Millions of sports fans around the world probably watch games and think, “Betting on that team is gonna be easy!” But before you pick up your beer glasses and start placing wagers, keep in mind that winning bets is not easy. Even the most successful bettor will go through periods of long losing streaks mixed with wins. This is why it’s important to separate yourself from your fandom and make sure you’re doing all of your research on both teams (including things like injuries and current form).

The first step to being a great sports bettor is knowing what the terms used in betting mean. This will help you understand how oddsmakers set lines for each game and the language they use to describe them. For instance, if you’re looking to bet on a game, the odds will likely be posted for both the total score and the individual team. The total score includes the number of points scored in a regular game as well as any overtime or extra innings scoring. The individual team’s odds will be listed with a plus or minus in front of them to indicate their probability of winning the game.

Another important term to know is the cover, which refers to how a bet wins. For a favorite to cover a spread, they must win the game by a number higher than the spread. For an underdog to cover, they must lose by a number less than the spread. The cover is determined by the oddsmakers by taking into account factors such as the strength of the opposing team, previous game results, and current injury reports.

There are also many different types of bets available to sports bettor, including over/under bets and teasers. Over/under bets are placed on the total number of points scored in a game, while teasers are multiple bets placed on the same team with a reduced payout. Finally, futures bets are bets that are placed on events that will happen in the future, such as who will win a championship or division. These bets can be placed at any time during the season but are usually given lower payouts than standard wagers as the season progresses and it becomes easier to predict a winner.

When you’re starting out, it’s a good idea to separate your gambling money from your day-to-day income so that you can minimize your losses and protect your bankroll. This is particularly important for beginner gamblers because it can be very tempting to withdraw the winnings from your casino account as soon as you have a big win. But the smartest bettors stick to a fixed amount of their bankroll and never let their wins run away from them.

It’s also a good idea to keep track of your bets in an Excel spreadsheet or a plain old notebook. This will help you to see what sports, teams, and bets are profitable for you so that you can focus on those areas and avoid the ones that aren’t. Keeping a log of your bets will also allow you to see which types of bets are best for you and what type of bankroll you should be using on each one.

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