What is a Square? And How To Avoid Becoming One
We have all heard of the term “square” referenced to people who aren’t good at something, and there is no exception here, as a square in sports betting is someone who is inexperienced or bets like they are. They tend to not stick to a strategy and/or just lose a lot. Of course, if sports betting were easy, there would not be so many companies lining up to pay millions in fees per state to open a sportsbook.
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The way to avoid becoming a square is to do research before betting and/or stick to a strategy if you choose to use one. People always say that the book “always wins” and squares are a big reason why this is so, as they can put a boost out for a play that the analytics point against, but the name is a popular player that is good at the sport. They have algorithms and formulas to both mitigate risk and try and see what the public’s tendencies are. The books need this information so they can see which bets are profitable for them to take and which are hitting them hard. Knowing this, why would you want to trust the enemy? The odds boost can move something from +125 to +200, but the implied odds in a certain matchup based on a multitude of factors can be even worse than that!
As a sports bettor, it is important to also be smart about money that is put into your bets, as if there is no strategy, you can be erratic and lose track of your bets, leading to more betting, or more wagered on a single bet than may have been intended originally. My advice to an inexperienced sports bettor that is scared to lose their bets is to think about it as an investment. Do not go beyond your means to place a bet, meaning that if you don’t have money to bet, don’t borrow it.
The offshore betting community also tries to take advantage of squares by letting them bet on credit, as they are betting with “play money” and then when they lose, they are betting behind, so their mindset chases bets to try and make it back, as opposed to sticking to a process and winning incrementally over the long run. I would say that this is a section of the industry to avoid for these reasons, as well as reasons of legality.
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Whether you're new to sports betting or a betting pro, our Sports Betting Strategy and Advice page is for you. You can get started with our 101 section - including 10 Sports Betting Tips for Beginners - or head to more advanced strategy - like Key Numbers When Betting Against the Spread - to learn more.