Top 10 of the best sports betting strategies

We believe that if you have visited this site, you are already familiar enough with the basic rules of sports betting. All the betting strategies listed in our review are fairly simple. So, even though you aren’t an expert in predicting the outcome of sports matches, you will easily understand/adopt them. Also, we made an effort to explain to you how to become successful in sports predictions with the appropriate betting strategy and what to look out for.

Opinions are divided on which of the betting strategies to choose. You will see that each system we have presented to you in the text is associated with some individual rules and principles. So, one system may suit you, while other players may be attracted by different systems. Decisions need to be made individually. Also, please note that before you start implementing any of the betting strategies you should determine your bankroll. When you determine the funds which you can dispose of, stick to the limit.

Best Betting Sites in Nigeria

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12, 1x, or 2x betting strategies

12, 1x, or 2x betting strategies are also called Double Chance. Double Chance is a market that will allow you to wager on three possible outcomes. These are the victory of the host/draw, the victory of the guest/draw, and the victory of the guest/host. So, in contrast to the classic 1×2 market on one ticket, you include two outcomes instead of one. But Double Chance also has one drawback and that is low odds. Given that the odds are lower than in other markets, you should use this concept for matches with a risky outcome. At these high-risk sporting events, the odds are generally a bit higher.

The 2x tactic should be applied in the following way in live betting:

• After the start of the match, you should wager on the 12 outcome
• Once the draw factor increases (X), you need to wager on this market

As we have already said, this market is only available for sports with three outcomes. So, you will not find it in tennis or volleyball where there is no draw. Unlike these sports, Double Chance is very popular in football matches. Football events are characterized by a lot of unexpected draws.

We will note that 12 betting strategies are very useful if you wager on an outsider. This rule is more pronounced if the favorites have away games and do not play at home. In away games, the favorites usually achieve either a draw or loss. Also, bookmakers can set higher odds for outsiders (ranging from 1.6 to 2.5) so you need to take advantage of that.

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Tactic 1-3-2-6

1-3-2-6 is one of the progressive betting strategies. As you can see from the name of this system, there are numbers. But don’t worry, it’s not based on pure mathematics. It is suitable for use whether you are a new or experienced player. 1-3-2-6 is a versatile strategy that can be used in both sports wagering and casino games. However, it is mostly used in football, basketball, tennis, and ice hockey. There are a couple of reasons why this tactic is acceptable in these sports. See them in the list below:

• These are the most present sports in bookmakers
• Research is facilitated
• Have popular markets
• Have competitive odds

The main goal of the 1-3-2-6 tactic is to increase your victories in a good session. But it also increases your losses if you have an unsuccessful session or a partially good session. This system has a lot in common with the Paroli tactic. That is, it allows you to start the winning streak by placing four consecutive wagers correctly. Below you will see the rules of the 1-3-2-6 betting strategies.

What you need to do is stake the units (1-3-2-6), in each wager. You repeat this activity until you are satisfied with the profit. On the first wager, you stake one unit, while on the next you stake three units. In case the first two stakes are successful, you will continue with a series. That is, if the first two units win, you stake two units and then six units. But in case your first, second, or third stakes lose, you return to the original starting stake of 1 unit. So if you lose before you reach the last unit, you have to go back to the very beginning of this system.

1-3-2-6 Example

Suppose you have chosen a stake of €10 on the first wager. With a 1-3-2-6 tactic, the first stake would be €10. If it were successful, the next stake would be 3×10, or €30. For the third wager, you would need a stake of 2×10 or 20 EUR. Finally, the fifth stake would be €60. In case you lose €30, €20, or €60, you would return to the initial stake of €10. After re-starting the stake, you should begin the 1-3-2-6 series again.

1-3-2-6 works best on 2-way wagers. Two ways are those wagers that give you a choice between two possible outcomes. So, you have a 50%/50% chance of winning or losing a prediction. In football events, these wagers with two outcomes exist in Draw no Bet or Double Chance markets. Both are valid for 90 minutes of the game without overtime. In addition to this, 1-3-2-6 are useful in markets such as Winner, Both Team to Score, and Handicap. Finally, we will mention that it is significant to choose only those markets that are familiar to you.

