9 Basketball Betting Tips That Can Increase Your Winning Percentage 2-3%

Here’s a secret: Professional gamblers don’t win as much as you may think. In fact, people that make a living at gambling win just above 52.4% of the time.

So, imagine for a moment what it would mean to you if you had a way to increase your winning percentage even by a small bit. What if I said to you that by the time you finish reading this article you will have learned how to increase the percentage of winning basketball bets you make by an incredible 2-3%?

OK, here’s how:

Basketball Betting Tip No. 1: Be a cold-headed bettor. We all have favorite teams, but that doesn’t mean we have to bet them if the odds aren’t in their favor. Don’t let your emotions get in the way of your better judgment, more times than not, you are biased and can end up making a wrong decision.

Successful bettors make good decisions based on solid data, accurate information and gut feel. Beating the spread takes a shrewd mind and the ability to make good decisions. In hindsight it’s important that you learn how to recognize what leads you to make winning bets.

Basketball Betting Tip No. 2: Mind the starting lineup. Make sure that key players are starting, because there’s nothing worse than to place a bet too early only to find out that a star player is out on injury.

Basketball Betting Tip No. 3: Take betting trends with a grain of salt. Trends are informative, and some are worth looking at, but what happened in the past doesn’t necessarily have much influence today or in the future. Let’s face it, although there are indeed some cases where certain teams dominate other teams, it’s mostly a matter of happenstance and upsets are always looming and present.

Basketball Betting Tip No. 4: Look for “value” bets. Oddsmakers are incredibly good at what they do, however often times they’ll have posted a weak line when there are a lot of games on the board. If you find one, play it. Books have to post lines up on every game, you however don’t have to bet every game. This means you can cherry pick opportunities to your advantage.

Basketball Betting Tip No. 5: If you play “short” underdogs, when the line is +1, +2 or +3, consider betting the moneyline instead, this pays more and often times you won’t need the points to cover the spread. On the contrary, avoid betting big moneylines on the favorite because one loss could put you in a hole that you’ll have a hard time coming out from.

Basketball Betting Tip No. 6: Keep your eye on turnovers and points scored in the paint. Points win games and a high turnover percentage usually means an advantage for you when betting against the spread. The same is true for points in the paint; shots taken closer to the hoop usually have a higher percentage which could make your choice easier when making a bet. Handicappers often overlook these stats but they could be key for picking winners.

Basketball Betting Tip No. 7: Be disciplined. Set yourself a bankroll and stick to it religiously. Don’t bet more than 3% of your bankroll on any one bet. If you started with a bankroll of $500, your maximum bet shouldn’t exceed $10-$15. There are inevitable ups and downs in gambling, and although this might not be the most exciting way to bet it does pay off in the long run.

Basketball Betting Tip No. 8: Be on the lookout for teams playing the third game of a four night schedule. Players will often be tired and have no legs left under them, especially when they’re on the road as being away from home takes its toll on player’s psyche. Although line makers take this into consideration, you may find that the odds are in your favor.

Basketball Betting Tip No. 9: Heads up on line moves. When you notice a line moving in favor of one team and the public has bet heavy on the other side, it may mean that sharp players are laying action and opens up an opportunity for you to follow them.