NFL News

Becoming a Great Football Gambler

Becoming a Great Football Gambler

According to data from the American Gaming Association (AGA), in 2021, more US residents than ever bet on the NFL, with an estimated 45 million Americans wagering on games from the country’s top football league. For the 2022/2023 season, the AGA projects that 18% of adult Americans will do some NFL betting, a 3% increase from last year. Also staggering is that 23 million US citizens plan to do their gambling online.

Given that the proliferation of legal sports betting is in full swing and is getting introduced to millions as an exciting hobby that can be super lucrative, what follows are ten tips that can get newbies to this sphere up and running. Before rattling them off, it is vital to note that everyone should be aware that beating the house is not easy, but there are ways that bettors can improve their chances, and those get listed here.

1. Implement Emotional Control

While many gamblers will say that their intuition tells them something or that they have a specific feeling, it is essential to keep sports betting strictly an activity approached using logic. Emotional control can be a tough habit to master, but it is crucial that bettors set aside their personal preferences and wager what the numbers tell them. Catering to the heart can lead to lousy betting choices, as it is wagering more on what one wants to happen instead of what is most likely to occur.

2. Line Shop

What is line shopping? It is more than checking multiple gambling websites to see which one has the best odds on a game before betting on it. Most bettors have their favorite online sportsbook, but one platform can’t feature the best odds, so some line shopping is a must for those hoping to attain long-term success.

3. Look for Soft Odds

Soft odds do not always represent the accurate market price. Sportsbooks that are unhurried to update their lines boast weak odds. Bodog’s US arm, Bovada, is a famous example of a sports wagering platform with such lines.

4. Avoid Single-Game Parlays

A parlay is the US term for a multi-bet. These bets provide a massive windfall for gambling operators, responsible for almost half their profits. Veteran gamblers say it is best to compare them to high-interest credit cards. They should get avoided because they are hard to win, and the odds presented in single-game ones can differ dramatically from their straight bet counterparts. If someone has a soft spot for parlays, they should wait for bookmakers to provide risk-free promos with them in play, and not just insurance. 

5. Study Closing Line Values

When a sportsbook puts out a line, it is never static. It changes depending on the betting patterns. The final line available for an event is the one referred to as the closing value. It can be a gauge for bettors to assess their skills by putting up the line they bet versus the closing one.

6. Don’t Place Last Minute Bets

As discussed above, betting action and conventional wisdom step in and shape lines by game time, giving bettors worse prices than those available earlier. That is remarkably accurate in football and why it is never a good idea to wager late at mobile betting sites. Stats show that in 2021, the opening lines are six times more likely to get better than worse.

7. Understand the Value of a Half-Point

It refers to a wager split into two parts, with the winner getting half of the money staked on the initial wager. It works like this. If a gambler wagers $10 to win, his prize would be $5. And if his bet loses, he gets $2.50 back.

8. Practice Bankroll Management

Impulse control is a must in any gambling venture. Bettors must set a weekly betting budget and stick to it. No one should gamble more than what they can afford to lose, and everyone must resist the urge to chase losses. It is paramount to remember that while gambling can be a lucrative pastime, it should remain chiefly an entertainment-based activity. 

9. Develop Realistic Expectations

Sports betting is not a quick get-rich scheme. Most casual bettors should aim to keep out of the red and be happy with modest profits. The odds given out by sportsbooks on most sporting events do not come close to those in play at casino games. Thus, those looking to get massive rewards swiftly are better off enjoying slots.

10. Play the Long Game

Chip away, one winning slip at a time, primarily laying down straight bets. That is the best strategy concerning wagering on sports. Be in it for the long haul because staggering short-term rewards are few and far between in this hobby.

This article was written in collaboration with online slot experts.

Damond Talbot

NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button