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Sports Betting Mistakes that Every Bettor Should Avoid!

Sports betting is a pleasant pastime for millions of people and a constantly growing industry. Bookmakers thrive and keep making money by cashing in on the proverbial house edge, but also the sports betting system mistakes committed by players.

While it is perfectly true that the house always wins and beating the odds is difficult in the long run, in many cases, punters are actually responsible for their poor results.

Being able to avoid the most common mistakes in sports betting can greatly improve the odds of winning and help you learn how to beat the bookies, as well as buying points sports betting, without decreasing the fun factor.  After all, winning is so much fun!

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Becoming a better punter

Veteran punters explain their success through experience and claim that time is the deciding factor in the recipe for success. While research, practice, and countless experiments with new and tested strategies definitely help, in the end, experience is the name we give to our mistakes. By the time we learn enough to be a successful punter, we have committed most of the sports betting mistakes, so the learning process is pretty expensive. The good news is that progress can be made much faster these days and one can become a successful punter without having to pay the price for committing the biggest sports blunders.

It’s not possible to become a top bettor in a day: everyone just starting out makes sports bet mistakes. The important thing is to learn from them and find out what you did wrong. Sports bettors are often hasty and think they can get rich with just one bet. However, betting on sports is a long process and making common sports betting mistakes is an invariable part of this process.

Below we will give examples of betting mistakes and explain this topic in detail, but if you are new to sports betting, we recommend that you also take a look at our guides:

You can find more guides and information in the tutorials and strategies section. Now we can start talking about sports betting mistakes: How about a top 10 list?

Top 10 Sports Betting Mistakes You Must Avoid

Alert

  1. Not setting up a bankroll for betting
  2. Betting with the heart instead of the mind
  3. Betting beyond your means
  4. Chasing losses and betting under pressure
  5. Failing to understand the value in odds
  6. Not analyzing the outcome of your bets
  7. Failing to compare odds and lines
  8. Setting unrealistic expectations
  9. Betting too much or too often
  10. Failing to track the odds movement

These 10 common mistakes in sports betting are responsible for most of the avoidable losses that punters suffer daily. By the time people realize the fact that they’ve been committing such sports betting mistakes, losses have already piled up. The good news is that they are totally preventable and anyone can take immediate action to mitigate the negative impact they have on their bankrolls. In the paragraphs below, we’ll explain every single one of them and teach you how to avoid these sports betting common mistakes.

1. Not setting up a bankroll for betting

The first and most important thing that any punter should do is to establish a bankroll dedicated exclusively to betting. This amount should be reserved to gambling and based on its value, people should adjust all their other betting strategies. It is strictly prohibited to mix the sports betting bankroll with the money used to cover everyday expenses. In addition to protecting players from the risks of gambling addiction, the bankroll has the merit of determining the right staking.

Risk-averse punters should bet no more than 1% of their bankroll, regardless of how safe a match seems. Those who don’t mind taking more chances for the sake of bigger winnings can adjust their sports betting strategy with a 2% value in mind. By exercising perfect bankroll management, players protect themselves from other common sports betting mistakes like chasing losses and betting beyond their means.

2. Betting with the heart instead of the mind

The sooner people realize the fact that there are no safe matches and no invincible teams, the better they will perform. The goal should always be to find the good things to bet on, rather than to blindly throw money at teams that only look good on paper. Betting on the favorites is a common sports mistake that even experienced punters commit every now and then.

What happens is that punters simply bet blindly without analyzing the value behind the odds offered by the bookmakers. They are also tempted to bet larger amounts with complete disregard to odds news scores trackers and any relevant details.

3. Betting beyond your means

This costly sports betting mistake is the direct consequence of people overestimating their skills and financial means. Proper bankroll management can protect players against this threat, but only if they set reasonable expectations. The right course of action is to allocate fewer resources than you can afford to lose and gradually increase your bankroll as you make profit. Make sure you keep gambling fun and safe while trying to come up with wagers for bets and find the right sports betting strategy before wagering.

4. Chasing losses and betting under pressure

If you wonder how do sportsbooks make money even from experienced punters, you should take a closer look at how people act when betting under pressure. This is when most of the sports betting mistakes are committed because people no longer think rationally. Chasing losses is a huge problem for everyone because tilt is an insidious threat that can rear its ugly head when least expected.

