Sports betting is a common practice in modern-day sports viewing, and there is a huge variety of events you can now place a bet on. Betting on sports can be very strategic and may require a good amount of knowledge in order to place successful bets.
One method of sports betting is value betting, which is the process of identifying bet offers made by bookmakers that exceed the true probability of the outcome. So, let’s take a look at five sports that are best suited to value betting.
Football
Football is the most popular sport to bet on in the modern day, with the ability to bet on so many different markets that occur during the game. Football betting is available through a variety of different bookmakers, making it easily accessible for bets to be placed. This also means there is a wide variety of different fixtures and odds that can be offered.
Value betting does require knowledge of the sport that you are betting on in greater detail to be able to notice what odds may not match the probability of the outcome. One way this can be made more likely is by choosing a less popular league, potentially at a lower level, as bookmakers may not have as much knowledge as they would with major leagues. This may provide the best chance of finding a value betting opportunity; however, it would require some knowledge of that league.
Tennis
Tennis is a popular sport to bet on, with a strong culture built behind it and major tournaments occurring annually like Wimbledon, Roland Garros and the US Open. There are plenty of major tennis stars who feature throughout the calendar year in over 30 different countries, as well as less known, upcoming tennis players that can always be a surprise throughout the tennis tours.
These types of players and matchups between less-known players and reputable players can provide an opportunity for value betting. Like any value betting, being well-informed about the sport is key to understanding the likelihood of potential outcomes. In tennis, bookmakers tend to make odds based on reputation and names, meaning odds will more than likely be in favour of the bigger name, granting a chance for a value bet if the opponent has the ability to win the match. Tennis matches have a clear outcome of a winner and a loser, meaning there is no opportunity for a draw like in football, giving more chances for the underdog to win the match.
Horse Racing
Horse racing is another extremely popular sport to bet on, with the culture of betting at horse races becoming a massive part of spectating the sport. There are plenty of iconic annual races, such as The Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup, Melbourne Cup, Kentucky Derby and many more. With plenty of races occurring each year, finding an opportunity for value betting is likely.
There are plenty of horses, jockeys, and trainers who are extremely well-decorated, performing many times each year alongside newer and less-known competitors that could compete for the top spot. Whilst horse racing can be relatively unpredictable, having strong knowledge of the sport may help in spotting lesser-known horses that could perform against the big-name horses. This could be more effective in less popular races with closer odds and closer competition.
Cricket
Cricket provides a variety of betting options, from the outcome of the game, top batsman and even the number of runs, similar to football in relation to the various betting markets. Value betting is a great strategy when it comes to cricket as a result of odds being made surrounding reputation and key players with a large variety of different formats.
There are three different formats in cricket that can be studied in order to better understand opportunities for value betting, including test matches, one-day internationals and T20 fixtures. It is possible to find opportunities for value betting in cricket when looking at lower levels or even just studying injuries, conditions and ground, as these may not have been taken into consideration when odds were made, mainly focusing on reputation and players.
Boxing
Boxing is one of the biggest global sports in the world, with boxers coming from all around the globe and competing in some of the biggest venues from London to Las Vegas. Boxing is a sport that can be dictated by various factors, not just strength and power, providing an entertaining watch and suitable for value betting.
Like the other sports on this list, good knowledge of the sport and some extensive research into both fighters are required, as unlike football and cricket, boxing is down to one person's performance. When big-name fighters take on smaller and lesser-known opponents, it is common that the big names have odds in their favour; however, as a result of a variety of different factors, the less reputable fighters may have an advantage.
Factors to take into consideration include both fighters' recent performances, mental resilience performing under pressure, training camp preparations, injuries and age and physical conditions. Considering these factors and ignoring bias from big names, value betting is a great strategy when it comes to betting on boxing.
