Value Betting Guide 2024 – How To Win At Sports Betting

Value betting is one of the most effective strategies for consistently winning at sports betting!

Unlike traditional betting methods, which often rely on intuition or luck, value betting focuses on identifying bets where the odds offered by the bookmaker are higher than the true probability of the event occurring. This guide will walk you through the fundamentals of value betting, how to spot value bets, and how you can use this strategy to boost your betting profits.

You name the sport, value betting works!

One of the big benefits of this method is that it allows you, to get a large amount of volume through the markets. Whilst having a consistent edge. 

This method is also very easy to understand.

Guide To Value Betting - How To Win At Sports Betting

What is Value Betting?

First off what is value in the sports betting markets?

Quite simply getting value in the sports betting markets is backing something that is estimated to have a greater chance of happening then the odds indicate.

Lets look at a simple example.

Man United are priced at 2.0 (indicates a 50% win chance) against Everton at home.

The best betting syndicate in the world estimate that Manchester United are actually a 55% win chance. 

Meaning they believes that Manchester United’s true odds should be 1.82.

This means odds above 1.82 are deemed to be value, with odds of 2.0 being extremely good value.

If you are consistently betting odds that are priced higher then there true probability, you will make money long term.

However the hard part of finding value in the sports betting markets is coming up with a true estimation of what the odds should actually be.

Some of the biggest betting syndicates in the world have hundreds of people working for them. Analyzing every bit of data available to them in order to make profitable bets.

In this article we are going to look at a proven method for finding value in the sports betting markets. This method allows us to mimic the bets made by these successful betting syndicates.

Sharp Bookmakers And Exchange Method

One proven way to find value in sports betting is by using sharp bookmakers and betting exchanges as an indicator for value.

Professional bettors separate bookmakers into two categories.

Sharp and Soft.

A soft bookmaker is one that does not want professional bettors, they only want losing recreational players that they know in the long term will make them money.

This is why some bookmakers close players accounts or limit their betting stakes to very small amounts.

Sharp bookmakers allow winning sports bettors to bet with them. They let sharp bettors influence their odds movement and rely more on profiting from the turnover they get from the betting markets they provide.

Betting exchanges follow a similar model charging on a commission basis and allowing professional punters to bet with them.

This means that professional sports bettors bet at sharp bookmakers.

Soft bookmakers often imitate the movement of sharp bookmakers and betting exchanges. However they are slower to adjust their betting odds.

This method of value betting takes advantage of this.

Value Betting Strategy 

If you follow the money from the sharpest sports bettors in the world then you are going to make money from sports betting.

That is the essence of this strategy.

Consistently beat the closing odds of sharp bookmakers or betting exchanges and you have yourself a winning betting strategy.

This is known as “value betting” but is also sometimes referred to as “steam chasing”

Now you probably have heard of several betting systems or strategies that sound good in theory but don’t actually work.

This isn’t just a gamblers fallacy, there is a lot of data to back up this strategy.

Value Betting Data

Here are the statistics from a company called Trademate which provides software for value betting.

The software constantly scans the sharp bookmakers and highlights when a soft bookmaker is offering higher odds then them.

It calculates if there is value after the betting margin is taken into account and if it is value then it highlights these bets.

You can see that after 2,361,157 bets.

The total profit made by Trademate customers is £4,174,180.

Rebelbetting Value Betting

Another company called Rebelbetting uses a similar strategy.

Again using the odds movement from sharp bookmakers to highlight value bets at the soft books in order to beat the sharp bookmakers closing odds.

Their data showed that the average user was able to double there initial investment with value betting strategy after 3 months, placing 30 bets a day on average.

Lastly I will include some data from a website called bookie bashing.

This site also looks at the odds of betting exchanges and sharp bookmakers to highlight value bets at soft bookmakers.

Bookie Bashing focus on price boosts and accumulator boosts to find value in the sports betting markets. Which you also find if you have access to Oddsmonkey.

Again the data shows how successful this strategy is with a profit of £11,445 being made after the first 1000 value bets.

My own betting also incorporates the strategy of following sharp betting money very heavily alongside using other methods.

Although this is not the only method I use, value betting has proved to be a very successful part of it.

Monthly Profit And Loss

 

Alright so we have looked at data from multiple different sources to show that this strategy really works.

Now lets take a look at an actual example.

Value Betting Strategy Example

Borussia Dortmund are taking on Bayern Munich tomorrow.

By using the odds comparison site Oddsmath.com.

I had a look at the current odds available and found a bet which is showing value according to current market prices.

