Everyone has different sports betting goals. It may simply be a fun pastime that compliments a love of sports. You may have a piece of particular knowledge and want to use it to make a little extra money each week. You may be involved with friends, and talking about sports betting is something you do each week when you get together.
Whatever it was that drew you to place sports wagers, and all sports bettors have one thing in common: A desire to be successful.
But success means something different to everyone involved in sports betting, and it’s important to define what equals success specifically for you.
Be Realistic in Your Sports Betting Goals
You probably don’t have the bankroll of successful sharps or the experience or depth of knowledge. So when you look ahead to the year to come in sports betting, don’t try to be them. What makes for a good week, month, or year of sports betting for them, shouldn’t be the same for you.
The reality is that over the long haul, the majority of sports bettors lose money. That happens for a variety of reasons that don’t matter in this discussion, but it’s important to know. It’s also important to know that your in-depth knowledge of the NFL is not enough to beat the bookmakers because they also have that knowledge.
So be realistic in what you want to get out of sports betting. Expecting to win big profits is only going to set you up for disappointment. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t have a goal of making a profit. Many people all over the world make money betting on sports, and there’s no reason why you can’t be among them. But if you plan on becoming the best sports bettor in the world, disappointment is coming your way.
Be Concrete in Setting Goals
Now that you’ve tempered your expectations and ensured that you’ll still have fun with sports betting no matter the results, be specific in the goals you set. “Win money” is a fine idea, but it’s much too generic. Make concrete goals that are meaningful to your place in sports betting and goals that can be measured.
- Increase profits by 10% from last football season.
- Win 55% of your point spread bets.
- Increase baseball betting wins by two per week.
- Increase your hockey winning percentage during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- Win at least one top-five golf bet each month.
These are all realistic goals and also measurable. You will know if you’ve achieved the goal. And just as important, you’ll be able to follow the trail of betting that either helps you reach your goal or because you to miss it.
Be Accountable with Your Sports Betting Goals
Suppose you are the type of person who self-motivates and can be completely accountable to yourself, great. But if you are someone who can begin to ignore your goals and strategies if things go poorly, find someone else to keep you accountable. Tell your friend who also bets what your goal for the year/season is. Share goals with each other, and then help each other stay on course.
And keep that goal within specific time parameters. The end of the calendar year or the end of a specific sport’s season makes for a good deadline. Sticking to that timeline makes you accountable to the goal but also helps you better track the goal and know if you are improving as a sports bettor and why you are improving.
Be Patient
Sometimes you will be hot and win five bets in a row. Other times you will be cold and go on an equally bad losing streak. This is the part of sports betting that we all hate and none of us can avoid. But since you’ve made your goal realistic, it’s okay. Don’t panic when things go bad. Don’t abandon your goal or alter it just because you’re in the midst of a losing streak.
From day to day and week to week, you will have your struggles. But over the course of a year or season, trust that your knowledge, your strategies, and your goals will help even themselves out.
And if they don’t, use that information to help you make your next set of sports betting goals.