Betting on sports isn’t just about picking winners. You also have to manage your money and get the most out of each wager. Justin Vallone talks about three sports betting tips he offers to every gambler. Investing When approaching sports betting, one usually thinks of high-risk, low-reward payouts. This is because of the edge that sportsbooks have over us as bettors. This is only partially true, however. The fact that sports books have an edge is something that cannot be avoided. Confronting...
Read more about Sports Betting Tips Pitching Correlations with Runs Allowed - February 8, 2011In MLB handicapping you have two distinct areas to focus on, how many runs a team is going to score and how many runs they are going to give up. Hitting statistics play a big part in predicting those numbers, but pitching plays nearly as big of a part in making your prediction. For evaluating different statistics we are going to use correlation. Correlation is a statistical tool that measures how closely one set of numbers relates to another set. For our purposes we are going to look at different...
Read more about Pitching Correlations with Runs Allowed Hitting Correlations With Runs Scored - February 8, 2011For making successful baseball picks you want focus on both offensive (run production) and defensive (pitching/fielding) factors. All aspects of the game have an effect on the outcome, however, we do find that hitting statistics (at least in the modern era) correlate slightly more to winning than the other variables. The question we are left with is, what hitting statistics are most important? That is, which stats are best at predicting a winning team? We pulled the numbers from the 2010 season...
Read more about Hitting Correlations With Runs Scored Handicapping NBA Games - January 31, 2011Betting on NBA games is quite similar to betting on football in that the types of bets are pretty much the same. You have your straight spread bets as well as over / unders. If you understand football betting, the mechanics of these basketball bets are not difficult. There are also similarities in the more exotic types of bets you can find. There are still parlays and teasers that you can make to enhance your sports betting bankroll. It is quite a different sport than football though, which necessitates...
Read more about Handicapping NBA Games Handicapping NCAA Basketball - January 31, 2011College basketball handicapping is a bit more difficult than handicapping NBA games. This is because in the NCAA, there are more upsets than in the NBA. The youth of collegiate players and an underdevelopment of talent lead to some weaker teams beating better teams. This does not mean that you should not bet on NCAA basketball. On the contrary, some of the best betting opportunities out there involve college basketball. You just need to do a bit more research when learning how to handicap NCAA basketball....
Read more about Handicapping NCAA Basketball MLB Home Field Advantage - January 25, 2011What is the home field advantage in Major League Baseball? This isn’t an easy question to answer, but it is an important question to ask when considering betting on baseball. Because MLB betting doesn’t involve a point spread (there is a runline, but that is a much different story) it’s not as easy for us to establish a baseline for what home field advantage is worth. Wins, not winning margins are more important when you are betting on the moneyline, so how can we quantify...
Read more about MLB Home Field Advantage How to Handicap the NBA - January 21, 2011Tired of consistently losing on your NBA picks? There may be a few things you have been forgetting to factor in when you decide which team you place your bet on. The NBA is one of the most difficult sports to handicap of them all, as you just never know when a team is going to show up and when they are going to lay down and not play up to their talent. Here are a few tips that I have found to be helpful when betting the NBA. Days Rest This is probably one of the biggest factors that people tend to...
Read more about How to Handicap the NBA How to Handicap College Basketball - January 21, 2011Betting college basketball isn’t an easy thing to master, but there are several things you can look for when trying to spot winners. Here is a look at a few things I have found to really help my college basketball handicapping over the years. Public Perception There is no doubt that oddsmakers are very good at setting the lines, but many times they will adjust the lines towards one side when they feel the public perception of one team is much higher/lower than their actual value. If you have...
Read more about How to Handicap College Basketball Handicapping By Feel - December 16, 2010Most sports handicappers, particularly who wager on their predictions, no matter how they are arrived at, have there own understanding of the “FEEL” concept. “FEEL” – The very word stimulates thought and the search for understanding. It suggests psychological as well as physiological reactions. During our waking hours it is our conscious awareness that dominates mental activity, while when asleep, it is our subconscious mind that becomes active. Our subconscious mind is our warehouse...
Read more about Handicapping By Feel What’s the Vig? - August 18, 2010A common question bettors ask is: what’s the vig? The simple answer is that vigorish is the sportsbooks cut for taking your wager. Vig is something that you have to be familiar with if you are going to come out on top, as the vig has a pretty big impact on whether you win or lose money by the end of the season. Typically, if a bettor wants to win $10, then he has to risk $11. The extra dollar is seen as the book’s commission for taking the action. This format is known as -110...
Read more about What’s the Vig? Tips on Betting MLB Totals - June 16, 2010Mike Lineback is one of the best baseball handicappers that we have, so when he starts talking about the best ways to beat the MLB odds, we think everyone should listen. In today’s article he is going to discuss the different things he looks at when breaking down a game and deciding if the total shows any value. If you don’t want to spend the time to break down these games on your own, then we advise you to look at one of his long term subscriptions of baseball picks in order to let...
Read more about Tips on Betting MLB Totals Baseball Handicapping Strategies - May 13, 2010Even though baseball isn’t the sport that I make the most money for my clients at, I have been improving in each of the past four years. The reason I am able to do so is that I study my mistakes and spend a lot of time researching what worked and didn’t work. That is why I am confident that the 2010 season is going to be my best ever, because 2009 was better than 2008 and on down the line. There are a lot of unique aspects of handicapping MLB games that beginner’s can be slow...
Read more about Baseball Handicapping Strategies Why You Should Use a Sports Handicapper - May 4, 2009What’s the point of using a handicapper? I’ve been asked this question hundreds of times throughout my career, and I feel like I’ve always had a pretty good answer. Most people don’t have the time and/or energy to pour over game statistics and trends; to do the kind of research it takes to be successful over a long period of time betting on sports. Believe me when I as that I’ve heard it all before. People claiming they win 90% of the time they bet or they “know...
