Like any other wagering, football betting is not for everybody. Some take it lightly and others obsess over it. Whatever people do, they are playing with real money. So it will suffice to say that exercising common sense and self-control are pre-requisites to any kinds of betting. Here are some tips that will help you along the way and make things easier: -

1. If you are betting, make sure that you are betting with money that you can afford to lose. That means you should not bet with rent money or money that should rightfully go to mortgage payments. If you are betting, bet responsibly.

Football is an exciting game and its fans are really passionate about the entire process of the game. You may be an avid football fan and have your favorites. But when it comes to betting you have to let go of those emotions unless you want to lose a lot of money. Betting is about numbers and odds and who is more likely to win. If you blindly bet on a hunch or a favorite, chances are that you will lose a lot of money.

2. Understand what you are doing before you do it. You are likely to have a lot of people around you preaching different theories and strategies. They might sound really impressive and convincing depending on how well they speak. But you should not follow their theories without understanding what you are doing. It might look like they are winning all the time but you must understand that they know what they are doing. If you really want to do what they do, you have to read up on betting.

Hence, you have to learn how to place a bet and how the odds work. You must know what the bookies mean when they give all those numbers. Most of all, you have to know how hard it is to predict who's going to win. Trust me on this one - if someone was so good at predicting winners, he would not be trying to advise people. He'd be too rich to care.

3. Do the research and do not bet blind folded. If you do not know about a game, do not bet on it. You have to know your teams inside out before you can bet on them. There are just too many things to consider like injuries, disciplinary action, game conditions, etc. You have to 'watch and learn' your way to winning.

4. Do not fall for scams. There are a lot of scams in the betting industry. Do not believe for one minute that someone can get you the winning prediction every time for $20. As I said, if these people were that good, they'd be too rich to care.

5. Long shots are exactly that - long shots. Bookies are not stupid and they will not give you 50/1 just like that. They do win but it is pretty rare.

All in all, keep a close watch on the number and always bet with your head.