Free Sports Betting Advice

Don't bet if you can't afford to lose

Always before placing a bet - think how you'll feel if the bet loses. If the thought of losing it makes you feel bed ... then don't do it!

Learn, Learn always Learn!

An easy and cheap way to learn without making expensive mistakes is to read books on betting. Learn, Learn always Learn. Visit the local library or buy books from Amazon or Ebay…

Bet only on what you know

Exotic games seem exciting - until the bet loses. And when you find out (after the game) that a main team star was rested or great defender was out injured then you'll feel stupid. The bookies knew - that's why they set that tempting price.

Beware of 100% certain bets

Remember that nothing is ever 100% certain!

Big odds are big for a reason

If the bookies are prepared to give you 50$ for every 1$ you wager, then this horse, golfer or football team is probably not going to win during your lifetime.

Keep good records

Keeping an accurate track record of your plays can reveal areas of weakness you may not have been previously aware of. You might find that you win in most markets, but consistently lose money in one particular area.

Select your Sportsbook wisely

As a general rule of thumb, stick to solid sportsbooks that have been established for at least five years. A good starting point for new players is to build a sportsbook portfolio that includes at least one or two sportsbooks known for big odds. In the long run playing bigger odds is worth much more than any sign-up bonus. Best choice is our list of Top Online Sportsbooks.

Open accounts in multiple Sportsbooks

While you may think it's easier to have all betting money in one single bookmaker account, you can lose money on this. Having accounts in multiple bookmakers will ensure you a much wider selection of sports, leagues and last, but not least, odds to choose from. Having the ability to place your bets on 1.95 instead of 1.90 can make a great difference over time. Getting the best odds is important. Using multiple bookmakers will also give you the ability to spread the stake, if you should be limited one place and not be able to place the amount you want to bet. Accounts in multiple bookmakers means you will get a better selection, better odds and all in all more possibilities.

Limit your bankroll

Bankroll is traditionally defined as the amount of money a bettor is prepared to lose before they’ll stop wagering. Decide what your bankroll is before the season begins and stick to it.

Never stake more than 5% of your bankroll on a single bet

Staking higher amounts may seem as a good idea, and, during winning runs, such form of staking seems like getting vindicated. But any serious bettor's key concern must be to be able to stay in the game: to be able to conduct any sort of work, you need to have a tool, and in betting, your betting bank is your tool - if you lose your betting bank, you have no way of betting anymore. With aggressive staking, one single losing run is enough to wipe out a bank that has been built through numerous winning runs. Staying safe should therefore always be the main concern.

Bet mostly only on singles

It's tempting to bet on accumulators and multiply your odds, and potential winnings. But singles is the way to go. When betting on accumulators you are restricted to one bookmaker and in most cases you won't get the best odds available. In accumulators your odds are multiplied and your average odds are higher, but to keep the same risk rate as with singles you must lower your stakes. Your hit rate will decrease and so will the profit. The bookmaker's turnaround will increase while your chances for a win will decrease and a bookmaker's expected payout will move in favour of the bookmaker. Remember, a bookmaker don't have a 100% payout on singles. It won't be better if you multiply it. Betting on accumulators will make you the bookmakers friend. Bet on singles and you have the chance to make the bookmakers your paying friends.

How to select the most efficient odds range

To reach a 10% yield you need a 61% hit rate combined with average odds at 1.80, if average odds is 1.90 you need a 58% hit rate and when average odds is 2.00 you need 55% hit rate. At 2.20 you want a hit rate of 50% to obtain a 10% yield. Profitable bettors usually have a hit rate between 50 - 65% and therefore odds between 1.70 and 2.20 will be most effective. Lower odds, like 1.60 and under, need a very high hit rate to provide a decent yield. And when the loosing bets occur it will take longer time to build up the bank again. Odds below 1.60 are simply not good enough to compensate for losing bets. Odds above 2.20 are too risky, especially on football/soccer. Of course this varies by sport. In tennis you can have a 45% hit rate and also higher average odds, even around 2.40, as you here will bet on duels with a 2 way outcome.

Importance of long term perspective

Serious punters need to treat sports betting as a long term investment. If you are into sports betting to get quick money you will most likely end up losing it all. Serious punters bet for one main reason: earning money. No matter if you have sports betting as your primary income or as an extra income, sports betting are a long term investment. You won't win every bet, losing weeks and bad months occur, but over a season or a year you should see a positive result if you do it right.

How important live betting can be

Most professional punters are familiar to live betting or in-running betting. Live betting gives the punter an excellent chance to win something from a game the punter either missed for some reason or realise that the game turns out different than what the punter would think pre-game. As you follow the game you will see how the game develops and will have a chance to win something from a game you didn't place a bet on pre-game. It's no secret that a card, injury etc or even a score in a different match will affect this match. A different situation is when you already have a bet pre-game, but realise as the match progress that the bet is in danger. Live betting gives you an excellent chance to make a cover bet and you can win something from the game no matter what the result will be.

Understand why you bet

Different people bet for different reasons. Some enjoy the intellectual challenge of analyzing a match-up, while others bet to add excitement to watching a live game. Be honest with yourself about what your motivation is, as understanding why you bet will help you make better decisions.

The importance of buying proofed picks only

Investing your money into the betting market is a serious investment. One of the ways to invest them is following tips from paid services. If the services are proofed by independent third parties it's a great indication that you get what you pay for. With proofed picks you are guaranteed that the stats are true, you can trust the tipsters' records, that picks are posted in time before kick off and the picks are not and will never be modified before, during or after the match. Every serious service should have proofed picks. You can find couple of serious services with proofed picks here – Professional Sports Picks.

Have fun!

Don't forget to have fun while you are making bets. The more serious you take it, the less likely you are to get anything out of the experience.