Do you make money betting on sports?

[TLO]

Yes or no.
Feel free to elaborate.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

I feel like that's my main barrier to betting... I care more about losing $50 than I do winning $50 (whether it's on one bet or across several), but then you use a phrase like "weeks of losses" and I'd probably be out of something like that before I even got to break even (much less continuing after that).

I feel like my wheelhouse would be putting down $5 on a 10k to 1 bet every once in a while.

It is always gonna be tempting. The biggest temptation is anytime td bets because it’s easy to hit a few legs of a parlay. You can easily turn $5 into $100 and have an ok shot at hitting. But if you want to win into the thousands you’d have to add a few legs and that is way tougher than it looks.

[chiefzilla1501]

I’m up a few hundred so I don’t make a ton of money. It’s mostly for fun since I’ve been doing it regularly for 2 years and never lose enough that I’ve ever had to refill. Usually break even at worst. A few lessons I’ve learned…
- spreads and “pick em” games are dangerous unless you really know what you’re doing. You’re not just betting against Vegas, you’re betting against professionals with huge pockets. If a spread is off by even 0.5 points some pros will throw millions at it until the line moves back to normal. It’s why I like player props more. To me it’s way easier to pick if dhop will score a td or mahomes will throw more than 250 than it is if kc can beat the spread which right now is at +12. All my friends who got wiped out bet spreads instead of props. I’m the only one left standing and I’m far far from being a pro.
- your instincts suck. I don’t have time to do the analysis. But over time you pick up some cappers on social media who really run the analysis. They legit consider how certain players play against certain coverages, weather, home/road splits, route participation…. It’s insane how much data some pour into this. Then rely on instincts to only pick the ones you like.
- be very very careful about bullshit artists who push out picks. The majority of cappers on social media are scam artists. They either republish others’ picks, fake their win/loss record or give picks with no juice so they can claim a win while making no money. The downside is the best ones these days often are so effective that they move the line as soon as they publish their picks. Or they only give most of their picks to subscribers. There are still plenty of good free picks out there though.
- I prefer parlays over straight bets since I prefer to place more bets at smaller $ than 1 big bet for huge $. If you’re only betting $10 you’re only going to make like $7 on a straight bet. But a decent 2-leg parlay could easily get you $20.
- a fun game to play is negative correlation. Sports books will raise odds on parlays that contradict each other. For example, betting Xavier worthy to go under on receptions but over in yards.

[CapsLockKey]

I tried it one year when the online apps first started and they would give you all that free bet bonus stuff doing little 5 dollar things here and there. Cashed out $90 in the end and decided it's too much work with the ups and downs to be worth my time instead of just enjoying games without having skin in them.

I have had two fun sports bets in my life both from arguements with friends. Grade school some kid bet me 10 bucks the Red Sox would beat the Mets in 86. The other a long standing bet with a close friend who would always go on and on about the Cubs so I bet him the White Sox would win a World Series before them. So I guess my answer is yes.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

It is always gonna be tempting. The biggest temptation is anytime td bets because it’s easy to hit a few legs of a parlay. You can easily turn $5 into $100 and have an ok shot at hitting. But if you want to win into the thousands you’d have to add a few legs and that is way tougher than it looks.

Yeah, they look like such easy bets sometimes... there was that one guy who hit on 8 things and won $500k or whatever, and IIRC none of it seemed bad at all except for hoping a player or two scores a touchdown (yardage always seems reasonable). But, I just assume they know what they're talking about when they say it's one in 10,000 or whatever, heh.

Hell, there's probably data out there to tell you if Kelce's ever had 40 yards receiving on the week Barkley scored a touchdown and McCaffery had 76 all purpose yards... even if all that sounds crazy reasonable.

[George Liquor]

I usually only deposit when ESPNbet (Hollywood) gives me free money. They're normally good for $50-$75 in free bets a month to me and I don't play that often. I'll normally hit the free bet, pull out the original stake and gamble with the black.

Then I'll take the hundred or so I win off of that when I'm drinking and immediately torch it playing poker tournaments online.

[tmax63]

I'm up a little but I do $1-2 parlays, 2-3 each weekend. I've taken out my "seed" money so I'm playing with house money. I have been break-even to plus a couple hundred over the last 2-3 years.

