With so many ways to wager on today’s sporting events, how does a handicapper choose where to place his or her money? Well, there is no real right or wrong answer. It all depends on the bettors comfort level, and return expectations.
Two of the most popular betting options available however, are either wagering on a side or the total of the game.
But which one of these is best? It depends, and both demand the handicapper to get themselves in a different mindset to succeed. With that, here are a few factors for sports handicappers to attain success and profit no matter how they bet.
First, if a handicapper is picking a side, they need to zero in on the team they are predicting to win the game, which may sound obvious.
Nevertheless, even the most experienced handicappers overlook some of the most crucial things when betting sides. Handicappers need to try and anticipate as many different scenarios that a team can beat their opponent, and most importantly be aware of not just the winner, but where the value in the wager may lie.
Bettors need to not get too caught up in just a team winning, but making sure that the team they bet on is going to win or cover the spread often enough to turn a profit in the long term.
They also need to pay close attention to favorites when betting sides. Favorites are seductive, especially to the betting public, and sportsbooks create their lines with that in mind. And while it can be tempting for many bettors to wager on the favorite teams, smart sports bettors never ignore the underdog.
Meanwhile, for those that are not enthusiastic about betting sides, they can wager on totals.
And even though picking a winner doesn’t matter when betting totals, it can be hard for bettors to bet against their favorite’s team. They need to separate their emotions however, and focus on the outcome of the overall game, not who comes out on top.
They also need to learn how to get excited about game situations that they normally would not, in particular how the game ends. Sometimes even rooting for a rival to score another run, basket, goal or touchdown before time expires.
Some sports bettors find this angle hard to get used to, but the satisfaction comes eventually when their wallet is bulging with earnings.
For those that can get behind this type of wager, there are benefits when betting totals, one being there is plenty of room to be wrong and still get it right at the end of the game.
However, there is one bit of advice.
The over on the total is always alluring, and the betting public is steadily drawn to the over, especially in matchups with big name teams. Oddsmakers know this and will adjust their lines accordingly.
So, it’s important for handicappers to bet intelligently, exploiting this tendency and padding their bankrolls.
