There’s good news and better news for sports bettors in North Carolina.
The good news is sports betting is already legal in the state…but for now is limited to in-person betting at two Cherokee-operated casinos in the western portion of the state.
The better news is sports betting apps are close to becoming a reality as bills are working their way through legislation that will make sports bets just a phone call away.
While the apps getting the green light may be weeks or months away, we’re going to take a little time to give those looking forward to betting a few tips on what to look for when putting down a few bucks on one of our favorites: The PGA Tour.
Now, as everyone knows, picking a winner when you’re betting sports is a challenge. You’ve got Team ‘A’ against Team ‘B’. But, when it comes to betting golf, the odds of picking a winner go up exponentially. How high? Well, when you’ve got a field of 144 players it makes picking a winner quite the challenge.
So, we’re here to give bettors a little insight on the ins and outs to betting golf so when sports apps hit the market you’ll be ready to put down your money with as much information as possible at your disposal.
Those apps, FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and a host of others, will unlock a whole new world for many when it comes to betting golf and other sports. Once sports betting becomes official, bettors will have to keep an eye out for North Carolina sportsbook bonuses including sign up bonus offers.
But let’s concentrate on our favorite–and the toughest sport to bet–golf and the PGA Tour.
What Makes Golf So Challenging To Bet
It’s obvious that betting is a numbers game but golf is a different animal. Baseball, football, basketball, hockey and other sports are one team going against another team. Pretty simple math. Either pick Team ‘A’ or Team ‘B’. In golf, where there are usually 144-player fields, it’s one player against the other 143 teeing it up.
No easy task. But if it was, they would be giving money away at the casinos and on the sports apps. And trust us, they aren’t.
With that in mind, there are certainly steps bettors can take to give themselves the best opportunity to cash those tickets.
A look at a few of those options and you’ll be ready to step up to the betting window…or log onto their sports app.
History Lessons Are Important
Whether you have one favorite golfer you follow or a couple, take a little time to do some research on your players before putting down that wager.
And it’s not just on your players’ form. Sure, it’s never a bad thing when a player is playing well heading into a tournament.
But, there’s more. Does he have a good history at this event? It may not matter if he’s on a top-10 streak coming into an event if he’s never been better than T-35 at the upcoming event. Granted, streaks are made to be broken but then it comes down to a coin flip: Will his hot streak overcome his lack of success at the upcoming event or will his game cool down because he hasn’t had success? That’s the million dollar question. Well, we’re not going to bet a million, but you get the idea.
Bettors Can Give Themselves An Edge
There are prop bets offered at most sites for the PGA Tour events and those can give bettors just a little bit of an edge.
If you like a player but aren’t sure if he’s going to get into the winner’s circle, you’ve got options.
And after all, are we ever actually sure our player will win? The answer is no. Remember, no matter what anyone may tell you, there’s no such thing as a lock.
To that end, most sites have prop bets sections where players can bet their player to finish in the top-5 or top-10 or top-20. Sure, the payout isn’t as huge but gives bettors an edge if their player has a bad shot or two and can’t seal the deal but still manages a first-page leaderboard finish.
There are prop bets such as ‘Will there be a hole-in-one?’ or ‘Will there be a playoff?’ along with others that are available and popular.
It’s In Your Hands
With the PGA Tour in full swing, bettors will have weekly chances to put down a few bucks on their favorite player or players.
But before jumping in with both feet, take a few minutes start by checking out the wide variety of sports apps out there.
Then there are sites like PGATour.com that will have facts and figures available to check out how your favorite players have done in the past at upcoming events. It’s certainly not a slam dunk when it comes to picking winners, but it will help give you an edge as to how well a tournament fits your players’ game.
