To the newcomer, online sports betting might be a complex concept to comprehend. But it’s pretty straightforward for the most part. The goal is to predict the outcome of a sporting event and risk money based on what you think will happen. If your predictions are correct, you win. If not, you lose.

You don’t need much expertise to start sports betting online, but the more knowledge you get, the better your results will become. Also, wagering on a sport you like increases your chances of making accurate predictions. You can pretty much bet on any sport, including:

• Soccer
• Horse Racing
• Cricket
• Rugby
• Snooker
• Darts
• Formula 1
• Motorsport
• Volleyball
• Handball

You might start sports betting online to pass time, but most people hope to at least win a few hundred Rand in the process. To do this, a deeper understanding of which bets to place and where will help.

And so will using some sports betting tips to enjoy consistent wins and returns. If you already have everything on lock and are just looking for the best sportsbooks to wager with, here’s a list of top ZA online bookmakers.

How to Know if Sports Betting is For You?

Is online sports betting for you? That’s a fair question to consider because sports betting isn’t for everyone. A sure-fire way to figure that out is by answering the following questions honestly:

• Do you like to watch sports like the DSTV Premiership?
• Do you consider yourself an expert in certain sports?
• Are you good at predicting scores?
• Do you have spare funds to use for sports betting?

If your answer was yes to all questions, then you’ll have a decent start as a sports bettor. Your next step is to determine the kind of bettor you want to be. Do you intend on betting casually or do you plan on becoming a full-time sports bettor?

Recreational Bettor

Most bettors generally engage in the activity for fun. Sure, they may hope to strike the jackpot, but they don’t follow any discernible strategy. Wondering if you should be a casual bettor or not? Use the following questions to get the answer.

• Are you likely going to back your favorite team or sports?
• Will you be making less than 5 wagers in a week?
• Would you wager more than R1,000 on a single bet?
• Will you set aside a small amount for your sports betting budget?

If you mostly answered yes, then you have all the makings of a casual bettor!

Full-Time Bettor

Naturally, the dynamics of a full-time bettor are different and a lot more commitment is needed on your part. 

• Do you plan on reading all you can about sports betting, then researching each game before placing wagers?
• Do you have a large amount of money to use for sports betting?
• Do you have reservations about betting large amounts of money on single tickets?
• Will you be betting regularly?

You’re likely to be a full-time bettor if you answer yes to these questions.

Choosing Types of Sports Betting Wagers

Wondering how to bet online and make money? With online sports betting, real money is on the line. As such, you need to know and understand the type of bets you place. As we mentioned, betting on familiar sports increases your winning chances.

Are you a fan of the South African Premier Division or niche markets like politics and MMA? Do you prefer to wager on international leagues or local games? What of bet types do you understand? Are you into live bets complete with the livescore feature, or prefer betting on Futures? To get you started, let’s look at some of the most popular bet types.

Win/Moneyline Bet

The win or Moneyline bet is easily the most popular wager in online sports betting. Its simplicity makes it very easy to understand—you’re basically betting on the person or team you think will win in a match. You don’t have to concern yourself about the number of points they win by or how long it takes.

Total Scores

The total scores wager doesn’t require you to back a particular team or side during a match. All you need to do is predict the total number of goals to be scored in the match. Such a bet usually works with sports like basketball and soccer, featuring two competing teams in matches. Newcomers to the South Africa sports betting scene should have considerable success with this wager.

Over/Under

Over/Under bets are similar to Total bets but take things a step further. Instead of merely predicting the total points, you must ascertain if it’ll be lower or higher than a set combined score. The latter is typically set by online sports betting sites.

Though the bet might appear straightforward, newbies might struggle with it. This type of bet works better after thorough research into the teams involved. Also, having in-depth knowledge of the sports helps, so seasoned bettors are likely to have better luck with this one.

Parlays/Accumulators and Teasers

As you work through online sports betting, placing multiple bets is the next logical step. As opposed to betting on a single game, you place several wagers at the same time. The goal is to amplify your winnings and bag massive payouts—if you win.

With a Parlay/Accumulator bet, you make multiple picks and win if all wagers are correct. Teasers also combine multiple selections in a single game. But you can only use picks against totals or spreads. And you’re allowed to adjust the spread for each game. 

