With sports betting becoming a part of mainstream sports culture and legalized in many states, millions of new sports bettors are looking to try their hand at making a bet. But before placing their first bet, there are some things every beginner should know.

Sports betting is simply predicting what will happen during a game or event and risking money on that outcome. Oddsmakers set the odds for these occurrences based on their probability of occurring, which allow bettors to choose which side they think will win. The lower the probability, the less the bet will pay out if the team or player wins.

The goal of any bettor is to make money on their bets, but it’s important to remember that not everyone will be profitable. That’s why it is essential to have discipline and only bet with money you can afford to lose. A good rule is to only risk one to two percent of your bankroll per bet. Also, it is a good idea to open a separate bank account for your betting money and only use this for this purpose.

In order to be successful, a bettor must do their homework and understand the underlying factors that impact a particular match-up. This can include researching weather forecasts, staying current with injury reports and examining a team’s history against their opponent. It is also helpful to shop around for the best number on a particular bet. For example, if a team like USC opens as a 14-point underdog against Alabama and another book has them at +140, this is known as taking the points and can often result in a profit.

There is also the option of placing bets on props and team totals, which focus on long-term trends and future events. These bets can have much higher payouts, but they come with a greater amount of risk as well. This is why it’s important to study the underlying factors of each bet type and be ready for a few bad plays as well as some big winners.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the house always has an edge when it comes to sports betting. That’s because of something called the juice, which is essentially a small fee that the sportsbook charges for accepting your bet. Despite this, many professional bettors are math freaks and look for opportunities where the line a sportsbook is offering is vulnerable. Those who do this well are able to balance their winning bets with their losing bets, and will eventually break even. But this is not an easy thing to do and most bettors will experience a few cold streaks along the way. The key is to never stop trying and learn from your mistakes.