Below are Frequently Asked Questions about Sports Handicapping. Each week we get dozens of emails asking what our handicappers do and how do they do it. So we have taken the five of the most asked questions regarding sports handicapping and tried to explain them as simply as we can.
Which handicapper should I use?
Every handicapper has his or her own unique style and it’s important that you find someone that you feel comfortable with.
Some handicappers like to play most of the favorites and undervalued public teams. Others like to stay primarily with strong underdogs. Some handicappers work halftime lines, totals, and/or money lines into their arsenal while others just play sides. Moreover, some handicappers like to only play 1 or 2 games per day while others prefer to work more action. There are many different approaches and not one over the other is better. It really depends on your personal preference.
The best answer to the question is, “the handicapper that wins the most”. But SportsbookBuzz.com our handicappers have managed enourmous profit in a wide variety of sports, despite using a vast array of strategies. There are many differing styles out there, but as long as they turn a profit and make you a winner it really matter. We suggest taking some time to familiarize yourself with a handicapper and get comfortable with their handicapping style before you make a long term commit and investment.
Why should I use a handicapper instead of betting myself?
The answer is easy, because they are professionals. Betting should be approached as an investment, just like buying a house. If you were going to invest your money in the stock market would you you employ a stock-broker that has experience, connections, a track record of success, and an in-depth knowledge of the industry or would try to go at it yourself?
Gambling on sports is what we do. While you are spending time at your job, handicappers are hard at work doing research and planning for the next winning opportunity. They are working the phones, scouring the Internet, crunching the numbers, tracking databases, and watching hours upon hours of sports tv to gain an edge. They do it so that you don’t have to.
Imagine how much more knowledgeable you would be if you spent 70 or 80 hours a week focusing on every aspect of each sport game. That is a handicappers life. But beyond knowing sports they also understand the technical aspects of sports betting. They know what key numbers are. They have access to bizarre and profitable betting systems. They can spot a trap line or a reverse line movement. And they know how to win, and win more often.
As a result, it makes sense that the odds of consistently winning as a gambler are significantly better for a professional bettor who spends 8 to 10 hours a day on his craft as opposed to a recreational bettor that may few hours a week looking at lines or matchups.
Should I use more than one handicapper?
A tremendous benefit to using SportsbookBuzz.com Handicapping Service is that you have access to the top gambling minds in the industry, our record speaks for itself. As a result, an overwhelming majority of our customers end up using a variety of our handicappers.
One reason to use several handicappers is to get a variety of opinions on a sport such as football, basketball and baseball. Cross-referencing picks through several different cappers alone will produce serious profit. An other reason to use another handicapper is that some are better in certain sports than others or some may only cap a certain sport. For instance, you could use our NBA basketball selections but also want to play NCAA games and use our College Basketball picks. The best reason to using a number of hadicappers is that in this business everyone goes through highs and lows. All sports handicappers get hot and all hadicappers go through a drought. By utilizing everyone in the group you can jump from one guy to the next so that you are always betting with a hot, winning sports handicapper.
How much should I bet each game?
The answer is that depends on your bankroll. For some betters, one Unit is equal to $1,000. For others, one Unit is equal to $15. It all depends on what you are working with.
The foundation for gambling success relies on money management. As a guideline, money management includes only betting around two to three percent of your total bankroll on any single game. If you stay strictly to that guideline then a single Unit would be around 0.5 to one percent of your total roll.
For instance, you are starting with a bankroll of $1,000. That would mean that 1% of your roll would be $10 and that your average play – a 3- or 4-Unit Selection – would be somewhere around $20 to $40 per game. We suggest using that as a baseline for calculating your own personal situation.
That may not seem like much to bet on a game. But after you consider that on a random Saturday in college basketball a capper may throw out 20 or 25 Units worth of picks that’s nearly a quarter of your bankroll. And this is really important, you have to look at betting as a long-term investment. Success doesn’t happen overnight or quickly. The conistant winners in sports betting are the ones who are patient, confident, and consistent.
You have to consider that as you win more money and your bankroll grows the value of your plays will grow as well. It is all about exponential profit. As you build up your bankroll 2% of your bankroll stack starts to grow and your wagers increase. But the only way to achieve that is by sticking to a system and betting the same percentage for each pick.
How do you rate and grade your plays?
We have a rating system that works on a 1- to 8-Unit scale. Some cappers like to do Guaranteed Locks or $10,000 Top Plays, but we don’t mess around with that gimmicky stuff.
Our rating system is simple:
1-2 Units – small play
3-4 Units – average play
5-6 Units – top play or Game of the Week
7-8 Units – Game of the Month or Game of the Year
A 3- or 4-Unit play is pretty standard. Some sports handicappers like to play a greater number of games than others, so instead of using a pair of 3-Unit Selections they may roll out three 2-Unit Selections. A 5- or 6-Unit Selection is generally reserved for a Game of the Week or Top Play situation, while a 7- or 8-Unit Selection denotes a Game of the Month or Game of the Year play.
As far as grading goes, a 3-Unit Selection that wins is graded as +300 while one that loses is graded as -330, taking into consideration a 10-percent vigorish on all losing plays.
Sports Handicapping Guide
Below are useful links to our sports handicapping guide, loaded with helpful information to begin betting with our sports handicappers.