Betting is an exciting pastime and one that many people enjoy. But if you want to become a profitable bettor, it’s important to keep your emotions in check and bet only what you can afford to lose.

Record Your Bets

It is a good idea to keep a clear record of all your bets in a spreadsheet. This will allow you to see how successful your betting strategy is and identify any areas where improvements can be made.

Develop Your Intuitive Sense for Value

A key part of sports betting is spotting value bets. A value bet is a bet that has a positive expected value (EV). This means that you can expect to win more money than you lose over time.

EV is calculated by calculating the probability of each outcome and multiplying that by the odds offered on the market. This is the basis of all value bets.

Use the Moneyline

When betting on a football match, oddsmakers set a line for each team. These lines include a point spread and the total number of points that the bookmaker believes will be scored. Using this information, bettors can place bets on the favorite or underdog.

Value bets on underdogs

Underdogs are always considered weaker teams with a low chance of winning a match, which is why they have lower odds than the favorites. But if you can spot value bets on underdogs, you’ll be able to make more money than if you placed bets on favorites.