Becoming a great soccer player takes time, dedication and some physical attributes. Whenever a youngster is trying to make their way through the ranks and become the next Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, they often focus on their bodies and how they can become fitter, stronger, faster and more accurate.
“Programme Kiosk” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar
As fun as it is to play soccer and hone your skills, there are times when you need to take a break. If you ask any professional what one of the best ways to prolong your enjoyment of the game is, they’ll almost always say “rest”.
Now, we know that taking time off from doing something you love can be tough. However, if you want to take your game to the next level, it’s important. The obvious way to fill the void between playing and not playing is to watch soccer.
According to CBC’s stats from the 2014 World Cup, 30.7 million fans tuned in to watch the action from Brazil. However, as enjoyable as it is to watch the game on TV, it doesn’t always keep you engaged.
Indeed, when 30 million+ Canadians were watching the action, they weren’t watching their home nation lift the Jules Rimet trophy. So, while it was entertaining, it probably wasn’t edge-of-your-seat viewing.
Stay Engaged by Staying Active
Fortunately, there is a way to stay connected to the game, give your body a rest and still feel engaged and that’s by betting on soccer. In fact, when you take a closer look at the world of soccer and sports betting in general, the process of anteing up actually requires you to test your knowledge of the game in question.
When it comes to betting on soccer, the process is an analytical one that starts with choosing the right site and ends with selecting the right amount to bet. Essentially, when it comes betting like a pro, you need to think like a manager and that means assessing stats in order to make the best moves possible.
So, in the first instance, you need to find a site that offers the best football betting action and, moreover, some added value. The easiest way to assess the leading online casino and sports betting platforms is to use a review site.
By collating all the leading operators and evaluating what they offer, these sites can give you a quick but comprehensive overview of where your money is best invested.
For example, when you read this Betway Review, you’ll notice that not only does the site offer sports betting, but casino games and poker too, as well as other options. By listing and rating everything from the welcome bonus to the site’s payout percentage (95% at Betway), it’s easy to see where the value is.
Assess the Stats Like a Coach to Bet Right
Once you’ve picked your team (i.e. betting site), the next thing you’ll need to do is select a starting line-up of bets. The only way to really know which bets are worthwhile making is to review every piece of information you can. On a general level, you can assess a team’s league position and their recent results.
From this, you can compare this data with their opposing team to ascertain which one has the advantage. Beyond this information, you can look at goals scored vs. goals conceded, passes completed, head-to-head stats and more. To help you understand these figures a little better, you can scroll through some of our training tips.
For instance, you could look at a team’s passing percentage and see that it looks impressive. However, it’s also worth knowing what type of passes the team is making. As per our guide, are they more inclined to pass into space, make a backward pass or go for push passes.
If you can build up this sort of knowledge, you can then analyse whether a team’s passing success rate and their preferred style will be effective against an opponent. Like a coach that assesses the skills of each player and decides whether they will be suitable in a particular game, you need to review all the data you can in order to pick out the best bets.
Bet to Learn More About the Game
Finally, once you’ve put together the perfect betting team, it’s time to place a bet. In practice, the amount you’ll wager is dependent on your bankroll. As a general rule, your maximum stake should be no more than 1% of your total bankroll.
So, if you had $1,000, you’d never bet more than $10 on a single bet. Assuming you can stick to this and think like a soccer coach thinks when they break down the game, you could be on to a winner.
As you can see, betting on soccer like a pro is not only engaging, but it makes you think about the game in a deeper way. So, if you are forced to take a break from playing, you can still improve your skills by staying active from the sidelines.
