The key to being a successful bettor is to do your homework and look at each game and player objectively. That's why being a fan of a team can hurt you in the betting world. You have to make your bet after studying a variety of factors. The best bettors are great analyzers of numbers and do great research, not the ones that know the players the best.
Do your Homework - There are tons of factors and trends that you must look at before placing a bet. Injury reports are an obvious one to check. It's also vital to look at the team's schedule leading up to the game. The previous few nights play a major factor how a team will perform. If they have played 3 games in the past 4 nights, they might be a little fatigued and not play up to their full potential. Take a look at how the teams fare against each other over the past few seasons. It's not uncommon for teams to have another team's number and consistently beat them. For instance, Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Boston Celtics 18 times in a row. That is the type of information you should know before placing a bet.
Avoid your Bias - Your bias towards teams and even players can affect your betting success. Just because you like a certain player doesn't mean you should put your money down on his team. I've done this many times with Tracy McGrady. I love his smooth style of play but the guy just doesn't win the big games. He has never won a playoff series in his brilliant career.
