How Sports Betting Analytics Tools Work
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely any of us will get lucky and stumble across an all-seeing crystal ball anytime soon. Thankfully, there is an alternative that, while it is not foolproof, is as close as we’re likely to get. Analytics and data can take information, results, betting input, and more to create a comprehensive look at upcoming events and help you with your sports betting strategy.
Retail sports betting in Massachusetts launched in January, and MA mobile sports betting apps launched on March 10. Thus, it’s a great time to start looking at sports betting analytics, prediction tools, and betting trends. This page will break down how betting analytics works and how it can best fit into your betting strategy.
In addition, now that MA online sportsbooks are live, be on the lookout for Massachusetts sportsbook promo offers. Simply click “Sign Up Now” below if you want to get started.
What are sports betting analytics?
Sports betting platforms employ numerous professional oddsmakers in order to make the odds and lines that you see on various sportsbooks. In order to create the odds, professional oddsmakers must wade through mountains of information and data, historical records, current trends, and more before they create the lines for the sportsbooks we’ve all come to be familiar with.
Thankfully, technology has made their lives a bit easier than in the good ol’ days of paper and pencil. Algorithms help them sort through all of that information, identify key pieces of data, and then finalize the lines. This makes the oddsmaking process much more efficient and effective.
What’s awesome about that technology is that it is not just for Vegas oddsmakers. It is available to the regular bettor, too. By using such systems, sports bettors in Massachusetts could use sports analytics to their benefit once the sports betting industry launches in the state. Bettors could run the same data and potentially find value where some sportsbooks may be miscalculating. That kind of edge is invaluable.
There are weekly and daily options for those who want to get in deep, as well as both free and paid options. How much you want to get involved is up to you.
Main focus of sports betting analytical data
There are seemingly endless ways to dive into sports analytics. However, there are three categories in particular that come up the most frequently when discussing data and analytics: team and player stats, betting data, and team and player performance.
- Team and player stats: Sports and stats go hand-in-hand. By using the right information during your handicapping process, you can get a picture of how players have been trending, where teams are strongest and weakest, and more.
- Team and player performance: This category uses information such as straight-up and against the spread (ATS) performances for both the entire team and for individual players. These are often broken down into a variety of smaller categories that can vary depending on the sport.
- Betting data: Experienced bettors use betting data to track public money, betting trends, projected win probabilities, and more. By being able to keep tabs on this data, bettors can sometimes see shifts in lines before they happen, and take advantage of books that haven’t kept pace with the public wagering.
These are the three main components to keep in mind with sports betting analytics. There are many more, but these will give you a solid start to understanding how it all works.
Other key data points
Nowadays, the amount of information available for any sports matchup is staggering. Statistics keep track of nearly everything, and you can find accurate historical and trend data for every level of competition, ranging from collegiate to professional to international.
With all of the information out there, it can be a lot to handle. When getting started with sports betting analytics, you’re going to want to do your research into which analytical tools offer you the information you most want to use. The good news is that there are varying levels for you to choose from.
While each tool is going to offer its own take on valuable analytical information, there are a few features that you will likely find with most services.
- Best bets: These are matchup grades that help you determine which games are going to be the most valuable for your wagering.
- Predicted performance: You see this a lot with fantasy sports, but it applies to sports betting, as well. These are analyses of how a player or a team might perform based on the matchup, weather, injuries, and other factors.
- Line analysis: Not all sportsbooks are going to have perfect sports betting lines. It’s rare to find one that is completely out of whack, but line analyzing services help you find opportunities that might be advantageous to your wagering.
- Odds tracking: Odds shift. There are a couple of reasons for that, typically, like public wagering and new information, but you don’t have to worry about keeping tabs on all of the movement if the analytics service you choose offers odds tracking.
- Public money: This helps you determine where bettors are placing their money, and also how heavy the action is on each side of a wager.
- Pro bettor reports: This helps track where the professional bettors are putting their money, which way it is flowing, and a deeper in-depth look at how sharps are wagering.
These tools can provide helpful information in a number of different ways. We recommend taking a closer look at each one when you are getting started with sports betting analytics.
Why would I want to use sports analytics?
There are many reasons why sports bettors are interested in analytics. The simplest answer is that sports betting analytics can save you time, reduce the chances of human error, and help you double-check your numbers, even if you choose to do most of the homework yourself.
You have to ask yourself how valuable your time is. If you have the ability to put the necessary time in to do the research for your bets on your own, then perhaps a sports betting analytics tool isn’t going to be something that interests you.
However, if you’re the kind of bettor who doesn’t have that kind of time, the use of an analytics service can help you keep your focus on your wagers without needing to do all of the work by yourself.
