Is there really skill in sports betting?

[Roseline492]

Most times the games I am sure of end up not working as predicted whereas the ones I play with doubt and fear work out fine. This makes me begin to wonder if there is actually skill in sports betting or it is entirely a game of luck.

I don't really see any skills required on sports betting because if there was to be skilled involved many people would have been cashing out a lot of money from it, however the reason why gambling exist is because of the unpredictable nature which makes it very unique that nobody would be able to no the actual game that can play exactly the way they predict them, so don't feel bad about it because there is no skill involves and in terms of losing is very common even when you are certain about the game, so however in as much as there are so many uncertainty and risk on gambling, there are also gamblers who has established some kind of strategy which they mostly use to keep things balance and reduce there losing chances which is why strategy is more important than anything while gambling.

This is an interesting question and this question will be asked, in my opinion, many more times. There are two facts that at first glance seem to contradict each other. The first fact is that in sports betting there is a very large element of chance or, as they say, "luck". The second fact tells us that in addition to the random factor, there are also certain patterns by which one can predict the outcome of the game with a fairly high probability. I think that it is precisely such games that professional players use to place bets.

You have spoken my mind because most people always contradict the element behind every winning in gambling to be considered as a "luck" Forgetting that there are some other patterns people normally use that has a very good opportunity of wining there gambling without luck involves, so actually I understand that those who doesn't have any pattern of gambling tend to believe that any of there wining comes from luck.

[Alphakilo]

There is this doubt that have suddenly filled my mind regarding my skills in sports betting.  

Sometimes I think there is some skill involved in sports betting and some other times, I just go with the group that says there's no skill involved in sports betting. It is so random some times and yet at other times, it is so predictable.

Sometimes the game you spent time studying and analyzing ends up with a win while at other times, it doesn't.

It could be that it is more about following your guts. Even though the OP didn't ask it but I'll add that I would chose sports betting over betting on casino games because in the long term, you have a higher probability of winning in sports bet than in these casino games.

[Solosanz]

The only skill in sports betting is you need to guess correctly, even you have zero sports knowledge, but you can correctly guess which team will win, people will say you're a professional sports bettor.

Unlike slots or any other luck based games, you can only click spin instead of choosing this or that.

I saw 6 goalkeeper saves from Newcastle which was the reason the game ended with just one goal,so skill is truly relevant in here but also luck like those 6 saves makes an impact here.

Betting on early season isn't recommended too because there are many thing changed and we can't draw conclusion based on past history.

[YOSHIE]

There is this doubt that have suddenly filled my mind regarding my skills in sports betting.  Most times the games I am sure of end up not working as predicted whereas the ones I play with doubt and fear work out fine.

Such thoughts are not only felt and experienced by you, as far as I know, the average sports gambler feels this way, including myself, the team that I believed in a thousand percent actually disappointed me and conversely the team that I thought was doubtful was actually the one who won the final score with a victory.

My experience in sports betting is that there is no skill there, what should be shown here, there is none, only predictions, analysis and luck are needed there.
If you want to bet, try placing a sports bet on the team you are unsure about, make a back bet, I've done it and the final result was that I won, that's my experience, obviously I don't know whether you're lucky that way or even more unlucky, the point is that sports betting only requires luck.

[Juse14]

It is very easy to underestimate the skill involved in sports betting, largely because many gamblers find themselves winning through sheer luck. Admittedly, having an idea about the sport and leagues can help you make better predictions. At the same time, it's not easy to be constant in winning because of the too much unmanageable wealth of factors. This goes into the part of its complexity, where luck is a significant player.

Sports are rife with unforeseeable variablesvariables, like sudden injuries or the decisions from the referees that could-be-controversial.

Skill in sports betting does require knowledge of strategy and risk management but luck is what largely determines the final result. It results in variability and volatility of betting outcomes, therefore resembling more of a gambling luck game than an outcome of pure skill.

[uneng]

There is this doubt that have suddenly filled my mind regarding my skills in sports betting.

