If you love watching or playing basketball, you may have noticed the upward shift in basketball betting. More people want to wager on the sport regardless of their expertise. And as a result, many reputable bookies, including Unibet, have thrown their hats in the ring. If you’re eager to start wagering on basketball and making money, we have some tips for you:
How to Increase Your Winning Chances with Basketball Wagers
Basketball wagers are like any other wagers. You take a chance on a team and hope your prediction is correct. But, of course, there’s more to it than meets the eye. Let’s expound on the tips that can help you win more wagers:
1. Find a Good Bookie
Placing wagers is like investing. You must think of the platform that will help you make the most money. And in this case, your focus should be on the odds. Odds are subjective, depending on what a bookie offers versus their vig. Some bookies offer competitive odds, which help you make a lot of money, while others do not.
When considering the odds, look into the following:
- The odds on the competitive leagues: Some leagues, like the NBA, attract high odds because they attract a lot of attention.
- The odds on the competitive betting markets: Betting types affect the odds, with the most competitive ones raking in the highest odds. Take the example of outrights – these feature better payouts compared to their simpler counterparts.
You don’t always need to wager on the competitive markets or leagues to make good money. Instead, you can focus on the disparities between odds on different platforms to determine which site has a better payout overall.
2. Understand the Bet Types
Before you place a bet, you should understand what it entails. That way, you can gauge its probability and decide if it’s a good wager. Ensure you explore the different options, including:
- Moneylines – these are easy as they predict the winning team,
- Race to points – these predict the team that will first reach a certain point target,
- Spread bets,
- Over/ under bets,
- Winner margins,
- Quarter bets, etc.
Once you understand what each wager entails, you can assess a game and determine which bet has the highest likelihood.
3. Research
Often, people rely on bookie odds to determine the probability of an event. For example, if bookie odds show that team A will likely win, most people bet on team A. But making such betting decisions often counts against you because the odds result from the bookie’s commission and public perception.
The best way to place a bet is to research the teams. Look into the following:
- Their past games,
- Any injuries,
- Changes in management,
- Who is home and who is away,
- Their motivation to win the game, e.g., is it a friendly game?
These factors help you assess a team, and you might realize that bookie odds are highly misleading. Unless your research aligns with bookie odds, do not use odds to decide which team deserves your wager.
4. Track Your Rationale
When you support a team, note down your reasons, how much you have invested in the wager, and the outcome. Over time, you will have a record that you can use to determine where you fall short. For example, you may realize you often wager on the favorite instead of the underdog based on odds. And if you change this and start wagering based on research, your outcomes could be better. Just like with investing, you will learn from your mistakes and increase your winning chances with time.
Also, do not forget to watch more basketball games. Doing so will give you better insight into teams and their strengths than reading about them online.
