Online Betting Guide: How to Maximise Your Sports Betting

For centuries people have turned to betting on all sports to enjoy some slightly risky competition, and it's no surprise that online betting would become as popular as it is today. The act of betting on sports has almost become a sport itself, giving entertainment to people all around the world while they enjoy watching their favourite sports and players.

The Basics: How to Bet on Sports

Finding Sports to Bet On

A common misconception about sports betting is that it is only available for major league or popular sports. However, betting on sports certainly has a lot more spread than just cricket, football or major league sports. In fact, sports wagering has often covered tennis matches, boxing matches and even golf. The truth of the matter is you never have to look far to find a way to participate in sports betting. So just pick a sport you love and let the fun begin!

The first step of winning at sports betting is to pick a sport that you enjoy watching or playing or one that you at least understand. It would be very difficult for a football fan to suddenly start betting on basketball games without ever having seen one. Similarly, a die-hard basketball fan would have no business calling his bookie to place a bet on an ice hockey game that he has no interest in watching.

What sports do you watch regularly? Is there a particular one that you enjoy playing recreationally? Not only will the learning curve be easier, but you will also find it more enjoyable to follow.

Understanding Betting Terminology

The world of sports betting is full of jargon that you may initially dismiss as irrelevant or only for hardcore sports bettors, but the truth is that an in-depth understanding of it all can help you to forge an effective betting strategy.

Sports Betting Tips & Strategies

Do Your Homework

By choosing a sport you watch regularly, you've effectively done some preliminary background work. You understand the concepts of the game, the rules and the way points or goals are scored. You know what the basic requirements are to win the match, and you likely know something about the two teams involved. You may even know about specific players and their tendencies, or any injuries that may affect the outcome of the game.

Whatever the case may be, there is a vast library of resources available online, and luck favours the prepared. If you wish to truly know how to win sports betting, you need to do your homework and read up as much as you can about the game on which you are betting. Talk to friends who are familiar with the teams and try to get more insight into the matches.

Separate Fact from Fiction

With all of this information at your disposal, it can be easy to get mixed up in what is fact versus what is fiction. You should only take information garnered from reputable sources, and be careful about accepting everything you hear at face value. Learn to filter information and news as it comes to you.

It is also important to not let your own emotions and bias come into play when betting on your favourite sports teams. You may really want your hometown team to win, but placing a bet on them when they are the clear underdogs may not be the best idea. Indeed, one of the best tricks of how to win a sports betting selection may be to avoid betting on any team about which you may be biased.

Start Small

After doing all of your background research, you are ready to put down a bet on the game. It is important to start small and pick a bet that is easy to understand and follow. You may simply want to bet on who will be the winning team, a very simple concept on which to bet.

Or perhaps you want to be more specific, such as which player will score the first goal, or which side will draw the first penalty? Whatever type of bet you prefer, choose something that you can track and follow.

Those more advanced wagers are always tempting given the considerable winnings that they promise, but they also bring a lot of risks – especially when you're an inexperienced better. There's therefore a great amount to be said for a simple, 'easy does it' approach.

Know Your Limits

Set a limit for yourself and stick to it. For example, you may decide that you want to bet no more than a certain amount of money per bet and bet no more than three times a week. By setting limits for yourself, you reduce the chance of getting into big losses.

For example, it may seem like common sense to say that the fewer selections you make in your bet, the higher the chance you stand of winning, but you'd be surprised by how many people put on ridiculous 10-fold accumulators in the hope of scooping a massive windfall.

Bookies generally lose their money from single bets - for example, Team A to beat Team B - rather than multiples. We would therefore suggest putting between £5 and £10 on one selection at a time, although if you do want a higher payout, a well-informed treble can give you a decent return.

And of course, the clearest piece of advice here: never bet more than you’re willing to lose.

Look at the Less Obvious Markets

Another good tip with regard to how to win in sports betting is to remember that bookies offer hundreds of markets and that while this may mean more opportunities to lose, it also means more opportunities to win if you choose the right ones.

For example, you may not feel entirely sure about having Tottenham Hotspur to beat Arsenal in your accumulator, even if the former are above the latter in the league. However, if Spurs' Harry Kane is riding high in the league goal-scoring charts, backing him to find the net at any time is as safe as bets come, particularly when you also consider his impressive past scoring record against the Gunners.

Take the Opportunities Offered by Live Betting

One of the traditional frustrations of sports betting is that experience of backing a particular result in a match, only for unexpected events during the game itself – for example, a player sending-off, injury or ‘soft’ goal – to turn circumstances on their head.

Live betting – betting as the action is taking place – helps you to avoid this by placing a bet after a certain decisive incident that may turn the game. However, this type of betting does also have its drawbacks, which is why we would advise you to swot up carefully on how live betting works.

Sign Up to Multiple Sportsbooks

Different bookies offer different odds, and also have different free bet offers and other promotions designed to encourage you to join. Bear in mind, too, that different bookmakers tend to excel in different sports, so it pays to join at least a couple of bookies for comparison purposes each time you come to make a bet. We have a list of top bookmakers for you to start comparing now.

Betting Odds Explained

It would be reasonable to say that the odds of sports betting are likely the most confusing aspect of the hobby. Depending on what country you are betting in, the way the odds are presented will be different. Therefore, if you travel or share the hobby with friends internationally you are likely to get baffled as well. While deciphering how to read odds can be quite difficult it gets simpler as you learn a few simple rules and key terms.

Outcomes

In the UK the fractional system is used when it comes to sports betting odds. The basics of this system may be a tad dumbfounding at first but once you get the hang of it you will see it is not nearly as complicated as it seems. If a bet has a betting odd of 1/2 this means that you will only earn half of the amount that you bet on a team or player. A bet of 1/1 is an even bet so you will win exactly the amount you bet on a team or a player. A bet of 3/2 will earn you the amount of one and a half times the amount that you wagered. And betting on a team or player with a 2/1 odds will mean that you make double what you bet.

Risks

Of course, there are always risks to worry about. Obviously, the clearest risk is losing money to a bad bet. However, you must also be aware of the odds to make sure you are making reasonable bets for yourself and not getting yourself overwhelmed by a bet you cannot afford. Having a clear understanding of the odds and percentages and what they all mean will help you to ensure that you are betting safely and not putting yourself in a position that you will later regret. You have the ultimate freedom by learning these fractional odds to bet only what you are comfortable with and risk only what you can afford to. Be sure to understand the odds before jumping into something too soon.

It is true that at first glance looking at the details of sports betting odds can be quite daunting. However, by putting yourself in situations where you can learn from experienced betters or review information online or other facets, you may find that you are catching on much quicker than you thought you would. In no time at all, you can be a sports wagering guru teaching all the other newbies how to bet!

Have Fun!

The most important thing about sports betting is to have fun. Sports wagering is not meant to be stressful - it is meant to be enjoyable and recreational.

We take pride in providing the online sportsbook reviews that enable you to select the best bookie for needs. We don’t just help you to choose a great place to bet on sport, but also do everything we can to show you how to win sports betting online.