I don't think skills matter on long term gambling. The house edge is still an important and decisive factor which gamblers must take into consideration when placing their bets, as it gives the house advantage against gamblers. Moreover, there aren't safebets on sports betting. Some gamblers believe they can profit by only placing bets on matches the favorite is much stronger than the underdog, however, the gambler has to win 10 of those bets for each defeat he faces, and that is to just break even.

If you analyze critically, you will see sports betting isn't too different from traditional casino games such as dice, crash and mines. Luck and randomness are present in sports as well, especially in tournaments where teams are equally strong and strategical. If skills really mattered, the total percentage of gamblers winning on long run would be much superior in sports betting category.

[Mr. Magkaisa]

There is this doubt that have suddenly filled my mind regarding my skills in sports betting.  Most times the games I am sure of end up not working as predicted whereas the ones I play with doubt and fear work out fine. This makes me begin to wonder if there is actually skill in sports betting or it is entirely a game of luck. I understand that knowing events across different sports and leagues can help in the selection, this is what many people interpret as skill, but sometimes despite this knowledge, consistency is still a problem. .

             -     I think that from a gambling perspective, a gambler does not need to have skills here, because there are no skills that can be acquired here if we think of gambling as just entertainment and winning depends only on luck, right?

Because when you say skills, that means we need to study them and devote time and effort so that we know the things that we must know to get profit. This is not the case with gambling, according to my knowledge.

[Apocollapse]

Luck happen in everything, not just in gambling.

Even you're a doctor who have learn for many many years, but there's a chance you can make mistake. It's same to professional gambler, even they've learn about the sports for
a long time, but there are no guarantee they will win all the bets.

So if we're talking about anything, we can't deny about luck.

[GeorgeJohn]

There is this doubt that have suddenly filled my mind regarding my skills in sports betting.  Most times the games I am sure of end up not working as predicted whereas the ones I play with doubt and fear work out fine. This makes me begin to wonder if there is actually skill in sports betting or it is entirely a game of luck. I understand that knowing events across different sports and leagues can help in the selection, this is what many people interpret as skill, but sometimes despite this knowledge, consistency is still a problem. .

That's while is good to make prediction without hoping on it to win, so I know quite well that in gambling the one you think will make you to win is the one that will make you to loss, I played gambling due to I want to gamble but I do heard some people saying that they have sure bet, theirs no bet that's sure bet, because I know quite well that the match you think that you will win can disappoint at any point and that's why I don't depends on gambling prediction, I gamble to accept any results that came out it, I does accept a principle that a particular prediction is sure prediction.

[Ricardo11]

Both luck and experience are equally important when it comes to sports betting. Due to skill we can certainly select some correct subject matter, but it is extremely difficult to predict the final result at the end of the game, as it can change at any time. It mostly depends on unexpected events, so we have to be prepared for unexpected results as well.

While decisions can be made based on knowledge on the one hand, luck is also important in sports betting. Both are of equal importance here, so the biggest challenge is to strike a balance between the two.

[Wiwo]

Both luck and experience are equally important when it comes to sports betting. Due to skill we can certainly select some correct subject matter, but it is extremely difficult to predict the final result at the end of the game, as it can change at any time. It mostly depends on unexpected events, so we have to be prepared for unexpected results as well.

While decisions can be made based on knowledge on the one hand, luck is also important in sports betting. Both are of equal importance here, so the biggest challenge is to strike a balance between the two.

I gambling, luck and experience goes hand in hand and sometimes the two will have to play in your favor for you to be able to make something out from you gambling time because if you rely on one most especially if you rely on your skills of analysis it will always fail you, and even if the day is your lucky day sometime you just did not take the risk that could have facilitate such luck into existence, this is what have been the experience of many gambler.

I can still depend totally on luck rather than my skills, but I can't depend on my skills since football games are highly unpredictable, so it will only take luck to win you bet I sports games.

