Probability is the chance of a particular event akskybet For example, in tossing a coin, there are two possible outcomes: heads or tails. If the price offered on an event occurring is equal to its probability, then the price can be deemed fair (in the above example, Evens either event).In attempting to predict the outcome of football matches, an approximation of probability can only be made by looking at historical evidence, along with any other influential factors.
For extended events, unknown factors (e.g. weather) can affect the chance of a particular event occurring. `Fair` prices are educated guesses of the expected probability of an event occurring, since exact calculations are impossible. Bookmakers form an opinion on the probability of an event occurring and price it accordingly. There is a potential for profit if they are wrong, assuming, of course, that the punter notices the error.
Fixed Odds
Fixed odds` betting has its origins in the fixed prizes offered by late nineteenth-century newspapers for forecasting match outcomes. Bookmakers still offer `fixed odds.` The term applies more to high street betting offices, who publish a long list of football matches and their odds for the coming weekend several days in advance. This is an expensive process and cannot be repeated if mistakes are made or if the bookmaker needs to alter a price. Once the list goes to print, the betting odds become fixed. An Internet bookmaker has more flexibility and can change a price to manage his projected liability. However, even for high profile matches, with a large turnover, the odds available for the standard home/draw/away market do not change by more than about 10%.
Rating Systems & Value Bets
For football betting, determining such probabilities involves the analysis of previous events. Some punters use a numerical approach to historical analysis, known as ratings systems.
The traditional approach to beating the bookmaker has been through forecasting and prediction techniques in an attempt to reveal errors by the bookmaker. The punter approaches an event in exactly the same manner as the bookmaker, namely estimating the probability of a particular result and giving it a numerical value. This leads to both bookmaker and punter calculating their own price for a particular outcome. If the bookmaker`s price is greater than that of the punter, this constitutes a value bet.
Convenience – Let’s face it, it’s so much easier to sit at home in your pyjamas to do your sports betting, than it is to get up, get dressed and drive for ages to actually get to a betting shop. Everything is at your fingertips at any time of day. You can watch the games live on TV and watch your winnings piling up on your computer at the same time.
Security – Online football betting is very safe and secure, as is all online sports betting. All the online sportsbooks are protected with military grade encryption technology to scramble all your personal details, and money is securely transferred between accounts just like a bank would.
Speed – Because it takes only a few seconds to place a bet, you can place more bets more often, and closer to the game which can sometimes give you an edge over other bettors, since you may have a better idea of how the game will progress just before it starts. If you want to do lots of sports betting, online is the only way to do it.
Diversity – Football isn’t the only thing you can bet on online. You can bet on dozens of other sports too: baseball, basketball, horse racing, dog racing, snooker, boxing, soccer.. the list is endless. Remember the old saying, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. The same is true for sports betting – spread your bets far and wide, and find out what you’re best at.
Opportunity – Thanks to the huge number of online sports books, there are many many opportunities for you to place good value bets. Healthy competition between sports books means better value for you, the bettor. Plus, thanks to some advanced software and betting research, many sports betting systems have been developed which can seriously improve your win-rate.
