Definition
The art of ‘handicapping’ is a precise science. The term ‘handicapping’ means to analyze a game and come up with a logical conclusion as to which team will win and/or cover the pointspread of a sporting event.
Who handicaps?
Anyone who wants an edge can handicap sports. It is the meticulous studying of sports stats to come up with an educated guess. Some people do it very well, while others struggle to get a handle on it. The interesting thing about handicapping is that people can come up with differing contradicting sides using the same information. It is, thus, up to the individual to decide which statistic will be more relevant and important. There are professional gamblers who handicap with sophisticated means such as using computer programs, and then there are the casual handicappers who look at the daily newspaper to check out the previous day’s box scores.
Why handicap?
Sports gamblers handicap to analyze games and direct their plays. Unlike other casino games, sports gambling is actually beatable, given proper money management and a little bit of luck. By handicapping, one increases one’s chance of winning. Although the odds are built in, giving the house (in this case the sportsbook) the ultimate advantage, players can still beat the house in the short term. Similar to counting cards in the game of blackjack, by handicapping one selects plays that are more likely to win, hopefully giving better odds to the player than just selecting a side by a flip of a coin.
Where can I handicap?
With the advent of the Internet, there is a plethora of sports information on the web. An excellent source of sports statistics can be found on www.covers.com. This site offers the sports gambler a smorgasbord of statistics for all the major sports. A great feature of the site is actually the forum, where other sports gambler discuss recent trends, offer up free picks, and general discussion. It is a great place to post and not feel alone in trying to beat the sportsbooks. Another great site that is not so gambling oriented is http://sports.yahoo.com. This site offers box scores and stories about the upcoming games. They also report on key injuries/trades/etc. Handicapper beware though: all these sites are also monitored by the sportsbooks—take injuries and recent trends with a grain of salt, especially in pointspread games. Teams who have recently been winning usually get their lines shaded by the sportsbooks.
Summary
Handicapping, if done right, is a great way to get an edge in sports gambling. It enables the gambler to have an advantage over the sportsbook by playing games that favor one’s analysis.