Marathonbet are pricing Borussia Dortmund at 3.88 which is a stand out price compared to the rest of the market.

Value Betting Example

I took a look at what the current price was on Betfair Exchange which is a sharp market for football betting.

Betting exchanges will often mirror the prices of the sharp Asian bookmakers.

Value Betting Example 2

Betfair Exchange showed a back price of 3.8 and a lay price of 3.85. 

This is an strong indicator that currently the price of 3.88 that is currently offered by Marathonbet is indeed value.

Now obviously odds can change. They can drift in price and the bet is no longer seen as value. However they can also shorten in price becoming better value. 

If you are able to constantly find odds that are consistently better then the Betfair lay price on markets with a high volume of money matched (such as Bundesliga.)

Then it is very likely you will make money in the long term.

Value Betting Results

Below are some of my results from value betting.

Running from 2021 to September 2022.

Value betting with soft bookmakers using the Trademate Sports software.

3801 bets – £5568 profit

Value betting strategies on Smarkets betting exchange (Also includes some trading)

£20,011 Profit

(Video proof in the video below.)

Value Betting Tips

So you can see from the above that this is a strategy that really works.

Here are a few tips to get the most from this method of value betting.

Value Betting Tips

Stick to popular sports with high liquidity

The first tip would be to stick to popular sports that have a lot of turnover.

For example the major European football leagues and big American sports. 

The reason for this is that these markets are seen as more efficient due to the large amount of money that is placed on these events.

There is also less likely to be manipulation of these markets as it takes much more money to change the odds of say a Premier League game, compared to the Romanian second division.

Another factor is that a soft bookmaker will likely allow you to bet for longer if you are placing value bets on popular sports. This makes you look like much more of a recreational bettor, rather then somebody that wants to make money long term.

Drawbacks of value betting?

Although you are betting with an edge and will make money in the long term. It’s really important to know that at times you will go through a losing period.

If you want to avoid losing runs altogether then you can look at arbitrage betting where you lock in a guaranteed profit from every bet. However the flip side to this is that you sacrifice some value long term by placing a bet with a margin on the other side of the bet.

In theory you will make more money long term from value betting but arbitrage is a good option for the risk averse.

(You can read the ultimate guide to arbitrage betting below for more information.)

Stake appropriately

One of the most important aspects of successful sports betting is to make sure you stake appropriately.

There a lot of different approaches to staking, some prefer to bet with flat stakes whilst others use a proportional staking strategy.

Most of the value betting software providers advise a staking using the kelly criterion. This staking strategy adjusts the amount of your bankroll you bet dependent on the perceived edge of the bet.

Use Value Betting Software

The last tip would be to use value betting software.

Although you can look for bets manually it can be very time consuming and you will miss a lot of value betting opportunities. There are several different value betting providers.

Best Value Betting Software

Oddsmonkey

Over the years I have used a number of value betting services.

The first one that we will take a look at is Oddsmonkey.

Oddsmonkey is primarily a matched betting service however it also provides tools that can be used for value betting.

Oddsmonkey Value Betting

The oddsmatcher software highlights bets with bookmakers that are higher then the lay on a betting exchange. This is a good indicator that these odds are value at the time they are highlighted.

Oddsmatcher comes with a filter option which means you can select which bookmakers you want see value bets for. You can also select how close to the start time of an event a selection should be. So for example if you want it to only show selections that are starting within 3 hours you can do.

Another positive for Oddsmonkey is they also provide extra place matcher and each way matcher. Which are both software tools you can use for value betting on the horse racing markets.

Compared with other value betting software Oddsmonkey scans bookmaker odds at a much slower rate meaning that sometimes the value bet will no longer exists.

However it is also the cheapest value betting service at £29.99. This is my recommendation for beginners and people fairly new to the world of sports betting.

(You Can Trial Oddsmonkey For Free Below)

 

OddsMonkey

Rebel Betting Value Betting Software

Next up is Rebelbetting.

Rebelbetting are a company that have been offering sports arbitrage software since 2008 and in the last few years started to offer a value betting service.

The software that Rebelbetting offer is a step up compared to Oddsmonkey. It scans bookmakers at a much faster rate and as such it provides a much higher volume of value bets.

Rebelbetting Value Bets

Rebelbetting offer mobile, web and desktop versions of their value betting software. Which enables you to make value bets pretty much wherever you are.

The software is very professional, when a bet is flagged there is a link that takes you directly to it. Which saves valuable time and means odds are less likely to change before you can bet them.

