Here is a 2023 Stanley Cup futures update. Key Points – A number of factors, including goaltending, affect 2023 Stanley Cup futures. – Don’t forget special teams when considering 2023 Stanley Cup futures. 2023 Stanley Cup Futures Update If you enjoy placing championship futures bets on significant sports, you should certainly consider the NHL. When seeking profitable methods to invest your money, 2023 Stanley Cup futures are just as enticing as any other option on the board. The simple explanation for this is that hockey is usually more predictable than other sports. It is extremely uncommon for a surprise underdog to rise up and win a Stanley Cup. Typically, a great team that has been on the rise or has been among the league\'s elite ends up winning the Cup each year.  Even though it might not be a heavy favorite that hoists the Cup, it is usually a strong favorite or contender that does so. When handicapping NHL futures, there are a few things that can help you have more success. ICYMI: BETTING NBA TOTALS VERSUS COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOTALS Strong Favorites How good are the front-runners? Every time you wager on championship futures in any sport, this is where you should start. The majority of public funds will be spent on the favorites because that is where the public will turn its attention.  It would be worth looking into finding sharp money action on any strong favorites. This way, your money is on the team that the pros are betting on. This implies that the probability for those teams will typically be lower than they should be. It\'s your responsibility as an NHL handicapper to decide whether or not they merit that attention. You would need a very solid reason to bet against them if they are big favorites with no evident weaknesses and a decent probability of being the last team standing. You might be interested in betting on them despite the inflated odds.  However, if you don\'t think the favorites will win, you might be prepared to pay a little less for other teams whose odds of success are higher than they could be.  2023 Stanley Cup Futures - Goalie Play Without outstanding goaltending, it is practically impossible for an NHL club to claim the Stanley Cup. This does not imply that teams have never won without top-tier goalies. It merely indicates that they have had goalies who heated up at precisely the right time.  Therefore, you must be confident in the goaltending position before considering placing a wager on a team. Has their goalie situation been made clear? Is their go-to guy trustworthy and able to occasionally excel? If the answer to either question is \"no,\" that doesn\'t imply they can\'t win.  Teams have frequently made adjustments late in the season that have helped them advance far in the postseason. All this means is that a team is too much of a risk early in the season.  Goaltenders will often get hot and teams that do could see adjustments in their futures odds. Being able to anticipate big line moves can help bettors capitalize on a bet. Depth Is Crucial Teams that have quality depth are better built to win championships. In the NHL, injuries are unavoidable. The season is long and grueling, and there are a lot of different ways to get hurt.  Teams will lose players for extended stretches of time, and there is a considerable probability that these individuals will be important ones. A team must be confident that they can manage the loss of a star player without suffering a severe setback in order to maintain their postseason aspirations.  An NHL team without depth is dependent on staying healthy, which makes them more prone to risk in a full-season wager.  https://youtu.be/t2kbt3lphpE Taking Stock of Divisions & Conferences A large part of how well a team performs in a given NHL season depends upon its division. NHL teams are reliant on their divisions and conferences because those are the groups of opponents they will face most frequently throughout the season.  Teams need to beat the other teams in their division and conference in order to make the postseason. A team playing in a weak division will likely have the record to get into the playoffs. Playing a weak schedule might, however, not help them win late in the playoffs. There may be teams that play in a tougher division that you may consider betting on. Their competition during the season may be exactly what they need to get hot during the postseason. Regardless,  sports bettors must be certain of the price and value before placing a wager on 2023 Stanley Cup futures. 2023 Stanley Cup Futures - Special Teams Special teams are important in hockey.  Successful teams must be proficient both on the power play and when down a man. The majority of NHL championship teams will be the best in at least one of those categories.  As an NHL bettor, it would be wise for you to consider how teams perform in those two crucial areas - power play and penalty killing. How has the team performed in the past? What changes have they made ahead of the season? Do they have the necessary personnel? How well-prepared are the special teams by the coaching staff? What is the second unit\'s depth? These are all great questions when you begin to assess a team’s special teams. Teams frequently have one excellent power play or penalty killing unit, but that squad cannot play every minute. That makes the second unit even more important.   How Do They Rate NHL handicappers should keep in mind their criteria while placing wagers on 2023 Stanley Cup futures. Remember, you\'re not attempting to predict which team will win the title. You want to find teams that have a higher chance of winning the championship than the odds would indicate.  If you place wagers that pay out more than the risk they carry over the long run, you will win. One efficient technique to approach these bets is to assess the teams and rank them according to their chances of winning and overall strength.  Once the teams are arranged, you may mentally assign some simple odds to indicate each team\'s chances. NHL handicappers may discover appealing value when they contrast their odds with the published odds.