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Martingale

Martingale is one of the well-known betting strategies that work on doubling the stakes after losing a wager. Because the Martingale system provides a low level of profit, it is more applicable to fast live games. Thus, it achieved fame in live sports predictions. So, the Martingale system is not so popular with “pre-match” predictions. But it can also be applied to pre-matches if you play more tickets a day. The only thing that matters is that the odds are 2.00 or more.

The rules for Martingale betting strategies are as follows. If your wager on the 2.0 odds loses, you double your starting stake. In case your next prediction is also wrong, the stake should be doubled again. This doubling of investment continues until you hit the winning ticket. Let’s see an example.

Martingale Example

Let’s assume you played a live football match with 2.0 odds and a stake of 1 EUR and lost. The next stake would be 2 EUR. If you miss again you would have to invest 4 EUR. For the next miss, your investment would be 8 EUR, etc. In this way, odds 2.0 should be hit in one of 10 matches and you will earn a profit of €1.

We see that Martingale does not offer enormous profits, but your bankroll will not be drained. The advantage of this betting strategy is that you can play live sports events all day without fear of losing. Finally, we will mention that there are Super Martingale tactics. It is suitable for you if you have a generous bankroll. Super Martingale requires you to make a double + initial stake after the miss. In any case, both Martingale betting strategies will save you money from losing.

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The Fibonacci system

Fibonacci is one of the betting strategies that work on the principle of positive progression. This tactic is based on the Fibonacci sequence. Fibonacci will require you, in case of loss, to increase the next stakes that will be equal to the sum of the previous two stakes. So, the system is similar to Martingale. You play with an initial investment of your choice and stay on it, as long as you win.

The Fibonacci sequence would look like this – 0 (initial investment), 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21,34, 55, etc.

Your first step would be to determine the starting stake. We advise you to keep the started funds to a minimum since in case of loss you have to increase them. As soon as a miss happens, your next stake grows by adding the previous two. We will explain it to you better through an example.

Fibonacci Betting Strategies Example

This is what Fibonacci’s structure would look like in the case of 1 victory and other mistakes. We will assume that the initial investment is 1 EUR.

• The winning ticket of €1
• Missed ticket with an investment of €1 (start Fibonacci series – 0 + initial stake = €1)
• Lost ticket with an investment of €1 (continue Fibonacci series – initial investment + initial investment = €2)
• Lost ticket of €2 (1 + 2 = €3)
• Lost ticket of €3. (3 + 2 = 5) etc.

Now let’s assume you lost ten times in a row. That would mean that your bankroll is – €143. But the eleventh winning wager can bring you a gain of €144, thus compensating for all previous losses. Even better if that winning prediction had odds of 2.80. Then the giants would be €403.2, i.e. the net profit would be €116.2.

It is one of the betting strategies that are suitable if you are focused on making small but secure profits in the long run. As a disadvantage, we would single out what you cannot predict when the winning prediction is forthcoming. Concerning the above example, if you had lost twenty predictions in a row, the loss would have been €16,910.

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Kelly tactics

Kelly tactics, unlike other betting strategies we have listed, involve mathematical calculus. In sports predictions, it can be used to calculate how much you should optimally invest in any wager you lay. More specifically Kelly helps you determine the exact amount of funds you need to risk concerning the range of your bankroll. To use this formula effectively, you need to include the expected chance of winning the wager. Kelly points to stake higher amounts when you make wagers with a higher probability of winning. Also, Kelly tells to risk low investment if the wagers have a lower chance of winning.

In the table, you can see the Kelly formula and an example. Below you will find an explanation for the items in the table.