[ChiBitCTy]

I mean would it matter if Real Madrid's star forward (Ronaldo) was out due to injury when going in to a Classico where Messi and all of Barcelona's starters were healthy, or if Mahomes was out when the Chiefs were in the playoffs up against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game..how about what team you're betting, they home or away..whats the spread.. and like 10 zillion more things. Knowing all the vital info, analyzing it all, processing..that takes skill. Then knowing like how a teams defensive set up versus a team who runs an offense this way, isn't as effective unless it's against this style of offense etc.  Or when to place a bet, if betting the favorite, doing so early in the week, versus game day..could be advantageous ..so heck yes.

[moneystery]

i believe that in betting there is a skill involved in it, although it is not the main factor that can make someone win, but that skill is very useful for a bettor to be able to increase his chances of winning a match. although there are several other factors that can make a bettor win, but we cannot underestimate the skill of a bettor to maximize their chances of winning. and it is not built in one time, but it increases in line with a bettor's experience and how he can continue to learn from his mistakes.

[hedgeh0g]

I mean would it matter if Real Madrid's star forward (Ronaldo) was out due to injury when going in to a Classico where Messi and all of Barcelona's starters were healthy, or if Mahomes was out when the Chiefs were in the playoffs up against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game..how about what team you're betting, they home or away..whats the spread.. and like 10 zillion more things. Knowing all the vital info, analyzing it all, processing..that takes skill. Then knowing like how a teams defensive set up versus a team who runs an offense this way, isn't as effective unless it's against this style of offense etc.  Or when to place a bet, if betting the favorite, doing so early in the week, versus game day..could be advantageous ..so heck yes.

In addition, I would choose a different bookmaker each time, which has a better coefficient than others. For example, I would take about 10 and choose the ones that suit me. Of course, for this we need to spend more time, but every fraction of a tenth percent is important to us, because only those who will use every advantageous moment for a bet will win more than those who will not do this. I would also use different bonuses, but this also costs time and effort, and many players will not do this because they came here to relax.

Well, in general, of course, there are many reasons why we cannot take everything into account and if it suddenly rains, then the teams will start scoring less or more due to various unsuccessful falls or hits on the ball, such things make bets even more unpredictable.

[Samlucky O]

There is this doubt that have suddenly filled my mind regarding my skills in sports betting.  Most times the games I am sure of end up not working as predicted whereas the ones I play with doubt and fear work out fine.

That is gambling for you. That is why gambling is all about luck. Though skill is involved to minimise the risk of frequent lose over win, but it is mainly all about luck. What you have explained here is also what I usually expirence, like to win when I least expect, and lose when I hope to win.

This makes me begin to wonder if there is actually skill in sports betting or it is entirely a game of luck. I understand that knowing events across different sports and leagues can help in the selection, this is what many people interpret as skill, but sometimes despite this knowledge, consistency is still a problem. .

What I understand about skill in gambling is just the ability to make selection of possible wining games. Because Most people don't have that skill to predict for themselves except from other people. Meaning they are not skillful in the aspect of selecting more wining outcomes over lose.

[betswift]

Luck happen in everything, not just in gambling.

Even you're a doctor who have learn for many many years, but there's a chance you can make mistake. It's same to professional gambler, even they've learn about the sports for
a long time, but there are no guarantee they will win all the bets.

So if we're talking about anything, we can't deny about luck.

Luck plus analysis, I would say 40 to 60

[shield132]

There is this doubt that have suddenly filled my mind regarding my skills in sports betting.  Most times the games I am sure of end up not working as predicted whereas the ones I play with doubt and fear work out fine. This makes me begin to wonder if there is actually skill in sports betting or it is entirely a game of luck. I understand that knowing events across different sports and leagues can help in the selection, this is what many people interpret as skill, but sometimes despite this knowledge, consistency is still a problem. .

I would say that you need to have a good analytical skill because you have to analyze the past events of each team and athlete, analyze their current state and use all of these past events to make a good prediction.
Consistency is a problem because besides skill, there is luck involved. You don't know if Messi gets injured in the match or if the goalkeeper gets red card or there will be 10 against 11 in soccer because if faults, you can't predict that but I had a neighbour who was constantly winning, he was feeding his family for years with only sports betting. I don't advise anyone to follow his path but it's possible and besides skills, you need luck because there are events that are out of control for you. When the players goes on the pitch, no analytical skill can help you to predict what he is going to do. Some players might not be in the mood to play and etc...

