressive parlays are a specific type of parlay that come with a slightly lower risk. Whereas standard parlays lose if one selection is incorrect, progressive parlays offer a little more flexibility. They still return a payout if just one selection is incorrect. Depending on the total number of selections made, they can return a payout even if two or three selections are incorrect.

The downside here is that the payout is less, even if you do end up getting all your selections correct. If you get any of your selections wrong, the payout is further reduced.

Full cover bets are used primarily in the United Kingdom. They’re also known as combination bets or permutation bets. Like parlays and accumulators, they’re multiples that involve making more than one selection. However, they don’t just combine all the selections into one single wager. A full cover bet is basically a series of wagers that covers ALL selections in EVERY POSSIBLE combination.

Teasers and pleasers are wagers that can be placed on football and basketball. These wagers are popular in the US, and they are widely available within the region. In most regions outside of the US, however, they’re virtually unheard of.

Each of these wagers is a type of parlay. They both involve making multiple selections as part of a single wager, and all selections have to be either point spreads or totals. These wagers each have a unique feature that sets them apart from traditional parlays, though.

What this basically means is that teasers are easier to get right, and pleasers are harder to get right.

If bets and reverse bets are also wagers that are most commonly used in the United States. They’re considered by many to be very complicated wagers, but we don’t think that they’re especially difficult to understand. They’re basically just slightly more advanced types of parlay.

An if bet involves making selections in a specific order. The result of the first selection dictates whether or not any subsequent selection(s) are active. If your first selection is wrong, then your stake is lost, and the entire wager is finished. But if your first selection is correct, then the next selection comes into play. You’re paid out the winnings from your first selection, and your initial stake is placed on the second selection. This process repeats until a selection loses or all selections are completed.

Odds are a vital component of any sports wager. They tell you how much you stand to win relative to your stake, and they also give some indication of how likely any given outcome is to happen. Most people understand that high odds mean something is unlikely to happen, and that low odds mean something is most likely going to happen.

There’s more to odds than just that, though. For example, odds can be expressed in several different formats. They help us determine whether a wager offers good value or not. A thorough understanding of odds is pretty much essential when betting on sports, as is the ability to calculate potential payouts. That’s why we highly suggest reading the article listed below.

This step is very straightforward. It’s not something that requires in-depth thinking, as we typically recommend that beginners start by focusing solely on sports they know a lot about.

However, we realize that not everyone who wants to start betting on sports is already a sports fan. So this step is a little harder for them.

There are certain sports that are popular in some regions, but not so popular in others. However, there are a few sports that are popular with bettors all around the world. In terms of the total number of people who bet on them, the following sports definitely rank the highest.

Other popular sports for betting that are NOT on this list include baseball, darts, rugby and horse racing. We didn’t include baseball because that doesn’t get a lot of betting attention outside of the United States. Darts don’t get much attention outside of the United Kingdom, and rugby is only popular in a few countries. Horse racing DOES get worldwide attention, but horse racing betting is typically categorized as its own unique form of gambling.

Here are four reasons why these sports are so popular among bettors.

Now we’re into the REALLY practical advice. This fourth step involves learning how to actually make selections and place wagers. This isn’t an especially complicated process, but it can be a little daunting for beginners.

There’s no single “correct” way to make your sports betting selections, but it’s important to know that it’s the quality of these selections that will ultimately determine how well you do. By consistently making good decisions, you’ll be well on your way to making a decent profit.

Don’t expect to be able to do that as a beginner though. You’ll need to gain some experience first, and there’s a lot more to learn too. While you’re getting that experience, we suggest focusing on following these five tips.

This fifth and final step is probably the most important. Depending on where you live, you may have several options for where to bet. In the United Kingdom, for example, virtually every town and city has at least two or three bookmaking shops. Telephone betting services are also widely available. In the United States, the options are more limited. There are the casino sportsbooks in Las Vegas, and there’s talk of introducing sportsbooks in Atlantic City, too. Besides that, there aren’t too many other options to consider, unless you want to include the underground bookmakers who operate illegally.

We explain more about the different types of bookmakers you can find around the world in the following article.

