How to Win (most of) Your Football Bets

submitted: Sep 9th 2008 | by: MarkCannon | Total views: 1 | Word Count: 381 | PDF View | Print Article

I'll bet that you don't know anybody that makes a living as a gambler. But, you probably do know at least one person who loses money...hopefully not too much...year after year after year.

But, there are some casual bettors who do make money, season after season, betting on football. And, these folks are not necessarily a lot brighter than their peers who lose money week after week and season after season.

The people able to make money wagering on football may have little else in common, but all believe it is essential to establish an unviolable set of rules. Below are the rules employed be a very successful recreational bettor, a man who has come away ahead during eight of the last ten seasons.

1. Begin each season with a budget. Decide the maximum you will bet on an individual game and the maximum number of games you will bet on each week. If you can't stick to your budget, you shouldn't be gambling. At best, it means you are not a good gambler; at worst it may mean you have a gambling problem.

2. Bet rationally and intelligently. Consider all of your options (every game being played), weigh them carefully, and select those about which you can be most certain about predicting outcomes.

3. Bettors who choose lots of games are less likely to win than those who limit themselves to a few strong choices.

4. Understand the difference between potentially valuable data and "gee whiz" information. Is it important which team has a ten year edge in wins? Do scores against common opponents mean a lot? Everyone can assemble statistics and historical data...the trick is to decide what is important.

5. As you review your results periodically, you may want to change the factors you use to evaluate teams and/or the weight you give them. But, do not increase the limits set in step #1 because you feel "hot" or because you want to make up for prior losses. Either way, it's a bad play.

There you have it. Not a foolproof formula, not a get rich formula, but a great formula for the casual wagerer to come out ahead at the end of the season.

About the Author

Mark Canon is a small stakes bettor who contributes to websites on scholarships, financial aid, online college and online degree programs, online schools, and adult education.


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