Before people fall in love with sports betting, they fall in love with particular teams. Everyone has at least one team that they root for no matter what, and there will always be some level of bias towards them.
If it feels impossible to think rationally about a team, is it a good idea to put money on them? Some are firmly against ever betting on their team, while others do it all the time. There is a case for both options, and individuals need to make the right decision for themselves before jumping in.
Table of Contents
Betting on your favorite teams
People watch sports for entertainment, and those following their favorite teams will be tuning in more closely than ever. Is it worth putting money on your favorite team from time to time? As long as people are responsible about it and can look at things somewhat rationally, there are reasons to think that success will come in time.
Knowledge
There is no sports team out there that people know more about than their favorite. This means a lot of research already takes place, and if used correctly, it can give an edge. That all goes out the window if a person can’t look at things rationally, but watching games and breaking down numbers pays off when people are knowledgeable.
Sign up for a FREE Consultation to start working with Legendary Sports Bettor Jon Price
Breaking down opponents
If a person can objectively look at a favorite team and their opponents, they can gather some pretty valuable information. In just about every sport, a team plays a set amount of opponents more often than any other. This can give more opportunities to break down teams and see who stands out the most. So as an example, a fan of the New England Patriots ends up knowing quite a bit about the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets since they are division rivals.
One of the biggest keys to success for us at Sports Information Traders is having familiarity with both teams. Anyone betting on a game that includes a favorite team and an unknown opponent is taking a huge gamble. If a person already knows quite a bit about both teams, that is when it makes more sense to put money down.
Enjoyment
People who put bets down for a living can start to feel like everything is a bit too tedious. Research is necessary for every single matchup, but with a favorite team, it does not feel like research. Most would be putting in the time and effort to learn about their team in the first place, so it does not feel like a waste.
Why staying away might be best
Betting on a favorite team might sound like a good idea, but there are plenty of people who strongly advise against it. These are a few of the main reasons why it does not make that much sense.
Betting with emotion
Emotion is a huge problem for many people out there trying to make money in sports gambling. It is merely counterintuitive to place a bet based on emotion. It is going to put a person in a very sticky situation if they can’t separate fandom from looking at things objectively. Make sure that emotion is under control, or it could be a huge loss that continues to add up.
Stress
A true fan is already stressed out enough as it is rooting for their team in a big game. Adding money to the equation can make it even more stressful. There is a certain level of stress with every single bet in sports gambling, but this makes things that much worse when it involves a favorite team.
Thinking too much
There is such a thing as overthinking and over-analyzing a bet. Instead of trusting initial thoughts on who to put money down on, a person might look at things from too many angles and end up confusing themselves.
We are huge proponents of developing a method and focusing solely on using those methods. As soon as a person starts overthinking a bet, it usually does not end up going well.
Is it worth betting on a favorite team?
There are definite negatives, but people who can identify those pitfalls are usually going to be just fine putting some money down on a favorite team from time to time. Like with any sports gambling, make sure to keep track of results and see what has worked. If a person is continuing to lose while betting on their favorite team, it might be time to ditch that strategy. There is nothing wrong with looking in other directions to put money down and win.