NFL Betting Strategy: How Bettors Should Prepare for the Upcoming Football Season
By: Mike Quinn @misterquinnbets
The excitement of the Super Bowl is over, the frenzy of free agency has come to a close and the uncertainty of the draft is done. Now the teams, and bettors, begin to focus their sights on a new season filled with optimism and opportunity. Just as the players prep for a new season with enhanced training, so do bettors. The winning tickets cashed in October and November have their origins in the summertime. An unprepared bettor is a losing one. So, what to do in between all the sand, surf and BBQs?
The first thing is to reada lot. Gain as much information as possible about every team. There are a lot of transactions during the offseason between front office, coaches and players. Have an understanding of who went where and why. For the front office, ask yourself, “Does this person bring the right attitude and culture to the team compared to what was already existing?” For the coaches, both Head Coaches and coordinators, do they provide the right scheme that would be a proper fit for their team’s current makeup? Is there history, good or bad, with some of the key players and the new staff members? For the players, how do they fit into their new team’s plans? What physical, mental and emotional skill sets does this player bring to a new team and how does it fit into what is already there? Understanding the biorhythm of a club before and during the season is essential.
That will help you gain insight into what the team is “made of” and how they will react week in and week out during the season’s inevitable challenges. The football season offers lots of ups and downs. Situations will be presented throughout the year that could be very profitable for those that understand the makeup of a team and how they enter each contest.
After you compile your notes on the teams themselves, it is now time to turn inward and take a hard look at your approach to handicapping. How do you go about developing a thesis on each wager? What is your thought process? You should be tracking all your wagers from prior seasons to allow yourself easy access to go back and review and examine what you did. Adding notes to those wagers helps greatly when really trying to adjust how you approach sports investing. Learning from past mistakes and understanding what works can only assist in improving and fine tuning your craft. Additionally, continuing to develop your understanding of the marketplace and how to read opening numbers and why numbers move the way they do is critical to long term success. Remember, you are betting numbers and not teams. The number may or may not offer value depending on your approach and the amount of edge in that value will determine the size of your wager. Also, you should also always be developing lines of communication with those higher up the food chain in order to gain access to information. Find trusted sources and get what you can from them. Information + Preparation = $$$$. Solid information is a key element in developing a thesis on a wager and ultimately, cashing that wager. This is also a good time to think about your bankroll and what a normal wager size is going to be for the upcoming season. Be prepared for the inevitable bad runs. Remind yourself not to chase losses and attempt to bailout. On the flip side, remember not to push too hard when on a hot run. Stay emotionless and realize that one wager does not make or break a season; in fact 10 or 20 wagers shouldn’t make or break your season as long as you are disciplined and exhibiting proper money management. Put a plan into place and execute.
The summer is time for more than just fun in the sun. It is time to really hone your educated instinct and prep for the coming season so you can enjoy plenty of winning tickets come the Fall and Winter.
Lastly, make sure that you’re getting the best price. Back in the old days, a bettor was required to lay -110 odds on all sides and totals. This is no longer the case! You can bet at discounted odds (-105)! While only a few books offer this great value, it’s imperative to take advantage of as it reduces your breakeven point from 52.38% to 51.19%! Find this tremendous offer at the web’s best betting site: 5Dimes. If you don’t play individual sides/totals and are exclusively a parlay player, you can bet parlays at reduced odds at 5Dimes’ sister book, Sportbet.
Good luck and keep cashing!
