Wednesday, 8 February 2012
If the punter ever had hopes for any kind of advantage against sportsbooks, those hopes are rapidly evaporating as sources of information become even speedier and more direct – at least in most major sports odds offerings. The good news here, though, is that bargains can still be found as the effort to provide worldwide offerings makes it more difficult for online sportsbooks to base all odds on high-quality information; the bad news is that you’ll have to focus on more obscure sports or leagues to find bargains.
If you’re stuck on any type of football (the American game, Australian Rules or what some folks call “soccer”), the best strategy to take for greater opportunities to win is study of a lower league. In the ‘States, that means considering a Division II conference in the NCAA game; in the U.K., stay away from Premiership football betting and UEFA Champions League match betting and try your hand at Football League games, even Second Division, particularly if you’re playing at an online sportsbook not based in Great Britain.
Pay close attention to your nearby small team because you have a vital pipeline of information in local media and even word-of-mouth with access to those in-the-know; much of this vital info may never hit national media or reach the satellite ears of your favorite online sports betting site.
Another particular favorite for punters is European basketball, especially women’s basketball. Though the regional leagues also provide news information on centralized English-language websites, second-language sources are dynamite for getting the scoop leading up to a game in terms of minor injuries or team dynamics.
In women’s European basketball, this principle is even more important: With the exception of a few perpetual powerhouses such as Spartak Moscow, the difference among top- and medium-level clubs is miniscule and the tiniest psychological advantage can turn into a win for either team in any given game.
The point: If you’re bilingual and into sports betting, it’s time to put that skill to work to make yourself some money. And back to soccer (and we could include major national European hockey leagues as well) on this point: Consider how much in-depth English-language material there is out there on, say, Polish or Czech professional football – and yet, these days your average- to above average-sized online sportsbook will carry lines for each and every game in these leagues. Translation skills and local knowledge can be levied into big money for the fast-acting punter at an online sportsbook.