• “B” for decimal quotas is calculated as odds -1. It represents a multiple of the initial investment. If the wager is 10 EUR at odds of 3.00, the gain would be 30 EUR including the initial investment. The profit is equal to 20 EUR or a multiple of the initial 10 EUR.
• “P” represents the probability of your gain. If a wager has a 40% chance of winning, that would be presented as having 0.40 in the formula.
• “Q” represents the probability of your mistakes. Compared to the example above, a wager has a 40% chance of being successful. But also it has a 60% chance of losing. This probability of mistake is represented as 0.60.
• “F” is the result of the Kelly formula

Based on the example above, you should invest 10% (0.1) of your funds. You could see that the chances of losing are greater than the chances of winning. Still, this would be a wager with a positive expected value due to the favorable odds.

We will note that Kelly’s formula only works for wagers that have a positive expected value. The value, however, is subjective in sports events, because different players will have different views on the probability of winning. But the point is that you shouldn’t wager if the odds aren’t high enough to compensate for the risk of loss.

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Dutching system

Dutching, like Kelly, is one of the betting strategies that involve mathematical calculation. It is a pretty easy tactic. All you need to do is distribute your stake according to the odds of multiple selections. This way you would make the same profit on any result. Your goal would be to reduce the stake to higher odds and increase investment proportionally to lower odds. You will see later how this works in the example.

Some of the sports where we recommend using the Dutching system are horse racing, football, and greyhounds. There are multiple selections in these sports. If you want to apply Dutching to horse racing, you should support two or three favorites in the race. You choose your favorites based on their looks by following the bookmakers’ estimates. If 10 horses take part in the horse race, and you have supported three favorites, your chance of winning would be more than 30%.

Dutching can also be applied in football matches. The application of this system is not suitable for two-way or three-way markets. This means that 1×2, Double Chance, and others could not be used. Instead, Dutching should be applied in special bets such as the exact result. In football, you would have over 20 possible choices. There is also half-time or end-time wagering which can include nine different choices. Dutching is also popular in League and Cup matches. Here you can support two or three different teams to win the Cup or the League.

To use Dutching, you need to determine the implicit odds probability. Let’s show you how to do this in one easy example.

Dutching Betting Strategies Example

Suppose you have chosen a market with the correct result and you want to cover three choices. Let’s say those three choices are next

• 1-0 at 5.00 odds
• 1-1 at 7.50 odds
• 2-1 at 10.00 odds

We will assume that this time your initial stake is a bit higher – €100. To find the implicit probability you need to go through the following calculation:

• 10.00 odds: (1 / 10.00) * 100 = 10%
• 7.50 odds: (1 / 7.50) * 100 = 13.33%
• 5.00 odds: (1 / 5.00) * 100 = 20%

Next, you need to find the right investment for each of the three selections. To do this, use the formula – STAKE = (percentage/total percentage) x total investment

The total investment should be calculated as follows:

• (10 / 43.3) * 100 = 23.08 EUR
• (13.33 / 43.3) * 100 = 30.77 EUR
• (20 / 43.3) * 100 = 46.15 EUR

With odds of 5.00, 7.00, and 10.00 and the €100 stakes, your guaranteed profit would be €130.7, no matter which choice wins. Also, do not worry if you can’t do the math. On the Internet, you can find many sites that offer Dutching calculators that will do the job for you.

To summarize. Dutching is one of the best betting strategies for multi-choice markets without too much risk. Also, the system is favorable for special markets, say a correct result in football. A correct result with Dutching tactics has a great chance of winning and you are guaranteed a profit regardless of the result.

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Cash Out Betting Strategies

Cash Out more falls into the category of withdrawal tactic than betting strategies. But it can benefit you very well. Originally, this system could only be used in the United States. But today it also exists in Nigeria. Cash Out allows players to be paid for the wager before the sporting event ends.

We will now introduce you to the rules of the Cash Out system. You only have to redeem the stake for the duration of the match. So if the match is over you have no chance to withdraw funds. Withdrawal of money from the parlay must be done before the last game is over. Also, if you request a stake too late, the bookmaker may charge you additional funds. Below we will give you a few tips about when you need to use this option.

