On a world-wide level, sports betting is probably responsible for a very large chunk of the revenue gambling activities generate. Remember, it’s not a new phenomenon like the online poker craze, which exploded starting with 2004. Sports betting is an age-old thing, which has probably been around since sports themselves surfaced.

In a nutshell, this is what sports betting is about: the bookmaker gives certain lines for different matches. There are several ways to bet on a match-up, but spread betting seems to be the most popular variant.

The main goal of the bookmaker is to provide balanced match-ups, meaning that the ideal thing for him would be to get an equal number of bettors on both sides of a given game. In order to achieve that balance, the bookmaker has a few tools he can use to influence bettors. One such way is to move his lines. As one side of the bet gets overcrowded, he moves his lines in a way that will make sure the other side looks more attractive for bettors.

In a perfectly balanced situation, the bookmaker will pay the winners from what the losers lose, and keep the vig (or juice) for himself. A perfectly balanced game however, is all but impossible for the bookie to achieve.

When you’re betting on sports, whether that’s the NBA, NFL or soccer, you can’t just always bet on the favorite and expect to get good value. You have to look up the hidden value, which is usually not where the crowds are.

The hidden value can surface in different shapes in the NFL, NBA, or in different other sports. In order to be able to locate it you need to possess some stiff handicapping skills, as well as a “feel” for the game.

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