These are the top Super Bowl betting mistakes. Key Points – Most Super Bowl betting mistakes are the result of information released by the media. – Bettors shouldn’t believe everything they hear leading up to the Super Bowl. Super Bowl Betting Mistakes As soon as the conference championship games are over, the Super Bowl frenzy begins. It turns into an almost uncontrollable craziness. Media day is one of those absolutely crazy days where reputable journalists sit down with players from both teams.  Media day reveals a number of things to Super Bowl fans, football fans, and bettors alike. It used to be that the information revealed after Super Bowl media day was very helpful to bettors as they prepared to place their bets. That’s not really the case anymore. In reality, there are now many more opportunities for a bettor to lose money and be deceived by the media. Gaining valuable information from the sports media prior to the Super Bowl just doesn’t happen that often anymore.  Here are five critical Super Bowl betting mistakes that you should be aware of before wagering on this year’s game.   MUST READ: BETTING NBA TOTALS VERSUS COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOTALS Same Info Over Again As soon as the press and all of the networks begin their Super Bowl coverage, there are a number of items that you will hear over and over. One media source jumps on a story, and then the entire media is on it.  It\'s easy for anyone to assume that something must be really important if you hear it so frequently. However, this is often not the case. The reason you hear about the same issue over and over again - remember Joe Burrow’s small hands? - is because everyone in the media keeps asking about it.  Too many media representatives don\'t have a lot of uniqueness or innovation. They end up asking what amounts to the same question in a different way. The result is the same information over and over. The most widespread news or perspectives on the game are likely to be the most significant. Sports bettors must be impartial and thoroughly assess if anything they hear is relevant and important before making betting decisions. Jedi Mind Tricks & Super Bowl Betting Mistakes Injuries are probably the one thing that has the biggest impact on betting the Super Bowl. Teams are required by the league to submit injury reports and cannot withhold information about the health of their players. What coaches can do though is provide disinformation to throw off their opponents. A player may be listed on the injury report as questionable. The team may have the player sit out a number of practices. During the week’s media sessions, the head coach gives off a vibe like the player is worse off than was thought.  NFL teams won\'t give up information that will provide their rivals with anything to take away from or use as motivation. What that means is that you should be skeptical of anything you hear from the media in the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl.  One of the easiest Super Bowl betting mistakes to make is simply believing everything you hear from the sports media. It doesn’t mean you should ignore anything that players or coaches say, but you need to avoid these habits of the losing sports bettor. Super Bowl Betting Mistakes - Hype Another of the easy Super Bowl betting mistakes is buying into the hype. There will undoubtedly be something that most every media source is hyping up before the big game. It could be that the media will become extremely enthused about certain players. It might be a certain narrative or some sort of human interest.  Whatever it is, the media gets overly excited about it. The betting public then follows suit. The public loves the hype and they will believe it. With all the hype and the public believing the hype, it’s really easy for the average bettor to believe everything that is being said by the media.  Too often, hype is not genuine. Other times when it may be true, it’s just not as significant as we are being made to believe. Everything that you see and hear in the two weeks before the Super Bowl should be approached as if you are a professional sports bettor. Do the research to find out if all the hype is justified.  Lack of Meaningful Information In today’s information age, there really isn’t much that we don’t know. Big line moves are still a big deal, but bettors can get that information relatively easily. We often have too much information and don’t know what to do with it all. It’s probably safe to assume that the sports media, after the first few days of coverage, will not learn anything new.  There might be some interesting background information about players or coaches. There will probably be some cool soundbites and there might be something new about a past playoff game and how it might affect the Super Bowl. Truly meaningful information, like that about a game plan, player health, opponent concerns, and other topics usually doesn’t come up. Players and coaches do not reveal this information so pundits can only speculate. One of the Super Bowl betting mistakes often made is speculating on information that cannot be verified.  https://youtu.be/H9fBkuhQDRE Plenty of Misleading Information Most of the information that comes out as a result of Super Bowl media day and all the coverage leading up to the game doesn’t offer much in the way of insightful information. It does, however, offer several opportunities to mislead or confuse bettors.  To avoid making Super Bowl betting mistakes, it is advised that you have your betting decision ready to go as early as possible. It’s probably best to have your position in place prior to the Super Bowl’s media day. Bettors can sort through what they learn on media and determine if any of the information would affect the final decision. Bettors that do their handicapping in advance can avoid these easy Super Bowl betting mistakes. They can avoid being misled by all the hoopla in the days leading up to the big game. 

There is a difference in betting NBA totals versus college basketball totals. Key Points – The wide variety of styles of play in college basketball is one of the key differences when betting NBA totals. – NBA bettors can take advantage of greater betting limits when it comes to totals. Betting NBA Totals Versus College Basketball Totals The betting public often makes the mistake of thinking that betting on basketball is always betting on basketball regardless of whether it is college or the NBA. After all, in both sports the objective is to score more points than the other team.  Smarter, more experienced bettors know that betting on the two sports is very different. It’s almost as if you are betting on two different sports. One area where the differences are pronounced is in betting totals.  Here, we look at four ways in which betting NBA totals is different from betting totals in college basketball.  READ OUR LAST POST: WHAT IS PARLAY INSURANCE Points Per Game The NBA obviously features more points per game than the college game does. There are a couple of key reasons for that. The college game is eight minutes shorter than the NBA where teams play four 12-minute quarters compared to two 20-minute halves in college. The college shot clock at 35 seconds is 11 seconds longer than the NBA shot clock. Pace can be much slower in the college game. The result is that game totals are set much higher in the NBA.  NBA totals of over 200 are common. They are unheard of in the college game where many totals are often less than 140. Some college totals are even less. Because college totals are so much lower, each point is more significant. One point is a significantly bigger percentage of the total score of a college game than it is in the NBA.  A total exceeded by seven points in a college game is a much bigger deal than one surpassed by seven in the NBA. When betting NBA totals, one has to adjust mentally to the increased scoring and faster tempo. Bettors can’t think like a college basketball bettor when betting on the NBA.  Players Impact Totals When an NBA star like LeBron James sits out a game, there is a noticeable impact. However, when a college team’s best player sits out, the effect is even greater.  One star college player makes a huge difference in a team’s scoring. Remember, college teams score fewer points. A star player that averages 20 points per game might account for one-third of a team’s scoring. Making up for that is much more difficult in the college game. Plus, these injuries or roster changes are not as highly publicized for college games. In the NBA, teams are more heavily scrutinized and the league requires injury updates a certain number of times per day. This makes it a bit more difficult when betting NBA totals compared to the college game.  Betting NBA Totals & Style of Play NBA teams are all made up of the best of the best. They are all elite athletes, many of whom were the best players on their college team, in their college conference, and among the best in the nation.  College teams do not have that luxury. Keep in mind that there are over 350 NCAA Division I basketball teams. With so many teams, there is a profound difference between the best teams in the nation and the worst. In certain college games, there may be a time when you adjust your betting unit size on a game total. To compete, many teams adopt different styles of play. There are teams that run up and down the floor and shoot three-pointers all night. Others stick to a strong defense. Take Virginia as an example. The Cavaliers have been a top-10 team for most of the last decade. Rarely do they get four- and five-star caliber players, but they play outstanding defense. In the NBA, most teams play man-to-man defense. Some teams are better than others, but on any given night, a team can explode for 120 points or more. For the most part though, the differences in tempo among NBA teams are not as big as those in college basketball. This is a key when betting NBA totals.  Betting NBA Totals Versus College Basketball Totals Betting Limits When betting NBA totals, bettors have the advantage of higher betting limits. Sportsbooks set their limits based on the amount of action they figure they will get on a given game. It’s a measure of the risk they are willing to take. With smaller limits though, it will take less money to move a total in college basketball as compared to the NBA. If a total moves significantly in an NCAA game, bettors can be almost certain that sharp money has come in heavy on one side of a total. These big line moves are a big deal. Bettors will often see more variation among sportsbooks with NCAA totals. In betting NBA totals, there is not as much variance. It still, however, pays to shop around for the best number.

