Rules of Betting On Sports

Bet among friends at first. If you have a friend who attended Rutgers and their team is playing the Notre Dame, then figure out some way to bet against them. Most die-hard alumnus will give you even money on their team to beat even a strongly favored opponent. Even if you should somehow lose, in the long run this friend will be paying you off for years. If you’re emotionally invested in a game, it’s best not to bet on it. Emotions and gambling don’t mix well.

If you have to bet in a casino, then at least make the casinos work against each other. In Vegas, take a walk from one casino to another to compare odds. Most of the time it’s the less upscale local casinos that will reward you with that extra half point in your favor. This is a key component of sports betting. Finding favorable odds is maybe the most important aspect of making a smart sports bet. Finding a difference of half a point in your favor is huge. In a game where both teams’ defenses are stellar, you’ll expect it to be a low-scoring affair. If one team is favored by 3 points to win and all of a sudden the line changes to -3.5, then the favorite team has to win by more than a field goal. That’s another scoring opportunity in what you expect to be a very tight game of clock management and field position. Now, your original intent to bet on the favorite shifts to perhaps betting on the underdog. Most sports books don’t allow cell phones. One of the reasons is they don’t want bettors comparing odds with their friends at another sports book.

Parlays and teasers are almost always sucker bets. Unless you’ve done plenty of research, avoid these bets.

Participate in a fantasy league. This is a great way to keep on top of players and teams that otherwise would be of little interest to you. Knowing that a particular player performs better indoors than outdoors throughout the regular season could pay off big in a domed Super Bowl.