Sports betting on the NFL is more than a casual hobby. These days, professional sports bettors consider it a job that involves advanced analytical skills and fairly intensive work. Those who are serious about NFL sports betting have a daily routine: They focus their efforts towards determining a list of viable picks that they believe will lead to their success. Here are five actions that every sports bettor should engage in on a daily basis when looking to ensure best results on their handicapping approach.
Matchups
You start working on your matchups before the end of the present week so they are complete as can be once the initial lines are posted. You’ll have to be ahead of the curve to do this. The fact is you probably don’t know what games you’ll want to bet on until you see the point spreads and over/under. Take a stab at a few that you believe look good, and perform some preliminary work so that if you do see a tempting early line, you can consider it. You’ll refine your matchups as the week progresses.
Spreads and Totals
Monitor the spreads and totals as much as you can. Determine what you’re looking for from each, and look to see if there is any movement that might give you what you want in order to make a bet. The first lines on NFL games, which come out on Sunday, are fairly loose and can offer sports bettors some fine value on certain games. This is often especially true when you’re looking to bet on the underdog, but it may, in certain games, pertain to the favorite instead.
Latest News
What’s the latest news regarding a team? Are their any arrests, problems with drugs, or news related to ownership? Is there any league news that may have some bearing on the game? Are there controversies coming to the forefront, which indicate there may be a problem with the team? News can be useful.
Injury Reports
These are updated throughout the week. Although the NFL has specific rules regulating injury reports, teams still often misuse them by trying to mislead other teams with the information that they publish. Still, it’s important to check these to see if there’s anything that might influence your picks.
Other Factors
Other factors to monitor include wind and weather conditions that may affect any upcoming game, field conditions, players that have been cut or added, and anything else that might influence the outcome. If the weather is questionable, make sure that you continue to check on it and its possible impact.
Utilizing Information
Breaking news regarding an injury or a key player’s inability to play may prove to be very useful if you pick up on it before the bookmakers do. Once the news hits, you have about six hours before you’ll see a move in a line. Thus, if a favorite team’s starting QB will not play in the next game and the underdog is still where it was before the news was announced, you may want to make a fast bet on that underdog.
Also, daily involvement should help you make smarter picks just due to the fact that you are connected to the game on an ongoing basis. Get into a daily routine and utilize the information you access to make smart bets.