With legal sports betting becoming a part of our culture, it’s important for beginners to understand how the different types of wagers work. The more you learn about the different teams, players and betting strategies, the better your chances are of finding value bets.
Most beginning sports bettors start by placing bets on their favorite teams or big games. That’s a mistake because it will take time to develop a sense of betting value that you can trust. Rather, begin by betting on leagues and tournaments you are familiar with before you try to move on to other markets.
One of the best ways to find value is to follow bet lines and determine why they are moving. This can be due to a variety of factors, but often it’s because popular teams attract a large volume of money from casual punters. This makes the line move, forcing bettors to make decisions they might not have made if the team was less popular.
Another way to find value is by betting on totals. Also known as over/under bets, these wagers predict whether the two involved teams will combine for more (over) or fewer (under) runs, goals and points than the number posted by oddsmakers. This type of bet is especially popular for hockey and baseball, where scores tend to be lower than in football and basketball.
