Sports betting is done every single day by gamblers all around the world. Many of these bettors look at power ratings before placing their sportsbetting wagers. Where do these sports betting power ratings come from and are they any good?
Sportsbetting power ratings have to begin with the ones found in the USA Today. Those are the ones made by Jeff Sagarin. Some people love these ratings while other people hate them. That is how power ratings are sometimes. Some sportsbetting gamblers love them but others hate them. A couple of other ratings that are well known are the Massey Ratings and the Dunkel Index. There are many other power ratings out there, but these are some of the more well known ones.
Most sportsbetting power ratings are strictly based on numbers. Wins, losses, margin of victory, strength of schedule, quality wins, etc, are the way the ratings are figured. None of these sportsbetting ratings are perfect. They all have flaws. The Sagarin ratings are the most well known because they are published in the USA Today. Many people really like the Dunkel Index and follow those ratings. It used to be that the Dunkel ratings were free but they now cost money just like everything else.
Do the power ratings help or hurt sports betting players? How often have you done your own handicapping and then looked at the sportsbetting power ratings only to find that they don’t agree with you? You have to remember that power ratings are just another opinion. They should only be used as a guide when looking at sportsbetting odds. They are no better than any other type of statistic. You may want to look at the power ratings first and then examine the sportsbetting odds to compare the two.
Power ratings are interesting to look at, but don’t let them be the only factor as you look at sportsbetting odds. Do your regular handicapping and include the sports betting power ratings as a factor. Don’t let them be your only factor though. It is rare that one single factor will lead you to winners versus the sports betting odds, so use power ratings part of the overall picture in sports betting.