Sports Betting Online & Sports Books Reviews

Although there are a wide range of strategies and trends for football sports betting, three concepts prevail every week.  Here’s a look at three smart strategies for the football bettor that can be very helpful during the pro and college gridiron seasons:

1. Playing the schedules

A football team’s schedule can provide plenty of insight over the course of a season. Being aware of prior and upcoming games can be useful when handicapping the current game. This concept works better in college than the NFL because college teams are less consistent from week to week than pro clubs.

Even before the season begins, an overview of a particular team’s schedule can be performed. For many teams, obvious big games and/or rivalry matchups can be spotted. Along these same lines, certain games that could be flat spots for good squads can also be isolated.

Once the season begins, the bettor can begin to ascertain how good or bad a particular team is, which will help in determining how each team will view an upcoming game. A good team could be in a letdown spot, if they have had a big game in the prior week or a critical matchup is set to take place in the following week.  In addition, teams off of an open date could have an edge against a team that played in the prior week.

In the NFL, it is a little harder to isolate certain scheduling advantages, but there are times when a pro team will play up or down to the competition, like many college teams. The bye weeks in the NFL can also be used to the advantage of a bettor in many spots.

2. Analyzing the real home field advantage

Generally, the home team is given three points in a football point spread. While it is true that home squads win more often than road teams, the home clubs don’t necessarily cover the point spread more often.  Subsequently, it is important to determine just how valuable a home field advantage is for a team.

In college football, Boise State is a team that has been noted for having one of the best home field advantages in all of college football. While it is well known that Boise almost always wins at home, a closer examination reveals that the Broncos usually cover the point spread as well.

USC has also been a team that has won most of its home games over the past few years. However, the Trojans’ record against the point spread has been quite average during the same time period.

Of course, fans play a tremendous role in college football. The passionate fan bases of many prominent teams can be worth more than a field goal in a particular situation. On the other hand, there are venues that really don’t offer any kind of a home edge.  For example, the Tulane football team plays its home games in the vast Superdome in New Orleans. While the stadium is usually sold out for a Saints game, it is nearly empty for a Tulane contest.

Clearly, it is important to be aware of how pro and college teams fare against the spread at home. The ability to spot real or perceived home field edges can provide valuable insight into a particular game.

3. Weeding through the statistics

Ultimately, football wagers are determined solely by the points that are scored by each team. The various statistics that are accumulated each week help to determine how many points are scored and allowed in a given game. The numbers are valuable in determining what will actually happen in an upcoming game.  A starting point should be how many points a particular team will score and allow in a typical week. After all, a football wager will be decided on these ultimate stats.

However, there are several other numbers to analyze. How effectively does a team run the ball on offense while defending the run on defense? The same concepts apply to the passing game as well.

The ability to pinpoint various statistics can provide an edge to the football bettor. A good team that relies on a passing offense may face a weak club that has a strong passing defense. In this example, the good team could be vulnerable to a close game or upset due to this matchup.

The ability to analyzing statistics and matchups for a particular game can go a long way towards a profitable football season for the bettor.  In addition, ascertaining the true home field advantage and planning for the profit potential of the season’s schedule are important fundamentals to your betting game.

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Even for the most successful sports bettor, there will be both losing stretches and bad beats that will test your resolve.  Despite the emotional rollercoaster, sports bettors must maintain their focus. There are hundreds of football and basketball games to evaluate every year, as well as the daily grind of the baseball season during the spring and summer.

It is difficult to make a living as a sports better, but professionals attribute their success to fundamental principles that guide every decision.  Indeed, it is critical for the sports bettor to build his success on sound fundamentals that are proven over the long-term.

1. You are not a fan

Many novice sports bettors will wager on a team because they are a fan of a specific club or player.  In contrast, the successful sports bettor has no biases, and there are no favorite teams.

While the successful sports bettor can enjoy following and watching sports, there is only one sole focus: finding the right team to wager on to win his bet.

The novice bettor may be a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  If Pittsburgh is favored by a touchdown and wins by three points, how will the novice bettor feel?  Is he happy because his favorite team won or disgusted that he lost money on his wager?

The savvy sports bettor gains enjoyment solely from winning a wager and turning a profit.  Clearly, the serious sports bettor isn’t a fan.

2. Keep emotions in check

Even the very best sports bettors will suffer from dry spells. Over a large volume of bets, a good sports bettor is fortunate to win 55-57% of his wagers. The sports bettor must hit on 53% of his point spread wagers just to turn a modest profit – which means there are many losing bets to manage.

The successful sports bettor must be able to deal with all of the highs and lows of sports betting in an even manner. Winning streaks must be kept in perspective, and the bettor must also be able to properly handle a losing run.

Once a game is over, the focus should quickly turn to the next games, instead of dwelling on emotions. Past results should be evaluated as a tool to help the bettor win future wagers, but emotions are irrelevant to tomorrow’s results.

3. Practice patience

Novice sports bettors easily fall into the trap of constantly needing action, and this need is further amplified when there is a televised game.  It is tempting for the novice sports bettor to get involved in a Monday night football game or a big televised contest in college hoops.

In contrast, a professional sports bettor will only place a bet on a game when he feels a wager can be won. The ability to pass on a game is vital to the success of a sports bettor.

Another common mistake for new sports bettors involves chasing losses. If a bettor loses a few games and falls into a hole, he will try to chase these defeats by placing bets on the next game that is available on the schedule. However, unlike the bookmaker who must book every game, the bettor isn’t obligated to bet on every scheduled game.  Smart bettors take advantage of this fact and do not fall victim to the schedule.

Don’t push the envelope. A sports bettor needs to have patience to enjoy long-term success.

4. Perception isn’t reality

Professionals know that reality is not tied to perception in sports betting.  In contrast, novice and public bettors will allow their perceptions to influence their bets.  For example, a pro or college team can draw heavy betting interest if they played a great game in the prior week.  A novice bettor will rush to bet against a weak team that performed terribly in the prior week.

In contrast, the professional sports bettor will not automatically jump on the bandwagon of a good team or rush to bet against the weak team. After all, it is just one game out of a schedule of more than a dozen contests. The sharp sports bettor won’t be afraid to go against the grain, trusting his numbers and fundamentals.

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