There are so many factors involved in effective betting that it is easy to neglect the importance of any one of them. As they say in the business world: Timing is everything. Indeed, there are many subtle ways in which precise timing choices can make or break a bet on your favorite team.
The reason this is so important is because timing can affect the odds of winning, how much you stand to win, and your overall success in betting. This is true regardless of how long you’ve been at the betting game. We will explain exactly why in the sections below. Once you’ve figured out a strategy, you can go to https://first.com/sports-betting/best-bookmakers to check out the leading bookmakers.
Timing and odds
One thing you need to understand as a bettor is that odds are not a uniform thing; they vary significantly based upon many different fluctuating factors. This includes things like the following:
- Player injuries. An injury to a star player can drastically change a team’s odds of winning within a second.
- Team news. Anything from a sudden coaching change to a local issue to a shift in team funding can contribute to a change in odds.
- Changing public betting trends. Teams don’t act in isolation, after all; betting trends across the board can affect the odds of every team that exists within a system.
Early bets and late bets
Bookmakers make constant adjustments to how they set the odds. And this is especially true now that we live in the age of AI and everything is updated in real time. The more bets a bookmaker perceives with a particular outcome in mind, the more their odds will shift in favor of that outcome. Even over the course of a few days leading up to a game, odds can vary considerably:
- Early bets can sometimes be good ones. If you are confident that others feel the same way as you, bookmakers are likely to side with the majority. They are also less influenced by the market. However, you should be careful about making early bets as you might not have as much information early on, and the odds could shift later.
- Late bets can sometimes be better as you are able to look at more data by the time a game comes. You also have the advantage of greater stability in the market. However, there may be fewer bets available if you wait too long. Overall, you need to study the situation carefully over an extended period and decide which strategy is better.
The role played by the market
The market is also a major contributing factor to odds making. The sports betting market is huge, and it is constantly being influenced by incoming data. Among the things that influence the market on a regular basis are the following:
- Player suspensions or unexpected changes in teams. Teams build their reputations over a long period, so sudden jolts to their strong points can rattle the market just as stocks get affected by major newsbreaks.
- Changes in public perception. There can be many ways in which the public perception of a team can shift. Even personal news can cause the public to sour on an individual and consequently on a team.
- Outside factors. Major geopolitical, weather-related, or other big global changes can ultimately impact players, teams, and public perception. This consequently influences the market.
Different sports require different approaches
We should also remember that every sport is unique and requires an individual approach. For premier league football, for example, early betting is usually encouraged. For club leagues, late betting tends to be favorable as more information is required to make the right choice.
With tennis tournaments, injuries and fatigue can play a major role, and early betting is advisable. Horse racing, on the other hand, tends to see people betting later. The point is, everything requires a unique approach, and the more careful you are in analyzing a situation overall, the greater your odds will be of getting it right.
Get on out there and bet!
Regardless of your personal strategy, this is an exciting time to be part of the betting world. With so much information available, the bookmakers are exploding with possibilities. 
So get on out there and start placing your bets! You could end up winning big.