With the 2008 season getting rapidly approaching, a lot of folks are going to be looking for ways to get their baseball betting in. But, the question is, how are you supposed to get around without having to go ripping through your wallet?
If you want to get around the fact that you’re not sure what to do, and you have no plan to get into action, here is a basic list of some things to check before you start spending any money on baseball.
The first basic tip, of course, would be to never bet on more than two teams at a time. At least, that’s one way to go about it. However, most people don’t realize that if they bet on more than two teams, they would have to win more than half of their bets to be able to break even. The higher the number, the more you are going to need to win. So, unless you’re betting on the Yankees, the Red Sox, or some other unsuspecting team, stay away from the hordes of money that Americans go to Vegas to throw down.
The second thing to do is understand that, no matter how much research you do, sports books will always have the edge. This means that you will always need to be betting the over/under of the game. Yes, that over/under can seem like a hard bet, but the books don’t make it that way. They make it so that you need to bet more than you can win, which is why you need to bet on the game in the first place. If you bet on the game simply because it was on TV, you may find that you can win the bet and see some of the money, but not for very long.
The third tip to consider is to make sure the game you are betting on is a home team in a game that is going into producers with a slight head start. Be sure to watch the head to head records of these teams, especially the ones that are hot. You want to be aware of who is the hot team and keep an eye on their overall performance. If you see a pattern, you can capitalize on it.
The fourth thing to watch out for is a team that has a very strong defense, and one that has been very inconsistent. Also, be sure to look for teams that are a veteran team that is playing with a lot of intensity, especially if the playoffs are close and these are the teams you are wagering on. When a team has been in the playoffs for several years, you can bet that they will have a Keith Thurston-like defense. You don’t want to take that notion too seriously, as he is a situational USC fan that may have played for a different team, but not in the same stadium as the one he is talking about now. Overall, though, a strong defense indicates a team that is capable of making up for the offense and being extremely tough to move at the arreast end of the basketball season.
The last thing to look for is the injury report. If the star player is not going to play, this can hurt a team’s overall performance if some other member of the team is going to step in. The star is not going to be as important to the outcome of the afapoker as anyone else that is going to play. If the star player is going to miss the game, but everyone else stays healthy, this might be a good opportunity to check out a game. Look at the lines and bet accordingly.
