Sports spread betting is an exciting and dynamic way to engage with your favorite sports, offering more opportunities to profit than traditional fixed-odds betting. Unlike conventional bets, where you simply predict the outcome of a match, spread betting allows you to wager on the margin of victory, making the experience more thrilling. Whether you're following football, basketball, or other sports, understanding the spread can significantly enhance your chances of success. In this article, Wintips will dive into some essential sports spread betting tips, providing you with strategies to improve your predictions and maximize your profits. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced bettor, these tips will help you stay ahead in the game.
What is sports spread betting?
Sports spread betting is a form of betting based on the difference between two teams or athletes. Instead of betting on which team will win or lose, spread betting allows you to bet on the point or goal difference between the teams.
For example, in a football match, one team might be considered a 'favorite' with a -1.5 goal difference, while the other team has a +1.5 goal difference. This means the favorite team must win by at least 2 goals for you to win the bet. If the underdog loses by 1 goal or draws, you win the bet if you backed that team.
Is sports arbitrage betting risky?
The level of risk involved is entirely up to you, and there are steps you can take to avoid taking on more risk than you're comfortable with.
- Use small bets: You can bet as little as a minimal stake on your chosen markets. Although small stakes may not yield large wins, you can be confident that any potential losses will be minimal, allowing your betting bank to go further and enabling you to try more variations of our markets.
- Choose the right market: The markets available vary in volatility. A market like Total Goals in a football match is unlikely to deviate significantly from the spread. However, Total Minutes Scored can settle with large spreads, in either direction. Learn more about how football arbitrage betting works.
- Cut your losses: If you have placed a bet that is not going in your favor, the safe option may be to protect your balance and cash out of the position before the situation gets worse. Cut your losses early and protect your betting bank.
Sports spread betting guide for beginners
A 'spread' is a prediction of the outcome in a specific market for a sporting event, expressed as a SELL-BUY range. For example, the 'spread' for Total Goals in a football match could be 2.8–3.0.
This means that if you believe the market or outcome will exceed the range, you will BUY. If you believe it will fall below the range, you would SELL.
With sports spread betting, the more accurate you are, the more likely you are to win multiples of your stake. However, if you are wrong, the more likely you are to lose multiples of your stake.
Your stake is the amount you decide to bet for each point movement. For example, a £10 bet on Total Goals could win or lose £10 for each goal scored. It’s important to choose your stake according to the different spread betting markets, which will be explained in more detail later.
Sports spread betting tips
As with many types of bets, using proven systems and strategies can improve your chances of winning point-spread bets. In general, simply taking the time to analyze the performance of teams and players can significantly impact your chances of winning. This shows how much more effective a point spread betting strategy or well-researched betting tips can be. Here, we present some useful point-spread betting tips.
Don’t bet too early
To increase your chances of making a profit in team games like football and rugby, it’s best to wait as long as possible before placing your bet. This allows you to take advantage of late team news. For example, you might see that Manchester City is playing a team at the bottom of the table and assume they will win, so you decide to buy into the match. However, the team news is released, and you see that Man City is resting key players for their midweek game. This is something to keep in mind, as it happens more often than you might expect.
Another factor is that if the game is ongoing, the market will be updated, so you should watch the game for at least 5 minutes before placing your bet. During these 5 minutes, the spread won’t change much, allowing you time to determine how the game will develop.
Consider selling instead of buying
In certain cases, selling your spread can be more profitable than buying. Historically, there have been more buyers than sellers for the following reasons:
- People enjoy watching the action unfold in the game, so they tend to buy more
- People buy the team they support
- People support popular players, as opposed to less popular players
- There is an assumption that sellers are suffering more than buyers. But the stress can be seen on both sides
- Selling something can be quite difficult, especially in a market with many commodities, where a lot of things can go wrong.
Home advantage is important
You may have noticed that sometimes when betting on the spread between two teams, the spread will change. For example, you may bet on the Dallas Cowboys (-2.5) vs. Cleveland Browns (+2.5), but note that the reverse matchup, Cleveland Browns (-1.5) vs. Dallas Cowboys (+1.5), has a different spread.
The reason for this is the home advantage. Of course, other factors such as form, injuries, and suspensions also play a role. Home advantage and support from loyal fans can significantly affect a team's performance. Bookmakers are aware of this and adjust the spread accordingly.
So, the next time you believe your favorite team will easily cover the spread, consider whether they are playing at home or away. If the favorite is the away team, the bookmaker has already factored in the home advantage of the other team. In other words, the spread is realistic and not as large of a bet as you might think. Avoid going broke by backing the away favorite. You may end up backing a losing bet.
Watch for changes in the point spread
When the point spread changes, it suggests that the bookmaker has information you may not be aware of. Similar to a change in odds, a change in the point spread suggests that there may have been a last-minute injury to a key player or a locker room issue for one of the teams.
Regardless of the reason, do not ignore changes in the point spread. Instead, find out why the bookmaker adjusted the point spread. If you cannot determine the reason for the change, adjust your bet size to reflect the new point spread. Alternatively, consider a different bet, such as a moneyline bet.
Use bonus bets to make riskier spread bets
Most sportsbooks offer attractive betting promotions and free bets. You can use these promotions to place bets with bonus credits provided by the bookmaker, rather than your own money. This will help eliminate the fear of losing and enable you to make riskier bets, which come with higher odds and a better chance of winning.
For example, you might be tempted to bet on a team that hasn’t covered the spread yet, but you have a feeling that this could change. One of the best and safest ways to do this is by using your free bet or some of your bonus money. If your bonus bet wins, you’ll be glad you followed your instincts and didn’t miss out on great odds. If you lose, that’s okay. After all, you’re not betting with your own money.
However, before claiming a bonus, ensure you know what it takes to activate it. Then, check how to withdraw your winnings from the promotion. Some bonuses, for example, require you to enter a promo code, while others are activated only when you use pre-determined payment methods, such as credit or debit cards. More importantly, some promotions have high wagering requirements, meaning you may find it difficult to withdraw your winnings.
Conclusion
In conclusion, sports spread betting offers a unique and thrilling way to bet on sports, with the potential for greater rewards but also requiring careful strategy and analysis. By understanding the dynamics of spreads and using the sports spread betting tips in this article, you can make more informed decisions and improve your betting approach. Remember, success in spread betting comes from balancing risk with knowledge and staying updated on key factors that affect game outcomes. With practice, patience, and the right strategies, you can increase your chances of success and enjoy a more rewarding experience.
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