How to win at sports betting

Every time you place a bet you are pitting your sports knowledge against the sportsbooks, who have years of experience setting odds and lines across a range of sports. To give yourself the best chance of success, your best tactic is to go with what you know. Most sports bettors stick with the sports and teams they know best to give them the best chance of beating the odds. It means the most popular sports in Canada are also the most popular sports to bet on.

The top sports to bet on in Canada include football, hockey, basketball, and baseball. Betting on soccer ­– especially the English Premier League (EPL) – is also growing in popularity across North America. Sportsbooks also offer odds across a wide range of other sports, but the ‘big four’ and soccer are the sports that attract the most betting activity online.

Once you have chosen your bet, the next step is to find the best odds. If you don’t bet using the best odds, you’re effectively handing your money to the sportsbook, even if you win. Shop around for the best odds available from the top sportsbooks and place your bet with the operator that offers you the biggest upside if you win.

BET.CA has comprehensive reviews of the top sportsbooks available, so you can shortlist the operators you can trust. If you plan to bet regularly, it’s worth opening accounts with multiple operators so you have instant access to odds across a number of sportsbooks. Then, when you plan to bet, scan your shortlist for the best odds before placing your bet to maximize your winning potential.

This may sound obvious, but it’s a piece of advice that many sports bettors forget when placing their wagers. A bet is a transaction, and you need to make sure you’re getting enough upside to justify you placing a wager.

Do your research and be prepared to pass on a betting opportunity if the odds don’t offer value for your stake. You may be passing up on a winner or two, but if you only bet when you feel the odds are in your favor, your overall returns will be better as a result. To better understand how to extract value from betting markets, check out BET.CA’s guide to the vig.

Being a successful bettor isn’t as straightforward as just picking winners. There are many tips, tricks, and techniques available that can help reduce the sportsbooks’ edge and give you a better chance of consistent success.

Learning about arbitrage betting, fluctuations in the vig, and calculating the implied probability of sporting outcomes based on sportsbooks’ odds are all valuable tools in a sports bettor’s arsenal, and at BET.CA we’re here to help arm you with all the information you need.