Betting strategies

I spend a lot of time telling readers on this site how important it is that they come up with some kind of a betting system, or that they adopt one created by someone else.  A betting method is absolutely necessary if you want to win consistently and regularly.  Without one, you are leaving your results entirely up to chance, and without that edge, you will eventually blow your bankroll; it is only a matter of time.

There are probably thousands of betting strategies in existence.  And every day, someone invents another one.  You can find many systems for free if you research sports betting online, and if you get to know other punters in online communities.  This makes it relatively easy to find a system which may work for you.  Having some kind of a method for sports wagering is vital if you want to succeed.  But a lot of punters take a rather mechanical approach to betting, where they put all their trust in

One of the toughest aspects of sports betting for a lot of punters is learning how to incorporate mathematics.  Mathematics is at the heart of any sound betting strategy since you need to be able to analyse statistics and trends in order to make smart predictions about the future.  Many different methods are available for accomplishing this task, but one of the most widely used mathematical approaches is known as regression analysis. 

Following statistics may seem like a given to you if you are a sports bettor, but maybe not.  While many bettors take it for granted that they need to learn about and analyse statistics in order to succeed at betting, there are actually a surprisingly large number of articles that advise bettors to ignore statistics entirely.  Is there a foundation to the claim that stats don’t really matter?

There are perhaps several reasons why some bettors prefer to avoid statistics.  I would say that two of the three of these make some degree of sense:

In a recent article, I introduced readers to the Martingale system, one of the most popular and well-known betting strategies in existence.  While it is used primarily for roulette, it is also popular with sports bettors.  With the Martingale system, you double your stakes for every losing bet.  The idea is that you will eventually win, and when you do, your winning payout (say on 2/1 odds) will more than compensate for your losses.  It’s simple, easy to understand, and practically

If you are interested in betting on horse racing online, three terms you will hear thrown around are steamers, drifters, and sleepers.  What do these terms mean, and why is it important for you to familiarise yourself with them when you are betting on the races?

If you have ever done any kind of betting at all, whether through a sportsbook or a casino, odds are you have at least heard of the Martingale system.  This is probably the best known gambling system in existence.  The idea is quite simple.  You raise your stake every time you lose until you finally win.  Usually the Martingale system is used while playing roulette.  Your bet is doubled every time.  In theory, when you eventually win (assuming winning is indeed an eventuality), your winnings will exceed your losses.

If you bet on American football, there is a good chance you lost money on this year’s Super Bowl XLIX (if you bet on the Patriots, good for you!).  This year’s game wrapped up with the Patriots 28, Seahawks 24 in a finish that stunned the world.  Most sports analysts declared that this was a pick ‘em game and there was no real favourite.  Betting on this game was a tough call, with two strongly defensive teams that were going to give it their all. 

Have you ever seen a line open for a game and then rapidly and drastically swing the other way?  If so, you have already seen the perfect setup for a middling opportunity.  Middling is a very popular strategy, used by novice and experienced punters alike.  If you “middle” a game, you essentially are betting on one side, waiting for the betting line to move the other way, and then betting on the other side.

Whether you are buying points for a wager or simply trying to decide what side to wager on sports, one concept you should be familiar with as a punter is fatigue.  Fatigue refers to the energy drain on a particular team, player, or horse.  This tends to be more and more of a factor as the season unfolds.  All players are only human, and fatigue can make or break any of them.  And fatigue itself has many factors going into it.

What are some common causes of fatigue?