Boxing Betting: Good Boxing Wagering Practices
By Loot, Boxing Handicapper. Lootmeister.com
There are no rules or systems when betting on boxing. At the same time, there are sound betting practices that can enhance your bottom line. There are little things and perspectives you can adopt that will get your head screwed on right before trying to beat the book--something very few people can do consistently.
Chief among the qualities you want to adopt is the ability to make a stand. Seems easy enough, but many struggle when it comes to being in-tune with the inner voice. Formulating good observations is only part of it. If you don't act on your insight, what good is it to have insight? Acting on it is really what it's all about.
So stick by your observations. If you think a heavily-ballyhooed fighter is a product of hype, bet accordingly. If you think a fighter is better than what people are making him out to be, let your betting reflect that.
In other words--be your own man. Don't depend to all these guys on TV or writing on the internet to form your opinions for you. You could fill a book with the names of fighters who were adored by the media, only to fall off the face of the earth. Another book could be filled with names of overlooked fighters who ended up proving their mettle en route to great careers.
A big part of this dynamic comes down to your willingness to bet underdogs on a consistent basis. It's easier than it sounds. Until you realize how horrible chalk-players do at this sport. A chalk player has a better chance betting on any other sport besides boxing, where upsets are a norm rather than an aberration.
Boxing odds are consistently out-of-whack. Favorites are generally bigger favorites than they should be. Look at the third Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez fight. Marquez had already fought Pacquiao twice, with little to separate the fighters in two decisions that could have gone either way. So why was Pacquiao an 8-1 favorite in their third fight? OK, he ended up winning, but if you're laying 8-1 on fighters in fights that figure to be close--you won't be betting boxing for long.
Not only should you avoid over-inflated favorites, you should be looking for spots to bet against them. You see this all the time. A fighter who should be a favorite to the tune of maybe -160 is -300. A favorite who should be -300 is pumped up to -500. The book knows that the general betting public likes favorites. With that in mind, they can inflate that line and still be comfortable in their knowledge that people will still bet it.
The result is value for the underdog. And getting in-tune with good value is truly the hallmark of any successful boxing bettor. Boxing bettors generally look at a bet in an over-simplified way--who will win the fight? Well, that is certainly important, but far from the only consideration. Because you might not think a fighter will win, but if he's getting 6-1 odds when he is reality only a 3-1 or so underdog, you can't pass up that value. Consistently getting inflated odds on underdogs is a good play, which will reap rewards over the long-haul.
It can work the other way too. You have to bet favorites to make it in this business. Knee-jerk underdog betting won't make it. Searching for superior value will.
So if you see a favorite with a good price, look at it the same way as when an underdog is getting a juicy line. Not only favorites are overrated. Underdogs could be getting too much credit. Sure, you want to make betting underdogs a cornerstone of your betting profile, but we're not necessarily looking for underdogs. We're looking for good value.
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We are handicapping fights along the lines of who will win the fight. That's a given. But beyond that, we're looking for fighters who are either over or under-valued. In some fights, the line will be too tough. There will be no edge. Treat these bets with kid gloves. At the end of the day, we need to move away from the over-simplified framework of "Who will win the fight?" We need to determine if the chances a fighter will win are greater or worse than what the book is saying. Then we need to have the confidence in our observations to follow through with some well-placed wagers.