Bettors should understand parlay insurance. Key Points – Most of the most well-known sportsbooks offer parlay insurance. – Parlays are still risky bets whether covered by insurance or not. What Is Parlay Insurance What sucks for bettors is missing out on a sizable payout because one leg of your parlay was lost. Fortunately, some sportsbooks offer parlay insurance to assist in covering those losses. If you lose a parlay by one leg, parlay insurance offers a partial refund on your bet. Every sportsbook has its own rules, but parlay protection typically pays up to $25 for a failed parlay. To help you feel more confident placing parlays and taking advantage of the best sportsbook bonuses, promo codes & offers, this post goes over the fundamentals of insuring parlays and highlights the variety of offers from the top sportsbooks. How It Works Some of the riskiest bets in sports betting are parlays. Although the payouts are sizable, one bad pick can ruin your entire parlay. That, of course, is the trade off. In an effort to encourage more gamblers to place parlays, sportsbooks began to offer parlay insurance. The insurance will partially reimburse you for your losses if you lose a parlay by just one leg. Let\'s say you place a multi-sport parlay at your sportsbook. There is an insurance promotion if you place a 5-leg parlay. You receive a refund of up to $25 if you lose just one of the legs. Although it might not seem like much, it\'s a great way to feel more at ease placing a parlay wager. Parlays provide extremely long odds with enormous potential payouts, so you don\'t need to wager more than $25 to stand a chance of making a significant profit. For example, you place a five-team NFL parlay and bet on five point spread favorites all at -110 odds. The five-team parlay will payout at +2300. That means a $100 bet, in this case, will pay out $2400 ($2300 in winnings plus the $100 wager). When putting together the parlay, you might want to use these tips for betting NFL parlays. If one of the underdogs wins and screws up the parlay bet, you get $25 back.  MUST READ: WHEN TO ADJUST YOUR BETTING UNIT SIZE Many Sportsbooks Provide Parlay Protection A lot of well-known sportsbooks provide some kind of insurance on a parlay bet. Each sportsbook has its own rules regarding the amount of a payout as well as the number of legs needed in the parlay.  Usually, parlay insurance is not offered on smaller - i.e. two-leg and three-leg - parlays. Typically, you will have to put together at least a four-leg parlay in order to get any form of insurance. Most of the more prominent sportsbooks don’t start paying any parlay protection until your bet reaches five legs. Here’s an example of one such sportsbook. Bettors must create a parlay of at least five legs. Each wager in the parlay must have odds of at least -200. If one of the legs loses, the sportsbook will pay the bettor $25 in parlay insurance.  If more than one leg loses, the bettor loses his entire stake. This particular sportsbook allows up to four of these parlay bets with insurance per day. Exotic parlays like teasers, round robins, and same-game parlays are prohibited.  If you don’t place a lot of parlays and are considering a five-leg bet, you might want to find a sportsbook like this one where you can get something back if you lose one leg of the bet. You might be more likely to take the risk knowing you are getting something back if one of the legs loses. Does Parlay Insurance Make Sense? It surely reduces volatility, even though parlays are among the riskiest bets in sports betting. If you have a solid parlay but are sketchy on one of the legs, finding insurance might make sense. It will definitely make the bet worth the risk. If you\'re not comfortable making parlays, don\'t feel pressured to do so right away. Although good, parlay insurance doesn\'t completely eliminate the risk involved in placing a bet. However, it may help in making strong betting choices when one might not be inclined to do so. The benefit of parlays is that you don\'t need to make a sizable bet in order to get a sizable payout. Although a $25 refund might not seem like much, in the context of parlays, that is actually a sizable wager. If you enjoy playing parlays, getting insurance won\'t be a regret. In fact, the security net might tempt you to place a wager that yields a sizable profit. Without the insurance, you might not make the bet.  What Is Parlay Insurance FAQs Regarding Parlay Protection What is insurance on a parlay bet? One leg of your parlay is covered by parlay insurance. You receive a refund, usually of up to $25, if you lose the parlay by just one leg. For example, you have a four-leg parlay bet. Three legs win, but one loses. You don’t win the parlay, but you do get the $25 insurance. Who provides parlay protection? Parlay protection can be found at many of the most prominent sportsbooks in the industry. To find out if your preferred sportsbook is running this kind of promotion, check with their customer service team. Does parlay insurance make sense? Yes, if you enjoy placing these types of bets, you should look for parlay protection. Even with insurance, parlays are still risky. However, having the guarantee of a payment offers bettors peace of mind when you turn in that bet slip.

