It’s that time of year again guys and gals! Training camps are half over and this weekend marks the “dress rehearsal” games of the preseason. We’re all expecting big wins from our teams this coming season and all you sports betting fans out there are sure you’re going to be huge winners this fall.
Here at Hot Chicks Hot Picks we are going to use a combination of our women’s intuition and intense data study (which has given us a winning rate of 58.3% in 2005, 64.2% last year, and 62% over the last five years) to give you the edge (and the most sassy commentary known to man) that you’ve been looking for!
Whether you are experienced in sports betting or a newbie, there are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare for the upcoming season:
1. The single most important question that needs to be ask and answered before the start of every season: What type of sports bettor are you?
Do you like to just have some action on the games for fun? Or do you intend to make a small supplemental income from betting?
Are you a big-time player? Or just $50 a game type?
Are you willing to spend several hours per week doing research and learning to handicap for yourself? Or do you just want some “flip of the coin” rush to take you away from the office on Sunday?
Knowing the answer to this very important question will make your Fall that much more enjoyable. Whatever kind of sports betting fan you are is fine, just know which one it is so you don’t get in over your head. Sports betting should be fun and controlled. It should never be some agonizing torture routine that you sweat over every week wondering if you’re going to have the money to cover the mortgage - or buy that cute girl at the bar a drink.
So find out who you are and don’t let “the guys,” or the media for that matter, push you into something you’re not.
2. Manage your money
After you know what type of sports betting fan you are then you can sit down with yourself and figure out how much money you have to wager for the season. Money management is the key to being able to stay in the game for the whole season! You can’t go out and blow the whole pot on a couple of games because you think the Patriots are on a roll and couldn’t possibly lose to the Jets on the road. Would a shrewd investment fund manager bet more than 5% of his purse on the latest hot microchip stock? No, and neither should you.
Never bet more than 5% of your bankroll on any given game. The greatest gamblers in this business hit consistently between 57%-63% and maybe go on some streaks where they hit the high 60’s or even low 70’s for just a bit but at the end of the year they end up in that 57-63% range.
If the greatest gamblers in the biz hit these marks and manage their money accordingly why wouldn’t you do the same? You’re going to go on some losing streaks and that’s just the nature of the game. By putting down no more than 5% of your money on any given game you can ride these bad streaks out and come out a winner at the end of the year by listening to us here at Hot Chicks Hot Picks and doing you’re own homework.
Which brings us to…
3. Multiple sportsbook accounts
Now that you got your money in order and have figured out what type of player you are you need to select a few sportsbook accounts. The things you should be looking for with multiple sportsbooks is “value.” As sports bettors we always need to be looking for the “best line” or value in a chosen line. You need to have several different options to get that line you want. The other huge things for sports bettors are bonuses and “Low Juice” programs.
One of your sportsbooks should offer good bonuses. A comfortable percentage to look for is between 10%-20% on deposits and 10%-15% on reload bonuses. Any sportsbook offering any more is a little too eager beaver to have your business and I would be wary (if it smells too good to be true it usually is).
The other sportsbook you’ll want is one with a Low Juice Program. This is a program that gives you the ability to play your games at reduced juice. Most games are set at the standard -110 (you have to risk $110 to win $100).
On reduced juice games you are only having to play at -105 (you risk $105 to win $100). This may not seem like much on paper but over the course of the season it adds up to potentially hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on the type of player you are and the size of your bankroll.
The Vegas House advantage in a -110 standard bet is 4.55%. In order to break even on 100 bets betting $110 to win $100 you need to pick 53 winners out of 100.
With reduced juice lines (-105) the house advantage is reduced to 2.38%. You have to pick 52 winners out of 100 games.
These reduced juice programs make more sense if you are playing $500 and above per weekend. For my money, it doesn’t matter whether you are a big time player or just $50-$200 per weekend, it still makes sense to have the option to play at these better rates.
You can’t go wrong with having at least two sportsbooks and I would recommend a minimum of three to four. Two online sportsbooks that I highly recommend are Bodog.com (excellent overall sportsbook with great customer service) and BetOnline.com (program for both healthy Bonuses and a great Low Juice Program).
I’ll be back with many more articles in the coming days detailing the do’s and don’ts of sportsbetting as well as my thoughts and previews of the upcoming season. Until then find out what kind of bettor you are, get your little savings account (the “Fun Account” as I call them) in order and research the various sportsbooks.
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