Which sports betting myths are fake news? One of the most interesting aspects in the world of sports betting is the number of purely fictional myths that are out there. Casual sports betting fans tend to believe everything they hear and they can often be sucked in to false information when they think they are gaining some sort of edge over the sportsbooks. Here is a look at five sports betting myths that are purely fictional.
Smart Money Is On The Favorite
The sports betting lines are impacted by the money bet on the individual sports but that doesn’t mean the smart money is always on the favorite. Professional handicappers are very patient. They understand how to take advantage of line moves.
For example, if the Dallas Cowboys are the favorites to win by 6.5 points at BetOnline over the New York Giants. Then let's say a ton of public money pushes the line to Dallas by 7.5 points. That opens up an opportunity for the sharp bettors.
The professionals employ a betting strategy to take advantage of this type of situation. The smart money will go on the underdog knowing that the line is higher than it should be based on the fact that so much public money is on the favorite. The public money will have a major impact on where the lines move but that doesn’t mean the smart money is on the favorite.
The Experts Are Always Right
The best professional sports handicappers in the world would be happy if they won 70-percent of the time. Anyone that's touting a 100% winning record is completely out to lunch. If you see tout services telling you that's what they hit, run in the opposite direction. As for the experts they put on television, they would certainly be happy with a success rate above 60-percent.
The point is that while the experts are often given a level of blind trust by casual fans the reality is that they aren’t right nearly often enough to take their advice without pause. Sports journalists are not professional handicappers so be careful not to take every pick they make to the bank.
Progressive Systems Don’t Provide Guarantees
Another mistake that casual handicappers make is that they think that progressive systems can guarantee them winners. While systems can help provide important information and narrow down selections, the reality is that there is no such thing as a guaranteed winner when it comes to sports betting. No system is perfect. Every system out there has its positives and negatives. It’s important to be cautious when using any progressive sports betting system.
Key Stats Make A Major Difference
The average sports bettor will not spend the same amount of time researching games that the professional handicappers will take. The majority of the time, they lock in to what they consider key statistics with the expectation that information will help them to pick winners.
The reality is that there are plenty of different statistics and trends that need to be taken in to account for every game rather than just one or two numbers. There are some stats that are more important than others. There is no such thing as a key stat that will indicate which team will win and which team will lose.
Pro Sports Are Fixed
Anytime that somebody argues that a team sport is fixed, don't believe it. It's among the common sports betting myths. Just keep in mind how many people would have to be in on the gig in order to significantly influence the outcome of a game. Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy resigned in 2007 amid speculation that referees were fixing games. How much could he really impact? Maybe a foul or two? Maybe some extra free throws? Was there ever any clear pattern that was uncovered?
Even in the sport of basketball, there has been major changes to prevent this type of thing from happening. With so many eyeballs watching from experts to media to the Twittersphere, anything odd would get noticed. It would be even harder to fix a sport with more players involved like football or hockey.
And what's even the benefit nowadays? Players are paid so handsomely, why bother? Even college kids are getting money through NIL deals, so match fixing seems unlikely. There's too much for them to risk and lose.
While specific pro sporting events throughout history may have been fixed, it certainly doesn’t happen anymore.