In our opinion, the best option for virtually anyone is to wager online using betting sites. The Internet is by far the easiest and most convenient way to bet on sports these days, and it offers several advantages over the more traditional ways of placing wagers. We discuss these advantages, and many other aspects of online betting, in the following section of our sports betting guide.

Some people are naturally reluctant to deposit funds online for the purposes of wagering, especially when the only sites they can use are based overseas and operating in an entirely different legal jurisdiction. They’re concerned about entrusting these sites with their money, and worry about whether it’s safe to do so.

Although we fully understand these concerns, which are justified to some extent, the fact is that betting online is a lot safer than people think. We don’t deny that there are shady sites out there. However, we also realize that there are PLENTY of sites that are 100% trustworthy and reliable. All you need to do is choose the right ones to use.

That’s easier than ever before, thanks to us. We’ve made recommendations of the best places to bet online in several different categories, so finding a site that’s just right for you is no problem at all. You can rest assured that each and every one of our recommendations is perfectly safe to use and will provide you with excellent service.

There are several commonly held misconceptions relating to sports betting. Some of these are pretty harmless, but some can give people the wrong impression about sports betting. There are three in particular that we urge you not to believe, no matter how often you hear them being repeated.

• Sports betting is all about luck
• It’s impossible to win at sports betting
• Winning at sports betting is easy

The second and third misconceptions on this list obviously contradict each other. They clearly can’t BOTH be right, and in fact, neither of them is. Let’s start with the first one, though, regarding the luck involved in sports betting.

Sports betting is a form of gambling, and ALL forms of gambling involve at least some degree of luck. Some require more luck than others. Take casino slots, for example. These require no skill at all. You simply pay your money and hope that the reels spin a winning combination. Luck is the sole factor in determining whether you win or lose. The same can be said for most casino games, in fact, although a few of them have some element of skill to them, too.

The lottery is also all about luck, and so is bingo. Sports betting is different, though. It’s one form of gambling where luck is NOT the overriding factor. Although there’s some luck involved, for sure, the outcome of sports events isn’t completely random. It’s possible to use a combination of knowledge, skill, and strategy to try to gauge what’s likely to happen. Successful sports bettors are able to do this very well, and that’s why they win consistently. It’s not because they’re just luckier than everyone else.

The very fact that successful sports bettors exist clearly highlights that winning isn’t impossible. Most people lose, yes, but there are all kinds of reasons for that. It’s certainly not because winning is impossible. In theory, anyone can make money from betting on sports with the right approach. And, believe us, there are plenty of people who do.

The idea that winning is easy, however, is very far from the truth. A lot of sports betting beginners mistakenly believe that all they need to do to win money is make accurate predictions about the outcome of sports events. They assume that they’ll be able to make these accurate predictions if they know enough about the relevant sports. Unfortunately, they’re completely wrong.

One of the main goals of sports betting IS to make accurate predictions. That’s obvious. And if anyone was able to accurately predict the outcome of sports betting with unfailing consistency, then they’d be able to make a lot of money. That’s simply not possible, though. Even with an encyclopedic sports knowledge, sports are just too unpredictable.

Successful sports bettors aren’t only able to make accurate predictions, but they’re also able to identify when the odds are at a favorable place to make a wager. In addition to that, these bettors know how to properly manage their bankrolls and carry out all the necessary research and analysis effectively. In short, the requirements for successful sports betting go way beyond extensive sports knowledge.

We’ve got to be honest with you, there’s a lot of math involved when betting on sports. Numbers are everywhere and they are important. Understanding how to manipulate numbers will help you substantially.

Do you need to be a math genius to succeed though? No. This is a complete myth. A myth that gets repeated very often, but a myth nonetheless. We personally know several people that make a decent amount of money from sports betting, despite not being mathematically inclined.

You will need to do SOME calculations when betting on sports. There’s no getting away from that. Most of these calculations are pretty basic though, and relatively easy to do. So, there’s absolutely no need to worry if math is not your strong point. This won’t ruin your chances of success in any way.

We’re going to go over several basic sports betting strategies and tips that should make the process a little simpler for the casual sports bettor.

