Being a fan of sports is great, and there are many ways to show your spirit. One of the best ways to show your passion for sports is by betting on the games you watch. If you’re good at it, you’ll be having fun and making money off it. However, this can be quite difficult, because being good at gambling and being a good judge of situations are not always the same thing. The difference here is in the profit you make. The more of it you have, the better a gambler you are. Sadly, there are situations in which people lose money, and in extreme cases, they lose much more than they can afford. In order to avoid these situations, it’s best to arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible. Betting on short odds is seen as a safe risk, as you are betting on the team that is favoured to win – so there is a high likelihood that you will win your bet. Let’s have a look at four strategies that will help you make short odds work for you this betting season.

Home or Away? That is the Question

Betting on the home team is a popular choice. This strategy makes sense in nearly all cases, because the home team is very likely to defeat the away team. When a team plays at home, the players gain a sense of confidence from being on their own turf, where they are surrounded by cheering fans and feel highly motivated to win. Your home is your castle, after all, and losing at home always carries more shame than losing an away game. Even if you know nothing else about the two teams, it is better to bet on the home team. However, there are cases where this does not hold true. There have been plenty of occasions in which this “rule” does not stand. How can you tell it won’t? Look at the history of the two teams playing together. Who won the most matches? If the home team is the underdog, they will feel even more pressure to succeed, which could push them to victory.

Strong Players Have to Be Playing

When making your bet, make sure that you’re going with the team that has all its first choice players. If no team managed to get all of its first picks, then go with the team that has the most. A team’s first picks are its strongest players. If one or more of those picks aren’t playing, then the team is at a disadvantage when compared to its opponent. This rule of thumb might change depending on who the opponent is and how it has performed on recent matches. However, in general the trend is for a team that got all of its first picks to win over teams that did not.

Check the Team’s Record

You must do some digging if you want to make the most of your AFL betting odds. Don’t just look at a team’s general history. Investigate the recent history, whether that be from the previous season or the current one. A recent history will show a clear picture of how that team is doing in that moment. Before betting, check how many matches your team has won and lost this season. If your team has been losing consistently, it is a clear indicator that you should stay away from it. If the opposite is true, then, betting might be a good idea. When you’re interested in betting on a game where two specific teams are playing, check their past matches. See who the winner tends to be, and go with it. In cases where the two teams are mediocre, or at the same level, the situation is different. In here, there is no clear-cut way of getting it right. The best you can do is go with your gut and hope for the best. However, taking a risk now and then is not a bad thing. It is fun do it occasionally, so embrace it.

Are People Generating Hype About a Certain Team? Stay Away

Every year there’s a team that’s hyped about, a team that is supposed to go all the way, and everybody bets on it as a result. Then the team loses, disappointing everyone. You can avoid being in this situation by not bothering to bet on the hyped team. If it happens to be a team that has a particularly good record and strong players, then the situation is different. However, all this pressure can cause a team to break and result in them losing a match. Also be wary of double-digit favourites. No matters how strong a team is, covering a spread of 10 or more points is difficult. In these scenarios, it is likely that a team is going to mail it in at the last second. Thus, the opponent has to continue the game, and it may even lose it.

These strategies are meant to give you some guidelines in your betting ventures. Always remember that the past performance and current composition of a team is your best indicator of that team’s future performance. Do your research and pay attention to the expert tips, and you’ll be able to make the AFL betting odds work in your favour.