Soccer Handicapping Strategy of Big Z

Without any intention of sounding too braggy, my soccer handicapping strategy seems to be doing well. If you don’t trust me, you can see it for yourself on Fat Cat Bet. Just go to Futures or Props, and you’ll see some of my picks and predictions.

I’m now going to explain the whole procedure I take in order to come up with betting predictions that actually have a chance to bring me (and everyone else) some money.

Checking All the News

This is actually a requirement of the company I work for. They want me to find interesting news that could bring value to the reader especially regarding betting. This is why I get to focus on keywords like ‘odds’ to sort out the news as there are hundreds of them on this site.

Speaking of keywords, I’m also required to check Google Trends to see which topics are interesting to users. You may not think this is important for handicapping, but I beg to differ. The fact that there are a lot of searches for an event means that there are also going to be many bets made.

And that means that the odds on that event are probably going to drop. At least at sharp bookmakers. This is what I’ve learned working for a software developer whose flagship project is their tool for sports trading. This is why it’s best to cover them a few days in advance.

I also have to check Twitter, which is actually really great when the Premier League is concerned because everyone is pretty disciplined when using hashtags. For example, users aren’t going to use #ManchesterUnited. At least not those users whose opinion you’d like to hear. Instead, the hashtag for Manchester United is #mufc, for Chelsea is #cfc, and so on.

Back to the main point. After taking care of news writing duties, I start doing betting tips and previews for some major soccer handicapping sites. I can’t mention which sites I’m working for, but they’re really big. You will have to take my word for it…

Doing Betting Predictions

I usually do the soccer handicapping stuff during the lunch hour. This is a website focused on soccer betting tips, whose owner pays me to write those predictions. He makes his pay through guest posts and advertisements. He also sells some picks on BetRush.

What I do is pick the most attractive matchup. The reasons why sticking to the biggest matches is important are numerous. It’s not just because of the traffic, (although such posts do get more views than others) but also because more info is available. 

For Premier League standard stats aren’t too helpful this season (unless you’re betting on Liverpool – the Reds win everything!!!). So, instead of focusing too much on stats like table position, h2h score, home/away record, I prefer focusing on player stats.

FM Is Crucial for My Soccer Handicapping Strategy

I also use the data from Football Manager. It may sound funny, but these guys discovered Lionel Messi long before anyone knew about him. You can read an interesting piece about it at GiveMeSport.

With the help of FM, I’ve learned (a long time ago, even before Leicester won the title) that Jamie Vardy performs great under pressure. This is a guy who’s never been to the gym, eats fast food, and drinks Red Bull before games. But, when the opposition fans start booing him, he goes crazy and scores almost every time.

FM also thought me about Adama Traore, the fastest player in the Premier League.

Obviously, with such acceleration and pace, this guy is perfect for carrying out counter-attacks. So, when his team is playing against a side that likes to keep the ball in their possession, Traore is the man to watch. I’m not talking nonsense – Traore was the man of the match when Wolves beat Man City (the reigning champion).

In addition to checking out players’ stats and their abilities, I also think it’s important to check the preferred style of the team manager.

For instance, Jose Mourinho is famous for “parking the bus” in front of the goal. This is why, in the past, it was very hard to score against his teams, e.g. Chelsea, Inter Milan, etc. That’s not the case this season, however, with Tottenham conceding in almost every game.

Still, knowing that Mourinho loves playing defensively, I’m pretty certain that is going to change in the near future. So, expect some clean sheets for Tottenham in the next few weeks!

Exploiting Soccer Team News

I have another side-job that I do on weekends. I work for a service that provides explanations on why some betting odds have gone up or down.

Here’s an example:

Newport County v Stevenage

Reason: TEAM NEWS

Newport County is somewhere in the middle of the table of the Football League Two, but they have been in a poor form. The reason is that the Newport County squad is decimated due to injuries. Eight players are injured, plus there’s one that has mumps, a contagious disease that could spread around the locker-room.

Stevenage needs points as this team is just one spot above the bottom. The good news for them is that their form seems to be improving. This team is without a defeat in the previous four rounds, with one win and three draws.

My Soccer Handicapping Strategy Requires Time

As you can see, I’m not inventing the wheel with my soccer handicapping strategy. In order to be good at this, you need to invest a lot of time and effort. You also need to be willing to risk your nerves in order to stay at the top of the game.

Or, you don’t have to do it. You don’t have to do any of that. Just let me and the other members of our team take care of it! We will provide you with fantastic soccer props and future bets on a regular basis. So, keep coming back to the Fat Cat Bet!