The odds in sports betting are always related to the chances of a wager winning. The more likely the wager is to win, the lower the odds will be. The less likely the wager is to win, the higher the odds will be.

When choosing to bet at higher odds, you are reducing your chances of winning. This is offset by having the opportunity to win even more money. Ultimately, it’s no more or less profitable than betting at low odds in the long run.

The simple process of comparing odds and line shopping every time you place a wager can make a big difference in the long run. It’s easy to do and doesn’t take long. Here are the two main benefits of comparing odds and line shopping.

Comparing odds and line shopping is essentially the same as comparing prices for any product that you might want to buy. It’s a simple of matter of researching what’s available, and then selecting the best deal. This is extremely easy to do when betting online, as you just need to visit a few betting sites and check out their odds and lines. Choose to place your wager with whichever site offers the best value.

For example, let’s say you’re looking to place a wager on an upcoming tennis match between Miles Raonic and David Goffon. You check three different betting sites, and find the following odds available.

Miles Raonic vs David Goffon – Match Winner

If you’re planning to back Raonic to win, Betting Site C is the best site to place your wager. You’ll get odds of 1.40 rather than 1.35 or 1.30. If you’re planning to back Goffon to win, Betting Site B is the best site to place your wager. You’ll get odds of 2.90 rather than 2.80.

The differences in odds may seem small, but they’ll quickly add up over time. If you were staking $100 on Raonic here, getting 1.40 instead of 1.30 would mean earning an extra $10 in profit if the wager is correct. That may not seem like a lot right now, but winning an extra $10 for every single correct wager you place IS substantial.

Not convinced? Let’s say you place an average of ten wagers per week, and your win rate is around 40%. Over the course of a year, that’s 520 wagers placed and 208 wagers won. An extra $10 return for each winning wager would mean you’d be over $2,000 better off. That’s not bad for spending just a few extra minutes each time you bet.

Comparing odds for win bets is very straightforward, as all you need to do is choose the site which has the best odds for your chosen selection. Things get a little more complicated when betting point spreads and totals though, as there’s a little more to consider. In addition to the odds, you also have to look at the size of the spread or the totals line.

For example, let’s say you were looking to bet on the point spread for a football game between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets. You compare the lines at three sites, and this is what you find.

Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets – Point Spread

Here you’ve got some decisions to make. Regardless of whether you want to back the Dolphins or the Jets to cover, there’s an argument for placing your wager with any one of these sites.

Let’s say you wanted to back the dolphins to win. You consider going with Site C, because they are offering the best possible odds. However, the Dolphins are giving away 3.5 points on this line. At Site B, they’re only giving away 2.5 points. A wager at Site C offers a better potential return, but a wager at Site B is easier to win. A wager at Site A is a compromise between the two.

It’s a similar situation if you wanted to back the Jets to cover. The best possible odds are at Site B, but the Jets are only getting 2.5 points. At Site C, they’re getting 3.5 points. But the odds are worse. Again, a wager at Site A represents a compromise.

In this article, we aim to provide you with a real understanding of value, and also teach you how to find it.

To make good decisions, you need good information. You also need to know how to accurately interpret that information.

Remember, the goal is to beat the bookmakers. And you can be certain that the bookmakers are working with a LOT of information. They look at a wide range of factors when setting their odds and lines, and consider anything and everything that could possibly affect the outcome of events. In an ideal situation, you’d have just as much information to work with as them. While this may not always happen, any additional information you have will help.

The amount of research you need to do ultimately depends on how serious you are about trying to make money. If you’re only betting for fun, and you aren’t too concerned about whether you win or lose, then you don’t HAVE to do any. Just remember that even a little extra information can go a long way towards helping you make better decisions. Simply spending just an hour or two each week on research could potentially have a huge impact on your bottom line.

When the goal is to make regular and consistent profits, an hour or two is unlikely to be enough. For a real chance of success, you should be considering several factors for each decision you make. This will enable you to form the balanced and informed views that will help you make good betting decisions. Gathering a lot of information can be time-consuming in itself, and then you have to analyze all that information.

If this is something you’re prepared to do (and it should be), then the first thing you need to think about is WHERE you’re going to get all your information from.