Rebelbetting Graph

Bets are then saved in a log which automatically updates whether your bet won or lost. 

The value betting software offered by Rebelbetting is aimed at the individual that is willing to put in time and volume. As mentioned earlier it is a step up from Oddsmonkey and is suitable for someone that is serious about investing in value bets.

Value betting software offered by Rebelbetting costs £89 a month.

We managed to negotiate a really good deal for readers of Smart Sports Trader.

You can get a no strings attached 14 day subscription to Rebelbetting’s value betting software using the link below!

 

Trademate Sports Betting Software

Next up is Trademate Sports who are a company that offer the best value betting software in the industry.

Trademate Sports have created a lot of excellent content on how to effectively make money from bookmakers through their excellent youtube channel and website. One of the most impressive aspects of the software is that it is constantly being improved.

As mentioned above it is very easy to use.

You set up the bookmakers that you want to use along with other metrics such as odds, time before event starts, sports.

Also whether you want to only search for value bets at high liquidity events or across all markets.

Trademate Value Betting

The Trademate Sports software then flags up any value bets that match the metrics you chose to use in your filter. Trademate Sports allows you to have several feeds so you can create several different filters and use them at same time.

You can read our full review of Trademate Sports here.

The software currently costs around £108 making the most expensive software on the list.

It is aimed at someone that wants to take a professional approach to value betting.

I would recommend a starting investment of £2000 or more to use this software.

You can get a free 2 week trial of the Trademate Sports software below.

Quote “Smart Sports Trader” in the Trademate chat to get this deal once signed up

Conclusion

In conclusion, value betting is a proven method for gaining an edge in sports betting. By understanding the true probabilities of events and betting when you find value, you can steadily grow your profits over time.

Ready to start value betting? Use the tools and strategies outlined in this guide, and transform your betting approach today.

We recommend you take up Trademate’s free 14 day trial and take a look at the results for yourself.

Click Here To Trial Trademate’s Value Betting Software

 

4 Proven Betting Systems That Work in 2024

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 Proven Betting Systems That Work

I remember when I first started searching for a proven betting system googling the term “betting systems.”

There was all sorts of progressive staking systems, martingale systems, stop at a winner systems, progressive laying systems. The fact was though that none of these betting systems held up to any long term analysis and would normally blow your bank if you followed them for long enough.

But after researching a bit longer, testing out hundreds of betting systems and strategies. I actually found a few betting systems that did actually work and started to make consistent money from sports betting.

Proven Betting Results

 

In this article let’s go over four betting systems that can actually make you a long term profit..

Which continue to be profitable in the year 2024!

 

Proven Betting System 1 – Arbitrage Betting

Sports Arbitrage betting is something that I still use on the occasion as part of my portfolio

Arbitrage betting involves covering every outcome of an event. In order to guarantee a profit no matter the outcome.

Here is an example of a number of arbitrage bets found using the software Oddsmonkey.

Besiktas Arbitrage Bet

 

For example if we take one of the arbitrage bets above.

There is a 2.36% arbitrage bet between Antalyspor and Besiktas in the Turkish cup.

We can can back Antalyspor at odds of 2.6 with both Unibet and BetMGM. There is a lay bet available at the betting exchange Smarkets at odds of 2.54 (I lay bet means we act as a bookmaker and lay someone else bet.)

For every £100 risked across both outcomes a profit of £2.36 could be guaranteed.

Arbitrage Bet example

Although this may seem like a small amount, you can use larger stakes to make a bigger profit. Also there are multiple arbitrage opportunities every day and these small tax free profits can soon add up.

It is a simple betting system that once you understand fully, can be used again and again.

Negatives of arbitrage betting?

3 Proven Betting Systems That Work

 

The only issue with arbitrage betting is that it has a limited life cycle.

Bookmakers will eventually limit arbitrage bettors accounts once they see that they are not going to be profitable customers.

Arbitrage betting is a great way to build up a betting or trading bankroll. Before you move on to betting or trading with exchanges and Asian bookmakers.

Arbitrage Betting Summary

How It Works: Arbitrage betting involves covering all possible outcomes of an event to guarantee a profit regardless of the result.

Pros:

  • Guaranteed profit.
  • Tax-free earnings.

Cons:

  • Limited by bookmaker restrictions.

Check Out The Utimate Guide To Arbitrage Betting For More Information On Sports Arbitrage

Proven Betting System 2 – Value Betting

Value betting is similar to arbitrage betting as it involves exploiting the soft bookmakers.

A value bet involves looking for odds that are out of line with the sharp Asian Bookmakers or betting exchanges.

