You could have often heard someone bragging that they picked 9 out of ten NFL games last week or managed to take a three-way parlay to the bank or engineered wins in both the daily double and trifecta at the track. Wow, what a good day that gambler had! Now, ask them how they did the rest of the year.

The fact is the fact that anybody can hit on a bet every once in a while, but in sports betting, where the top pros are right 60 to 65% of the time, it takes more than one day of luck to turn a true profit. Sports betting may not be a science, but it really is a discipline and it does involve research, analysis and skill. If you want to be a successful sports bettor, here are five tips that may start you and keep you on the right track.

Successful handicappers are experts in a couple of sports. To start with, don’t bet soccer or even the horses should you not follow soccer or perhaps the horses. You need to know the guidelines, strategies, players, coaches, trainers, venues and much more of any sport on which you’re going to wager. That implies reading previews, keeping abreast of daily developments and engaging in detailed analysis. You should often be open to learning something new and taking your understanding to another level. Be an expert and then a guru.

If you really want to earn money on a weekly basis, then you have to treat sports betting like it’s really a business. Why? Because it is a business. Sports betting just isn’t about hunches, it’s about weighing evidence, which includes stats, injuries, depth analysis and much more. Keep files on teams, your wagers, your successes and failures and analyze your effort. For anyone who is constantly losing, it’s important to figure out why. If you don’t, you run the risk of going broke, going nuts or going to jail. Sports betting is a business and should be treated as such.

It really is extremely essential that you track each and every wager, including the amount you bet, how much you won or lost and also your resulting balance. Be cautious in deciding the amount you are going bet. Should you have a $500 bankroll and you are making $50 wagers, that grubstake will be eaten up quickly. Make small wagers and if you win, then loosen up the bankroll a bit. But do not go overboard and do not start making desperation wagers in order to make up for losses.

By crazy bets, I mean the following-exotics including parlays, futures, mixed parlays and various props. Should the odds are long, in which case you should stay away from them. Focus on making single wagers on specific games in one sport. Moneyline, point spread and over/under wagers are sensible and winnable. You won’t make a killing on anyone of these wagers, but when gambling on sports, they’re your very best online casino football bet. If you make some solid cash then designate 5 to 10% of your winnings (not your bankroll) for long shot wagers.

Say this as if it were a prayer, it could save your gambling life. Never bet when you are desperate, drunk, high on drugs, depressed, tired, angry, stressed or under-informed. Never do that. Never.

If as a sports bettor you’re looking to possess a few laughs and drop some cash on a game or two, then do so. Have a ball. You may win several bucks and after that lose a couple of or lose much more. But do not expect to earn consistent cash from your efforts. As a way to do that, you will need to become a true student of the game and an astute businessman, managing your money, making sensible decisions and keeping your emotions in check.