Online Sports Betting Statistics

Understanding statistics is what separates casual bettors from serious ones. While not every sportsbook provides the same level of insight, most reputable platforms include matchup tools, data sets, and betting trends that help you evaluate how a game might play out. The real skill lies in determining whether past performance and trends can be applied to future outcomes. Betting stats may seem straightforward, but for professional bettors, mastering them is absolutely essential.

Sports Betting Stats: 4 key concepts

Sports betting Trends

Sports betting trends can be a powerful way to anticipate how a game might unfold. Many sportsbooks now provide detailed trend sheets that break down team performance across a wide range of scenarios. For example, if the Golden State Warriors are facing the Brooklyn Nets, the trend sheet might show the Nets’ record in home games against Western Conference opponents, their performance against teams with winning records this season, the Warriors’ record as road favorites over the past two years, and even how they’ve fared against under-.500 teams over the last decade. As you can see, betting trends can get highly specific—sometimes surprisingly so—and provide valuable context before placing a wager.

Sports Betting Data

Sports betting data is very useful when placing your bets. Most sports betting sites will provide players with data such as the weather, where the game is being played, injury reports along with current season records. It’s very important to have a quick glance at the current sports betting data when placing your picks. Of course, you should always take this data with a grain of salt; it is still a great tool to give players a sense of the current conditions going into the game. The last thing you want to do is bet on the Denver Nuggets not knowing if Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, or Michael Porter Jr. are sidelined with injuries!

Sports Betting Records

Sports betting records are the most crucial data to consider when placing your picks. Just because a team is heavily favored to win, doesn’t mean you should overlook betting against them on the point spread. When reviewing sports betting records, you will come across terms such as ATS (Against the Spread) and SU (Straight Up).

  • ATS refers to how the team performs against the spread; the number of times they have covered the spread.
  • SU refers to the win/loss outcome of the team in past performances leading up to the game you are betting on.

If the New York Jets were to go 9-7 ATS and 12-4 SU in a season, that means that the Jets covered the spread in 9 games, in 7 games they failed to cover the point spread, and they outright won 12 games that season.

Sports Betting Picks

Sports betting picks are like opinions—everyone has them, but not all are worth sharing. If you decide to outsource your picks, finding a handicapper is easy; finding a good one is the challenge. Whether the picks are free or paid, always double-check the logic behind them and only place bets you feel confident in. A reputable handicapper will back up their advice with a transparent record of past results. And remember: paying for a pick doesn’t guarantee it’s right, and a free pick isn’t automatically worthless.


Other Pages in this Betting Guide

Winning Strategies used by Winning Bettors

Software: Tools That Give you an Edge

Our How-To-Bet Guide for Newbies

Tips and Advice on Betting