Upsets caused by injury
The key to betting on an upset based on injuries is understanding that the betting odds for an injury-impacted game might be shorter for the underdog that might benefit from the injury.
Additionally, bettors should be able to evaluate just how important an injury is in the context of a game. If a team has a player get hurt that won’t have much of an effect on the outcome of a game, or a player that didn’t give the affected team much of an advantage to begin with, that player might not be enough to lead to an upset. Bettors should take these situations on a case by case basis to figure out where they might be able to gain an advantage and where it might be best to hold off.
Upsets caused by motivation
There are some parts of the season in all sports where some teams need to win a game more than their opponents. You can call this motivation, situational betting, or anything else. But the fact of the matter is that there are some spots where one team just has more motivation to go out and play their best compared to their opponents. If a bettor can figure out where those spots are, they might be able to get great value on an underdog that is capable of pulling an upset.
These spots usually materialize at the end of a sport’s regular season. At the end of the regular season, teams are usually in one of three positions. They are either out of the postseason without a chance to get in, still fighting to lock down a playoff spot, or solidly in the playoffs. Naturally, teams still fighting to get into the playoffs or to improve their seeding are more likely to play their hardest when compared to a team that is either already in the playoffs or already eliminated. Bettors should be able to determine when there is a clear difference in motivation between the two teams, as those spots might be among the most profitable in all of sports betting. However, a good bookmaker choice is important too and the following sites belong to that category of bookmakers.