How to Choose a Team to Bet On
Whether you play virtual sports in a real money online casino or wager on a team on a sports betting website, you must choose one that is likely to win — you must do this to increase your odds of winning. Otherwise, if you bet using your heart and merely choose your favourite, you may lose.
So, how do you choose the right team to bet on? We will provide you with several important and useful tips on the right approach to selecting a team that is likely to win. In the end, you will make bets out of rational decisions, not based on your emotions.
Do Your Research
Research is probably one of the most important things that sports bettors do not do. It requires a lot of work and time. In addition to that, it can require some mathematical work to finally determine who is likely to win.
Thankfully, you do not have to do this yourself. There are many websites that offer sound analysis of which team is likely to win. These are not sportsbooks but sports analysts.
In the case of sportsbooks, you can review their betting offers — the odds themselves will tell you who is likely to win the game. In any situation, the FAVOURITE is always the anticipated winner in any match.
For example, let us say that the betting odds look like this:
- San Antonio Spurs: +585
- LA Lakers: -720
It tells us that the LA Lakers are the heavy favourite. You have to wager $720 to win $100. On the other hand, the San Antonio Spurs are the severe underdog. You only have to wager $100 to win $585.
If you think about it, how come the odds are like this? The prizes are severely unequal and skewed. It is because the sportsbook company has a team of analysts that already did the job for you. From their research, they know that LA Lakers are highly likely to win. Because of that, they are not willing to risk it — they pay less but your risk more.
One thing you can do is to look at the winning history of teams. For example, it is pretty obvious that the Lakers have won more championships than the Spurs. It only makes sense that they are also likely to win this game.
In addition to this, you can look back at the season before the championship. Each NBA team must play all other teams at least two times in the entire season.
If the Lakers beat the Spurs in these two games during the season, then it is likely that the Spurs are not a good match — they do not have what it takes to beat the Lakers, and you can say that the Lakers are really going to win.
Review the Roster
Another important aspect of betting on sports is the roster of the team. This is really a no-brainer. For example, can you imagine if the Lakers would win without LeBron on the roster or if Stephen Curry is not playing with Golden State Warriors for the game you are betting on?
Many things can happen to a player, such as injuries. It is why you must keep abreast of the goings-on in the sports that you picked.
We are not saying that the team will definitely lose without the start player, but everyone knows that their odds dwindled. Star players are there for a reason — they hold the team together and improve their likelihood of winning.
For example, if a good batter in a baseball match is injured, there is little likelihood for the team to score home runs. In NFL, an injured superstar running back or wide receiver who will not play has an impact on the winning percentage of the team.
Pick Value over Win
Lastly, pick value over winning. What this means is that you have to look at the odds and calculate your returns so you can decide about the right thing to do.
Take a look at this table:
| BET ON FAVOURITE | WAGER | ODDS | STATUS | YOUR PRIZE |
| BET 1 | $720 | -720 | WIN | $100 |
| BET 2 | $720 | -720 | WIN | $100 |
| BET 3 | $720 | -720 | WIN | $100 |
| BET 4 | $720 | -720 | LOSE | $0 |
Your total wager is $2,880. Out of that $2,880, you won three times, so you got back $2,160. Then, you have a prize of $300.
Overall, you spent $2,880, and your current money is now $2,460. You lost $420, even if your winning percentage is 75% (you won three times out of four).
Now, look at this table:
| BET ON UNDERDOG | WAGER | ODDS | STATUS | YOUR PRIZE |
| BET 1 | $100 | +585 | WIN | $585 |
| BET 2 | $100 | +585 | WIN | $585 |
| BET 3 | $100 | +585 | WIN | $585 |
| BET 4 | $100 | +585 | LOSE | $0 |
You spent a total of $400 on your wager. Like the previous example, your win percentage is 75% (you won three bets).
Here, you get back your $300 wager; then, you win an extra $1,755. Your total money is $2,055, but you only spent $400. Your profit is $1,655. This is what we mean when we say pick value, not winning percentage.
Of course, this does not represent betting four times in the same game, but rather in multiple games.
Sports betting is an exciting thing, but then it becomes more exciting if you wager after you do your research and after you make the appropriate calculations. Take note that doing all these does not guarantee a win — it merely improves your chance of succeeding.
Approach sports betting with a balance between the mind of a businessperson and a fan. Do your research so you can improve your odds, but then do not forget to just chill and enjoy the game.