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If you are serious about winning your wagers there are general rules that the professionals follow to keep them on track and in the game.
OddsTrader has valuable resources at your disposal so make sure to check out what we have to offer to make your bets as sharp as possible.
How Much Should You Bet?
Having a vested interest in a sporting event makes even the most uninteresting games suddenly compelling which is why it has caught on like wildfire since the United States legalized licensed retail and online operators to begin making books back in 2018.
And while most regular folks don’t view betting as a way to consistently make money, there are those who bet for a living who do.
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And if we follow a few simple rules, we can stay in the game much longer and even turn a profit if we are willing to do the homework required.
If you are new to sports betting then you should know that eventually, you will read handicappers talking about unit size.
Determining your unit size is essential if you want to stay in the game and not bust your bankroll early in the season.
Let’s use the NFL season as an example. Even casual bettors will get down on one or more games on a weekly basis but the regular season is now 18 weeks, not to mention a month of postseason play.
That’s a long time to weather the highs and lows of backdoor covers and bad beats. Money management is essential and that takes discipline.
Before we establish unit size, let’s about how much you can theoretically afford to lose over the course of a season without it causing you sleepless nights.
Learn More: How to Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses as a Sports Bettor
Think of sports betting as a hobby that, unlike fishing or golfing, can conceivably make you money and not cost you a fortune as long as you determine your financial pain threshold.
While everyone has a different degree of risk tolerance, let’s assume $500 per month for the roughly five months of the football season is acceptable which brings your starting NFL bankroll to $2500.
Now we can identify how much you should be wagering on each game if you want to keep yourself in the game over the long haul.
A unit is generally considered the average amount wagered per bet, or for those more strategic and forward-thinking, it should be one percent of your allotted bankroll for the season.
If we consider the $2500 as our bankroll then one percent is $25 per bet. No, it’s not a lot but it will keep you in the game and, unless everything goes awry, you will likely be betting the Super Bowl in February with plenty of money left in the till.
Choose the Right Sportsbook
You can scour the injury reports, research previous matchups between the teams, and do all the data mining necessary to make an informed choice but what good is it if your online sportsbook of choice won’t pay you if you win?
Yes, there are plenty of predatory online sportsbooks out there that are very good at taking your money but have no intention of ever releasing it when you request a withdrawal.
All sportsbooks are not created equal which means it is imperative that you put as much time into researching your sportsbook as you do, analyzing your sports bets.
Fortunately, OddsTrader has done all the heavy lifting in this regard and features only the undisputed leaders in the sports betting industry. Iconic names like Caesars Sportsbook, FanDuel, and BetMGM to name a few, are brands you can absolutely trust and are all licensed in the United States.
Lastly, when you do choose a sportsbook, make sure you open accounts at multiple top-tier books because you can’t get the best line or odds if you have nothing with which to.
All the pros have several accounts so if you want to play the long game then make sure to exploit every angle, and one major advantage is getting the sharpest numbers. You don’t need to bet a lot to bet like a pro!
