Guide to playing football betting and analyzing football odds in Nigeria

As each season of the Nigeria begins, a slew of football bettors at betting sites online . Many wonder if the bookmakers are cheating in the betting games? Why do they keep losing? To beat the odds in football betting, one needs not only the skill to analyze Nigerian odds but also the ability to control emotions and understand oneself when engaging in betting.

Characteristics of the Nigerian that football bettors need to pay attention to

As we all know, the highest odd betting site in nigeria ​operates on a points system after each match. There are a total of 38 rounds with 20 teams participating. At the end of each season, only one team with the highest points will win the championship (such as Chelsea in the 2016-2017 season). The bottom three teams will be relegated to make way for the top teams from the first division to participate.

Nigeria is one of the most important and attractive football leagues in the world, generating significant revenue from television rights and advertising. It is closely followed by professional observers, leading to teams always giving their best, with fewer instances of match-fixing (though not nonexistent). Nigeria, in particular, has unpredictable results in the first third of the season (when the potential of teams is still uncertain) and the final third of the season (when teams compete fiercely).

Methods for analyzing Nigerian odds

Analyzing odds over the course of the year

As mentioned above, the Nigerian starts from mid-August and ends in May of the following year. The first third of the season from the start of the season (from around August to November) sees unpredictable match outcomes, often with underdog teams winning more. Therefore, you should bet on weaker teams (underdog). The first third phase ends around the end of December, usually around Christmas, Boxing Day (gift-giving day), Black Friday, etc. Teams favored by European bookmakers tend to have high losing rates during this period, and you are lucky if you get a draw.

Analyzing odds based on the standings

From March to May is the last quarter of the season. The situation may seem clear, but there are still surprises. Many teams at the bottom of the standings rise to the top, erasing the lead with just a few points. The morale of teams can easily falter when facing such situations. Therefore, you can try your luck with underdog bets.

See more: Some best betting site philippines for newcomers

Analyzing team performance

Teams often have unstable form, and the performance of one player can affect the entire team. When the match begins, bookmakers quickly notice the form of each team and adjust the odds accordingly. For example, if a team has won four consecutive matches, the handicap will be high. You should be careful because bookmakers may set traps and wait for you to fall into them. The team may still win, but you lose because the handicap is 1.5 goals, and the score is only one goal apart. You need to be careful with these types of situations to push the odds higher against the bookmakers and win.

Don't rely solely on results to judge a team's form. You can listen/watch match commentary to understand the situation on the field and bet on a draw. Commentators are often experts in this field, and their opinions are valuable.

By following the season, you will know which teams are dark horses (bottom teams unexpectedly rising) and which are lucky or unlucky (perhaps due to a new coach). However, financial situations and the remuneration policies of the teams' owners are also worth noting. News about which team has been newly transferred. Who is the new owner, what is their player management policy, will directly affect the players' performance.

Self-control in football betting in Nigeria

Scientific studies have shown that football betting has a mechanism that affects the player's nervous system similar to drugs or addictive substances. Winning in football betting can lead to prolonged feelings of excitement, similar to the feeling of drug-induced euphoria. Losing in football betting can lead to disappointment, sadness, and seeking solace, similar to addicts missing their fix. There have been cases of players committing suicide due to online betting losses, perhaps because they didn't get the satisfaction or due to financial pressure.

Everyone knows that drugs, opioids, cocaine, marijuana, etc., are addictive substances that are dangerous to human life. However, few know that online football betting is also dangerous to humans like those substances.

The difference from addictive substances is that football betting is associated with a passion for the king of sports, football. Football bettors are often the most passionate football fans. Therefore, football betting is more difficult to quit than other forms of gambling, and the psychological factors of addiction are different for these two types.

And because it is so deeply tied to an unrelenting passion, regardless of whether they win or lose (in the long run, they always lose), football bettors still cling to the bookmakers. This means they've already lost to the bookmakers.

In football betting, the more you play, the more you lose heavily

Researchers Juemin Xu and Nigel Harvey have shown that betting while on a losing streak leads to even more losses. The two experts observed and analyzed a series of six consecutive wins/losses in 565,951 horse racing and online football betting cases. The winning rate on the first bet was 48%. For those who lost continuously, this rate gradually decreased to 47%, 45%, and even lower. For those who won the first bet, the winning rate increased continuously, reaching up to 75% on the sixth bet.

The researchers explained: When winning, players are more careful in their calculations, so the winning rate increases over time. For those who lose several bets in a row, they tend to be more reckless, feeling bitter and determined to keep playing to recoup their losses, taking more risks, and the more they lose, the deeper they sink.

Football betting in Nigeria is for entertainment, not for making wealth

People often confuse "entertainment" and "wealth" in online football betting. Answering the question "Can you make money from football betting?" scientists affirm "No".

Bookmakers often apply the 11-10 betting method to manage bets. This means that to win 10 units, players must bet 11 units. With this method, players may win once or twice and be deceived into thinking they can make money from betting. But in reality, to break even in the long run, they must have a winning rate of at least 11/12 (about 52.38%).