When it comes to sports betting, you're constantly looking for an advantage over other bettors (and, of course, over the sportsbook). To get that advantage, bettors usually stare at the odds and research betting trends until they’re blue in the face, hoping something jumps out at them. There’s a less stressful way, though – find that extra edge by using handicapping tools offered by a sports picks service.
These are companies that are staffed with handicapping professionals who use their industry know-how to come up with educated picks, complete with analysis and information about why they’ve chosen to bet on a particular matchup.
Whether you’re an NFL spread bettor, looking at NBA totals, NHL moneylines, or anything else, handicappers can help. Here, you’ll find everything you need to decide what the best sports prediction site for your needs is.
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Without question Doc’s biggest selling point is their experience in the sports betting world. Trust is an important piece of the equation when evaluation pick services, so it helps knowing Doc’s has 53 years of experience, a Youtube Channel boasting 40,000+ subscribers, and partnerships with respected brands in the industry.
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Outlier
Outlier is a great option if you enjoy betting on sports and finding useful edges that can help you win more bets. Hundreds of thousands of sports bettors have utilized Outlier to compare betting lines, extract useful analytics, find arbitrage betting opportunities, and see actionable insights.
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Where Sports Bettors Become Winners
Wunderdog Sports Picks has been in business for 23 years and is operated by Geoff Kulesa, who also provides each pick recommendation. Geoff leans on his educational background in statistics and psychology while handicapping games for Wunderdog, but he’s also passionate about educating bettors on the bad habits of sports betting. Geoff started his business with a small email list of people interested in his picks and he’s grown that list into a successful sports pick service.
What is a Professional Sports Betting Handicapper?
Professional sports betting handicappers are industry experts who research betting lines and odds to provide insight into why they’re wagering on one side of a match over the other. Handicappers analyze odds closely to see why oddsmakers have come up with these lines, making their decisions based on the best available value.
A typical point spread for an NFL game looks like this:
- New England Patriots +7.5
- Buffalo Bills -7.5
A sports picks guru will take these lines and explore betting trends, matchup history, the implied odds of success, and countless other factors to determine why the line is set at 7.5 for each team. Then, they pick which side of the bet they’re taking by determining which team holds better value – if the stats say the Pats have a decent shot at winning, that +7.5 spread will be their pick.
When sportsbooks set odds for major sports, they’re looking at a huge collection of stats and underlying factors. A handicapper goes beyond what typical bettors account for, giving us common folk a behind-the-scenes look into those same odds to ensure their analysis is correct.
What is a Sports Betting Picks Site?
Sports picks services are companies that offer predictions on different games and events for a small fee. There are mixed feelings in the sports betting world about picks companies since many sharps (informed, successful bettors) feel that handicapping shouldn’t be left up to professionals.
However, it’s undebatable that the top sports picks sites help bettors of all levels get access to more information about why they should, or should not, bet on a certain game.
Where to Buy Sports Picks Online
Although some pay-for-picks betting sites have gotten mixed reviews over the years, don’t let that spoil your mood – trustworthy companies won’t take your money and run. The best sports betting picks site we champion gets the Odds Shark seal of approval. We only recommend services that are secure and maintain an impeccable reputation.
Aside from the options on this page, there are tons of handicappers floating around the internet. Social media has become a frequent channel for handicappers and sites to give out picks and promote their content. Make sure you keep everything we mentioned in mind before choosing a sports pick site -- it needs to be reliable, successful, and safe!
What Sports are Offered at Betting Picks Sites?
The majority of places to buy picks online cover all major North American sports and a collection of niche options, depending on the site. Generally, you can find NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, CFL, WNBA, college basketball and college football picks.
You can also find picks offered for golf, tennis and soccer when you visit a professional handicapping website. Picks for combat sports like UFC and boxing are becoming more and more common, though they’re not a guarantee on every site.
College Football Betting Picks
One of the main reasons bettors turn to expert handicappers is for college football matchups. There are so many games that you’d have to be a genie – Robin Williams or Will Smith, you choose – to bet correctly on each game. By using the help of a skilled sports picks service, you have a better chance of hitting the right side of your bets than just interpreting betting trends or odds on your own.
This can also come in handy during bowl season; you may think you have your bet locked in for the Rose Bowl, but what about the Sugar Bowl or the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl? There are enough college football games to keep bettors busy that getting help from an expert handicapper isn’t a bad idea.
College Basketball Betting Picks
In the same vein as college football, men's and women's college basketball has a lot going on in just one season. 351 schools play in 32 Division I conferences -- who wouldn't need a little help? With rosters and conference parity changing all the time, it can be tough for casual bettors to keep up with the NCAAB landscape which is where handicappers come in.
Expert sports picks let you bet on fast-moving college ball with ease, providing picks for the spread, total, moneyline and player props. March Madness is a great time to explore handicapping -- as one of the most popular tournaments of the year, your picks will have been heavily scrutinized and researched by the time the Big Dance rolls around.
How do Sports Picks Sites Work?
A handicapping service provides several picks for a set price, unlike free sports picks sites that give recommendations at no cost -- psst, Odds Shark does that! Handicapping sites will normally provide a type of guarantee that will vary from company to company – a specific return, win percentage, or something along those lines.
These sites usually run on a subscription model, which will also vary in price depending on what sports you’re looking to wager on and how often you’re betting. Keep in mind there will never be one "best" site to buy sports picks. Even the experts can't get it right every time -- picks services will employ handicappers of all kinds, with the results varying site by site.
What Subscription Packages are Available?
Each professional handicapping service offers a different subscription model. However, most allow you to purchase picks for a single day, week, month, season or year. If you’re looking to bet on a certain sport, and only that sport, a seasonal subscription could prove beneficial.
Let’s say you want to bet solely on MLB. It would make sense for you to buy a picks package from the end of March until the last game of the World Series to ensure that the entire baseball season is covered. If you're looking into the World Cup but don't know anything about soccer, a weekly package might be best.
For those who have only a general interest in betting, you may want to purchase picks for a day and see how you like the service. From there you can decide if you want to buy sports betting picks daily or weekly, depending on how often you plan on wagering.
Using a Professional Betting Picks Service
The goal of a professional handicapper is to make successful sports picks and offer a detailed explanation of why they’re making those bets. Sports prediction sites that don’t provide analysis or any reasoning behind their picks are not to be trusted – look for guarantees/stipulations that may cover a percentage of your losses or a percentage of your subscription price if things don’t go your way.
Finally, make sure any picks service you use has a great reputation. Any of the sites we recommend here are A+. If you’re still on the fence about paying a professional handicapper to provide betting information and tips, you can count on us to give you the goods. We have free picks and sports betting tutorials that can point you in the right direction.
