Sports Betting Chicago – Mistakes to Avoid
Love betting on Chicago sports, but never seem to win? Read our advice on common sports betting errors and how to make better choices.
Chicagoans know how lucky we are when it comes to sports. Teams from every major North American League make Chi-Town the envy of the country for sports fans. Several times officially named ‘Best Sports City’, residents know that the accolade is well-deserved – and may as well be made permanent.
However lucky we are to have such a thriving sporting scene, we can’t always make use of that luck as we’d like to. If you’re fond of placing a bet or two, you may have found yourself out of pocket more often than not. Seeing as sports betting has only been legal in Illinois since 2019, chances are you could be making some rookie errors.
We’re going to take a look at some of the most common mistakes in sports betting, and show you how to avoid them.
1. Not Finding the Best Odds
This one applies to all sports, from the NBA to the NFL. With so many real money casinos offering an online sportsbook option, there’s really no excuse for not shopping around. Sites like MrCasinova.com have comparison guides to help you get the most out of your bet. Some sites favor certain sports, so if you only want to bet on the Cubs, for example, take the time to figure out where to find the best baseball odds. Put in just a bit of research, and it will pay off in the long run.
2. Betting with Your Heart
Placing a sports bet can add a bit of extra excitement when watching your team, but save the big bets for when you have less of an emotional investment in the game. Successful sports betting requires a certain amount of discipline and detachment, so make sure to bet with your head and not your heart.
3. Not Seeing the Big Picture
There are so many factors that can influence the outcome of a sports fixture. Just because a team has had a short run of good or bad games, doesn’t mean that the next one will follow the pattern – or, conversely, that it will break the run. In the case of NBA, it’s important to look at the schedules and injuries. The season is so packed that conditions for teams can change rapidly. If the Bulls have games on two consecutive nights, an opposition team with two nights rest will have a slight advantage that you should factor into your decision.
4. Not Considering All the Options
This is especially applicable to MLB, so Cubs and White Sox fans take note. Baseball offers a lot of different ways to bet, and many things to bet on. The mistake that many fans make is only looking at the headline events and players – like home runs and starting pitchers. There may be more home runs in MLB now than ever before, but this still adds up to less than two per game on
average. Learn about team and player aspects such as the on-base percentage (OBP) to get a better insight.
5. Betting too Often
In a busy season, it can be tempting to bet on as many fixtures as you can. This is a sure-fire way of rapidly depleting your bankroll, even if you only place small bets. The law of averages is not on your side when it comes to gambling, so chasing losses indiscriminately will only result in more losses overall. Instead, carefully consider what to bet on, and learn how to find and identify odds of value. A smaller number of well-placed bets will ultimately be a more profitable strategy.