When people lose a string of bets they are tempted to recuperate their losses quickly and bet larger amounts or increase the betting frequency. These are the last things to do if you lose a bet because they will only amplify your losses and what begins as a totally affordable defeat can lead to the biggest bet ever lost and bankroll ruin.

5. Failing to understand the value in odds

To avoid most sports betting mistakes safest betting sites provide punters with guides and tutorials to help them early on. What they rarely teach people is how to find value in betting odds, even though this is the most important thing in the long run. There are no safe or risky bets and it all comes down to how much value there is in the odds offered by bookmakers.

The easiest sports bets to win are not necessarily the ones that you should be chasing if they don’t add up in the long run. The only thing that matters is to always bet on matches where the odds value exceeds the risk so stay profitable in long term. Learning how to find its value is the real challenge, as it comes with experience, but a little research and the ability to interpret odds news scores can make the learning curve smoother. Check here our best staking plan for low odds to learn more. We have also prepared a value football betting guide to better clarify this subject so you can avoid football betting mistakes. Make sure to check our other guides too in order to avoid other problems, such as horse racing betting mistakes.

6. Not analyzing the outcome of your bets

Even if you are on the right track you will end up getting run over if you simply sit there and fail to make any adjustment. One of the common mistakes in sports betting is the failure to take another look at the outcome of each betting session. People tend to get overconfident when they win and depressed when they lose, but in both cases, they fail to analyze the outcome of their bets.

Instead of trying to determine how to win a bet every time, the focus should be on avoiding the common sports betting errors. Take the time to analyze your betting patterns and determine if your losses were caused by bad luck or one of the sports betting mistakes we’ve talked about. This is the time to be critical about your work.

7. Failing to comparing odds and lines

The Golden Age of online gambling is now, as punters have so many alternatives and can choose from plenty of bookmakers. This gives them the opportunity to shop for the best odds and lines, instead of relying blindly on those supplied by a single sportsbook. When betting on sports, it is recommended to have accounts with several bookmakers, so you can always capitalize on the biggest odds.

Before placing any bet, look around and try to find the best value and even use a bet calculator if needed. Keep in mind that this is a highly competitive industry and you need every advantage you can get to prosper.

8. Setting unrealistic expectations

Many of the most common mistakes are simply the result of people allowing themselves to get carried away by the adrenaline rush. Whether they play straight bets or accumulators, punters frequently end up setting their expectations too high for all the wrong reasons. People fail to make the distinction between betting for fun vs betting for profit and end up being unhappy with the results, no matter what.

Trying to achieve more than it’s possible is one of the frequent sports betting mistakes and also a very costly one. Beating the house edge even by the narrowest of margins is a huge performance and you should be happy with it. When you bet on sports you are always the underdog, so staying profitable is an accomplishment.

9. Betting too much or too often

Sports betting can be an exciting activity and quite often, punters let themselves fully immersed in the adventure. When they think they came up with winning bet ideas that can make them rich, people tend to forget about prudence and responsibility. Sports betting sites provide people with the possibility of betting nonstop and increase the stakes arbitrarily.

This is one of the biggest mistakes in sports betting because when people increase the frequency and the stakes of their bets, losses pile up much sooner. The truth is that only a few of the matches available are worth betting on and most offers should be avoided.

10. Failing to track the odds movement

The top sports betting sites bring together tens of thousands of casual and experienced punters, with all of them betting on dozens of sports. Sportsbooks set the odds depending on how likely the outcomes are, but they always adjust them based on how players wager. The betting odds payouts also change quickly when many people bet on the same outcome, which makes it essential to monitor the market trends.

Tracking the odds movement will allow players to extract maximum value from the odds available. In the long run, this is the recipe for success, so use news scores trackers and pay attention to the odds variations. If something goes wrong, then you can opt for hedge betting.

The importance of choosing the right betting sites

The paradox of choice can be a bit frightening for many punters who find themselves surrounded by so many options. This doesn’t mean that you should settle for the first bookmaker you stumble upon, instead of undertaking further research. A rather frequent sports betting mistake is to open a betting account with a single sportsbook and placing all the bets there. This will prevent players from cashing in on the best odds available and in the long run it will decrease their profit margin. A solid betting site brings the peace of mind of gambling in a secure environment, while granting access to the best odds and betting features.

