For many people, watching sports is a form of escape from their daily lives, as it is a world unbound by the restrictions and mundane nature of the real world.
Want to inject some excitement into your life? You can bet live on all major sports events by checking out sites on the net that provide a range of options for wagering on what is yet to happen.
By using what you know about the players and combining it with in-game events and your perception of the effect of momentum on what may happen in the coming minutes, you can turn your passion for athletics into a profitable hobby.
What kinds of wagers can you make when a game is ongoing, and how can you make them in a skillful way that will benefit you in the long run?
These following tips for live betting on sports events will shed light on how to decode the confusing syntax that surrounds sports betting terms, and grant you the knowledge to make smart plays that will help you print money instead of lighting it on fire…
Types of bets
Before you can start crushing it by betting on live sporting events, you need to understand what each of the markets means. Let’s start with…
Handicap betting
A team is either staked to a deficit or a lead to start the game/half/quarter, and they have to overcome it/hold it in order for you win the bet. If the Los Angeles Lakers are granted (-4), they to win by more than four points in order for you to cash in.
Match betting
Simply put, who do you think is going to win? Together with over/under, this is the best market in which novice sport bettors should get started.
Over/under
Can be applied to a number of stats, but the easiest one for amateurs to understand is the one in relation to points scored. For example, if you think that the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League will combine to score more than four goals, bet the over. However, given how stingy goaltender Carey Price has been this season, it might be a good idea to bet the under.
Winning margin
Pick a team to win by a specific margin … do you think Man City will win by one goal? How about two? Feel like there’s something in the air tonight, and they’ll win by four (or more)? Lay down your money, and watch your viewing experience suddenly get a lot more interesting…!
Top three tips to become a successful live sports bettor
1) Be alert
Don’t let the fact that you are betting live fool you into thinking that oddmakers are asleep at the switch. These odds will change in accordance with on-field events (e.g. red cards, sudden shifts in the weather, injuries, momentum shifts, etc), so be ready to bet on an outcome that is considered less likely at the outset, but becomes suddenly more likely due to unforeseen circumstances. Act fast and profit!
2) Take a conservative approach when starting out
It may be fun to bet on longshots, but there’s no faster way to deplete your bank account than by continually gunning to make a quick buck. By betting on likely outcomes, you’ll reduce your variance, which is vital when you are still learning about the sports betting trade.
3) Read, watch and then read some more
The oddsmakers track every move, injury and occurrence in the sporting world. In order to give yourself the best chance of coming out ahead in the long run, you need to think like a bookie, and not a like a sucker.
Consume every bit of sports media in your chosen niche, and become an expert, instead of randomly picking your favorite team/players based on biases that are rooted in emotion rather than in advanced stats.