The idea behind such services is to help you reach your goals of higher profits, fatter bankrolls, and more winning bets. Obviously, there are multiple factors that play into such success, but having all the data you need sure helps when it comes to how much time you spend researching versus breaking down the pertinent information. And remember, nothing is foolproof, so consistent long-term winning is not guaranteed by any means.
Using sports betting data apps
Just like the modern sportsbook apps that are available directly on your mobile device or computer, sports analytics offer apps for your convenient use as well. These betting data tools are available no matter where you are as long as you have the ability to connect to the internet.
Keep in mind that while you can get sports betting analytics apps, they are different from the actual sportsbooks and betting platforms. You won’t be able to make wagers directly from the service you’ve chosen to go with. To place your actual bets, you still need access to a sportsbook.
There are multiple sports data analytics options out there, but make sure you do a little research and find the ones that are the most popular with your fellow sports bettors. Like any service available today, there are some that aim to just take your money while providing very little value. Be cautious of those platforms.
The best options are willing to make their successes and failures public, which helps you and other bettors see how transparent they are, and how much value there could be from the data they provide.
Which sports have the best analytics?
When it comes to betting in North America, one sport stands out above the rest in terms of coverage, analysis, available data, and the volume of betting at legal sportsbooks. If you guessed NFL betting, you’re right.
The NFL is the top dog in sports betting in the United States. That means the media, sportsbooks, and sports betting analytics are focused on professional football more than any other sport.
However, you can also find analytical data and services for pretty much anything that you’re able to make wagers on. From college football to basketball to hockey, soccer, tennis, and more, there is always available information if you’re willing to take the time to find the services that offer it.
When it comes to valuable information, you are going to be able to find more sources for the most popular options like NFL odds, college football odds, the NBA, MLB odds, college basketball, and the NHL than any others. Wagering by both the public as well as professionals and sharps drives the popularity of analytics for those options.
While the NFL and college football gives you a full week to really dive into all of the available information, daily sports such as the NBA, MLB, or the NHL are more difficult to stay on top of if you’re trying to do it yourself. Less-popular sports & markets, such as MLS soccer betting, have fewer sources for the data you want, which is where a service can come in handy.
Most of the information is really easy to browse, with most apps and sites providing sorted data on each sport. You can visit the dedicated sections or even have your preferred sports information sent directly to you when it becomes available.
By using all of the information, you may find yourself making better wagers because you’re much more informed and have all the data you need to bet more confidently.
Types of bets and sports analytics tools
Bettors can use information from sports betting analytics on a variety of different types of bets. There are three main types of bets:
These types of wagers get the majority of attention from analytics services. However, you can also tailor your information to help you with:
- Parlays
- Futures bets
- Prop bets
- Live (in play) betting.
For wagers like prop bets, analytics can help you break down all of the most recent trends and create predictive projections. Such data analysis is also useful for futures wagers thanks to information about player performances, team trends, and more.
If you choose to use sports betting analytics tools, you’ll discover they are quite robust in their offerings for every bet. If you’re more interested in one type of wager over the others, you can research to find which services offer the best resources specifically for your needs.
Free sports betting picks vs. analytics tools
As with almost anything on the internet, the information you would get by paying a service to provide you with sports betting analytics is likely available for free if you’re willing to go out and look for it. In fact, there are even free sports betting picks sites available to bettors. You can even browse around to find some of the best sports betting analytics sites.
Is there a difference between the free stuff and the most reputable paid services? In most cases, yes.
Many of the top analytics operators are going to have experts who break down the data in much the same way that professional oddsmakers do. Some even employ professional bettors who have made a name for themselves with their success and handicapping (or “scamdicapping”) capabilities. These services provide you with all of the information you’re looking for in one handy spot, sometimes even offering customized content directly to your email or mobile device.
As we mentioned above, much of this information will also be available for free. To gather up all of this data, however, takes quite a bit of time and effort, especially for beginners who may be trying to develop their research skills.
Time is valuable, and the amount of time you might be able to save by using an analytics service could be significant. It all comes down to how much you value your time, your money, and if you have the knowledge and determination to track down all of the data.
Can I win bets using data analytics?
Any source of information can provide you with valuable data for making an informed wager. This is known as predictive analytics sports betting. Having a service like sports betting data analytics available to you not only cuts down the time you need for research, but can also help you create more profitability.
However, you need to keep in mind that they call it betting for a reason. Nothing is foolproof, and there are no guarantees. Nobody can see the future, and sports are often unpredictable, which is one of the reasons the world is so enamored of athletic contests. In most situations, you cannot be certain who is going to win. Even the best sports betting analytics sites and predictive analytics sports betting tools out there aren’t going to hit bets at a 100% clip.
So, even though you’re paying for a service, you might end up with picks that are on the losing side. Be patient and trust that a reputable service might still help in the long run. Being a profitable sports bettor is not easy, but by taking advantage of any edge you come across, you could find yourself winning more tickets than losing.