SPORTS HANDICAPPING
Sporting Event Angles
Sports handicapping takes lots of time and dedication to detail to be successful. The casual bettor will look at a sporting event they like usually based on their favorite teams or the local team because they can get information easily on them. Professional sports handicappers look at the sporting event quite differently. They look deep into the games to get several angles to find an edge on a game. Here are just a few items that the pro will examine to find the edge:
1. Strength of the team – how are they performing at home, away, against particular teams, in certain weather conditions? What is the team’s strength in the sport that separates them from other teams?
2. Box scores – The final score rarely tells the story of the game. By studying box scores, the pro gets a read on the game flow to see how the teams perform during the game. Does the team jump to an early lead and then blow it late? Are they effective at defending a lead? Are they a come from behind team?
3.Trends – What are the trends for the team? Are they on a solid win streak? Why? Are they underperforming given the talent they have? How do they perform on different number of days rest? The pros look for the trend of each team and how that compares to their opponent.
4.Match ups and Stats -- How have the teams performed against each other or against similar teams in similar situations? Are there consistent stats that set one team apart from the other besides the record or final scores? Bottom line, how do the teams mat up compared to the odds maker’s line?
5. Coaches and personnel – Do the players seem to play to the level of their competition? Are the coaches effective in training and coaching the team? Are the systems working for the team? Are they especially young? Experienced?
Frankly, the casual bettor does not have the time or the dedication needed to effectively evaluate the different angles of sports handicapping to make a wise choice on games to bet on each day or week. Remember, you have to win 53% of the time against the point spread to win money in sports betting. Baseball would be the exception since there are plenty of underdog plays that are in your favor. Enter the professional sports handicapper.
Sports Handicapping Serivces
Using a sports handicapping service becomes a tempting prospect for the casual bettor. For a daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal or annual fee, the handicapper will eat, sleep, drink and breathe sports and sports odds so you can relax and watch the games without guessing if you made the right choice on a game or not – you have hired a pro to handle those headaches. Many casual bettors are leery of depending on a sports service for picks to bet their hard-earned money. You could look at it as gambling on the sports handicapper or you can view it as investing in a highly researched and analyzed sporting event. How do you pick the right handicapper? What are some things to watch out for?Keep reading, my friend.
Sports Handicapping Research
In choosing a handicapper, you should carefully research the services. Several sources will provide you statistics on handicappers and reveal strengths in certain sports, consistency over time, and a general feel of what you can expect. You could also choose to sign up for a short term and simply WATCH the capper and how he performs, without risking any more money than what it cost you for a week or a month subscription. In any case, know what you are getting into. Call them and ask questions. Get comfortable with the service before you make a big commitment to them.
High Winning Percentage Touts
Be VERY wary of services that tout their unbelievable 80% winning percentage. Anyone can go 80% over a SHORT period of time. If they are touting that their experts hit over 75% every week and every year, run as fast as you can. The truth is that the TOP sports handicappers in the country hit 59% - 63% of their picks. The trick is to find one that does it consistently over time. It is easier to hit 65% on your sports handicapping over one season of one sport, but how do they perform over all sports over extended periods of time?
Handicapping High Roller Clubs
If you have been gambling, you have received the calls … the ones touting they have THE man that will turn your season around in a couple of weeks. Some will even present you to another “top” man that has the inside track to sure winners. BUT, it will cost you... to the tune of $1,000 - $5,000 per week. Did you see the movie “Two for the Money” with Matthew McCougnahey and Al Pacino?You got it. These guys are in that scam game. Again, run for your life from these sports handicappers. They are a fraud and truly give the rest of us a bad name.
Sports Handicapping Pick Release Timing
Many cappers out there will have you call in 30 minutes or less prior to an event to get the picks. This puts you at not only a disadvantage, but also makes you rush to make your betting decisions. In this situation, you are more likely to bet more money than you should or simply not pay attention to the bet you place because you are trying to beat the start of the game. Avoid these type of releases. If the handicapper is a true pro, the analysis will be done by mid morning or mid afternoon – well in advance of the game time.
Capping the Handicappers
Now here is an approach that makes sense – get picks from several handicappers, read their analysis and pick the games that sound the best based on the write up. Better yet, pick the one or two games that they all agree. Sounds like a winning sports handicapping strategy, right? Well you had better have plenty of extra cash if you choose to do this. The amount of money you will have to put up to win the games needs to cover not only the amount of money you want to win on the game, but also the money you had to pay the handicapping service to get the pick. Now, if you want to make $100 but you bought daily picks from 4 handicappers at $30 a piece with -110 odds against the spread, you have to bet nearly $250 to make your $100 profit. Doesn’t sound like a good risk/reward trade off to me – it simply sounds expensive. Find one capper you like and buy the season or the year and stick with them.
Switching Sports Handicappers After a Bad Week
Listen, EVERYONE in this business has hot weeks and cold weeks. There is simply no way around it. What is important is how the handicapper recovers after a bad week and how consistent they are over the season or the calendar year. If you constantly switch from one capper to another, you are actually hurting your odds of being successful. Not to mention the amount of money it will cost you. Again a low risk/reward situation. Be patient and stick with the system. If the sports handicapper is worth the money you paid, you will be successful in the end.
What to Look for in a Professional
Like any business, honesty, integrity and hard work is the best formula for success. Dedication to knowing the items we listed above is what will set one handicapper (or scamdicapper) apart from another. You need a comfort level that your handicapper is on top of the sports he covers as well as his ability to get the information to you in time for you to take ad antae of the angle providing the edge to win. Remember, 60% is a great winning percentage, 53% makes you money. Do not expect to make a fast buck and get out. It simply is a recipe for disaster. If you like sports betting, set money aside for it and stick with a smart money management and sports betting system.
Sports Handicapping with Integrity
The bottom line is that you need to find an honest and reliable sports handicapping service to succeed in sports betting if you are a casual bettor. You can make it a go on your own, but your odds of consistently winning is low. Be sure you treat it as entertainment and bet accordingly. For sports handicapping services, you should expect consistency and honesty in a service that help you be successful.