[Graystoke]

Betting is prolific in professional sports. I have never been a gambler and find it hard to believe anyone makes money but the house.
I am just to conservative with my money to get involved in betting.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by George Liquor

I usually only deposit when ESPNbet (Hollywood) gives me free money. They're normally good for $50-$75 in free bets a month to me and I don't play that often. I'll normally hit the free bet, pull out the original stake and gamble with the black.

Then I'll take the hundred or so I win off of that when I'm drinking and immediately torch it playing poker tournaments online.

I've seen the promos for free bets/money... I assume you might get a little something for nothing more than signing up and then do you just have to place a few bets for more free money?

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Graystoke

Betting is prolific in professional sports. I have never been a gambler and find it hard to believe anyone makes money but the house.
I am just to conservative with my money to get involved in betting.

I think of it a bit like investing in individual stocks. Can you make money (over the market/house)? Sure. Does it work for most people? No.

The fact that all of the online sportsbooks are paying hundreds of millions of dollars for ads and sponsorships makes it pretty clear that the sportsbooks are doing a great job of taking people's money.

[Warpaint69]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I think of it a bit like investing in individual stocks. Can you make money (over the market/house)? Sure. Does it work for most people? No.

The fact that all of the online sportsbooks are paying hundreds of millions of dollars for ads and sponsorships makes it pretty clear that the sportsbooks are doing a great job of taking people's money.

People can't help themselves on those parlays.

[George Liquor]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

I've seen the promos for free bets/money... I assume you might get a little something for nothing more than signing up and then do you just have to place a few bets for more free money?

Initially every bookie will give you x amount of dollars for signing up in free bets. They're often $200 worth broken down into $25 or $50 increments. Since I've signed up, DK and Fanduel seem to be the stingiest with promos (only odds boosts on single game parlays which i don't bet). Then Caesars and MGM will float me a $25-50 deposit bonus about twice a year while ESPN seems to do it once a month.

The only things that sucks about ESPNbet (Hollywood @ The Speedway) is they don't have as big a betting market with foreign sports (like DK) and it's a Penn casino which only has one property in Las Vegas. So even though Hollywood caters the most to what I like to play (poker and sports) I'd rather use Caesars for their rewards (but their app is SHIT).

In short, shop around for the best lines, promos, and player rewards.

(Or pm BWillie)

[TLO]

For those of you that do gamble on sports, have you ever used a professional handicapper? (I think that's the right term to call them) One of those guys that comes on sports radio and says they'll give you their LOCK OF THE CENTURY just call this phone number for some reason and hear their pick on a "recorded line".

[Iowanian]

I know I’m going to win $1200 when my favorite football team, the Chiefs of Kansas City will the Super Bowl.

I think I’m up $300 on the year right now. I do t bet big, usually just 10-25 and do a lot of 3-4 game parlays, and a few $10 SGP. I’ve hit some 5-6sgp this year, and I’ve missed on some real stickers that would make my win a lot different. I lost out on $690 a couple of weeks ago with the last leg being a WR catching 75.5 yards….and he had 75. I’ve had 2 others like that with one player needing one catch or 2 yards.

I do it for entertainment and it gives me reasons to care about games that I don’t.

Vegas knows what it’s doing and it’s not likely anyone is going to win long term. Injuries and all kinds of things are in their favor and not the bettor.

[George Liquor]

Originally Posted by TLO

For those of you that do gamble on sports, have you ever used a professional handicapper? (I think that's the right term to call them) One of those guys that comes on sports radio and says they'll give you their LOCK OF THE CENTURY just call this phone number for some reason and hear their pick on a "recorded line".

I called one once, they kept advertising "lock of the day for free on a recording" on 610am. Some guy who sounded like Joe Pesci answered the phone and I immediately hung up. They called me back and left me voice mails for a few weeks afterwards about us getting disconnected but I never talked to anyone.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by George Liquor

I called one once, they kept advertising "lock of the day for free on a recording" on 610am. Some guy who sounded like Joe Pesci answered the phone and I immediately hung up. They called me back and left me voice mails for a few weeks afterwards about us getting disconnected but I never talked to anyone.