Given that the odds at sharp bookmakers and betting exchanges are quite efficient in big markets. The betting exchanges and sharp Asian bookmakers often offer close to the true odds of an event.

Sometimes when there is odds movement on these events soft bookmakers will be slow to move their odds.

Consistently betting on odds above the Asian bookmakers and betting exchanges has proven to be extremely profitable.

3 Proven Betting Systems That Work

Image courtesy of Trademate Sports.

The advantage that value betting has over arbitrage betting is that you generate a much higher turnover and use lower stakes which may make your accounts last longer then conventional arbitrage betting.

A lot of bookmakers will also offer value accumulators often on a weekly basis as part of odds boosts or special promotions.

Negatives of value betting?

Again the only downside to consistently taking value bets is that soft bookmakers will eventually see that you are able to make money from them and will limit or close your account.

However if you plan to make money from sports betting. Getting banned from soft bookmakers is going to happen whichever way you choose to make money from them.

Value Betting Summary

How It Works: Value betting exploits discrepancies in the odds provided by soft bookmakers compared to sharp bookmakers or betting exchanges.

Example:

  • Bet on teams with odds boosts or special promotions.

Pros:

  • Higher turnover.
  • Uses lower stakes.

Cons:

  • Potential limit or closure of accounts by bookmakers.

Click Here To Read The Utimate Guide To Value Betting For More Information On Value Betting

 

Proven Betting System 3 – Matched Betting

The popularity of matched betting has exploded in the last few years and with good reason.

Matched betting is probably one the best and easiest ways to generate a good second income online. Another massive advantage of matched betting is that profits are tax free.

This betting system involves taking advantage of bookmaker offers to guarantee a profit much like arbitrage betting.

The big advantage that matched betting has over arbitrage is that is a lot less obvious and harder for bookmaker’s employed traders to spot. Regular sports bettors will also be using free bets which means that as a matched bettor you don’t look massively different from everyone else.

I have covered matched betting in a lot more detail in this article below. It is an ideal starting point for anyone that is looking to start making money from sports betting.

3 Proven Betting Systems That Work

Negatives of matched betting?

There isn’t many downsides to matched betting. Bookmakers will stop giving you promotions eventually. But as discussed before this is what happens when you become a profitable sports bettor.

Each of these betting systems involve exploiting soft bookmakers.

This is really the best way to start making money from the sports betting markets and allows you to build up a nice trading bankroll or good second income.

Matched Betting Summary

How It Works: Matched betting uses bookmaker offers to secure profits, similar to arbitrage but less noticeable to bookmakers.

Example:

  • Utilize free bets and promotions to place bets on all possible outcomes.

Pros:

  • Profits are tax-free.
  • Harder for bookmakers to detect.

Cons:

  • Promotional offers may eventually stop.

Proven Betting System 4 – Betting On Team News

One proven betting strategy that you might not know is reacting quickly to team news.

Odds can rapidly change on the basis of team news.

If you have a good knowledge of the teams that are playing, then you will often be able to secure yourself a value bet.

Here is a good example of how odds can change when a teams lineup is announced.

In this example I have highlighted the point at which team news was announced.

This was a Europa League between Arsenal and Standard Liege.

Arsenal announced a weaker side then expected, from this news the odds on Arsenal drifted quite significantly before the game started.

If you were familiar with the teams and reacted to the information you would have been able to secure yourself a value bet on Standard Liege.

Due to the fact that Arsenal’s odds were drifting so the odds on the draw and Standard Liege would have to shorten.

This is a really effective strategy and if you have access to betting exchanges you can secure yourself a profit before the game even starts.

Here is a video which explain this strategy in more detail.

Reacting Quickly to Team News

How It Works: Quickly betting based on team news and lineup changes can secure value bets before odds adjust.

Pros:

  • Can offer significant value.
  • Useful with betting exchanges.

Cons:

  • Requires quick action and up-to-date information.

The Sports Betting Strategies That Made Over 150K Profit

As mentioned throughout this article, there are proven sports betting strategies that make money over the long term. The best approach that I have found is to use the simple low risk strategies first and as your bankroll/confidence increases.

Then you can scale up to use more advanced strategies.

  1. Matched Betting
  2. Arbitrage
  3. Value Betting
  4. Casino Offers

Are the key betting systems to get started with. Oddsmonkey is a service that covers all of these methods with guides and provides software to help you pinpoint the best opportunities.

Click Here Now To Start Your Free Trial

Oddsmonkey Profits