Sports Betting for Professionals

The professional sports gambler is interested in maximizing his betting return. This requires a more disciplined approach to sports betting that primarily focuses on spreading smaller bet amounts across a larger number of bets. The goal here is to minimize volatility and never put the bankroll in jeopardy.

You will generally want to keep your individual bets to less than 3% of your bankroll, with 1% to 2% being ideal.

Click here for what we believe to be the best basic Money Management strategy.

Chasing Losses

Do not increase your bets or bet on more games in order to make up losses. You will lose bets. You will experience losing streaks as well as winning streaks. You must stay disciplined. By chasing losses all you do is put your bankroll at risk. If you experience a losing streak, reassess your research and handicapping efforts. If in hindsight you would still make the same bets, then relax and stay consistent. If you see gaps in your skills, then spend some time learning. Frankly, the learning experience never ends.

Winning Exuberance

Do not increase your bets or bet on more games because you are on a winning streak and can't lose. You can and will lose.

The natural temptation when you have a great week, is to start doubling your bet amounts and the number of games you are betting on. Don't do it.

Going against the public

Would you like to know the one secret to winning sports betting? Here is the secret - Look for anomalies in the system. Your job as a sports bettor is to do your research and look for things that have not been appropriately factored into the odds or the betting line. This takes work. You cannot bet on feelings, or your general impressions of what happened last year.

You need to keep abreast of the latest news. Carefully review the team and player statistics. Look over the recent injury reports. Is the game going to take place outdoors or in an indoor stadium? If it is outdoors, what is the weather going to be on game day? You need information and analysis, and you are best off doing it yourself.

Also, look for anomalies based on the psychology of public opinion.

Remember, the sports book is adjusting the odds so that there are roughly an equal number of bettors on both sides of the game outcome. If a large percentage of the population is betting on a team to win simply because it is a popular team, the sports book may give the underdog better odds than it deserves to even out the betting - so take the underdog.

The Winning Percentage

Ready for another sports gambling secret? Professional handicappers and sports bettors rarely have a long term winning percentage higher than 58 percent. So, do not set your expectations so high that you get discouraged. Your goal is to use consistent money management and win more than half your bets.

Now, this also says something about all those services selling you their sports picks with the pitch that their handicappers are winning at 70% or 80%. They are selling you garbage. They make their money selling advice to sports gamblers. If they were consistently hitting those percentages, they would be making their money gambling themselves. They sure wouldn't be sharing the information. Be very careful buying sports gambling advice.

If you do pay for picks, be sure you are also provided with the analysis supporting the picks so you can make your own decisions.

We hope you have enjoyed these tips. Follow them, and you are well on your way to winning in sports gambling.