Even if you win 55% of your bets, you will consistently come out ahead. However, this is easier said than done and involves more than just doing some reading and checking injury reports. If Paul the octopus picked all the winners of the recent soccer World Cup, picking the winning soccer teams should be just as easy, right? Wrong. If it were that easy, a lot of people would be making money and sportsbooks would have to go out of business. If winning at soccer betting involves some knowledge, some strategy and, let’s face it, a dash of luck, it’s because bookmakers set very strict lines for the games. However, if you keep the following tips in mind, you should improve your chances of winning.

Bet as soon as you can. Many of the sportsbooks post their lines as soon as they can and some offshore bookies do so on Sunday afternoon for the following week’s matches. If you find a game and odds you like, make sure there are no serious injury issues for the team you choose. Bookies are not perfect and can make mistakes when setting the line. Jump in early before the big bets wipe out the bugs.

Focus on a few teams. Because knowledge is important, if you focus on just a few teams, you can accumulate a substantial amount of knowledge that you can use to place your bets. Also limit your bets to just a few games every Sunday.

Avoid heavy favorites. The crowd loves the favorites and will rush to bet on them. However, they are not good options if you want to maintain your 55% average on winning bets. Even if you win a few, the payouts will be small. The best strategy is to bet on short-term underdogs because when you win, you usually win more than you have wagered.

Use totals judiciously. Totals set at the beginning of the week are usually based on fair weather predictions. In late-season games, rain or snow sometimes affects the score, and a strong wind almost always keeps the score down. In these conditions, you would do well to bet the Under

Yards per play usage rating. One method of evaluating teams is to look at offensive yards gained per play and defensive yards given away per play. Teams that win more than they lose end up winning more games. The statistics are readily available and you can calculate the difference with a positive difference as an advantage. The general rule of thumb for calculating a point distribution from yardage differential is that every 0.15 yard is worth one point. A 0.60 yard difference between the two teams is worth four points. As with all betting tools, use your other data and information to confirm your findings.

Don’t avoid jokers. There is a common perception that teasers are scams and therefore best avoided. Under certain circumstances, an NFL preview that is a two-game parlay can make sense.

Pay attention to injury reports. Carefully read injury reports to determine what difference it will make to the performance of your chosen team. Don’t just look at the key players because all the guys on the team have to perform at their best.