Whether it’s March Madness filling out your NCAA tournament bracket or betting on the Super Bowl, millions of Americans place wagers on sports. For some, it is more than just a hobby; it’s their life’s work. They spend hours studying the game, making predictions and calculating odds. They are the pro bettors.

To be a successful long term sports bettor, you must be able to find advantages – opportunities where the line a book is offering is vulnerable. This is why many pro bettors are math freaks. They love statistics and are able to see trends before they become public knowledge. If you’re looking for a surefire way to make money from sports betting, you’ll need patience and discipline. But if you can stick to a system, you could potentially turn this into your full-time job.

The first step is to open a separate bank account that’s dedicated solely to placing your bets. This will give you a solid base to start with. It’s also a good idea to keep track of each bet in a spreadsheet. This will help you monitor your results and keep you from getting too greedy with your bets. It’s important to remember that even “sure bets” can go sideways, so you should never bet more than you can afford to lose.

One of the most popular ways to bet on sports is with spreads, which are essentially odds on how far a team or individual will win a particular event. For example, the Toronto Raptors are playing the Boston Celtics and you believe the Raptors will win, so you make a straight bet on them. You’ll then be rewarded with a payout based on how well you pick the winner.

Another common way to bet on sports is with Over/Under totals, which are a wager on the number of points, goals or runs scored in a game. These bets are available for most major sporting events and can range from simple propositions such as who will score the first touchdown of a game to more involved prop bets like what color Gatorade will be dumped on the winning coach.

In addition to learning how to read the lines, it’s a good idea to shop around for the best prices. Different sportsbooks adjust their odds based on market conditions and clientele, so having access to multiple websites can help you get the best price on a particular bet.

In general, bets on the underdog have a higher probability of winning than those on the favorite. Despite this, they’re still a risky proposition and should only be placed with an amount you can comfortably afford to lose. If you can’t afford to lose your entire bankroll, consider betting on fewer games or smaller bets. This will give you fewer chances to lose, but will allow you to still enjoy the thrill of betting on sports. In addition, you should always bet sober and only bet with money you can afford to lose.