The booming popularity of sports betting hasn’t gone unnoticed by those who run the nation’s gambling helplines. Vin Bickler, who answers calls at the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, says the number of people seeking help rose 45% last year. “We’re seeing a lot of problems and a lot of families are in crisis,” he says. “They’re calling us for help because they haven’t been able to stop.”
It may seem difficult to make money betting on sports, but it is not impossible. There are many ways to increase your chances of winning, including being disciplined (not betting more than you can afford to lose), doing your research, and seeking the advice of winning sports bettors. But there’s no guarantee you’ll turn a profit, especially over the long haul.
To help you win at sports betting, you’ll want to start by shopping around for the best odds. A good way to do this is to use an odds comparison site, such as Oddspedia. This will give you access to multiple betting operators, so you can find the best odds for any sport or event. Oddspedia is completely free to use and can save you a lot of time and money.
The next step is to figure out which sport or event you’d like to bet on. Some bookmakers offer a variety of betting markets, while others specialize in a specific type of wager. For example, some sportsbooks only offer straight bets, while others offer spreads, totals, and moneylines. Each market offers different odds, based on the oddsmaker’s analysis of the game, betting action, and line adjustments.
A popular bet is the point spread, which tries to even out the playing field between two teams. The idea is to get wagers coming in on both sides of a bet and avoid one side being overexposed and potentially losing a significant amount of money. Point spreads are often featured in television ads, and sportsbooks will adjust the numbers to reflect current player injury reports and other factors.
Another bet that’s popular is the head-to-head, in which a bettor predicts competitors’ results against each other rather than against the overall winner of an event. These bets are often offered as a series of parlays, which can lead to impressive payouts. For instance, a head-to-head bet on two Formula 1 drivers can result in a big payday if both finish the race at the top of their class or get disqualified.
While the Sportsbet app has a few bugs and isn’t as reliable as its competitors, it does have a wide range of markets and betting options. It also has a large selection of racing stats and tips. If you’re interested in betting on the AFL, NRL, EPL, NBA, or MMA, Sportsbet is a great place to start. It also has a Same Race Multi feature, which allows you to combine runners for higher odds on a single bet.