Learn when to adjust your betting unit size. Key Points – Smart bettors learn the situations where they should adjust their betting unit size. – Proper money management is one of the cornerstones of successful sports betting. When to Adjust Your Betting Unit Size Many sports bettors struggle constantly with money management. It can be hard for gamblers to keep the self-control they need to handle their money well.  Choosing how much to wager on games can also be very difficult, especially if you don\'t use a specific criterion to guide your decision.  There are some general situations in which an increase or decrease in betting unit size are probably a good idea. However, ultimately, deciding on your bet size is a personal choice that you must feel comfortable. No two money management strategies are exactly the same.  Here’s a look at situations where you may want to place a larger than normal wager as well as those where you might place a smaller than usual bet. ICYMI: FINDING THE BEST SPORTSBOOK BONUSES Increase Insignificant Bets Most money management strategies advise placing wagers of one to four percent of your bankroll on a particular sporting event. However, if you have been consistently winning, you might want to make an adjustment. If you’re betting one percent of your bankroll and find yourself on a big win streak, you may want to adjust your betting unit size. A $10 bettor could become a $15 or $20 bettor, for example.   The purpose of the sports betting bankroll is to give you security and allow you to get through difficult times. However, if you are placing bets that are too small, you aren\'t maximizing your resources. Your bankroll will expand but much more slowly than it could.   Betting Unit Size Is Too Small There are times when a bettor just doesn’t bet enough. Consider a bettor with a $1000 bankroll who is highly risk-averse. His bets are consistently $1 to $5. That’s not even close to one percent.  When you bet so little that it doesn’t really make a difference, it might be time to adjust your bet size upward. When betting too little, one might not care enough to put forth any effort into making strong betting choices. Betting too little might actually make you a less successful bettor. Making Money But Not Enough So, you have some goals as a sports bettor. You win a lot of bets, but you keep falling short of those financial goals.  If you are winning consistently, you should consider increasing your betting unit size. This is especially true when you are not making the money you had hoped to.  This bettor is less likely to experience big loss, which makes it much easier to increase bet size. Because this bettor doesn’t lose as often, increasing one’s stake makes sense. Then, the financial goals that were set are more attainable.  Underestimating Your Ability Bettors often overestimate their skills, but if you did the opposite you might want to increase your betting unit size. When your winning percentage consistently exceeds your prediction, you have every reason to increase your stake. You  can determine a good bet size by working backwards from your estimated win percentage. If you estimated 55 percent but in actuality are hitting 60 percent, you might consider moving your $25 bet to $35 or even $50.  When you have proven that you can win more often over the long run, you can justify increasing your bet size. When to Adjust Your Betting Unit Size Betting Unit Size Consumes Bankroll There are situations where bettors should consider reducing the size of their wagers. All bettors hit periods where they can’t buy a win. When you hit one of their difficult periods, your bankroll might decrease significantly. With a smaller bankroll, it only makes sense to adjust the unit size downward. Once you begin to win again, you can always raise your stakes in accordance with the larger bankroll. Too Much Anxiety Scared money is never smart money. Sportsbooks like it when bettors lay down anxious wagers. When bettors aren’t sure of themselves, there is a greater chance that they are making an unwise betting decision. If the size of the wager causes anxiety or discomfort in any way, then it’s too much. Adjust the stake downward or don’t place the bet at all.  Losing bets hurts. Losing a bet where you wagered too much hurts even more. Only bet what you’re really comfortable losing, and avoid the habits of a losing sports bettor. Adjust Unit Size When Underperforming Bettors will often calculate their betting unit size based on their anticipated winning percentage. What happens if you are not consistently hitting that number?  This is a situation where you need to consider lowering your stake. Too often, bettors will chase their losses in an attempt to make up for all the defeats. The problem is that they will run out of money much faster.  It really comes down to bettors just being brutally honest with themselves. They need to know what they are doing, what they are capable of, and what that really means when they are losing. As a sports bettor, you will only hurt your own wallet if you lie to yourself about this. Adjust Betting Unit Size When Withdrawing Many bettors wager on sports, at least in part, to earn a little extra cash. Some even earn a lot more extra cash. Occasionally, these bettors will make withdrawals from their betting accounts. Gamblers that do this are using their betting funds for other purposes. That means, at some point, they must recalculate their betting unit size. This can be a critical error for many sports bettors. They win a bunch of money and then make a withdrawal. They place their next bet but use the same unit size. The problem, of course, is that the new bankroll is smaller.  The stake size might end up now being 15 or 20 percent of the bankroll. That leaves the bettor too vulnerable. Smart bettors will adjust the bet size after they make a large withdrawal from their betting account. 

