The adrenaline of the game, the attraction of winning, even the prospect of getting rich are the main motivations of all bettors. But what are the best sports betting strategies to ensure that the wins come more often than losses? In this article, we have listed 15 of those.

Best Sports Betting Strategies

1. Bet on a Limited Number of Events

You have probably seen, while passing by a bookmaker, players with piles of tickets of bets or long tickets containing dozens of bets. A few of them might win, but from a purely mathematical point of view, the probability of winning decreases as the number of events increases.

We recommend not to exceed a maximum of 3 games per bet and that in itself is a crowd. The less games you accumulate, the better your chances of winning. In short: do not dream of winning tickets of ₦1,000,000 with 20 good predictions of exact scores (which are usually shared by the bookies themselves). This is the number one sport betting strategy that should guide you.

2. Choose Average Odds

The idea is to be reasonable and not to place impossible bets with very low chances of success. And this is where average odds, those less than 2 come in.

Along with the first idea of betting a maximum of 3 matches per bet, we therefore recommend betting on 3 events each having odds less than 2. These two sports betting strategies are the bedrock on which success stands.

3. Avoid High Stakes

This advice is about how much you want to invest on a given bet. Some recommend high stakes, but we are more in favour of caution, because a big loss means a strained budget, and therefore less bets in the future. In short, do not make a bet that you cannot handle losing, is one of the most important strategy in sports betting.

4. Be Patient

Of course, you want to win every day, but one of the first virtues of the winning bettor is patience. Also, don’t bet every day. It is better to wait for a day when the betting offer is large on a sport that you know well, otherwise, your chances of winning are reduced. Patience might seem hackneyed, but it is one of the best sports betting strategy you can employ.

5. Gather Information

Winning your bets doesn’t just require luck, inspiration or intuition, which is the case with the lottery and all games of chance. Much depends on your ability to learn about sporting events.

Before choosing a match or event, our recommendation is to check the odds, then the results of previous matches, the evolution of the rankings and the upcoming schedule of the teams.

Pay particular attention to the following: starting line-up, injured, suspended, etc. This will help you make the right decision.

6. Be Optimistic

While luck shouldn’t be a factor in your strategy, it can not be denied. So, it is important to keep an optimistic attitude. Loses happens and will happen again. Try to figure out why, rather than letting a bad attitude ruin your future bets.

7. Follow the Evolution of the Odds 

You may not have noticed, but there are times when the odds fluctuate a lot as a game approaches. These changes are linked to the number of people betting on a particular game, the amounts invested in one of the results or the latest news (injury or unavailability of a very important player).

Depending on the evolution of the odds, you can make the right choice: falling odds usually means a higher chance of an event to occur, unlike rising odds, where the bookmaker predicts a risk higher than the odds. This is one of the most overlooked strategy in sports betting

8. Remember that the winnings depend on the bets

When you bet a large amount, the payout will be higher. You can’t expect a small bet to pay off big, with exceptions. If you increase the stakes and reduce the number of events in your combination bet, you can increase your chances of winning considerably.

9. Avoid betting with offline bookmakers

Why prefer online betting to offline betting in stores? There are quite a few reasons:

• Convenience: No need to travel during opening hours, the sites are available 24 hours a day

• The winnings are paid into your account and you can transfer them to your bank account

• Live betting is possible

• Livestreaming of matches is available

• The sites offer bonuses and free bets

• The odds are often more interesting

• Cashout options.

Here are the best online bookmakers in Nigeria, currently.

10. Don’t Keep Large Winnings in Your Bet Account

Never let your assets sleep in your account. Transfer your winnings as you win

11. Manage Your Emotions

If all of the above sports betting strategies are followed , winning a bet is more likely than losing. However, for a novice bettor, sentiments tend to take over and a winnable bet becomes risky when emotions are not checked.

It is very dangerous if you win a bet under the effect of a rise in hormones. In this case, you may want to act as your intuition dictates. However, it is also very likely that you will bet a lot on a move which you’re not sure of, without calculation of odds. In the long run, this strategy will fail you and you risk losing a lot. Managing your emotions is very pivotal to long-term winnings.

12. Learn Bankroll Management

Bet little by little on several games, rather than all at once on a ‘sure bet’.

There is a popular misconception that betting little does not hit the jackpot. However, just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, investments on sports will take a while, but is still guaranteed to reap dividends.

13. Find Reliable bookmakers

Online betting is full of more or less secure bookmakers. You should know that an online betting site only obtains considerable popularity if it can satisfy its customers by making them win. To know their value on the betting market, research is necessary.

You have to find the most user-friendly bookmaker out there to enjoy a hassle free punting session. We have done this job for you by compiling the best bookmakers worth your money.

14. Seek Prediction Sites

With many existing betting sites, several predictions are also available that you can capitalise on. However, in order to make a good bet, you have to compare their historical records. This will help you distinguish reliable sites from scams.

Here are the best prediction sites in the world today.

15. Keep a Logbook

Before betting and when placing your bets, noting the important statistics is a guaranteed sports betting strategy to longterm winning. It is therefore necessary to have a logbook to note which markets you won and lost on.

This guide on the best sports betting strategies gives you no guarantee of beating the bookmakers, but rather increases your chances of winning and keeps you in control of your games.