Sports Handicapping 101: Don’t bet on Bad Teams

Don’t bet on bad teams! This may seem like an amazingly obvious statement in regards to making sports picks, but you’d be surprised how many people do it. Saying to not bet on bad teams doesn’t imply that you should never take underdogs in a match-up. I actually recommend taking underdogs because many favorites have inflated point spreads. This in-turn gives the people that have bet the underdog an advantage against the spread. What I mean is to not bet teams that have a knack for making mistakes and giving their opponents easy chances to score.

I have said in past articles that it is important to find value in a game by analyzing the spread, and taking the side that the line favors. This is true in most situations EXCEPT when the team that the line favors is a “bad team”. Bad teams are categorized as teams that have a tendency to give games away. Football teams that turn the ball over consistently giving the opponent good field position would be classified as bad teams. In basketball, teams that take bad shots and make too many turnovers would be considered bad teams. Staying away from these potentially bad teams will keep you ahead of the game, and up on your bookie. Patience is required, because many times the only game on may be involving one of these “bad teams”. I’m not implying that you take the favorite either, but more often than not the bad team will find a way to not cover the spread for you.

Making quality NCAAB, NCAAF, NBA and NFL predictions take many years of hard work dissecting the art of handicapping. Taking the time to study point spreads and match-ups will give you an advantage over the average gambler. Staying away from putting your hard earned money on teams that have a tendency to beat themselves, is also part of the equation to being successful on sports betting. Many handicappers have the same point of view, but will choose a bad team in a game to give his “action junky” clients something to bet on if it’s the only game on. This is something I don’t do as an expert handicapper. I believe in only giving my customers the best advantages against the spread that I can find. Hopefully the tips I am giving you will save you from making a mistake down the road. Good luck!

Related posts:

1. 3 Keys to Successful Sports Picks
2. Taking Dogs: Profitable Sports Picks
3. Streaks & Trends: The Good and the Bad
4. Handicapping the Final Four
5. Put the Odds in Your Favor

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