How you can find the best sportsbook bonuses. Key Points – The best sportsbook bonuses will entice bettors to sign up for betting accounts. – The best sportsbook bonuses also have stipulations attached to them. Finding the Best Sportsbook Bonuses With the advancement of the Internet, people can do pretty much everything online. This includes shopping and gambling. Because bettors are no longer dependent on physical sportsbook locations, they now have a lot more convenience.  Any sports fan can place a bet online and earn a profit from the comforts of their own home. In order to meet the growing demand, thousands of websites have now been launched to give bettors some options.  Online sportsbooks have become very popular. These websites are in fierce competition with one another, and almost all of them offer the best sportsbook bonuses to draw in new bettors and keep existing ones. Basic Math & the Best Sportsbook Bonuses Free money is always welcome, but you should be aware of what free bets from online sportsbooks entail and how they operate.  Almost all sportsbook websites offer deposit bonuses to lure new customers into opening up a new betting account. Most websites offer a bonus of around 20% of the initial deposit in exchange for establishing the new account.   Your betting bankroll will be increased by the amount of this bonus. If the sportsbook is giving a 20% bonus and you deposit $1,000, your betting bankroll will be $1,200. Keep in mind that there will be stipulations attached to any bonus or incentive. READ OUR MOST RECENT POST: SPORTS BETTING MYTH BUSTERS Reload Bonuses Another one of the best sportsbook bonuses is the reload bonus. Again, it is designed to keep existing bettors from jumping to another sportsbook.  Reload bonuses are offered to seasoned players who add or reload money into their betting accounts. Like the initial deposit bonus, the reload bonus is a percentage of the amount being deposited.  Reload bonuses differ from deposit bonuses. They are typically less than a deposit bonus. If a deposit bonus averages 20 percent, the reload bonus might average 10 percent. If a bettor loads $100 into his betting account, the sportsbook adds another $10. Even though the best sportsbook bonuses appear to be quite alluring, the books have certain restrictions to protect their investment. Sportsbooks require bettors to use the bonus money for betting in order to prevent them from withdrawing it as free money.  Sportsbooks do this by requiring a rollover amount before the bonus can be unlocked and the money can be withdrawn. Typically, the rollover is a multiple of the bonus sum. For example, if a rollover requirement is 4x and the deposit amount is $100, a bettor must wager $400 (4 x $100) before he is eligible to withdraw the bonus funds. Finding the Best Sportsbook Bonuses The Best Sportsbook Bonuses - Strategies In the case of a 5x rollover, the bettor would have to wager five times the bonus amount in order to request a payout. The restriction isn\'t too bad, though, as both losing and winning bets count toward the rollover requirement.  For instance, if you reload $1,000 and receive a 10% bonus, the bonus is worth $100. You must wager $500 or more on sports if the rollover requirement is 5x. This can be done by placing 10 $50 wagers or any other multiples that meet the requirement.  Furthermore, it makes no difference whether you win or lose the bets you made. The only requirement is to make $500 worth of bets. Choosing a Sportsbook Online sportsbook bonuses are promotional offers designed to entice bettors to sign up with sports betting sites.  The bonus should only be one factor to take into account when choosing your sportsbook. There are a number of other factors to take into account before signing up with an online sportsbook. The bonus should actually be the last thing you think about. A sportsbook\'s financial standing, which will indicate its capacity to pay winners, should be among the key concerns. Check the sportsbook\'s history to learn how long it has been in business and if there have ever been any instances in which it failed to compensate winners. You can also look at impartial rating websites that review sportsbooks. The betting options provided by the betting site come in second place to financial stability. There is no point in depositing money if the sportsbook doesn\'t offer lines on the games you like to wager on.  Check the betting limits for the games you want to bet on next. If the sportsbook severely restricts your ability to place large wagers on your preferred game, you may want to explore your other options.  Another concern is how easy it is to conduct banking at the sportsbook. Certain sportsbooks, for example, may not accept credit card deposits. That might eliminate a sportsbook from contention right away. Offshore or US sportsbooks that offer flexible banking might make your short list. Many sportsbooks will have a wide variety of banking methods. Many betting sites also accept deposits using wire transfers, e-wallets, and other methods. Again, this is to ensure they can attract as many bettors as possible. A Test Drive Last but not least, see how simple it is for you to use the sportsbook and place a wager. Some people may find it very difficult to place a wager on certain websites. It’s one of the simplest betting mistakes to avoid. Don’t pick a sportsbook based on hype. Check to see if you can easily navigate the website. Nowadays, a lot of sportsbook websites let you \"test drive\" the functions of the site without having to register. Test the sportsbooks navigation and see if you like it. If they offer the best sportsbook bonuses, it might be a betting site worth trying. Final Note Although deposit and reload bonuses are now offered by nearly all well-known sports betting websites, the best sportsbook bonuses are still tempting offers.  Before you register with a sportsbook, you should consider other factors because the majority of them also offer similar bonuses and other incentives. As with anything related to sports betting, do your homework and make good decisions.

What is a sports betting myth and what is not? Key Points – There are several myths surrounding sports betting. – Not everything you hear about gambling is true. Sports Betting Myth Busters There are many commonly held beliefs about sports betting. Not all of them are true. Sometimes things are believed just because they are repeated often enough.  For example, there are plenty of people that say it simply isn\'t possible to win money from betting on sports. That doesn\'t mean it\'s true. While it is difficult, there are those who gamble on sports professionally.    You shouldn’t just dismiss all of these beliefs. Some of them are indeed true. For example, it\'s quite common to believe that the bookmakers have an advantage over their customers. They do, and successful sports betting is all about learning how to overcome that advantage. In this post, we examine some commonly held beliefs about sports betting. Are they true or not?   EDITOR’S CHOICE: HOW TO BET AN ALTERNATE POINT SPREAD The Bookmakers Always Win This is true, with one important caveat. The bookmakers always win in the long run, but not necessarily on each and every betting market they offer. They don\'t always get their books as perfectly balanced as they would like, which can cost them money. It\'s possible for bookies to have losing days.  Although the bookmakers do win money over time, it\'s important to recognize the reasons why. A lot of people think it\'s because they have an advantage that can\'t be overcome. This is just not true.  Sportsbooks certainly set odds in their favor, but it is entirely possible to overcome this advantage if you know what you\'re doing. The real reason why the bookmakers always win is simply because of the habits of losing sports bettors. They just don\'t know what they\'re doing. A lot of people bet for fun and don’t put a huge amount of thought into the bets they place. In the end, most of those bets lose.  It is definitely possible for anyone to make money out of sports betting. However, the fact is that there are very few people who put in the required time and effort to do so. This is why the bookmakers win.   You Never See A Poor Bookie Most bettors have heard this one. It has largely been true in the past, but it has become less so for a variety of reasons. Even when winning money from their customers, some bookmakers are struggling to cover all their operational costs.  