The Best US Sports Guide for Fall 2023

The number of licensed sports betting sites in the US keeps growing. If you live in a state where mobile betting is legal, finding a genuine bookmaker is straightforward.

Los Angeles Lakers in a file photo (Image credits: Twitter/Lakers)
By Karthik Raman | Sep 15, 2023 | 5 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Sports betting has exploded in the last few years, with 33 states permitting in-person betting, mobile gambling, or both. The growth of sports betting is partially attributed to the rise of Major Leagues working with sportsbooks.

In 2021, the NFL signed a $1 billion contract with three leading sportsbooks—FanDuel, DraftKings, and Caesars. Both the MLB and the NBA have similar contracts with the aforementioned sportsbooks.

Against that backdrop, you can now bet on sports safely in the US. Read our guide below to learn how to bet on sports successfully.

#1: Find a Top-rated Sportsbook

The number of licensed sports betting sites in the US keeps growing. If you live in a state where mobile betting is legal, finding a genuine bookmaker is straightforward. 

Many of the biggest sports betting brands in the US operate across state lines. For example, BetMGM works in New Jersey, Nevada, New York, West Virginia, and Delaware. FanDuel and DraftKings operate in nearly every state with legal betting.

What’s the best betting site? This review guide by bestbetting sites.com can help you find top USA online sportsbook sites. We’re talking about reputable bookies with welcome bonuses, fast payouts, and competitive odds.

Read reviews to find the best sportsbook for you. Focus on your favorite features. For example, select a site with quality odds if odds are the most important thing in a betting site to you.

 #2: Specialize in One Sport

We know. It can be tempting to bet on different sports every weekend. After all, dabbling can help you maximize your potential profits. But there’s one problem. It’s difficult to become an expert in multiple sports and leagues.

Choose your favorite sport and strive to be knowledgeable about every important detail about it. Let’s say you pick basketball because it has numerous global competitions.

Learn the basics of how basketball works. Next, learn more about NBA teams and players. This will help you know the most talented teams, their records, and stats against specific opponents.

Specialization also helps you keep records you can use to trace strengths and weaknesses in your betting strategies. That said, you can always bet on other sports like football and tennis. Just ensure you put more focus on one sport.

#3: Learn about Odds 

When it comes to making money from sports betting, you need to be good at reading odds. Secondly, you need to learn how to bet with the best odds.

In American betting sites, bookies display odds based on who’s the favorite and who’s the underdog. Let’s say Israel Adesanya is the favorite (-120) to beat Sean Strickland (+150) in a rematch.

You need to bet $120 to win $100 when the favorite athlete wins. By comparison, betting $100 will win you $150 if Strickland retains his belt. In other words, odds are focused on how much you win if you bet $100.

That means if the Cowboys have +1000 to qualify for the offseason, you’ll win $1000 if you bet $100 on the team. Also, you’ll receive your initial stake. 

European sportsbooks use decimals and fractions to display odds. But they don’t return your initial stake after a win. It’s accounted for in the odds.

#4: Know How to Pick Bets

Trying to make money through sports betting is exciting. But there’s never a guarantee of winning. The only thing you can do to maximize your chances of winning is to select the right bets:

  • Money line
  • Spreads
  • Parlays
  • Totals
  • Props
  • Specials

Money line bets focus on match winners. You make money by predicting the outcome of a match. Spreads throw you a little curveball. You also need to predict the margin of victory.

Parlays shows you an exciting way to make money in the Major Leagues. You accumulate multiple predictions into one bet. The only catch is that you must get every prediction correctly if you want to win money.

Proposition bets are also fun, but hard to win. They involve random activities like the color of the Gatorade used in the Super Bowl. Totals challenge you to predict the number of scores in a game.

Select bets wisely. Focus on match winners if you’re a beginner. Avoid competitive games, parlays, and props. Bet on spreads after you improve your skill level. 

#5: Learn How to Pick Fair Bonuses

Far too many bettors claim betting bonuses without learning how they work. Bonuses are marketing tools for sportsbooks. That’s why every betting site in the country gives them out.

Now, not every free bet is useless. Some of the country’s top sportsbooks give out fair promotions. Think about free bets with no wager requirements. All you need is to claim the offer. Then you can cash out potential winnings hassle-free.

The betting industry is packed with bonuses and promotions. Learn about the best promotions for sports bettors. Next, find quality bonuses by looking at features like play-through, validity times, odds requirements, and withdrawal limits.

Play-through is the most important condition to check in a bonus. It dictates the number of times you must play through a bonus before you withdraw your winnings. Find bonuses with zero to five times your bonus amount wager requirements.

When it comes to other conditions, consider what’s good for you. Of course, you want bonuses with a high withdrawal limit, enough validity time, and fair odds. Also, ensure you can use your bonus to bet on your favorite sports.

#6: Learn How to Analyze Matches

You can win a game or two by following your instincts. You could also make money by asking your sports-loving friends for betting ideas. In the long run, however, you need to learn how to analyze matches.

Analyzing matches is a skill that takes time to master. Learn the fundamentals. Know what you should check before you place a bet. Hint: Consider power rankings, league records, form, injury reports, weather conditions, motivation, and important news.Read match prediction guides online to get an idea of the most important determiners of victory in sports. But don’t buy tips unless you’re certain the tipster has an impressive winning record.