Do’s and Don’t Of Sports Betting In 2022

Sports betting has been increasingly popular in the last few years due to its legalization around the United States.

There is so much information about the sports betting industry online that it could be overwhelming. Below we break down the top Do’s and Don’ts of sports betting. Use these betting tips as your sports betting guide.

3 Do’s To Follow

#1) Shop For The Best Line or Odds

The average sports bettor only uses one sportsbook—big mistake. If possible, try to use at least three different sportsbooks so you have the opportunity to shop for the best lines.

From an everyday perspective, when you buy a TV or laptop, you check multiple stores to find the best price. Well, you need to do the same thing when betting on sports.

Many trusted and reliable online sportsbooks, so pick the best one that fits your needs and offers the best odds.

For example, if you are looking to bet on the Redsox and Yankees game and want to bet on the Redsox, one sportsbook has them listed as +115 underdog, but another sportsbook lists them as +120 underdog; that is a $5 difference in your favor. $5 doesn’t seem much upfront, but over 20 bets, that’s $100 of free money just because you found better lines or odds.

#2) Bankroll Management

Bankroll management might be the most crucial factor in becoming a successful sports bettor. Poor money management is the number one reason people go broke or end up in debt, whether in everyday life or when trying to win long-term sports betting.

You want to stay consistent with the amount of money you bet on each play. Ideally, you should bet 1% to 5% of your bankroll on each bet. Typically 3% is a good starting point. For example, if your starting bankroll is $1000, you should bet $30 on each bet. Using this system will help you ride out the ups and downs of sports betting and will help you sustain your bankroll through tough losing streaks. It takes discipline because many people like to chase their losses and double down on the next game to help recover their loss earlier in the day.

So, decide your preferred bet amount, stay disciplined with your system, and don’t chase your losses, and you will be off to a good start.

#3) Stick To What You Know

One mistake I see often is someone trying to master every single sport. Try to master one sport at a time. Begin with a sport you enjoy following or watching outside of sports betting. If you’re a big baseball guy, become successful in betting on the MLB before trying to master other leagues. Too often, people bets on every sport to have some action in the game.

For example, College football or basketball could be overwhelming since there are so many teams and potentially more than 20-30 games on a nightly basis. Try and become an expert in one or two conferences rather than study every D-1 team. It applies to other sports as well; if you have never followed/watched NHL, I will stay away from betting a hockey game until you get familiar with the sports and the types of bets. Don’t bet it just because the MLB or NFL are in the offseason. Stick to what you know.

3 Dont’s To Follow

#1) Don’t Bet Parlays

Parlays to sports bettors are like giant diamonds to jewel thieves. They are very appealing and will make you a lot of money, but the risk is very dangerous.

The average joe thinks sports betting is a get-rich-quick hobby. That is why parlays are so attractive because they allow you to place small wagers with massive payouts.

Parlays allow you to take two or more teams and combine them into one bet. If all bets win, the bettor wins a massive payout, but if any bets lose, that parlay loses automatically, and there is no payout.

If you are new to sports betting or just a beginner, stay away from the parlays.

Josh Appelbaum of VSiN explains it perfectly. “To put this in perspective, a bettor wants to risk $100 each on 3 NFL moneyline bets. All three teams are underdogs: the Cleveland Browns +150, the Houston Texans +100, and the Cincinnati Bengals + 200. If you bet $100 on all three teams individually and all three won, you would win $450 total, plus get the $100 back that you risked on each team. But if you bet $100 on a 3-team parlay and all three won, you would win a payout of $1500.”

The odds of you hitting a parlay consistently is very slim; that’s why I recommend staying away from them most of the time. View parlays as a scratch-off lottery ticket; throw a few bucks on them every once in a while, hoping you hit the jackpot

#2) Don’t Bet Every Single Game

Don’t feel like you have to place a bet on every game, every night. Just because there are 40 or more college football games on Saturdays or 16 NFL games on Sundays does not mean you need to bet on all of them. It goes hand in hand with bankroll management. Betting too many games will make your bankroll vanish very quickly. While looking at the slate of games, mark the ones you like, then take those games and narrow that list down even further to only 4-5 games.

To become a successful long-term sports bettor, you have to win roughly 53% of your bets, and even the most respected handicappers only win at a 60% rate. So you want to bet on the games you are most confident about, so limiting the number of plays is very important to build your bankroll in the long term.

#3) Don’t Buy Picks

Touts are one of the biggest negatives in the sports betting industry. Touts are handicappers or people who try to sell their picks. These “touts” on social media show off fancy cars and the party lifestyle to persuade you to buy their picks.

These people claim they hit 70%-80% of their bets which is almost impossible. Most of the most respected handicappers in the business hit between 58%-60% of their bets long term

Put it this way; If these guys were that good, then they wouldn’t need to be selling their picks. If he is hitting at the claimed 70%, why would he give out his secrets and allow people to bet on the same game, which would move the lines/odds and remove any edge he may have.

Don’t get me wrong, some respected handicappers and services may require a subscription for a small fee, but just be aware of scammers.

Many of the tips listed above are common sense. When it comes to sports betting, be smart and do your research. It can apply to everything we discussed above to any sport you bet on. While we like to think our tips can be helpful, nothing is guaranteed when gambling.

When it comes to sports betting, use this as a betting guide, and hopefully, we can help you become a profitable bettor.

Kurt Blakeway – Sporting Betting Analyst

Kurt is a Sports Betting Analyst for Safest Betting Sites. He enjoys all things MLB, NFL, CFB, and CBB. While he is a fan first, he is always trying to gain an edge on the books to make a little bit of money.