The bookmaking industry is very competitive, Marketing costs are high, and margins are low. Bettors have also, on the whole, become a lot more knowledgeable about sports betting in recent years. Most of them still lose overall, but they tend to lose more slowly and are more educated about things such as shopping around for the best odds and lines.  These things all combine to make it hard for bookmakers to turn an overall profit, particularly the small ones. The big bookmakers are still making money. Smaller ones might be making money, but they might be losing as well. It’s pretty safe to say that the idea that all bookies are “rolling in the dough” is just not true.  Sports Betting Myth Busters Sports Betting Is All Luck The idea that betting is all luck is nonsense. Playing the lottery, as well as some other forms of gambling, are all based on luck. Sports betting is not though. Luck can certainly play a part, and it often does. However, there is a great deal of skill involved in betting on sports. The best sports bettors in the world don\'t consistently win money because they are lucky. They win because they make the right wagers, at the right times, for the right reasons. They develop strategies that work for them and put in the time and effort to analyze their bets. Smart bettors manage their bankrolls, control their emotions, and stay disciplined. Smart bettors also use two or three sportsbooks. That is why they win. Sportsbooks Limit Winning Accounts Bookmakers are, of course, in business to make money. They have no obligation to take bets from anyone, and they are quite within their rights to limit the bets they take from proven winners.  Obviously, this can be very frustrating if it happens to you, but you should take it as a compliment. If your betting account is restricted or limited it means you are doing something right. Sportsbooks are not as quick to limit accounts as people think. They will typically only place restrictions on your account if you are winning very consistently or if they think you are engaging in arbitrage. Bookies don’t limit accounts just because a bettor has a couple big wins. Sports Betting Odds Reflect Value The odds of any given bet do reflect its value, so this statement is true. However, it\'s important to recognize that odds are not the only thing that determines value. Too often, bettors will believe that a selection is a good value simply because the odds are high. That is not true. Equally, it is not true that a bet is a poor value just because the odds are low. Think about it this way. If you were offered odds of +10000 that the moon would be purple tomorrow, you wouldn’t waste your money. It’s simply not happening. Just because you can win $10K on a $1 bet doesn’t make it a good value. On the same note, if you were offered -2500 odds of the moon not turning purple tomorrow, you might think about taking that bet. For every $25 wagered, you win $1. There is value because it’s a bet you feel confident in winning. In summary, odds do reflect value, but only in combination with other factors. Value Is Everything In Betting This is a tough one, as value is very important in betting. If you only ever place good value wagers, then you should win money in the long run. However, that might not always be true. This is because value is ultimately subjective in sports betting. When playing roulette, you know that you have exactly a 1 in 37 chance of winning a bet on a single number (1 in 38 on an American wheel). The bet pays 36 to 1, so you know there is no value. If it paid 40 to 1, there would be some value. In sports betting, it\'s impossible to determine the exact probability of any particular outcome. Therefore, it\'s not right to say that value is everything in betting. Its importance is without question, but there are other factors to consider as well.

Learn how to bet on an alternate point spread. Key Points – There are situations where an alternate point spread makes sense. – Bettors will pay a premium for an advantageous alternate point spread.  How to Bet an Alternate Point Spread Whether you are a novice or seasoned sports bettor, it\'s likely that you have run into the following situations when betting against the spread.  You see a spread for a game and are seriously torn between picking the correct side. You might feel more confident placing a wager if the spread was just one or two points higher or lower in either direction. What if you came across a spread that seemed obvious? You would feel comfortable betting on the same side even if the spread was significantly different.  In both of these cases sports bettors would be wise to bet an alternate point spread. The majority of sportsbooks nowadays offer the alternate point spread. In this post, we will define an alternate point spread and discuss how and when to place such a bet. READ OUR LAST POST: SPORTS BETTING TRAPS TO AVOID Alternate Point Spread Defined The lines that oddsmakers provide that are different from the original point spread for a game are known as alternate spreads. It\'s possible for some alternative spreads to be as much as 10 points off of the original. Of course, sportsbooks are in the business of making money. Therefore, there is a cost to buying or selling an alternate spread. Look at this way. When there is less risk to the sportsbook, the payout is going to be lower.  Let’s use a betting on football example. If the Dallas Cowboys are favored to beat Philadelphia by three points at odds of -104, the price will be higher to get Dallas -2 or -1. If the Cowboys have to cover fewer points, it only makes sense that the better would pay a premium to do so. At Dallas -2, the odds might be -111 where a bettor must wager $111 to win $100. Likewise, the Eagles are a +3 underdog at -118 odds. Maybe you like the Eagles to keep it fairly close but not by a field goal. You like Philly to cover by a touchdown so you take the Eagles +7.5. However, the price will be higher (-215) and you’ll have to bet $215 to win $100. How It Looks If we stick with the Cowboys-Eagles from above, the alternate point spread might look like this. Eagles +16 (-1000)Cowboys -16 (+540)Eagles +14.5 (-770)Cowboys -14.5 (+440)Eagles +13 (-590)Cowboys -13 (+360)Eagles +11.5 (-455)Cowboys -11.5 (+300)Eagles +10 (-375)Cowboys -10 (+250)Eagles +9.5 (-315)Cowboys -9.5 (+225)Eagles +9 (-305)Cowboys -9 (+220)Eagles +8.5 (-286)Cowboys -8.5 (+205)Eagles +8 (-275)Cowboys -8 (+200)Eagles +6.5 (-210)Cowboys -6.5 (+160) The original line set by the oddsmakers is Dallas -3 with odds of -104. If you really like the Cowboys and think they have a great chance of covering by at least a touchdown, you can go to the alternate point spread market and view the odds. In this case, you find that Dallas -6.5 is priced at +160. That means you will make $160 on a $100 wager if the Cowboys win by at least seven points.  Available in All Sports Depending upon your choice of sportsbook, you will be able to find alternate spreads in most every sporting event on a betting board. You will find alternate spreads for college football, college basketball and the NBA. They will look just like the example above. Using alternative spreads is almost like the best kept secret in sports betting.  In the NHL and MLB, the point spread is known as the puck line hockey and run line in baseball. In baseball, the run line is 1.5. In hockey, the puck line is also 1.5. There are alternate run lines and puck lines in these sports. Again, bettors will pay a premium for the alternate spread. The odds for these alternate lines will adjust accordingly.  How to Bet an Alternate Point Spread Alternate Spread Strategy Knowing that alternate spreads are available doesn’t mean you should rush to bet them all the time. The smart way to use the alternate point spread as a betting strategy is to use it when you have extreme confidence in one of your picks. You can increase the line for better odds and a larger payout if you think a favorite has a great chance to win by a large margin. It’s also wise to use an alternate spread on an undervalued underdog on the moneyline. You’ll get great odds and a nice payout.  Many sportsbooks will also offer an alternate point spread on quarter and half bets. For example, the Sixers are -3.5 favorites to win the first half against the Lakers. You see that Anthony Davis is out and LeBron James is questionable. The Lakers just played the night before and Philadelphia has an average +5.2 first half scoring margin. Instead of taking the -3.5 at -120 odds, you head to the alternate spread market and lock in Philadelphia at -6.5 at +145 odds. Your $100 bet pays out $145 now.  When used wisely, betting alternative point spreads can be part of a successful betting strategy.

