There are many sports betting strategies you can use to try to improve your chances of winning. All of them differ in terms of effectiveness and the time you’ll have to commit to make them work.
This article goes over 10 of the best and most profitable sports betting strategies that actually work, as well as a list of betting approaches you should always avoid.
Table of ContentsEffectiveness: High
Time requirement : Low
Being effective at sports betting means looking at a lot of data. While you can have a manual approach, this is sometimes just too time-consuming to pay off.
That’s why you should consider taking advantage of sports betting software that uses a lot of data to help you build models, follow profitable trends, or
For example, w e also have a Positive EV Bet Search Tool and Arbitrage Bets Finder at Odds Assist. We automatically compare odds data from various sportsbooks to find mispriced lines that result in a profit over time.
For example, if most books have Joel Embiid to score over 28.5 points at -135 but one has the odds at -110, you can assume that there is positive expected value (EV) from betting this. Over time, if you make only positive EV bets, you will make money.
When odds difference are high enough, you can bet both sides of a bet on different sportsbooks to guarantee yourself profit—aka arbitrage betting. Using the same example above, if one sportsbook has Embiid over 28.5 points at -110 odds and another has Embiid under 28.5 points at +115, you could take both bets and win no matter what.
How to do it :
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Time requirement: Medium
Betting on sports online gives you a chance to sign up for many sportsbooks and easily compare their offers. This is especially useful when looking for the best lines and odds.
Lines will often slightly vary from sportsbook to sportsbook. While they may be mostly similar or downright identical, you might be able to notice small discrepancies that can give you an advantage.
For example, by shopping lines, you may be able to find an NFL team at -3 instead of -3.5 or +3.5 instead of +3—a big difference when considering that 3 points is the most common margin of victory in the NFL.
Alternatively, perhaps you compare moneyline odds at sportsbooks to find positive expected value (+EV) bets and value bets. These types of bets have big odds differences from the consensus, meaning you have a positive expected return on investment.
For example, if everyone has the New England Patriots moneyline odds at +120, but you find one sportsbook at +140, that may have positive expected value.
Odds often vary from betting site to betting site, as well. Certain markets may have more favorable odds on one site than another, even if the lines are the same.
For example, BetRivers and BetMGM may both have the Chiefs at -7 points but one may have them at -105 while another may have them at -115. Taking the -105 odds gives you a better payout.
Here at Odds Assist, we make it easy to shop around with our free Sports Betting Odds & Lines Comparison Tool. You can filter by league, sportsbooks, and more to find the best deal for the market you're interested in.
How to do it:
Effectiveness: High
Time requirement : High
Middling is similar to arbitrage betting in the sense that you’ll be wagering on two opposite sides of the bet—only this time, you’ll be taking advantage of line movement. Therefore, this strategy can generally only be applied to spreads or totals.
The goal is to bet on one side of the bet early, wait for the line to shift in another direction, and then bet on the opposite side. If the final score falls in the “middle,” you’ll win both bets.
For example, if you take the Eagles -3 against the Giants when the lines open and it moves to Eagles -6, you could take the Giants +6 and hope the game ends up with the Eagles winning by 3 to 6 points.
The downside is that middling opportunities are few and far between, so this is a very time-consuming strategy. Still, when done right, it results in big-time profit. Also, there is a chance of losing money if only one of the two bets hits.
How to do it: