Betting Systems - Analyzing Statistics

Before the advent of the Internet and the free flow of sports information on the web, statistics and trends were a handicappers best friends. Oddsmakers were slow to adjust lines due to stats, because mainly, bettors did not tap into the available trends. For example, the zigzag theory in the NBA (national basketball association) playoffs, pitcher versus batter stats, and a quarterback’s passing efficiency were not readily available to the general public. Oddsmakers took advantage of this and set lines accordingly. With the burst of the technological age, though, most trends and angles no longer work.

With more and more information being spread around, past angles and trends no longer work. For if these angles still worked, sportsbooks would no longer be in business. It is up to the savvy sports bettor to keep trends and angles a slight secret, for if everyone keeps on winning, oddsmakers will start to shade the lines that are associated with such games.

A sport that still is statistics heavy is baseball. Amazingly, betting on baseball can still be beat if one uses the right statistics. The author suggests following trends such as if a team is hot or cold (back or fade accordingly), looking at how a pitcher fares against the opposing team, etc. Not many people bet baseball, and this is perhaps why the lines are still set to the ‘true’ odds of a team winning a game.
In college basketball, the most important statistic to follow is shooting percentage. In another article, the author describe the most powerful statistic—that which predicts the national champion: that is to pick the team that has the best shooting percentage entering the tournament. This angle supposes that such a team has a strong inside game (big men) and good perimeter shooters. In general, in the NCAA men’s tournament, the team in matchup with the better shooting percentage will usually win the game at about a 65% clip.

In closing, statistics have become overrated in the realm of sports betting. With the advent of the Internet and the new age of technology, more and more people are having access to a plethora of sports statistics, once held tightly by the oddsmakers themselves.