| Most novice gamblers end up losing their proverbial | | | | personally do a ton of off-season work and I |
| shirts year in and year out, most failures can be | | | | recommend that you do the same, for example, it's a |
| directly attributed to poor money management | | | | good idea to go over each teams schedule as soon |
| practices but many more failures are also due to a | | | | as it is released for the upcoming season and finding |
| complete lack of knowledge with regard to how to | | | | potential bad spots for each team. |
| handicap that particular sport and the factors/situations | | | | By bad spots in the schedule I mean taking note of the |
| that come into play week in and week out. | | | | potential pitfalls or scheduling quirks that might affect a |
| First of all a "Point Spread" is defined as a number | | | | teams performance, for example, when a team is |
| placed on an event for wagering purposes and is | | | | playing on the road for a third straight week, or when |
| often expressed in terms of the amount of points one | | | | a team has played two or three straight divisional |
| side must spot the other side as a means of evening | | | | games and are in line to play a non conference team |
| the playing field for both the favorite and underdog, in | | | | next, or if a team is playing on a short week because |
| most cases a money-line is also attached to the same | | | | they just played on Monday night or if a team has |
| event so that one may simply wager on either the | | | | been bouncing back and forth from the east coast to |
| favorite or underdog to win without having to lay | | | | the west coast or visa versa. |
| points, keep in mind that its usually football and | | | | Know in advance to the start of the new season by |
| basketball games that have point spreads. | | | | studying the schedule if a team is revenge minded |
| If there is only one bit of advice that you take from this | | | | against another team for an embarrassing loss or for |
| article, I hope it is this...Keep your eyes and ears open!! I | | | | knocking them out of the playoffs the previous year, |
| bet you're wondering "huh" right about now aren't you? | | | | try to study and concentrate on historical data from |
| When I say keep your eyes and ears open I am | | | | past divisional match ups, the reason is because |
| referring to the radio, the TV, and the local | | | | divisional teams face each other at least twice yearly |
| newspapers in your area, often local team beat | | | | which means that often you can find a team that for |
| writers glean information from team players or team | | | | one reason or another continues to dominate another. |
| sources and use that same information for their local | | | | Know in advance to the start of the new season |
| radio or TV shows or for the articles that they write | | | | what players a team lost to free agency or trades |
| for the local newspapers, this same information can be | | | | and what players they added via the draft and/or free |
| very valuable to you as a gambler if you are able to | | | | agency and don't forget to consider any coaching |
| dissect what is important and what is not and then act | | | | changes, a complete turnover in coaching staffs is a |
| upon the important information before the rest of the | | | | hard thing to overcome and often means that a team |
| world does, this gives you what is referred to as an | | | | will struggle in the early going of a new season |
| "edge". | | | | because that team is still trying to learn a new system. |
| Get in the habit of having the local sports talk shows | | | | The astute gambler will then take all of the information |
| on the radio when you are driving or working at home | | | | he or she has gathered during the off season and will |
| on your computer, know what time the local nightly | | | | prior to the start of the new season make up a set of |
| sports show comes on television in your area, pay | | | | power ratings which are then updated on a weekly |
| special attention to the sports section of the local | | | | basis once the regular season starts, a smart sports |
| newspaper each morning over coffee or breakfast. | | | | gambler will have a set personal schedule that they |
| The idea is to absorb as much information as you can | | | | adhere to once the season is under way, keeping in |
| through out the week and prior to game time, know | | | | mind that your off season work has already pinpointed |
| who is returning from an injury or who is nursing a | | | | potential scheduling problems and you have a set of |
| nagging knee or ankle injury that may slow them | | | | power ratings in place, you can now use this |
| down, know if there are any "cluster" injuries along the | | | | information to better evaluate the opening Monday |
| offensive or defensive lines which can impact the | | | | morning lines for the next week. |
| upcoming game, know if your local team is playing at | | | | Monday morning is also a good time to check the |
| home and if there are any possible weather concerns. | | | | injury reports of each team as well as advance |
| The point of the matter is that you have a wealth of | | | | weather reports for the upcoming weekend's slate of |
| information at your fingertips with regard to the local | | | | games, as the week progresses you want to continue |
| college and professional teams in your area and in | | | | to monitor the posted point spread as well as the |
| most cases this information can be accessed by you | | | | latest injury and weather reports, if you have already |
| before the rest of the betting public learns about it and | | | | isolated a contest that has perceived value to you and |
| you can use this to your advantage, by no means am I | | | | that team is listed as the favorite it is usually best to |
| saying to disregard the rest of the teams in the league | | | | make your wager as soon as possible, on the other |
| and not care what is going on with them, what I am | | | | hand if you like a doggie in a particular contest its best |
| saying is that if you want to defeat the posted point | | | | to wait until almost game time to place your wager. |
| spread you have to look for edges and often an edge | | | | The reasoning has to do with the way "Joe Public" |
| can be found by concentrating on local information | | | | bettors wager, which is usually on the listed favorite, by |
| about local teams. | | | | placing your wager early in the week (if you like the |
| I advocate using multiple "outs" for placing wagers as a | | | | favorite) you are locking in your line before the general |
| means of garnering the best possible point spread on | | | | public has a chance to move the point spread upward, |
| any game you intend wagering on, in this day and age | | | | on the flip side if you like the doggie you want the |
| a gambler has access to many off shore sports | | | | public to drive the line upward so that you can get as |
| books and it's a good idea to utilize at least three or | | | | many points as possible. |
| four of these for line shopping purposes, but | | | | I could go on and on with this article but the end result |
| remember to do your homework before simply signing | | | | would resemble a book, hopefully you will take some |
| up with just any off shore sports book, most are | | | | of this advice to heart, the one item that I did not touch |
| reputable but some are not. | | | | on in this article but is probably the most important |
| However it is also a good idea to have a local book | | | | aspect of gambling is money management, without |
| that you can place wagers with for the express | | | | some sort of game plan with regard to protecting your |
| purpose of wagering against local teams, remember | | | | bankroll you will surely lose your shirt and not be |
| that local teams are also generally popular teams to | | | | around placing wagers at seasons end. |
| wager on for the local run of the mill gamblers in your | | | | Please refer to another article that I have already |
| area, meaning that you must usually lay a higher point | | | | written simply entitled "Money Management", the article |
| spread number if wagering on a local team thru a local | | | | explains in detail the system that I personally utilize as a |
| book, thus the rule of thumb is to use off shore books | | | | means of protecting my bankroll over the course of a |
| when wagering ON local teams but use local books | | | | long season, one last bit of advise, remember that the |
| when wagering AGAINST local teams. | | | | betting public is generally wrong which is the reason |
| If you want to defeat the point spread you have to | | | | Las Vegas is still standing, meaning that you should do |
| remain ahead of the proverbial curve, this means that | | | | your homework and follow your instincts and not |
| you must out-work other gamblers with regard to | | | | those of the talking heads in the media or those of |
| having and acting on information before they do, I | | | | your drinking buddies. |