Sports Handicapping Explained

If you bet on sports, or perhaps even if you don’t, you most likely know what a
sports handicapping service is. Most people know that they give out sports picks,
but what is happing behind the scenes? Are all sports handicapping services the
same? Do they really win often? What is inside information? This article will explain
the sports handicapping profession by answering these questions. While every
sports handicapping service operates in a different way, there are some common
elements integrated into each one.

Inside Information

For decades sports handicapping services have touted their “inside information” as a
reason why you should pay them. Before the Internet really took hold in the mid
1990’s, this was by in large accurate. It was necessarily that the sports
handicapping service knew the players, it was the fact that they had access to
information that, by in large, most sports bettors did not. In fact, unless you lived in
Las Vegas or knew someone, your sports information was limited to what was in the
general media.

The Internet changed all of that. Today, the average sports bettor has access to a
plethora of information. Dare I say, the average sports bettor today has most access
than did even the most informed sports handicapping service did before the Internet
took off. The Internet has change betting on sports in so many ways. Sports bettors
can easily shop lines, get information straight from teams and reports 24/7, bet on
sports online, access mounds of stats and so much more.

The Call Center

The call center is still thriving and it’s where operators stand by to give you, the
sports bettor, a selection or sell you on a service. Technology has greatly changed
this area of sports handicapping, but it’s still around. One trick less ethical sports
handicapping services use it to alternate their free selection. Let’s say that there’s a
free pick advertised on an NBA game between the L.A. Lakers and the San Antonio
Spurs. Caller one would be told that the “lock” selection of the day is the Lakers.
Caller two would be told the “lock” selection of the say is the Spurs. Caller three
would hear the Lakers and so on and so forth. Why would they do this? Well, by
alternating, the unethical handicapping service is guaranteed to hit 50% and that
means half of the callers become potential clients since they received a free winner.
Unfortunately, it’s an effective technique.

The Free Sports Pick

We talked about free sports picks in the previous section. Every sports handicapping
service has free sports picks. It’s the most used advertising tool out there. The goal
is to give you a winner (or a good percentage of winners), so you can’t help but
want their really good stuff. In the old days, you would get free sports picks by
watching TV, reading media (like magazines) or calling up free pick lines. Today,
free selections are all over the Internet. In fact, if you look long enough, you will
probably end up with a 50/50 split on any game you seek out.

Pricing

There’s no real set pricing structure. Every service is different. Many services try to
sell you season packages or special event packages. This way they can lock down
money and concentrate on selecting games. Also, if you buy a season or event
package, it makes their job much easier since they have a guaranteed customer. If
you purchase daily picks, they have to keep working hard to earn you as a client. A
couple of bad days and they lose you. If you are locked in for the season or event, it
does not matter as much.

So, you now have a little peak inside the workings of a sports handicapping service.
The world’s full of sports handicapping services, from the one-person operation to
the larger company filled with sports handicappers.

Sebastien Veilleux is the founder and players manager of AdvantageSportsBetting.com and one of the top experts in the sports betting industry today.

Advantage Sports Betting is a world leader in online sports betting, horse wagering, casino, poker and a proud member of the Betcorp family of gaming sites. Betcorp is publicly listed on the Australian & London Stock Exchange.

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