Sight on monitor with the teletext and betting offer for baseball matchups.
Fred Faour: Why betting on teams you are passionate about is not a bad idea
When I first got into sports betting, I refused to bet on teams I was passionate about. I figured I was already emotionally invested, and fans hate to bet against their own teams. That’s understandable.
But if you are a hardcore fan, what team do you know better? You can still bet opponents to cover a spread and root for your team to win.
Mattress Mack is an Astros superfan. He believed in the team because he knew the players, and it paid off big time (and many of you got free furniture).
There are patterns you can pick up from your teams where you can make a profit. I am passionate about UH basketball, football, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. I would not say I am a hardcore Texans fan, but I watch every game and know what to expect. I also watch a lot of UT and A&M football and basketball and am not afraid to wager on them (legally, of course). I don’t bet on baseball.
With UH basketball, because they were ranked so well, Vegas had some lines that were simply too high. For instance, any time UH played Memphis, I would bet the Tigers to cover. Houston also struggled to cover against quality teams. But when they played weaklings, they would often cover 25–30-point spreads.
Patterns.
With the Leafs, any time they would play Buffalo – no matter how bad the Sabres have been for a while, there is always value in betting Buffalo. Plus, after they lost Game 1 in the playoffs to Florida, the Panthers’ series price was a must-play, because the Leafs are terrible in the playoffs.
If you are an Astros fan, Rockets fan, Texans fan, you know your team better than Vegas. Take the emotion out of it and look at it logically. Sometimes that means you bet them to win. But don’t be afraid to play against if you know the pattern. You will see things like key players being out, and you know their real impact.
If you are too emotionally invested and don’t want to do that, I get it. I was that way for years. But if you do, who knows your team better than you?
