Getting started in sports betting involves more than just making a gut decision about who to bet on. There are a multitude of different strategies you can follow to increase your chances of winning, and many of them are free to use online.

One of the most important aspects of a successful betting strategy is understanding value bets. This involves calculating the true odds of an event occurring, then comparing that number to the bookmaker’s odds to see if you can place a wager with positive Expected Value.

Another key component of a good sports betting strategy is investigating each online bookmaker thoroughly before placing a bet. This includes looking at user reviews, but beware that what one person views as a negative may be a positive to another. Also, be sure to read the so-called house rules, which will differ from book to book.

Prop bets, or proposition bets, are any type of wager that doesn’t fall under the categories of moneylines, spreads or totals. They often involve specific statistics, such as a player’s strikeout total. Generally, you’ll pay a higher price to place a bet on a prop that has more chance of happening than a less-likely outcome.

Many people believe they can make consistently profitable bets on sports, largely due to the proliferation of information about teams and players. As a result, they often continue betting even when they lose, blaming their losses on bad luck or other uncontrollable factors.