Betting for beginners

If you have been following NFL football this year, you know that it is has been an exciting and very unpredictable year.  Many people were closely following the Denver Broncos from the start, being as this is almost certainly going to be quarterback Peyton Manning’s final year playing professional football.  But no one could have predicted the team’s numerous unlikely victories this season, particularly in the recent playoff game against the New England Patriots. 

We’re almost at the end of another season of NFL football.  If you have been following along through the season, you may already have a number of predictions for this year’s teams and players.  Whether that is true or you are only just now starting to handicap NFL football, it is smart to remind yourself that making solid predictions early on in the season is very difficult.  Why?

When a football tournament moves into the elimination phase, you encounter a unique challenge as a punter, because many players’ attitudes have likely changed.  Players who may not have taken round robin games seriously may now be very serious about their upcoming games.  And that means that their performance will adjust accordingly—as should your bets. 

One of the challenges of betting online on football has to do with the attitudes that teams take toward different games.  There are a lot of games that teams take only somewhat seriously or not at all.  That attitude reverses entirely when it comes time to play an elimination game. 

Handicapping is all about making accurate, reliable sports predictions.  But part of the thrill of sports like football is that we cannot always predict what is going to happen.  Sometimes, in fact, the exact opposite of what we expect is what unfolds on the field.  A clear favourite is matched against a total underdog that nobody thinks has a snowball’s chance in hell at winning … and the underdog emerges victorious.  It’s what we call a shocking upset, and if you had your money on the favourite, it can shock you too.

If you are already a rugby fan, you probably figure that this article begs the question.  But if you are not, you may not know a whole lot about this sport or why you should think about betting on it. 

There are numerous factors which impact the outcomes of football matches, but one which is often overlooked is the location of a tournament game.  Where a game like the European Championship or World Cup is held can give an edge to one team and take it away from another.  Sometimes it may strengthen a team which is already strong, or it may actually lend an edge to the underdog.  When you are handicapping a game, you need to think how the tournament location is going to come into play.

Here are a few considerations:

One of the most unpredictable events in football which can turn the tide for an entire season is when a player gets injured.  Some players are injury-prone, but it can happen to anyone, and it is pretty much a given that every team is going to have to deal with injuries at some point or other during the course of the season.  How serious those injuries are and who they happen to are both factors that can magnify the effect of the injury. 

When a player is injured, ask yourself the following:

If you are not already familiar with a futures bet or outright bet, it is a type of wager you make far in advance of an event.  Often it means predicting the outcome of a season at the start of the season or before the season even begins.  For example, an NFL bet would entail guessing who will win the Super Bowl at the beginning of the season. An a UEFA Champions League bet would be on who will lift the precious trophy.

Whether you are thinking of placing a pre-season outright (also know as a futures bet) or you just want to get in on the action early, it can be difficult to place smart wagers early on in the season for any sport.  There are a number of challenges you face that tend to be elevated at the start.  Awareness of these challenges can help you to overcome them.