Opening accounts with multiple sports books

The more accounts you have with leading bookmakers, the easier it will be to find and cash in on the best betting odds. You will also be able to take advantage of the most generous sports betting bonuses and take part in all sorts of promotions. These will help you boost your bankroll steadily and in the long run, offset the crushing house edge. The winner of the game is the player who makes the next-to-last mistake and in this competitive industry, you need to keep your options. Whether you are betting on soccer or one of the obscure sports available, it is essential to be able to pick the best odds.

About sharp bettors

A sharp bettor is essentially a professional who makes a steady income by betting on sports. Such experienced punters know how to identify value, take advantage of top odds and bet against the trend when it suits them. They know how to bet on sports, make money betting on football, and how to wager under difficult circumstances and with little information available. Sharp bettors have a thorough understanding of a few sports and focus on them while cashing in on the bookmakers’ predisposition for adjusting odds based on chance. These professionals don’t commit any of the mistakes in betting and always play the long game.

There is no shortcut to becoming a sharp bettor and only time and practice can make perfect in this line of work. The road to success starts with avoiding the most common mistakes in betting while trying to extract maximum value from any wager. A combination of flawless bankroll management, a thorough understanding of odds and trends, as well as a willingness to research the market defines the sharp bettor, but for more read our article about: What is sharp betting?. In order to have a chance to become one, people should set achievable goals and understand that success in sports betting is a marathon, not a sprint.

Any sports betting for beginners guides should start with a thorough understanding of the link between risk and reward. Bigger odds lead to larger potential payouts (depending on the bookmaker withdrawal limits), but they also reflect bigger risks, so the stakes should be adjusted accordingly. There is nothing wrong with betting the underdog, as long as you are certain that your betting strategy is based on solid research, rather than greed.

That’s why it is important to focus on the sport that you know the best and ideally, on the teams and leagues that you are more familiar with. Football might be the easiest sport to bet on, but if you’re more familiar with an obscure sport, there is nothing wrong with focusing on it instead. At the end of the day what matters is making a profit, rather than betting on the matches everyone is betting on.

Worst bets offered by bookmakers

Sometimes we commit sports betting mistakes even when we research the matches and markets, bet within our means, use proper bankroll management & unit staking plans (such as our best staking plan for low odds). This happens when the game is rigged by bookies who offer terrible bets wrapped up in tempting odds. One of the biggest mistakes in football (even it offers the easiest sports bets to win) is wagering on special markets where we can’t properly evaluate the risks. Bookmakers tend to offer bigger odds on goal scorers, and special events such as free kicks, corners, cards, and so on. With Asian corners, the odds are a little lower than with regular corners, but the advantage is there is a possibility of a refund. In case the exact number of corners is used your stake is returned.

These funny bet wagers are tempting because they offer the promise of big payouts while keeping the games exciting. Unfortunately, this is where bookmakers get the biggest rewards because the odds don’t reflect the risks and carry a huge house edge. That’s why even though this type of action is exciting, these are ideas for losing a bet and it’s not worth the risk, no matter how tempting the odds.

Simple sports betting strategies to boost profits

Avoiding the most common mistakes in sports betting will help you mitigate unnecessary losses. The next step is to maximize the profits and this is where some simple sports betting strategies come in handy. These don’t require a lot of experience and can be deployed immediately, so both casual and veteran players can take advantage of them. Most of them can be used in conjunction, so a little bit of research and the desire to improve punters can make the first steps towards becoming sharp bettors.

Cash out Betting Explained: Examples and Strategy

Bookmakers offer many useful features and one of them stands out from the crowd. The cash-out function allows players to take their profits before the final whistle, by being paid a percentage of the potential winnings. It happens way too often for people to lose their bets in the final minutes of the game and sometimes these losses are rather predictable. For example, when your team is leading and frantically defends a narrow advantage, the cash-out feature comes in handy. A late equalizer can strip you of all your winnings and this is particularly painful when this is the last match on your accumulator bet.

Clinging onto your bets for the sake of maximizing winnings is one of the mistakes to avoid. The top priority should be to minimize losses and win often, rather than trying to secure the biggest sports bet ever. This doesn’t mean that all active bets should be cashed out, as the challenges to take profits when things slowly start going downhill. Ultimately, the goal is to extract the maximum value from every bet.

Quick on the draw: a strategy for long price winners

When trying to learn how to bet and make money with sports betting, people often realize that wagering on single events is the way to go. The more matches you have on the same betting slip, the greater the odds are to lose on one of these events. What do singles only mean in betting is that you wager on just one outcome and settle for lower odds?

