The FTS of Sports Handicapping

Learn about the FTS of sports handicapping.

Key Points

– The most successful sports handicapping uses three fundamental methods.

– Understanding the FTS of sports handicapping can help any bettor win more bets.

There is no better time to learn what F-T-S stands for in sports handicapping than right now. These are the three fundamental methods used in sports betting. Many pick services will combine several of these techniques. Each is helpful in building a complete picture of the game you’re betting on.

Fundamental sports handicapping is all about matchups. That’s the “F.” Technical traits (the “T”) are more concerned with trends. Situational analysis (the “S”) focuses on team motivation. Each of these is used in sports handicapping. 

Basic handicapping is concerned with all kinds of matchups. It’s pretty elementary material. It’s like what you learn about betting markets when you’re a novice bettor. 

If you’re watching an NFL game and Team A has an explosive passing game while Team B has numerous holes in the secondary, Team A is the likely favorite. 

This game may favor Team A less or not at all if Team B actually fields a strong secondary. The advantage in the matchup would go to Team B if Team A has a poor passing game and Team B has an excellent pass defense that records a lot of interceptions. 

This is the foundation of sports handicapping. Understanding how to decipher the different matchups is crucial. 

You must fully understand the specific sport you are handicapping. This includes an understanding of strategy, skill sets required for success, knowledge of specific players, coaching philosophies, and much more. This is where sports handicapping begins.

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Some bettors like to look at how a team performed the previous year. That is much less significant when examining trends than how a team is currently performing.

Since there are no established trends at the beginning of a season, sports bettors frequently find it challenging to make use of trends from a previous season. This can make sports handicapping difficult early in a new season.

Don’t mistake trends for momentum. While momentum revolves around changes in energy and dominance within a single game, trends are patterns that typically appear in a group of games. 

From one game to the next, momentum does not transfer. Trends are patterns that are connected to particular game series or groups. It’s crucial to comprehend this if you want to be a successful sports bettor.

The key to situational handicapping is motivation. Motivation is important in sports, even in the professional ranks.

Motivation includes a variety of factors, such as which team has the most to gain or lose from an upcoming game, for example. Motivation can be influenced by a team that was recently embarrassed in a subpar performance. Teams can be less motivated after a long road trip or playing three games in four nights as happens in the NBA quite frequently. 

These topics are all related to situational sports handicapping. Weather, travel time, and whether a team recently lost or won a close game are all important factors that must be taken into account. 

Although some sports handicappers will concentrate primarily on one of these FTS techniques, most sports picks, like betting 2nd half NFL totals, are actually best served by considering all three. 

A fundamental consideration may occasionally come into play and influence your choice, while other times a technical factor will be crucial. Of course, we’ve all witnessed instances in which psychological handicapping is crucial to a particular game or series.

This particular aspect of sports betting can occasionally be the most difficult to evaluate and forecast. This is especially true in college sports, where teams’ skill levels can vary greatly. There are times in college sports when a team that plays with inspiration and outperforms the team with superior talent.

The point is that you shouldn’t rule out any of these sports handicapping strategies. Making a bad pick as a result of doing so will only give you a partial understanding of the game. Analyzing the teams involved in-depth is one of the best ways to assess value.

Sports handicapping evolves over time. Teams, leagues, and the sport itself all undergo change. Don’t try to play this year’s games using last year’s strategy, whatever you do. 

Use the F-T-S fundamentals as your starting point, then experiment with different approaches to game analysis and selection. Keep track of any rule modifications, the ebb and flow of team talent, and any new systems or philosophies that may be implemented. 

The secret to placing winning ATS wagers, moneyline bets, and over/under wagers is a sports bettor’s capacity to gather information and evaluate it at various levels.

You might discover over time that you can develop a template or standardize your approach to evaluating each team’s potential in a particular sport. 

Even if you are successful in doing this, you should still be prepared for variations and unusual facts and figures that might force you to change your sports betting strategy.