Proposition Bets

Propositions wagers are a bit more granular than regular Moneyline or Total bets. They don’t focus on the result of the game. Rather, this SA bet focuses on parts of a game that may have nothing to do with the final score.

You can bet on how a player will perform referred to as Player prop. A game prop is another option where you can bet on which team will hit a home run first. It’s understandable why most new bettors steer clear of these bets. They add a layer of complexity to the wager and have a huge learning curve. But once you master them they’re loads of fun and lucrative too.

Futures

As the name implies, Futures are wagers you place on the outcome of a sporting competition or tournament that’ll end in the future. Typically, two teams are possible winners of the event. You need to predict which one is going to win.

For instance, you can wager on which team will win the NBA Championships or Super Bowl. Players find these wagers easy to understand and place. They come with the best odds, and the casual bettor can easily use them to win big if their predictions are accurate.

Handicapping

Handicapping is a popular sports betting strategy used by many bettors and bookies alike. Sportsbooks that avail this type of wager aim to level the playing field between two teams not evenly matched. In a nutshell, the oddsmaker puts the favored team at a slight disadvantage to improve the underdog’s chances of winning.

This wager aims to spice up online sports betting and prevent the stronger team from landing an easy win. Handicap bets are quite profitable, so you can make serious money out of them. They are ideal for markets like the NFL, rugby, tennis, football, and golf.

Both Teams to Score

The online sports betting ZA scene is continuously evolving. New bet types are popping up, and the Both Teams to Score (BTTS) wagers are among the latest. This is a pretty easy wager to place. You simply have to click “Yes” if you think both competing teams will score or “No” if you believe otherwise.

This is an exciting wager perfect for those looking to spruce up their online sports betting experience. It’ll keep you on your toes till the match ends! It comes in different forms, but the most beneficial is the wager you place during the game (in-play). You have first-hand experience of the feel of the game and can see how players are playing to make sound predictions.

Sports Betting Tips for Profitable Results

Before you start online sports betting, you need to have a goal in mind. What are you hoping to achieve from the activity? Are you looking to while up time and have some fun? Are you hoping to hone your betting skills? Maybe you’re looking to make an extra buck? Your motive should determine the strategy you use when betting.

But ultimately, you must create your sports betting strategy and stick to it. Here are a few tips to try out if your goal is to make some money out of this.

Managing your Money

As mentioned, sports betting requires you to add some money into your player account. That’s unless you join betting sites with free registration bonus in South Africa. So, the first step is to set aside your gambling funds.

It’s important to have a set amount to work with to avoid draining your bank account. Ideally, this should be an amount you’re willing to lose without putting a dent in your finances.

Let’s say you set aside R1,000. Don’t blow it all at once on one wager. A prudent strategy is to split it into smaller amounts and place multiple wagers. This gives you a chance to bet for longer and steadily build your bankroll.

Identifying High-Value Odds

When sports betting, you typically use odds set by the bookie. These odds roughly indicate the probability of a certain outcome occurring. To make profitable wagers, look for sports betting websites with high-value odds. For example, different bookie may offer 1.10, 1.15, and 1.2 odds for the same game. This means by just betting with the third bookie, you’d get R1,200 on a winning bet as opposed to R1,100 with the first one.

Small Wins Make Big Profits

In a perfect world, any bettor would like to place a bet that brings in the big bucks at one go. Sadly, that’s not always how it plays out when betting online. Instead, it could be a series of small wins that eventually lead to big profits.

The idea is not to shun the small wins and allow your bankroll to build up gradually. A working strategy to achieve this might include betting on fewer teams in a single game. If you wager as little as R50 on three well-thought-out teams, a reasonable return is within reach. These strategies even work with free online betting.

Making Correct Predictions

Making blind wagers or going on intuition is the quickest way to drain your bankroll. You need to make informed bets each time to increase your chances of making correct predictions. Identifying the best teams and players involved is a good start. But that’s only the beginning.

Go deeper and look at match statistics and how they relate to competing teams. Find out if any player injuries might affect the game’s outcome. You may even need to go as far as reading sports betting news to ascertain if any toxic tensions are present among teams. This can negatively impact gameplay.

