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In-play sports betting, also known as live betting, is the wagering activity that offers the most profits when following the right strategies and tips.
In-play sports betting strategies focus on taking advantage of fast-shifting odds and live information from sports events.
The benefits of in-play betting strategies are the ability to find more overpriced odds, the possibility of spotting bookie mistakes, and access to more betting markets.
The tips for live sports betting from this article have the benefits of optimizing your long-term profitability by reducing losses and increasing winnings.
In-play betting strategies
Whether you are focusing on long-term riskier profits or short-term guaranteed small wins, the in-play betting strategies can offer access to both.
Below you can find the most followed proven to work in-play strategies based on wrong odds, hedging every outcome, focusing on bonus offers or specific sports.
1. Take advantage of the wrong odds
Betting on wrong odds that are significantly overpriced is proven to generate long-term profits. The in-play betting strategies based on wrong odds are called positive EV betting, value betting, or dropping odds betting techniques.
The most profitable live sports betting method is positive EV betting, also known as value betting. It relies on being able to define the true statistical chance of a sports outcome and finding higher odds.
Taking advantage of wrong odds has a strong relationship with in-play sports betting. While the matches are live, and in action, the odds are shifting fast.
Sudden changes in sports events force bookies to adjust odds at a faster pace. This fast odds movement is causing over-adjusting and wrong odds.
Bettors who can spot these outcomes with the help of so-called value betting opportunity finders can place bets with a Positive Expected Value.
You can check my dedicated article and guide on value betting for more in-depth info.
2. Hedge each outcome when possible
Hedging each outcome of a market is one of the least risky in-play sports betting strategies.
It refers to the action of betting on every outcome of a specific betting market by using different bookies.
This in-play betting strategy is also called sure betting, arbing, or arbitrage betting. It can generate guaranteed profits based on the phenomenon when there is a significant odds difference between betting sites.
Hedging every outcome as an in-play betting technique has some serious challenges such as not being able to cover both outcomes on the desired odds.
This live wagering method excludes the risk of not winning. Even if the bettor can’t place bets on the right odds, one of your bets will win.
Hedging each outcome as a live sports betting method is recommended for players with a low risk tolerance and the skill to place bets fast.
3. Exploit each bonus offer faster
Exploiting bonus offers with strategies called matched betting, also called bonus hunting, is a simple in-play betting technique.
It can generate a guaranteed profit by allowing bettors to complete the roll-over requirement on bonuses without losses.
Exploiting bonuses at bookies has the advantage of not requiring too much starting capital and time investment.
This live betting system is the first step for most bettors who want to use proven mathematical betting strategies.
To complete bonus offer requirements on in-play sports events you need to be significantly faster in placing bets compared to pre-match events.
The biggest advantage of this strategy while used on live sports events is the possibility of getting your bets evaluated faster.
This results in the opportunity to use your funds again without having to wait 6-24 hours until the match is finished.
To find these overpriced odds that allow you to cover each outcome at different bookies, you can check my list of oddsmatcher services.
4. Get professional in one sport
Becoming professional in one sport is the long-term goal and one of the most profitable in-play betting strategies.
Bettors who are following sports event streams and bookie odds change for an extended period will have the ability to spot certain patterns.
These patterns in live sports betting can give you an edge against sportsbooks.
As an example, in-play tennis offers many markets where bookies tend to make mistakes regularly.
Bettors who get professional in one sport can find these loopholes and beat the bookies in the long run.
Live sports betting tips
The in-play sports betting tips can increase long-term wagering profits by excluding common mistakes and offering solutions to daily problems faced by bettors.
Some basic tips for in-play sports betting are such as watching the live stream while value betting, following proven staking strategies and using the recommended sports.
1. Use a live stream and spot sudden changes
Watching the live stream on sports allows you to spot sudden changes that bookies might miss.
Even these days sportsbooks can’t keep up with every event that appears and should change the betting odds.
Taking advantage of these mistakes can offer you an edge and bets with a positive EV not displayed by odds comparison services.
Using a live stream while in-play sports betting will also help you avoid crucial mistakes.
As an example, a great mistake would be betting on a tennis player for the next game just after getting his/her ankle injured.
Many tennis players tend to play in the next 1-2 games even with an injured body part. This physical state can easily result in significantly worse results ending up as a loss on your side.
2. Have a proven bankroll management system
Having a proven betting bankroll management strategy while the matches are in play is crucial for long-term betting profitability.
In-play betting techniques such as value betting are profitable in the long run, but they still require a staking system to achieve optimized results.