Bettors should avoid these sports betting traps. Key Points – Too many bettors fall for the same sports betting traps. – Sports betting isn’t always about picking the better team or player. Sports Betting Traps to Avoid Whether you’re an experienced or inexperienced bettor, there are a number of sports betting traps that you can fall into. Sportsbooks, of course, are in the business of making money and will devise any number of strategies to take bettors’ money.  Smart bettors, or at least those who aspire to be smart, need to be able to identify those traps and then learn to avoid them. Avoiding the habits of a losing sports bettor can help you win more bets.  Here are some of the more common pitfalls that bettors will encounter. Exotic Bets Like Parlays Sportsbooks love exotic wagers with big potential payouts. These bets include parlays, teasers, and other exotic bet types. Betting sites promote these heavily and there’s a good reason why. They make money. Betting sites like FanDuel now offer the “Same Game Parlay,”  for most every game on their betting board. Bettors can put together their own or choose from pre-selected parlay bets all from the same game. Sportsbooks love these bets because they produce a huge amount of revenue. Bettors love placing these bets because they see dollar signs. The problem for bettors is that sportsbooks have a significant advantage in the odds on these parlay bets. In the long run, the books can\'t lose because the potential payouts for the majority of exotic bets are less - and frequently much less - than the risk associated with the bets. In fact, they are almost certain to make a killing on these wagers in the long run.  Smart bettors are very cautious about these bets and only place them in the extremely rare situations where they make sense. They detest placing bets in which they don\'t have a strong advantage or an expectation of making a profit over the long term. Think of exotic bets like a diet. A big, greasy double cheeseburger coupled with an extra-large service of delicious french fries is not a very heart-healthy diet choice. However, having one every six weeks or so isn’t going to wreck your diet. It’s the same with parlays. Investing in one every so often, especially when you see the value, isn’t going to hurt. ICYMI: WHY BIG LINE MOVES ARE A BIG DEAL Taking the First Number You See Too many amateur bettors focus on picking game winners or the team that will cover the spread. That is important, but it’s also vital that bettors get the best possible number.  Maybe you like the Ravens -3.5 against the Steelers. You think Baltimore will win and cover, so you place the bet. The smart bettor likes the Ravens too, but he takes the time to find the same bet but at -2.5 at another sportsbook. Baltimore wins 20-17. You lose and the smarter bettor wins. Don’t fall into the trap of just taking a number on a bet. Always, always, always search for the best line or the best odds. Even a few points of juice can make a big impact over the course of a season. Sports Betting Hype Machine The media continually hypes certain teams and players and most casual bettors buy into it. The top pick in the NBA draft is going to change the trajectory for this team. An NFL trade is going to make this team “unbeatable” or so they say. The smart bettor doesn’t fall for the trap. Remember, sportsbooks are in the business of making money and oddsmakers aren’t dumb. If oddsmakers anticipate excessive public enthusiasm over a certain team, they are going to shade the numbers to make more money in the process. MLB is a great example. Public bettors love the Yankees. Sportsbooks know this. Let’s say the Yankees are taking on the Tigers at home. New York opens as a -185 favorite. Knowing that the betting public will wager on the Yankees no matter what the odds are, oddsmakers inflate the line to -215. The money still keeps rolling in on the favored Yankees. Oftentimes, smart bettors will embrace betting against the public. Now, this doesn’t mean that you should never bet on a public favorite. Sometimes, the hype is justified. Keep in mind that the line might not be a true reflection of a team’s probability of winning. Sports Betting Traps to Avoid Accepting Opinions Without Any Thought With the popularity of sports betting today, there is a limitless supply of betting analysis online, on TV, the radio, and in print. This is good in a sense because now bettors have access to a wealth of information.  Knowledge is a good thing, so there is absolutely nothing wrong with reading, listening, and watching as much as you want to about sports betting. However, when people blindly believe what they are told, trouble arises.  Many of the things you read and hear are quite good, but many of them aren\'t very accurate. A wise bettor will wait to take any action until they have personally verified the information he has received. Sports Betting on High Profile Games Only Bettors love to bet on all the big games on the schedule. It’s much more exciting to bet on the Yankees and Dodgers in MLB or the Celtics and Lakers in the NBA. These high-profile games always attract casual bettors. Of course, sportsbooks know this and do their best to hype those games. Smart bettors make strong betting choices and are aware that there is a greater chance of finding strong value in a game where there is less interest. While the Celtics and Lakers battle, the Spurs-Pacers game may offer bettors more value.  The wise bettor will bet on the games and events that he can win. He doesn’t bet on games just because it’s the most anticipated game of the week. Sports Betting - The Better Team The amateur sports bettor believes the goal of handicapping is to determine which team is better. That’s not it all. The goal is to determine how each team’s chances compare to the odds that are being offered and where the value lies as a result. The idea is to choose the team that will increase a bettor’s chances of winning money. That doesn’t mean always choosing the team that is better. Being good at sports betting means a bettor has to look beyond moneyline or point spread. It means not following the hype or taking unnecessary risks. 

