Whether it’s football, basketball, baseball or hockey, sports betting is all about putting money behind an outcome you believe has a greater chance of occurring than the oddsmakers are predicting. But there’s more to sports betting than just placing a bet on your favorite team; it requires in-depth analysis, strict discipline and patience.

While some people are naturally better at making bets than others, anyone can learn to be a profitable sports bettor through dedication and in-depth research. Start by identifying which sports and teams you’re best at betting on and then develop a strategy that aligns with your strengths. This may include studying player and matchup analysis, analyzing statistics and historical data or following professional sports betting analysts.

Sports betting is legal in more than 30 states and will be available nationwide starting in 2023. In order to be profitable over the long run, sports betting systems must demonstrate a profit with wins outnumbering and outpacing losses. One of the most effective ways to do this is through value betting, which involves looking for bets that offer more potential winnings than the oddsmakers are offering.

This approach is not without its risks, however. If you’re betting too much of your bankroll on a single play, it’s easy to go broke even if you’re winning. That’s why it’s important to establish a flat-betting style, where you bet the same amount each game and risk only 1% to 5% of your total bankroll per play.

When betting on a game, you can also place a variety of props, or proposition bets, on things like player and team totals and individual player performance. These bets are typically priced differently than standard point spread, moneyline and over/under bets. For example, the over/under for a pitcher’s strikeout total might be set at 8, but you can often find a lower price on the under than the over.

Another common prop is the win/loss record of the teams involved in a game. This is usually based on previous season’s records, but smart bettors look beyond that and consider the type of teams, players and coaches involved in each game to assess their odds of winning or losing. Ultimately, this is where the most money can be made in sports betting, but it’s important to keep in mind that past results don’t always indicate future outcomes.