Can you do your sports betting without using statistics? Of course. You could simply browse the weekend’s Premier League coupon on a reliable betting site or at a sports betting app like the Bet9ja mobile app and pick out odds selections, add them to your slip and hand over your stake.
But what those bets will lack is any kind of rhyme or reason for having played them in the first place. They won’t have been based on any kind of analysis, or from the study of markets for the best value. It is debatable whether that’s the best use of our bankroll.
So perhaps your betting at the best bookmakers will be better served by laying some groundwork down. Using statistics for your sports betting doesn’t have to be overwhelming, time-consuming or boring at all.
Why Study The Stats?
If you are online shopping, what is one of the first things that you do? You look for reviews of the product, to try and gauge the value based on what other customers think of the item. If you are looking for a restaurant, it’s become common practice to look for ratings.
That’s research. Basic research, but research all the same. Why? It’s geared towards getting the best experience and more often than not, getting the most for your money too. The same principles can be applied to online sports betting.
Doing a little bit of legwork in studying form and head-to-head records, for example, can lead you to make more informed decisions with your bets. As a punter, you want to target the best possible odds that you can get in trying to beat the bookie and that can be done through research.
Everyone may be expecting Liverpool to win a home match against a relegation-threatened Southampton for example. But statistics may be able to lead you to a more nuanced, value bet of a Liverpool 2-goal winning margin.
How Do You Do Sports Betting Analysis?
There are varying approaches that you can take for betting research. Some of it will be down to the markets that you prefer to bet on. If it is Over/Under selections on Premier League bets for example, then you are going to be heavily studying goals stats. That’s going to be different for someone who is trying to find odds-against away wins.
For those new to the game, instead of relying on a gut instinct or turning betting markets into a sheer lottery pick, here is a beginner’s guide to sports betting statistics.
Look at the news
One of the first bits of research that you can do is simply read some sports news. It’s a common source of information even for experienced bettors. If you are looking ahead to a weekend of Premiership rugby betting, then look at match previews on reputable new sites. They may very well offer insights into injuries, team news, and recent form and include some great Opta stats.
Look For Tips
In a similar vein to reading the latest sports news, finding some good tipster sites could also be beneficial. Paid tips can be avoided because essentially tips are nothing more than the opinions of the writers. If someone is tipping an underdog home win, that outcome is not set in stone. But the tipster may offer some good statistical insight as to why they have reached that conclusion.
Find Statistics Sites
You can speed up your betting research by bookmarking statistics websites. If it’s football, for example, you can start SoccerSTATS, WhoScored or Squawka on your browser. You need convenient access to sites like this, because if you want to study something like the first half over/under for Manchester City home games, you’ll know where to go.
Digest The Stats
At some point in the journey, even if you are looking at insights from tipsters, you have to piece together the stars yourself. Having that ability to digest the information and put it into action for your betting strategy is going to be huge. That’s when you really get to explore the markets for the ideal value bets based on your research.
Some Of The Most Common Football Stats
Football is one of the biggest areas of sports betting in the UK. It gives us a great example of how to incorporate stats into betting. Fortunately, those stats are pretty easy to find. Here are some of the most common football stats to consider:
- League Tables – A simple look at the standings in a league will give you some idea of status. A team riding high in the top six could be a decent pick away from home against a side in the bottom half of the table.
- Form – This is hugely important. A glance at the current form of a team will tell you a lot. If there are four losses in their last six, a team would be a current risk. Form can easily be broken down into home and away stats for an even more in-depth picture.
- Injuries – Look at team news. A key central defender ruled out, or a leading striker that has been suspended could have a major impact on a match.
- Shots – You can pick out attacking teams against failing attacks by a look at shots that are being produced. Further insights can be gained by shots on target per match.
- Possession – Possession stats are important, although overlooked sometimes. A team that controls the ball, will usually carve out more goalscoring chances. It also cuts down the liability in their defence.
● Expected Goals – This is the new kid on the block of stats. It tells you the likelihood of a return of goals by a team in a match.