If you are not positive about the outcome and ask for a cash-out before the end of the match, you would save money from losing. You can also use the cash-out option if your prediction is won but the result can be reversed and the match is not over yet. So you can get at least a partial gain in a situation where your team loses by the end of the match.

Some of the sports where you will meet the Cash Out are football, basketball, tennis, cricket, horse racing, and more. Also, the Cash Out betting strategies will apply to some of the most famous markets. They are 1×2, points predicting, and more.

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Money Race Betting Strategies

The Money Race is one of the betting strategies that will benefit you if you are new to bookmakers. In this system, you need to stake gains from the previous wager in the next bet. You continue this process until you achieve the desired profit.

The Money Race tactic is such that it can be applied to different types of wagers. But we recommend that you use it in those matches which have lower odds. If your market has low odds, you are more likely to win. With more affected predictions with lower odds, you can more safely accumulate gains. Also, it is more convenient if your bankroll is more flexible. If you start the Money Race with a fairly high starting stake, you will quickly achieve the goal you set. However, you need to know that at the same time the risk of loss is higher.

In Money Race betting strategies, it is best to choose odds of 1.20. So in a situation, you invest 20 EUR, with 1.20 odds you will need 22 accurate predictions for a profit of over 1000 EUR. But if you start the Money Race with the first stake of 100 EUR, the same profit will come with 13 successful predictions. In addition to larger stakes, higher odds can speed up the achievement of your ultimate goal too. However, with that comes a higher risk of loss as well.

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Draw Betting Strategies

One of the often overlooked betting strategies is Draw. Mostly when you wager on football, you support one or the other team participating in the event. You think your team will beat the other because of tactics, form, or other factors. But you neglect that there may be a draw. A draw most often comes when teams are tied or there is a scenario where the draw does the service of both teams. Also, we should note that certain teams or leagues tend to produce draws.

A draw exists in about 25% of the results in football matches. Also, the draw odds are high and can be even higher than 1 and 2 when you play the 1×2. In some leagues, it happens that a third of the matches end in a draw. There can be plenty of opportunities to make a profit here.

When you go to the draw, it is significant to find the best odds. We recommend that you compare the odds of several different bookmakers. Also, we recommend that you look at the statistics of the leagues and see which ones prefer a draw.

Statistics of the best three NPFL leagues

In the table below you can see the three most popular Nigerian leagues and what results they achieved in 2021/22.

As you can see from the previous table Enugu Rangers has 9 draws. So, compared to 6 lost matches, Rangers are more likely to end up with 0:0 or 1:1 than with a goal more. So the next time you see a 1×2 market in this team, you should consider the x option.

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Focus on one league or team

Being thoroughly informed about matches is key to all betting strategies. You need to know all the information about the teams participating in the match to be able to achieve the correct prediction. On the bookmaker’s sites, you can find all the information about the teams and leagues you will need.

But you shouldn’t expect to be an expert on all leagues. On the contrary, you should not bother with too much information. It is better to have more knowledge about one league than a little knowledge about all. If you specialize in a certain league, you will know all the events within it. You will be informed about suspensions, injuries, and other significant factors.

To choose the best league that you will support, see if the media coverage is wide. Also, you can focus on the leagues or countries and follow them all with the same level of attention. However, you need to dedicate yourself equally to the analysis of all factors in all teams. If you use one of the previously mentioned betting strategies in a league you do not know, the victory will depend solely on luck.

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FAQ: Betting Strategies

What is one of the best betting strategies?

There is no single answer to this question. Each player must individually choose one of the betting strategies. Which system will be most favorable for you depends primarily on the sport you are wagering on. This is because, for example, some of the systems cannot be applied in sports where there is no draw. Also, some systems will be successful in specific markets and specific odds.

Should I use one or more betting strategies?

If the strategy helps you a lot in making a profit and leads you to successful results, you do not need to change it. In case you can’t adjust to it, maybe you should apply another one. Specific systems may not suit you because they involve mathematical calculations. If you are not doing well with the calculation, choose one of the simpler betting strategies in our review. For a start, we recommend the application of one system. Later when you gain experience, you can combine multiple tactics together.