Getting Started in Sports Betting

Sports betting is a fun hobby for many people, but it also has the potential to be a very profitable one. The key is to understand the odds, make smart bets and avoid bad bets.

Understanding the Odds

The most common way to bet on a sports game is with a spread (line). This line tells you whether a team is favored or underdog. The favorite is marked with a negative sign, and the underdog is marked with a positive sign. The more negative the sign, the less likely the team will win.

Favorites and Underdogs

The spread in a sports game will often move between sportsbooks, which means that the odds will change as well. When a line moves, the odds will generally favor one side over the other, adding value to the underdog.

Using Software

The best sports bettors use tools to help them make more informed bets. These tools will help you find mismatched odds and uncover arbitrage opportunities, which can lead to significant profits.

Getting Started

To get started with sports betting, you’ll need a bankroll. You’ll need to determine how much you’re willing to lose and set aside that amount as a budget every month. This will help you avoid losing too much money too quickly and keep your bankroll intact when the luck of the draw starts to turn.

Betting Small & Making Smart Bets

The best sports bettors work on slowly building their bankroll over time. To do this, they divide their total bankroll into 100 units. Each unit represents a percentage of their total bankroll and a corresponding bet. The more units a bettors uses, the less risk they take on each bet. By betting just 1-2% of their bankroll on each bet, bettors can maintain a consistent winning streak and avoid going broke with a bad run.