How to Win (Most of) Your Football Bets
It has been said that gambling, including wagering on football, is entertainment for folks who do not understand mathematics. Despite the occasional stories about a football bettor having a great streak, in the end, most gamblers wind up in the red.
There are other recreational gamblers who make money year after year by betting on football. And, they are not necessarily folks you would easily confuse with rocket scientists.
The people able to make money wagering on football may have little else in common, but all believe it is essential to establish a firm set of rules. Below are the rules employed be a very successful recreational bettor, a man who has come away ahead during eight of the last ten seasons.
1. Begin each season with a budget. Decide the maximum you will bet on an individual game and the maximum number of games you will bet on each week. If you can’t stick to your budget, you shouldn’t be gambling. At best, it means you are not a good gambler; at worst it may mean you have a gambling problem.
2. Make your bets as you would make any investment. Consider your risk tolerance, analyze your opportunities (the individual games), and make well reasoned choices.
3. The more games you bet on, the more likely you are to be making some relatively weak picks. Make a few strong choices and have the self-discipline to pass on the other games.
4. Understand the difference between potentially valuable data and “gee whiz” information. Is it important which team has a ten year edge in wins? Do scores against common opponents mean a lot? Everyone can assemble statistics and historical data…the trick is to decide what is important.
5. Continual analysis of the methodology you use to select teams and games is generally a winning formula. Changing the limits established in step #1 is just the opposite.
That’s it. Just five simple steps to improve the chances of the recreational bettor to come out in the black this season.
Mark Canon is a small stakes bettor who contributes to websites on scholarships, financial aid, online college and online degree programs, online schools, and adult education.