Each day these articles will prepare readers for the start of both the NFL and college football seasons. It is important to learn from mistakes in previous years and develop a game plan for success heading into this year. Let’s go over some strategies and/or information that will lead to a profitable football season. Most bettors are always looking for the latest hot tip or pick to make a big wager on without learning good handicapping fundamentals. In my opinion, one of the most important things to successful handicapping is developing a personal strategy. For example, I approach each sport from a different perspective, especially pro and college football. After several years of personal handicapping successes and failures, I feel that I have further refined my own style. Here are my personal strategies in pro and college football.

The key to my successful 2010 NFL season was based on backing underdogs and finding good value opportunities. Good value opportunities are spots where the under is taken with a high total and vice versa. Also, backing a team that everyone else is fading or fading a team that everyone is backing. These fundamentals are crucial in the NFL because there is such a fine line between the best and worst teams in the league. When two mediocre teams are facing each other, there is tremendous value on taking the underdog, especially when the underdog comes in with more motivation. Of the four major sports, the NFL has the smallest of margins between the best and worst teams, making it critical to find value spots.

My college football handicapping style focuses on motivational factors, as I feel that these factors have the biggest impact on the game outcome. Doing a quick week by week scan of last season reveals several games where a motivational situation played the biggest outcome on what team covered the point spread. However, it is not enough to just find small motivational edges. Look for spots to fade a team coming off of a big win or having a big game looming the next week. However, another key is to stay away from these situations when one team has a massive edge in athleticism and talent. Often times, the favorite can be playing poorly for most of the game then turn it on late and get a point spread cover. Another good motivational opportunity is to back teams in big revenge spots in both conference and non-conference games, especially in rivalry games. Teams coming off of embarrassing performances are also great to back the next week, provided that they are not in an extended slump.

Overall, I think it is vitally important for bettors to come up with their own style and system other than just relying on a hot tip or pick. The theories discussed in this article are some things I have found to be successful. It is important to develop your own style to be successful long-term.
 

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