| If you bet on sports, or perhaps even if you don't, you | | | | game between the L.A. Lakers and the San Antonio |
| most likely know what asports handicapping service is. | | | | Spurs. Caller one would be told that the "lock" selection |
| Most people know that they give out sports picks,but | | | | of the day is the Lakers. |
| what is happing behind the scenes? Are all sports | | | | Caller two would be told the "lock" selection of the say |
| handicapping services thesame? Do they really win | | | | is the Spurs. Caller threewould hear the Lakers and so |
| often? What is inside information? This article will | | | | on and so forth. Why would they do this? Well, |
| explainthe sports handicapping profession by | | | | byalternating, the unethical handicapping service is |
| answering these questions. While everysports | | | | guaranteed to hit 50% and thatmeans half of the |
| handicapping service operates in a different way, there | | | | callers become potential clients since they received a |
| are some commonelements integrated into each one. | | | | free winner. |
| Inside Information | | | | Unfortunately, it's an effective technique. |
| For decades sports handicapping services have | | | | The Free Sports Pick |
| touted their "inside information" as areason why you | | | | We talked about free sports picks in the previous |
| should pay them. Before the Internet really took hold in | | | | section. Every sports handicappingservice has free |
| the mid | | | | sports picks. It's the most used advertising tool out |
| 1990's, this was by in large accurate. It was necessarily | | | | there. The goalis to give you a winner (or a good |
| that the sportshandicapping service knew the players, | | | | percentage of winners), so you can't help butwant their |
| it was the fact that they had access toinformation | | | | really good stuff. In the old days, you would get free |
| that, by in large, most sports bettors did not. In fact, | | | | sports picks bywatching TV, reading media (like |
| unless you lived in | | | | magazines) or calling up free pick lines. Today,free |
| Las Vegas or knew someone, your sports information | | | | selections are all over the Internet. In fact, if you look |
| was limited to what was in thegeneral media. | | | | long enough, you willprobably end up with a 50/50 split |
| The Internet changed all of that. Today, the average | | | | on any game you seek out. |
| sports bettor has access to aplethora of information. | | | | Pricing |
| Dare I say, the average sports bettor today has most | | | | There's no real set pricing structure. Every service is |
| accessthan did even the most informed sports | | | | different. Many services try tosell you season |
| handicapping service did before the Internettook off. | | | | packages or special event packages. This way they |
| The Internet has change betting on sports in so many | | | | can lock downmoney and concentrate on selecting |
| ways. Sports bettorscan easily shop lines, get | | | | games. Also, if you buy a season or eventpackage, it |
| information straight from teams and reports 24/7, bet | | | | makes their job much easier since they have a |
| onsports online, access mounds of stats and so much | | | | guaranteed customer. Ifyou purchase daily picks, they |
| more. | | | | have to keep working hard to earn you as a client. |
| The Call Center | | | | Acouple of bad days and they lose you. If you are |
| The call center is still thriving and it's where operators | | | | locked in for the season or event, itdoes not matter as |
| stand by to give you, thesports bettor, a selection or | | | | much. |
| sell you on a service. Technology has greatly | | | | So, you now have a little peak inside the workings of a |
| changedthis area of sports handicapping, but it's still | | | | sports handicapping service. |
| around. One trick less ethical sportshandicapping | | | | The world's full of sports handicapping services, from |
| services use it to alternate their free selection. Let's | | | | the one-person operation tothe larger company filled |
| say that there's afree pick advertised on an NBA | | | | with sports handicappers. |