Read more about Why You Should Use a Sports Handicapper Tips on Handicapping MLB Games - April 13, 2009In the past few years I have struggled to beat the baseball lines. I have beat the books every season in pro and college football and basketball but struggle to break even in MLB action. The trick is to keep improving and that is something I have been able to do for three straight years. This has left me very confident in what I can do this season and I have started off the 2009 campaign very hot. With this article I am going to offer my tips on handicapping MLB games so you can do a better...
Read more about Tips on Handicapping MLB Games Sports Betting Discipline - March 2, 2009There are millions of reasons out there as to why 95% of people who wager on sports end up losing year after year. I have found that one of the biggest reasons people lose is due to a lack of discipline. It may seem redundant but money management is the key to success in winning long term at the racket we call sports betting. You must have a strict money management plan in place before even thinking about making an investment in sports betting. It sounds simple right? Create a money management plan...
Read more about Sports Betting Discipline How Sportsbooks Set Betting Odds - February 27, 2009There is no doubt that the odds makers at the major online sportsbooks have great jobs, but it’s also a stressful career. They have to make sure that the betting lines they release are an accurate reflection of the public’s perception or else they could quickly find themselves out on the street. There are still people out there who think that the bookie’s job is to pull the wool over players’ eyes and try and win their money. However, the books just want to grind away...
Read more about How Sportsbooks Set Betting Odds Futures Betting - February 18, 2009Some of you might be wondering just what a futures bet even is, so I’m going to start out with an explanation before moving on to the details. Hopefully after reading this article you’ll be able to figure out if future bets are a wager you should be considering for growing your bankroll. Definition of Futures Betting In sports, a futures bet is a long-term wager on the outcome of a season or special event. Most of the time you’ll find the odds on futures listed before a season...
Read more about Futures Betting Sports Betting: Setting Realistic Expectations - February 14, 2009You see handicappers cropping up all over the Internet claiming they hit 75 or 80% of their games. These guys are not handicappers, they are salesmen and what they have done is ingrained it in the minds of novice sports bettors that you have to hit that high of a percentage to make good money wagering on sports. They have created a total misconception of what it takes to be successful in this business. Many gamblers are now thinking that winning less then 70-75% of your wagers is worthless and...
Read more about Sports Betting: Setting Realistic Expectations Flat Betting v. Rating System - February 10, 2009I have been encouraging people who are new to the site to send in their questions on sports betting and while I am answering each one personally I decided to take some of the more popular inquiries and turn them into articles for everyone to read. Remember that if you have any questions or comments on this article or handicapping in general, you can reply in the commenting section below or shoot me an email via the contact us page. Since I am currenlty on such a great run in basketball, winning...
Read more about Flat Betting v. Rating System Sports Betting Money Management: Getting Started - February 9, 2009The first step for any sports bettor is to look at wagering as an investment, not a gamble. To the pros, wagering on sports is no different then the stock market. It is the process of investing money based on research and hard work. Thus, you must make a decision of how much money you are willing to invest. This should be the amount of money that you are willing to lose and money that you can afford to lose. Sports betting can be very volatile so you absolutely cannot be betting money that is...
Read more about Sports Betting Money Management: Getting Started College Basketball Handicapping - January 29, 2009College basketball handicapping can be a time consuming process. There are a lot of possible games each day and to go over every single one of them can take hours. If you want to rely on an expert then the NCAA basketball picks provided by our experts will give you a solid shot at beating the college basketball odds. If you think you can handicap the games on your own then we want to make sure you have a complete list of resources so you can profit with your NCAA basketball betting. This...
Read more about College Basketball Handicapping NBA Handicapping - January 29, 2009I frequently get asked questions on how I handicap certain sports, so I thought I would give visitors a list of resources that I try to cover on a daily basis before making my decisions on NBA games. Of course, once you start getting a feel for each team the time you spend on each site is drastically reduced, and some days I’ll skip over sites if I know what they are going to have to say. Click on the link to go to the site and read the description for a short notice on how I think the site...
Read more about NBA Handicapping NBA Odds Explained - January 18, 2009If you have ever bet on football before, then you already know how to read NBA spreads, moneylines, and totals. If you are new to NBA betting, however, the lines might be a little confusing. Here are some very basic explanations of how NBA odds work. Against the Point Spread – We’ll start off with an example of an NBA game with the point spread listed: Chicago Bulls +6 -110 LA Lakers -6 -110 In this game, the Lakers are a six-point favorite over the Chicago Bulls. In sports betting,...
Read more about NBA Odds Explained How Parlays Can Be Profitable - December 31, 2008You will see some sports handicappers out there who think that parlays are sucker bets and should never be used by the bettor. With all due respect to my peers, I’m going to disagree with that statement and show how value bettors can actually use parlays as a tool to win more money. However, it should be noted that for the average bettor who does not win a high percentage of his bets parlays can be disastrous for a bankroll. Let’s take a look at what I would call the average bettor,...
Read more about How Parlays Can Be Profitable Can You Win With Bonus Hunting? - December 30, 2008Bonus Hunting (or Whoring as it is sometimes called) is a practice that involves collecting bonuses from various online sportsbooks, casinos, and poker rooms, using promotional offers to your advantage in order to build your bankroll. The player basically collects his bonus and then tries to roll over the amount enough times to be able to withdraw their money at a profit, without having to beat the odds in any way. You can almost think of this practice as a mail-in rebate for a sportsbook since...
Read more about Can You Win With Bonus Hunting?