Sports betting is arguably the most popular form of gambling. According to research conducted in 2019, more than 30 million people regularly place wagers on sports in the United States.
What’s more, close to 20 million casual bettors engaged in sports wagers against their friends and family that year.
Unlike casino games, the probability of winning or losing a sporting event is less certain, giving betting sites a lot less leverage over you.
Several factors influence how any single match ends; therefore, betting platforms set odds based on their research.
Moreover, sportsbooks usually balance the odds in a way that makes them money regardless of the outcome. Thus, the only loser when a bet goes wrong is the one placing the bet.
For this reason, betting on sports is something that gamblers shouldn’t do blindly. To be successful in sports betting, previews, statistics, and predictions on upcoming soccer and tennis games are paramount.
Most sports gamblers usually bet on sports that they already follow.
The main reason for this is the fact that they already have plenty of knowledge about these sports.
However, we shouldn’t rely solely on the information we have as fans. Accurate data is crucial when betting on sports since it enables you to predict how the teams are likely to perform.
That said, gambling enthusiasts must also figure out which stats are necessary to make accurate predictions.
Since every sport is different, each one requires a distinctive set of statistics for accurate predictions.
Nevertheless, since all sports have a universal concept, most statistics can apply to all of them. To help you bet wisely, here are some of the crucial statistics you should study.
Head-to-Head Comparisons
The history between two particular clubs is yet another vital statistic to have when betting on sports.
Although countless other factors can influence the result of a sporting event, the history of the two sides facing each other provides excellent insight.
A club that has historically found it hard to beat an opponent may still doubt its abilities when facing the other team, regardless of its current form.
History plays a big part in sports since it provides a platform to weigh how good one team is over another.
Also, gathering head-to-head statistics is an excellent way of spotting trends between the two sides facing each other.
For instance, you can check for recurring score lines and use that to predict the number of goals that are likely to be scored.
Recent Form
Although there are strong teams in every sport, there’s no guarantee that they’ll maintain exceptional performance all season long.
For this reason, checking the recent form of each club is vital when looking to bet on sports. A look at how a team has performed in their last six fixtures, for example, will give you insight into how it is currently fairing.
That said, it’s crucial to keep in mind that good and bad streaks eventually get broken at the end of the day.
Therefore, you shouldn’t put your money on a team because it has won its last six fixtures. Still, a snapshot of how a team has been fairing over its last few games will provide valuable insight into how they’re likely to perform.
Current Position
The position of a team in the league table is yet another useful piece of information. Depending on where a team is on the table, you can gauge how well it’s likely to play the game in question.
A club’s position doesn’t necessarily reflect its current form but depicts how successful it has been in that season.
For this reason, you shouldn’t use these stats when betting at the beginning of a competition’s campaign.
The position of teams on the table also affects how some matches are likely to be played. For example, a battle between clubs fighting to avoid relegation is expected to be strongly contested and have many goals.
Similarly, clubs at the top of the table are more likely to thrash those at the bottom.
Margin of Victory
The margin of victory is how well a particular club attains success. You can tell a lot about a club’s performance by the margin of their wins.
For instance, if a club has won its last few fixtures by a large margin, you can rest assured that they’re playing in good form. However, you can’t say the same about a club that has been scraping wins by tiny margins.
Weak victories indicate that a club is riding on its luck and may have trouble maintaining its good performance.
On the other hand, if a club has been getting huge victories, it’s likely to continue with the decent form for longer. Big wins indicate that a club has plenty of confidence, which is crucial for winning future games.
Average Number of Goals
Every side averages a certain number of goals in every game. Keeping an eye on this information will help you determine the offensive and defensive capabilities of a team.
Not only will this help you determine whether one team will triumph over another, but it also opens up new avenues of betting.
You can use this information to place bets on the total number of goals in the game.
Even so, knowing the average number of goals per game isn’t enough. You should also be able to determine whether a particular fixture will have plenty of goals or showcase two strong defenses.
While gathering statistics can be very beneficial to your gambling life, it is of extreme importance that you validate the information you receive.
Determining the efficacy of the information you gather is the only way of making sure your bet is successful.
If the stats you collect are false, then you can expect your research to be ineffective.
Final Thoughts
Making use of statistics when betting on sports is a great way to enhance your prospects of winning. Even so, relying solely on statistics isn’t the best way to go since there are other factors to consider.
That said, you can use the information above to help level the playing field between you and the sports books.