A staking method based on math can help you avoid losing the whole balance while facing a long losing streak.
It’s not uncommon to lose 12-15 bets in a row even when placing bets on average odds of 2.
For in-play sports betting the simplest staking strategy I used successfully was placing flat stakes adjusted to my actual sportsbook account balance and odds.
3. Focus on sports with fast-moving odds
In-play sports betting on sports and markets with fast-moving odds generates the most betting opportunities and profits. One big advantage of such sports is the inability of sportsbooks to offer accurate odds every time.
Sudden changes appear in almost every minute while the sports are in play. These can result in massive odds shifts that end up in bookies over-adjusting odds.
Sports that are great for in-play betting because of fast-moving odds are tennis, basketball, and soccer on certain markets such as corners.
4. Manage emotions & psychological factors
To become successful with in-play sports betting you need to control your emotions in every possible situation.
These can be such as facing a long losing streak, winning many bets in a row, or not being able to grow the betting balance for an extended period.
Each situation can cause unplanned and wrong decisions which have a detrimental result on your live betting strategy.
To successfully control your emotions while live betting, you need to acknowledge that you are following a proven method.
You need to have 100% trust in your football betting method to successfully handle psychological barriers when losing/winning too much.
5. Look for the highest odds possible
Shopping around and placing bets on the highest odds possible has a long-term positive result for your live betting activity.
Even the slightest odds difference will have a significant result on your profits when the betting volume becomes significant.
One downside of shopping around while in-play betting is the time-consuming research.
You can reduce the time frame between looking for higher odds with the help of value betting finders that display alternative bookies.
Shopping around has a significant advantage while bettors are focusing on pre-match events because of the slower odds movements.
6. Do not chase losses
No matter what kind of live betting strategy you use, facing losses because of human error is inevitable. We need to accept and manage these betting mistakes accordingly.
Chasing losses by unreasonably increasing stakes has a high chance of causing even bigger losses. There is no guarantee that you can recover losses with the following 2-3 bets.
Facing losing streaks of 10+ bets while you are in a state of chasing losses can destroy the positive betting results of several months.
The best state of mind in live betting is always sticking to the plans even when losing significant amounts. This rule applies only to strategies based on mathematics.
7. Understand the markets and rules of the chosen sport
The live betting strategies and tips mentioned in this article can be applied properly only if you know the markets and the rules of the sport you bet on.
The mistake of betting on the wrong market because of a lack of information can cause a loss of the edge against bookies. Make sure to do proper research about the sport you want to wager on.
What is in-play betting?
In-play betting or live betting, is a form of wagering on sports markets after the event has started. [1]
Live betting offers fast-changing odds and a more dynamic betting activity. Bettors focusing on sports events while they are in play need to have the ability to make decisions fast.
To remain successful with in-play betting fast acting is necessary both physically and mentally.
The odds are shifting fast, so clicking on the right outcomes and inserting the right stakes in time is crucial to avoid dropping odds.
What are the advantages of live betting?
The main advantage of live betting is the large number of overpriced odds offered by bookies. Their inability to react in time to sudden events in in-play sports allows bettors to beat them in the long run.
Another important advantage of in-play betting is the access to more markets, higher odds, and higher maximum stakes. Each of these factors benefits smart bettors.
Live betting with smart techniques based on math is less suspicious and helps accounts stay healthy/not limited for a longer period.
A great pro of in-play betting is that a certain type of profitable opportunity can appear several times in a single event. As an example, you can find overpriced corner markets for several betting lines.
What are the downsides of live betting?
A major downside of live betting is the higher skill level required. Because of the fast-moving odds on in-play events, bettors need to make decisions faster.
This faster pace requires more experience and can easily result in making mistakes.
In-play bettors have a bigger room for mistakes. Having less time while betting can easily result in errors such as wrong stake calculation, being slow and facing odds that already dropped, and betting on the wrong market due to hurry.
Pre-match sports arbitrage betting is significantly easier than focusing on live events.
What are the main differences between live betting and pre-match betting?
Live betting happens while the match has already started. Pre-match betting on the other hand can be practiced even several days before the start of the sports event.
Another difference between live and pre-match betting is the market coverage of sports events. The live betting coverage tends to significantly exceed the one from pre-match.
Sportsbooks tend to limit betting accounts faster when their owner is focusing on pre-match events instead of live betting.
The maximum possible betting stake size is significantly higher while the sports events are live compared to pre-match.
Live events offer more overpriced odds and great betting opportunities compared to pre-match betting.