Never Bet Based on Emotions

It’s no secret how emotions tend to run high why when you watch your favourite team lose a match. Now imagine if you’ve put your money on the team! It’s easy to get carried away and start making emotional bets. We highly advise against it.

Placing bets based on emotions can result in ill-informed wagers that’ll cost you. You’ll end up chasing losses, which by the way, is a one-way ticket to bankruptcy. A word of advice? Hold off on placing any bets after you’ve suffered major losses. Also, you don’t always have to back the team you love, more so if the odds and statistics suggest otherwise.

Record Your Bets

Keeping a record of your wagers is one thing most bettors tend to overlook. A track record of winning and losing wagers should give you insight into betting habits and patterns. You can use this information to find out which bets are working for you and the ones to ditch.

Information you can keep a record of includes the type of bets you place, how much you wager, associated odds, and the profit/ loss you made. Go over this information to pick up your strong and weak points. Ultimately, this should help improve your betting skills.

Choosing a Winning Team to Bet On

To become a successful bettor, you require one of two things. The first is well-thought-out betting strategies. The second is staying up to date with recent betting information. That way, you increase your winning chances if you play to win. Even when using no deposit sports betting offers, the idea is to place a bet that increases your statistical chance of winning.

Gather Enough Info

Your chances of placing a fruitful wager are higher if you know more about what you’re betting on. Before you place any bets, gather as much information as you can. Study the teams and players involved as well as their match histories.

Be in tune with any roster changes to avoid any last-minute surprises. Find out if there were any changes in the team’s management structure. Was a new head coach appointed? Did a team lose a star player? Do your homework before you wager. The more information you have on competing teams, the more confident you’ll be when making selections.

Specializing in One Sport/League

Being a jack of all trades and master of none doesn’t quite cut it when it comes to sports betting. You have a much better chance of placing sound wagers if you focus your efforts on one sport or league.

This is especially true if it’s your first-time sports betting in ZA. Concentrating your efforts on one sport can give you the edge you need to make profitable bets. Researching on too many sports can lead to information overload and, ultimately, poor predictions.

Look for Value, Not Winners

Looking for value bets as opposed to winning teams can be a complex concept to embrace for the new bettor. But this is a very integral part of sports betting if you hope to profit out of betting.

The general misconception is that a higher percentage of wins over losses translates to making money. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Rather, it’s very much possible to lose money even if you have a winning record with more wins than losses. You must understand that not all bets carry the same winnings or risk of losses.  

Caution on Parlays and Futures

As much as there are things you must do to increase your chances of making profitable wagers, there are also things to avoid. Placing regular Parlay or Future bets is one of them. Granted, these bet types are tempting and can give huge payouts, but there are risks.

For one, the chances of you nailing all wagers are slim. Also, odds on Future bets have a ridiculously high in-built house edge. After all, bookies are in it to make money! Regular parlay and future bets are a slippery slope for your bankroll, especially if you’re still new to the craft.

Choosing How Much to Bet

We mentioned the importance of betting only on what you can afford. Use the following tips to stay on top of the situation and maximize your betting success.

Establishing a Bankroll

Your bankroll can only survive when you have one. Ask yourself the hard questions. How much can you afford to spend on wagering after joining new sports betting sites South Africa? Make sure the amount you set aside is money you know you’re giving to a sportsbook, and there’s a possibility you won’t see it again. The idea is to set aside an amount you’re comfortable losing and stick to it.

Understanding Units in Sports Betting

With your bankroll set, next, you must determine your unit size. This is the percentage of your bankroll you’re comfortable wagering at a time. Ideally, picking a unit size between 1 and 5% will suffice for the newbie.

For instance, if you have a bankroll of R1,000, and your unit size is 5% then you wager R50 per game. Cautious bettors can safely wager in the 1-2% realm. The confident bettor can afford to wager 4-5% of their total bankroll.

Reevaluating Your Bankroll

Establishing your bankroll and unit size is well and good, but be open to revising the figures and percentages where necessary. The sports betting world is dynamic, so nothing should be set in stone. You should constantly reevaluate your bankroll depending on if you’re having big wins or losses.

Temper Your Expectations

You can even watch the entire English Premier League or go through the best sports betting dream guide but still fail to make accurate predictions. It’s the name of the game. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Even some of the most successful bettors have only managed to get 55% of their predictions right.