This is why big line moves are a big deal. Key Points – The ability to anticipate big line moves will make you a better bettor. – Bettors should understand what causes big line moves. Why Big Line Moves Are a Big Deal When you first begin betting on sports, you might not truly get everything about point spreads. You might even believe that the spread for a football game is predetermined, set at the start of the week, and never changes.  The media often references the point spread and does so as if it remains static leading up to a game. Point spreads are, of course, far from being fixed. They respond to betting in the market and adjust to reflect that betting.  Sometimes the adjustments are minor. Other times, bettors can observe lines moving by a number of points and sometimes very quickly. It’s these large movements that are the focus of this article.  Why do big line moves occur? Why do sports bettors find them intriguing and how should bettors approach them? Read on to find out. READ OUR LAST POST: WHY PAY FOR HANDICAPPERS’ PICKS Causes of Big Line Moves - Mistakes Before a point spread is even released, professional bettors - aka, sharps - have already decided what the line on a game should be. The philosophy of sharp bettors is a little different than the typical bettor. If the line is significantly different from what they believe it should be, those bettors will make aggressive moves as soon as the line is out.  For example, sharps view the Miami Dolphins as a -6 favorite over the New York Jets. When the line for the game is released, sportsbooks are posting Miami as a 4.5-point favorite. Sharps will pound this number heavily. The early betting frenzy will cause big line moves and, in this case, pretty quickly. With all of that money coming in on the Dolphins, sportsbooks will move to correct the error and adjust the line accordingly. The Dolphins may end up a 6-point favorite just as sharps had predicted.  In NFL betting, big line moves like this usually occur before most people wake up on Monday morning. As soon as the market releases point spreads for all the NFL games, sharps are active. Most casual bettors are not.  Consistent Money on One Side of a Bet The ultimate goal of a sportsbook is to bring in a balanced amount of betting action on both teams. Sportsbooks are then guaranteed to make money no matter what happens in the game. One side of the bet wins and collects the money that the other side lost. The sportsbook keeps all the juice on the losing bets. This is why sportsbooks are still in business. Now, sometimes sportsbooks are willing to maintain unbalanced action on a game. This occurs when a sportsbook is willing to gamble on the possibility of greater financial gain. However, books generally want the action on both sides of a bet to be as close as possible.  When there is too much action on one side of a bet, sportsbooks adjust the point spread. Oftentimes, this is the result of sharp money action. Adjusting the spread, makes the other side of the wager more attractive and entices bettors. The degree of the line move is a factor of the imbalance in the action. The greater the imbalance, the higher the potential for big line moves.  Why Big Line Moves Are a Big Deal Injuries & Personnel Changes An injury to a key player, or players, can cause a line to shift significantly. The more valuable the player, the bigger the line moves. Consider an injury to an NFL starting quarterback. Quarterback is easily the most important position in football. An NFL team’s performance usually revolves around the skills of its quarterback. Imagine your starting quarterback suffering an injury in practice on a Wednesday. Imagine that quarterback is Peyton Manning. It doesn’t matter who the backup is. The line is going to shift dramatically in favor of Manning’s opponent. It’s the same in the NBA. When a starter or two is out, lines move accordingly. When the player out is someone like Ja Morant or Luka Doncic, the line shifts even more. Big line moves can be caused by injuries, and they can also be caused by other personnel changes. Maybe a player gets suspended or a coach just decides to rest a player (which is common in the NBA). A player could be traded as well. All of these personnel changes force big line moves. Check the Weather for Big Line Moves Weather affects how lines are set. If the weather forecast changes significantly after the lines have been set, the line may need to be adjusted.  For instance, a team that relies heavily on passing might not be as appealing as they would have been if gusting winds are in the forecast. The New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills played a game in December in the 2021 season where the wind was a factor. The wind was so much of a factor in that game that it dropped the game total from its initial 46 to below 40 at many sportsbooks by game time. In particularly severe situations like this, sportsbooks may move the lines significantly on their own before being forced to do so by betting activity. Reverse Line Movement What makes big line moves interesting is when they don’t make sense. Many times, public betting action will shift a line. Let’s use the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an example. The Bucs have a tremendous public following. The public loves QB Tom Brady and backs Tampa Bay often just for that reason alone. If the Bucs are a 3-point favorite, let’s say public betting moves the line to Tampa Bay -6. That’s a big move. Knowing a little about line movement, we might expect sportsbooks to counter and adjust the line back towards -3. Suddenly, the line shifts to Tampa Bay -8.5. How does that happen?  Reverse line movement happens occasionally, and big line moves like that are typically the result of sharp bettors making huge bets. The sharps have some kind of information that is telling them to wager heavily on the Bucs. If you develop the ability to spot reverse line movement, you can get on the side of the sharps. That is usually a good thing. Anticipate Line Movement Sometimes, big line moves come as a surprise. As an experienced bettor, this is one of those betting mistakes to avoid.  If you can anticipate a significant line change, you can find value in a wager. From the example above, you wouldn’t be surprised when the line shifted from -3 to -6 on Tampa Bay.  What was surprising was the further shift to -8.5. You didn’t expect that and you may have missed the boat on a solid wager. Anticipating line movement will help you place your bet as soon as you can take advantage of the line and the odds. Smart bettors become very good at predicting line movement and acting accordingly.