We all must start somewhere, right? The same is true when it comes to sports betting. There will always be someone who is experiencing it for the first time. That’s why it’s ideal to have some basics behind your betting activity. This guide will highlight certain tips for you to follow as a newcomer to the world of sports betting.

How to Bet on Sports as a Beginner

You will find that the tips we provide cater to you whether you’re intending to bet on horse races, cricket, soccer, or anything else. Read through the hints and make sure you understand them before joining a platform and depositing.

Choose an Appropriate Sportsbook

Your first task to begin with sports betting is to choose an ideal sportsbook for you. There are various platforms providing sports betting odds in South Africa. We have a selection of top-quality recommended sports betting sites that you can check out. Learn about what each site provides, what their pros and cons are, how they operate, and so on. Registering for an account should be simple enough, and you can then deposit to start betting.

Understand Favourites and Underdogs

When bookmakers release the odds on a sports match, one of the first things oddsmakers do is determine which team is the favourite and which is the underdog. The favourite is the team most expected to win the game, while the underdog is expected to lose. A sportsbook’s odds will reflect this, with stronger odds provided on the underdog.

Reading Odds

As a follow-on from the previous point, reading the odds at a sportsbook is an important factor. You will need to know what they mean, and as noted, if the odds are higher, the event is less likely to occur. The odds provided by a sportsbook represent the payout multiplier, so that’s why a higher number usually means a bigger payout.

So, let’s say that a game between Arsenal and Leicester City is about to take place. The former team has odds of 1.18 applied to it at a site, which means if you wager ZAR 100 on it, you will receive ZAR 118 as a payout should Arsenal win.

In the example, Leicester City has odds of 13.25 for a win, so if you wager ZAR 100 on this team and they manage to win, you receive a reward of ZAR 1,325. Try to find the best ratio between odds and payouts. This is easier to do if you understand the sport, the players involved and the statistics surroundings the game.

Learn the Different Bet Types

Different sports have different markets and betting opportunities to get involved in. If you’re intending to bet on soccer matches, then you’ll find markets like corner kicks and number of yellow cards, are available. Those markets don’t exist for people intending to bet on horse racing. Instead, alternative and unique markets exist for such.

If you know what each sport provides in terms of markets, then you are in a better position straight away. Learn about the bet types and what they mean before you place any wagers.

Avoid Engaging in Too Many Things at Once

You may have the instant desire to start placing bets here, there, and everywhere as a newcomer. After all, we all want to get as much profit as possible from sports betting, don’t we? That’s not the way to go about it, though. You should instead turn your attention to placing a focus on one sport or tournament at a time as a new bettor. This way, you can study, research, and really get to grips with the different areas of the sport and placing bets on it.

Try to avoid placing bets on a variety of sports and/or sporting events. Before you know it, you’ll have run through your betting balance and be confused with what you’re wagering on. At the same time, if you do want to place more than one wager, make sure it’s on the same game.

So, if we use the Arsenal versus Leicester City example again, you could bet on the winner of the match as well as an over/under number of goals scored within. Once you are familiar with placing bets on a specific sport or competition, you can always expand to include another at a later time.