Sports Betting Guide and Terms - Pick them Sports Betting Terms

Pick ‘Em

Definition

A pick ‘em game is a game in which there is no clear favorite nor underdog in a sporting event.

Homefield advantage

As a general rule of thumb, it is better to go for a home team in a pick ‘em game than to back their visiting opposition. Homefield, or homecourt, advantage is a viable angle to consider in sports betting. This is especially useful in pick ‘em games, where both teams are virtually equal. As stated in another article, home teams enjoy multiple benefits of being at home; some include, but are not limited to the

Home town crowd cheering the home team

Home team is most often more comfortable at home

‘Home calls’ by the officiating crew

Teasers and pick ‘ems

Although tempting, teasing pick ‘em sides can be dangerous. In general, connecting multiple sides / totals together in teasers or parlays is mathematically unsound. There are too many variables to consider in parlays / teasers; too much can happen. Sportsbooks love teasers because they seem like such easy bets to make. In pick ‘em games a sports gambler may think that teasers are valuable, since one gets points attached to a pick ‘em side. But, in reality, teased pick ‘em sides / totals have pretty much the same probability of losing than unteased sides / totals.

How much is homefield / homecourt advantage worth?

In the National Football League (NFL) the homefield is worth about 3 points. In the National Basketball Association (NBA) the homecourt is worth about 3-4 points. With this in mind, in pick ‘em games, one can see that the visiting team is actually about a 3 point favorite on a neutral surface. Yet, the author wishes to express his stand on backing the hometeam in pick ‘em games. There are also psychological factors in play during home games: hometeam players do not want their hometown fans and supporters to be disappointed, thus they will put on an extra effort to play their best during games at home.

Summary

In closing, a pick ‘em game is one in which both teams are ‘equal’. There is no clear favorite or underdog in these matchups. There is an angle to consider when facing such a game as a sports bettor. The author recommends backing the hometeam in such situations, for the hometeam has a better incentive to win the matchup. In general, the homefield / homecourt advantage is worth about 3 points in the NFL and 3-4 points in the NBA.