[ChiBitCTy]

I mean would it matter if Real Madrid's star forward (Ronaldo) was out due to injury when going in to a Classico where Messi and all of Barcelona's starters were healthy, or if Mahomes was out when the Chiefs were in the playoffs up against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game..how about what team you're betting, they home or away..whats the spread.. and like 10 zillion more things. Knowing all the vital info, analyzing it all, processing..that takes skill. Then knowing like how a teams defensive set up versus a team who runs an offense this way, isn't as effective unless it's against this style of offense etc.  Or when to place a bet, if betting the favorite, doing so early in the week, versus game day..could be advantageous ..so heck yes.

In addition, I would choose a different bookmaker each time, which has a better coefficient than others. For example, I would take about 10 and choose the ones that suit me. Of course, for this we need to spend more time, but every fraction of a tenth percent is important to us, because only those who will use every advantageous moment for a bet will win more than those who will not do this. I would also use different bonuses, but this also costs time and effort, and many players will not do this because they came here to relax.

Well, in general, of course, there are many reasons why we cannot take everything into account and if it suddenly rains, then the teams will start scoring less or more due to various unsuccessful falls or hits on the ball, such things make bets even more unpredictable.

Yeah that's a great point.  I wonder, and maybe you know the answer here..is there any one stop shop websites that can help you determine which bookmaker is best for which bet as you mention?  (if not lets create one and make  tons of money lol).

The bonus stuff etc..good points.

As for rain..I mean checking the forecast is def important ..and if you're placing a bet right b4 game time, you could probably get damn near 100% accuracy that it won't rain (no cloud coverage in sight, can pretty well dial in that it absolutely won't for 2-3 hours, or whatever)..but then you could get a 50/50 day and then it's just a lot of guesswork.. probably a way over thinking type thing too.

[betswift]

There is this doubt that have suddenly filled my mind regarding my skills in sports betting.  Most times the games I am sure of end up not working as predicted whereas the ones I play with doubt and fear work out fine. This makes me begin to wonder if there is actually skill in sports betting or it is entirely a game of luck. I understand that knowing events across different sports and leagues can help in the selection, this is what many people interpret as skill, but sometimes despite this knowledge, consistency is still a problem. .

I would say that you need to have a good analytical skill because you have to analyze the past events of each team and athlete, analyze their current state and use all of these past events to make a good prediction.
Consistency is a problem because besides skill, there is luck involved. You don't know if Messi gets injured in the match or if the goalkeeper gets red card or there will be 10 against 11 in soccer because if faults, you can't predict that but I had a neighbour who was constantly winning, he was feeding his family for years with only sports betting. I don't advise anyone to follow his path but it's possible and besides skills, you need luck because there are events that are out of control for you. When the players goes on the pitch, no analytical skill can help you to predict what he is going to do. Some players might not be in the mood to play and etc...

It's about thinking and analyzing to choose the path where the odds are more on your favor, but they are usually not 99%, not at all

[darkangel11]

Both luck and experience are equally important when it comes to sports betting. Due to skill we can certainly select some correct subject matter, but it is extremely difficult to predict the final result at the end of the game, as it can change at any time. It mostly depends on unexpected events, so we have to be prepared for unexpected results as well.

While decisions can be made based on knowledge on the one hand, luck is also important in sports betting. Both are of equal importance here, so the biggest challenge is to strike a balance between the two.

You said luck and experience, but no skill. Experience does not equal skill. You can be skillful from the start, or experienced with little skill. Just look at some contractors. They've been doing it for years and know the trade, but they're slow and inefficient which means they lack skill.
The way I see it, skill has nothing to do with sports betting. Knowing and understanding both the sport you bet on and the odds will help a lot, but real skill matters in other professions. Someone who cheats at cards or knows how to count cards can be skillful. You can be skillful at shuffling a deck, but you can't be skillful at placing a bet online.