Sports Betting Misconceptions That Can Hurt Your Strategy

Betting on sports games can be a fun and profitable activity when approached responsibly. However, there are a number of misconceptions that can hurt your betting strategy.

For example, many people think that if they place a EV bet, they will always win. This is a dangerous myth, as sports betting relies on random variance.

There are a lot of fixed games

If you’re betting on sports, it’s important to know the facts. Some sporting outcomes stand a much better chance of winning than others, and these differences are reflected in the odds available for each event. The odds are shaped by public opinion and the knowledge of professional punters. However, many sports betting misconceptions can lead to poor decision-making, as it’s near impossible to make a profit on every bet you place.

While match-fixing does occur, it is not a widespread problem in the major leagues. Most experts think it’s unlikely that enough players would coordinate to throw a game, given the risks to their careers and salaries.

It’s also worth noting that some bookmakers may shade their odds to encourage specific bets. While this doesn’t necessarily imply that games are fixed, it can have an impact on the amount of money that “sharp” bettors place. This isn’t a valid reason to avoid betting on sports, however. There are other ways to make money from home.

There are a lot of due factor bets

This is a common myth that arises from the way sports betting is often depicted in the media. It is easy to see how this myth can be perpetuated, as betting winners are often portrayed as lucky individuals who beat the odds on long shots. But the truth is that sports betting is not a game of chance. The odds for each sporting event are shaped by public opinion, and they reflect the likelihood of certain outcomes occurring. In addition, there is always variance, and even EV bets can lose in the short run. This is why it is important to have a solid strategy.

There are a lot of injuries

Injuries are a common part of sports betting, but they don’t always have the same impact. Often, the key to a team’s injury situation is how important the injured player is to the overall performance of the team. Injuries to star players, quarterbacks, and pitchers can have a huge impact on the line. But, if a team has good depth and quality, injuries may not have as much of an effect as you think.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the public tends to overreact to injury news, especially when it involves a high-profile or star player. The lines will spike as the public rushes to bet against the injured team. This can crush value bets and lead to more losses. This is especially true in basketball, where the impact of a star player is usually greater than in other sports.

There are a lot of long shots

There is a lot of hype out there surrounding long shots in sports betting. This may be because of how they are often portrayed in the media as lucky individuals who hit big on a bet. The truth is that it takes a significant amount of research and understanding to make EV bets. In addition, it is important to understand the difference between long shots and underdogs.

In sports betting, longshots are teams or individual players with higher odds than they should have. This is due to a variety of cognitive biases, such as the availability heuristic, in which people overestimate the likelihood of events that are easily recalled from memory. In addition, there is also the confirmation bias, in which people seek out information that supports their existing beliefs. This can lead to a misplaced confidence in the chances of a long shot paying off, which can encourage riskier bets. In addition, the odds of a team can change due to injuries or other factors that affect their performance.