In football, the draw always has the biggest odds in even matches, and quite often it is also the most likely outcome. Long price-winning punters frequently adjust their strategies by placing bet draws and increasing the stakes based on the outcome. Positive and negative progression systems can be deployed, as long as players continue to bet within their bankroll. These progression systems, like the Fibonacci betting system, can also be applied in a low odds betting strategy.

Premier League winning streaks – when they get broken

Betting against the trend is a powerful way of maximizing profits and these work best when betting on popular sports and championships. The Premier League is a shining example of a popular division and this is where punters are tempted to bet on long winning streaks.

As a result, bookmakers tend to offer huge odds on the underdogs, to compensate for the massive bets placed on the favorites. Backing these top teams blindly is one of the common sports betting mistakes, whereas backing the underdogs is wiser. All you need to do is adjust the stakes, so you don’t lose too much until the winning streak ends.

Untapped potential: betting in the lower leagues

While everyone bets on popular sports and divisions, punters are more likely to find value in the odds offered on obscure competitions. If you can take the time and commit the resources needed to research the matches played in lower divisions, you could come on top. This doesn’t mean that you always win every time you place a bet, but the winning frequency can increase by taking advantage of bigger odds.

Instead of trying to predict the outright winner, you can learn what is sports handicapping and bet on spreads. The differences between lower-division teams can be significant, so favorites can easily cover the spread.

The BTTS betting strategy

When trying to figure out what’s a good bet to make, you shouldn’t focus exclusively on picking winners. A bet on both teams to score (which is the BTTS meaning) is one of the easiest ways to handle difficult matches, especially between offensive-minded football clubs.

The odds often revolve around even value, regardless of the difference between the teams involved, which makes it easier to adjust your betting patterns. The best part of betting on both teams to score is that in many cases, the bet is settled as a winner well before the final whistle. If you enjoy betting on BTTS, we also recommend checking Betfred’s Goals Galore No Draw offer. When using this strategy, make sure to avoid matches where a narrow margin victory or a scoreless draw is regarded as an acceptable result by the teams involved.

10 Subtle sports betting mistakes that hurt performance

  • Overreacting to changes and market movers: Do not react suddenly to odds changes; keep calm and watch the market
  • The gambler’s fallacy: There’s no such thing as a winning streak: Just because you’ve won several times in a row doesn’t mean you’ll keep winning.  
  • Trusting handicappers blindly: Handicap betting is complex and can mislead even experienced punters. Find out more in our how to win big on football bets guide
  • Failing to understand sharp action: Sharp bettors’ decisions may cause bookmakers to change their lines
  • Betting without undertaking enough research: Relying on your luck is the most common mistake bettors make: Don’t forget to do your research.
  • Ignoring injury reports before wagering: A pre-match injury of a star player can change all favorite/underdog expectations
  • Betting on unfamiliar sports and markets: Betting on a sport you don’t know about is one of the most common betting mistakes
  • Failing to undertake proper point spreads shopping: Betting on point changes requires thorough research beforehand. Check out our how to bet on football guide for more information. 
  • Finding excuses and blaming luck: You are the only one responsible for betting mistakes (or betting scams): don’t blame your luck.
  • Not using the cash-out feature often enough: If used correctly, the cash-out feature allows you to profit regardless of the result. Not using it is among the most common football betting mistakes.

FAQ About Sports Betting Mistakes

No. You made a mistake, but it is never too late to correct it. Start using a money management plan for online betting as soon as possible.

Cash out your funds (withdraw all your real money) and immediately move to a safe & secure website. Check our list of safe betting sites (and new online casinos) to make a fast start.

Not right away but you should start using them as soon as you understand how arbitrage betting works.

Avoid the Most Common Betting Mistakes Starting Today!

Sports betting is a fun, but rather a difficult enterprise, and the fact that the house always wins is a sad reality for most punters. Beating the odds is difficult but not impossible, as long as you know how to avoid the most common sports betting mistakes. But to keep yourself up to date and to be sure that are you avoiding some mistakes, read our article about Online VS. Offline betting.

These are responsible for most of the losses suffered by punters and in most cases, they render any profits made by using correct sports betting strategies virtually irrelevant. Start making small, but important changes to your betting patterns today, and you will be amazed by how your performance will improve. We are here to help you to avoid betting mistakes: Good luck out there!

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