What is sports handicapping? How do you exactly do this? What information do you need to do sports handicapping? We will discuss the answers to those pertinent queries and more in this post.
If you are a sports enthusiast, you will indulge yourself in sports betting at some point. Others think that they can just pick haphazardly and go on without research to win. Some people get lucky and win big with this tactic. But if your intention is to get consistent profit, then you might want to try a strategy called handicapping.
They say that handicapping seems complicated at first, but the truth is that it can be learned, but it just takes some time to get used to. If you want, you can even create your system for handicapping.
But first, let’s answer the question: “what is sports handicapping?”
What Is Sports Handicapping?
Have you tried betting? Those who casually place their bets usually rely on the first thing that comes into mind or just a hunch. If you do this, you will win at some point.
But if you think about it, it is really wasteful to put all the money you worked hard for because of just a gut feel. It is pretty reckless if you ask me.
Seasoned bettors, on the other hand, don’t just randomly and carelessly place their bets. They analyze their data and think a couple of times before getting to a decision. There are those who probe and gather relevant information, while others use tools and consult sources prior to making a bet. Many others combine these two techniques.
Those methods all require handicapping before betting. The goal of handicapping is to eliminate the guesswork and come to a more reliable conclusion.
It is very difficult to triumph over the oddsmakers, but if you dedicate time and effort, you will surely have better chances of winning.
Let me give you an example to make it clearer. In our example, we will take a look at handicap betting from two points of view – the point spread and moneyline.
The point spread is popular when it comes to football and basketball betting. Take note of the example line below:
Team A -3.5
Home Team +3.5
In this case, Team A is the favorite so we can fairly assume that this team is stronger than the other. But are they really 3.5 points superior to the Home Team? The purpose of handicap betting is to give an answer to this query.
Check out another example with the moneyline odds. These are favored when it comes to betting on baseball and hockey. Below is an example line from a baseball match:
Team B +160
Home Team -150
The values above tell us that the Home Team is the favorite and predicted to win the game. But is there a chance that Team B can make it through? Again, handicap betting can enormously help in answering this question.
If you are a newbie in online sports betting, you will naturally think that handicapping will make things more complicated than ever. But it’s really not the case. What is sports handicapping for? Actually, its goal is to help you easily pick with certainty.
Handicapper Types
Handicappers can range from basic to advanced. There are those who occasionally bet so they don’t allocate a lot of time to analyze their choices, while there are hardened bettors who dedicate their time and energy to it.
There are more types of handicappers. Here they are:
- Basic – these people are still starting out and testing the waters. They are still not interested in allotting tons of time for it. They just want answers fast and now so that they can wage bets right away.
- Average – these people just graduated from the basic phase. They already recognized the fact that they need to exert a little more effort to gain consistent results. They pretty much create a handicapping system that suits them.
- Upper level – these people have more experience in sports betting at this stage. They have studied different techniques and finally figured out a system that works for them.
- Researchers – this group dedicates A LOT of research time. These people are a techie and they depend on algorithms and programs to analyze data. Others, on the other hand, do things the old school way – with manual calculations and analysis with paper and pen.
- Expert seekers – this group asks for others’ opinions preferably the experts. The sourced data are their basis for coming up with a decision. In addition to experts, they also seek help from subscriptions… or just combine the two strategies.
- Straightforward – since these people already have vast experience, they are aware that they don’t need stacks of data and endless research to give them answers. They just rely on important pieces of data and a straightforward system to decide.
What is sports handicapping? Again, it is a strategy wherein you break down a game or sport to pick your winner before placing your wager.
If you are a newbie in handicapping, you might want to try the different variations of the mentioned types of handicappers above. After which, you will find out what kind of strategy works for you.
What Do Handicappers Look For?
As I have mentioned, the whole handicapping process takes getting used to. So don’t be scared as you will learn about it the more you practice.
When you do practice, you will develop some kind of routine. You will probably be on your spot every day to analyze the odds. Why so? Because handicappers thrive on habits and routines. You will notice that you will keep going back to that daily.
On top of that, you will learn to include key pieces of data in your daily analysis. Below are just a few of the most important things that handicappers need to watch out for.
- News – research and check out the news related to the game or contest that you will be wagering on. Is there something new about the lineup? Are the indispensable players in good condition? Any losing or winning streaks you need to know about? Will the game be affected by changes in the weather? You will not find anything sometimes, but those details are still worth noting.
- Lines – the opening line refers to the initial set of lines listed for a specific game or event. When the opening lines are announced, the bettors will have an opportunity to react. Oddsmakers will alter the lines appropriately, which means that the opening lines will not be the same as it was before. Thus, you need to be watchful of those changes and think why they have been modified. Is it because of sudden injuries or bettors’ reactions?
- Public opinion and reaction – figure out which side the bettors are betting and why. There will be times when public decision is a tie, but there are also times wherein there’s a huge difference. You will need to keep a watchful eye when that happens so you can decide on your selection.
So what is sports handicapping for? It’s a whole process of analyzing key data to come to a decision for sports betting. As said earlier, you will get better at this every time you try. The process, including making decisions, will come more naturally to you.
Sports Handicapping: Basic Steps
This is just a simple summary of a basic handicapping technique. You may or may not follow it. It’s up to you.
- Consider the odds – look at and compare the opening lines and the current lines to see if there are changes. This is vital.
- Read and listen to the news – watch out for news regarding the event or game. Sample news include (but are not limited to) injuries, weather, and player lineup.
- Advantages – is homefield or homecourt advantage a factor or not?
- Latest play – wins can be continued or carried over to the next play or game. People call it momentum. So, you need to determine which teams are doing well and those who don’t.
- Comparison – compare each of the team’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Rankings – there are many sources to check team rankings and strengths so use them.
- Line movement – be observant from the time opening lines are released until the time you are about to wager. The trend of the lines might change your mind.
- Public opinion – which side is the public supporting? There are online sources that can help you follow what the public is betting on.
What is sports handicapping? Well, it involves those eight basic steps to keep you on the right path. As time goes by, you will learn to add new elements to those steps that you think are vital.
Summary
What is sports handicapping? This is when you carefully analyze events in games or plays to tell who will win.
There are many different ways to go about that. But since you are a newbie, you might want to follow the steps that we have shared earlier. When you have more experience, you can adjust the steps accordingly or add more if you must.
Handicapping takes getting used to so patience is key. But you should know that handicapping will not generate assured wins every single time. If you can manage to create a strategy that works for you, you might win more than usual.
Betting is always risky and if you think about making money online in this way you should be careful because you might lose more money than win.
It’s better to use professional handicapping services. Click here to check out these Top Professional Sport Tipsters.
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