Betting Predictions - Using Tips For Sports Betting Profits
Explore The Best Prediction Websites For Betting On Sports
Betting on sports sits firmly in the bracket of ways to win money using skill, though of course there is an element of luck involved. The trick is in making that lucky element as small as possible, and edging the odds in your favour as far as possible.
It's one of those ways to win money that give a knowledgeable punter the chance to make reasonable profits over a period of time. Profits that can build up into a sizeable bankroll by using clever and careful betting principles.
So if you want to make money from sports betting, where do you start?
Focus is a word to take note of here a laser like focus on a specific sport is the most likely way you'll position yourself for success. That means knowing the sport, its competitors, how they play under different conditions, and whether they are in form at any given point in time.
But focus alone probably won't cut it. Most of us don't have the time, and it's time-consuming to keep abreast of everything that's happening in any sport. Fortunately there are ways to get help, and one of those ways is by subscribing to betting predictions sites.
What Are Betting Predictions Sites?
Also known as tips sites, websites offering betting predictions fall into a number of categories. The first being they'll normally focus on one specific sport, which of course is exactly what we're looking for.
So the obvious sports here are football, tennis, and horse racing. They're the three that you'll most commonly find offering betting advice online. They're not alone of course, and if you know where to look you'll find similar predictions sites around such sports as NFL, basketball, rugby, golf, and virtually any other you can think of.
They'll either be presented as blog-like articles reviewing a match or race and attempting to pinpoint a best bet in that contest, or as algorithm driven sites where a number of factors are analyzed based on previous results, which all come together to highlight the most likely result.
Those blog type prediction sites include many big sports news providers alongside a vast number of smaller sports focused websites or social media pages.
Higher on this page you'll find links to dedicated pages on tennis prediction sites and football predictions sites, but if your interest lies outside of those two popular sports there are a few links to useful predictions sites for other sports listed below:
• NFL Predictions
• Basketball
• Golf
• Rugby
• Baseball
One other type of prediction site I should mention are those that list a number of different tipsters. These can be useful, but always remember anyone can hit a losing streak. If you're going to follow tipsters then perhaps the best chances of success will come from those who specialise in asian handicaps - there are sure to be some good bets by looking at asian handicaps in the Russia World Cup for example.
What Should I Focus On?
There's a simple answer to this if you have a deep interest in any particular sport, and that's to focus on that sport. Using your own skill and knowledge is the best way to get ahead.
But we've seen that even for those of us with that deeply focused interest, it's still not easy to keep up to date. Without a very good memory and lots of study it's possible that you'll not have the in depth knowledge that's needed.
So the real answer to this question is the one that'll come from asking 'what's the best type of sports betting prediction service to use?'
In general with sports betting your best chances of success are in one on one contests, that is those that only have two potential outcomes.
Tennis betting is a perfect example with matches always just between two players (or teams in doubles), where there's no chance of a drawn match.
Normal football betting does of course have three potential outcomes for the final result of a match, but this can be narrowed down to two by betting asian handicaps (where the handicap eliminates the possibility of a draw).
Can I Trust Sports Betting Prediction Sites?
This very much depends on what type of site you're using. There are many sites which will publish prediction articles that are designed to attract visitors in order to send them to advertised bookies. The site owners will get a cut or commission from every losing punter they send.
So you see there are some risks. In theory the tipsters making the predictions may have a vested interest in seeing you lose over time.That's definitely not always bad though (I mean using these type sites, not actually losing your bets!), because the bottom line is that if they don't make some winning recommendations then they won't get visitors that keep coming back.
This article from the BBC examines this possibility, though note that it doesn't effectively put both sides of the story.
In my experience most online tipsters want to make winning recommendations. It's a source of pride.
If you find one that shows consistently good results (even if their site is plastered with ads) then it'll be worth considering giving them a chance.
And we've hit on the key word to remember - results.
Any prediction site you intend using should show past results. You should be able to see at least the last 6 months worth of selections and whether they were right or wrong. No one is going to be right all the time, but you're looking for a strong percentage of correct tips at odds high enough to end up with a profit over time.
Certainly any algorithm driven service will show these past results, and the odds are that a good algorithm driven site will outperform an individual tipster in the long run. Plus these types of prediction services run on a subscription basis, hence if they don't maintain their results levels they'll fairly quickly disappear.
How Can I Improve My Chances Further?
Let's assume you've found a good prediction service, and it's returning consistent positive results. Are there ways to improve your returns still further?
The answer is yes, but caution is advised.
One way you can try is to investigate arbitrage/no lose bets, taking the prediction and using it to work out if there are any opportunities for covering your bet to avoid any loss.
You'll also want to be making sure you get the best possible odds for your selection. Odds comparison sites like Oddschecker fit the bill perfectly.
Another option will be to trial any prediction service first. I don't necessarily mean to trial the service itself - many subscription-based predictions websites will offer free trial periods - but to trial the selections with a virtual betting bank.
One way to do this would be to sign up with a free to play social betting site that offers some sports betting options. The highly rated Celebrity World social casino site does this with NFL and baseball games.
Pros & Cons - Benefits & Drawbacks
All in all - if you can find a consistently strong prediction service - you can use some sort of staking plan to good effect, and have a good percentage chance of ending up in profit. They cut out the need for spending excessive amounts of your own time hunting for selections.
The main drawback is in finding the services that do offer consistent results, and you'll need to accept that even then losing runs do happen. If the service is strong enough you'll need to keep your nerve and ride it out by using the right staking.
Fortunately the prediction sites I've listed both here and on the football predictions and tennis predictions pages have been carefully reviewed. It'll be worth trying them out, but remember to take it cautiously and always bear in mind that you might lose. Read the responsible gaming page before getting involved in any form of betting.