Your choice of sources will have a direct impact on how useful your research and analysis will be.

This should be pretty obvious. Use low-quality sources, and you’re going to be working with low-quality information. Low-quality information clearly isn’t going to help you make good decisions. Use reliable sources, however, and you’ll be working with good information. This WILL help you to make good decisions.

Here’s a list of the kind of sources that you should be looking at.

The mainstream sports media is best for keeping up to date with general news, and reading or watching reports of games and events. It can also be good for getting the thoughts and opinions of the experts. It’s possible to find valuable information on social media, as long as you’re willing to weed through the not so valuable parts. The same rule applies to sports forums too. There are lots of knowledgeable sports fans who post insightful and interesting stuff in forums, and this kind of information can be useful. You have to be willing to ignore any information that will hinder your ability to make sound decisions.

There are also lots of knowledgeable sports fans who run or contribute to blogs. If you can find any good blogs that are relevant to the sports you bet on, they can be a great source for getting the views of others. Dedicated stats websites are obviously the best source for any statistics you choose to analyze.

Which sources you should actually use will depend on which sports you’re betting on. It will also depend on which strategies you’re using, and which factors you want to focus your attention on. That’s why we haven’t recommended any specific sources here. It’s up to you to decide what information you need and then find the best places to get it from. This will take some time, but it’s worth it.

One final point to make here is that watching sports on TV (or online) counts as research. In fact, this doesn’t just “count” as research, it’s arguably one of the most important forms of research we can do.

Take soccer for example. By regularly watching a team play, we can learn a lot about the quality of the individual players and how well they play as a group. We can see which formation they favor, the tactics they tend to use, and the style of play they generally employ. We can gauge how well they’re playing, and whether their results are a true reflection of their ability. We can tell if they’re overperforming or underperforming and get a real idea of what they’re capable of.

If we’re able to watch a lot of teams on a regular basis, and properly analyze their performances, this can REALLY help us when we come to bet on future games.

Using a variety of other sources in addition to watching sports is the best approach. Always remember how important it is to consider a range of different factors. There are LOTS of things that can affect the outcome of sports events. And there are very few, if any, sources that will give you the complete picture by themselves.

One of the biggest mistakes sports bettors make is confusing correlation and causation. This can lead to completely misinterpreting information, and making bad betting decisions as a result. In order for your research and analysis to be effective, you need to know the difference between correlation and causation.

If the research and analysis you do is extensive enough, you’re likely to discover all kinds of correlations between certain variables and the outcome of sports events. By studying statistics in great depth or by focusing on trends and patterns, you’ll find even more correlations.

For example, you might discover that several soccer teams consistently win games by a big margin when their possession stats are high. Or you might discover that a particular football team always seems to lose most of their games in the first half of the season, but win most of their games in the second half of the season.

It may seem reasonable to assume that this information is very relevant, and can help you to make future betting decisions. However, although the information MAY be relevant, it’s vital that you understand that correlation does not imply causation. Just because there’s a relationship between two variables, it doesn’t necessarily mean that one causes the other. And even when one DOES cause the other, it’s not always possible to tell which variable is the cause and which is the effect.

This doesn’t mean you should ignore any correlations you discover.

The fact that a team has a history of losing in the first half of the season and winning in the second half might mean that they have a tendency to start slow and get better as the season progresses. That’s useful information IF it’s accurate. It’s essentially up to you to decide whether or not that information means anything at all. It could just be a coincidence, or it could be a quirk of the schedule. Maybe they have been forced to face their toughest opponents in the first half of the season for the past few years.

Interpreting this kind of information is one of the hardest aspects of the research and analysis you need to do. It’s more of an art than a science really. There are no definitive rules for exactly what to do and when to do it. You just have to consider the context of any correlations you discover, and use your sports knowledge to try to determine exactly what they’re telling you. This is something that you’ll get better at with practice.

We recommend having some kind of defined plan in place for how you’ll approach your research and analysis. This doesn’t need to be an incredibly detailed plan that you have to stick to rigidly, but having some broad guidelines to follow will definitely help you. The better organized you are, the more effective you are.

Your plan should consist of the following.