I just skimmed through a lot of threads in the forum and there is one thing that caught my attention - VERY FEW approach sportsbetting the right way.
Unless you are just betting to bet, or just looking to enjoy a game a little more by placing a wager on it -- or unless you have information about games that others do not have access to -- you shouldn't be betting if you dont have an edge of your own.
There is one thing I have learned over the years, and it's the fact that vegas is in not in the business of giving away free cash. Sure, vegas is not invincible, and they do lose at times. And sure, sharp bettors also lose. But at the end of the day, only a very small percentage of people have the resources necessary to be able to bet on games discretionarily.
As part of the public (meaning and you), our only "real" edge and hope to profit consistently is to try and determine what bets are being made by "smart money," and then to follow those bets. You will not go 100% - far from it. But if you are in the business of trying to make a profit over the long haul, then you should be picking the same picks as those who actually do succeed in the business of sportsbetting.
There are countless "strategies" out there - I have a few of my own. But when push comes to shove, pattern recognition is crucial. If you can recognize situations that are similar to those in the past, and put your money down on the higher percentage plays, you WILL make money.
I know some people who are good, but not great. What i mean by that is -- as much as success is determined by one's ability to pick games correctly, it also depends just as much on one's ability to manage his or her emotions, money and patience/discipline. HOWEVER, there is a big difference between being disciplined, and missing an opportunity.
Those I consider to be decent (but not great) may have the ability to recognize when a pick they originally liked a lot is not the right pick, but one reason or another, they dont have the balls to bet the other side, simply because that team is not your typical "public team," when, in reality, those are the strongest picks.
In other words, if you are serious about this stuff, then you should have the stomach and learn how to pull the trigger on teams that you dont like... as long as there is reason to so, i.e. recognizing smart money plays.
Hope this helps some of you out there, and gives you an additional incentive to maybe bet on the otherwise un- bettable teams.
unfortunate blocked extra point which would have won it... 
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