Posted 5 years ago |  Capper Reviews Report  |  1 comments

Since the legalization of sports gambling in 2018 the issue of paying for picks, or using a professional handicapper has been a hot topic. The consensus in the mainstream media seems to be less than favorable for those who tout their services as experts in the field of handicapping sports. Major publications such as Sports Illustrated, Deadspin and the New York Times have all written pieces that portray sports handicappers as snake oil salesmen, and common thieves.

The problem with this point of view is that the writers of these pieces have cherry-picked a few bad apples, and are now painting the entire industry with a broad brush. While many of these stories are based on facts, it’s also clear that these writers lack a clear understanding of how the handicapping industry actually works. This is particularly true when it comes to Deadspin and the article they wrote about Pregame and RJ Bell.

Critics of the handicapping industry will say that paying for picks will ensure that you lose money. They will tell you that handicappers don’t really win, and that even if they do it won’t be enough to cover the cost of buying their picks. Let’s separate fact from fiction.

Should you pay for picks?

Before answering this question, you need to be honest with yourself about what your expectations are. The fact is (and this isn’t really a secret) that gambling isn’t designed to be profitable for the player.

Betting on sports isn’t a ticket to a continuous stream of easy money. If you can accept that as the truth and you’re still willing to take the risks… then keep reading. Most people don’t even consider buying picks until they come to terms with the fact that they can’t win on their own.

Buying picks from a professional handicapper WILL NOT guarantee that you win, but if you choose the right expert, it will almost certainly improve your chances of winning.

Professional Handicappers

If you do decide to pay for picks, choosing the right handicapper will ultimately be the most important part of the process. There are a lot of dishonest individuals operating in this industry, and not all handicappers are what you would call “professional”. Often the most famous handicappers are the worst offenders.

Before you pay for picks, you should ensure that the expert you have chosen is legit. You can do your due diligence, checking their published records not just from one source, but at several reputable websites. You should never believe any claims of winning without seeing documented proof and verifying that the numbers match from one site to another.

The Cost of Buying Picks

When Deadspin published their hit piece on Pregame, they provided a list of graphs and numbers that they claimed proved how buying picks was a losing proposition. They showed that 11 of Pregame’s experts had long term profitable records, but calculated that none of those 11 handicappers would show enough profits to cover the cost of buying the picks. Now that might be true if your purchased thousands of picks one by one, at full retail price. Obviously that’s not a good idea.

The best way to minimize the cost of picks is to purchase an all-access long term subscription. These normally range from a few hundred to a max of about $500 per month. If you are a $100 bettor, that cost is still quite significant to your bottom line as the cost becomes far less significant as you increase your bet size. If your bankroll is too small to justify buying picks, you can start off for free with Daily Free Sports Picks From The World’s Best Professional Handicappers right here at Capper Reviews.

If You Win, Why Do You Need To Sell Picks?

This is one of the most common questions directed towards professional handicappers, and it’s probably based on the old adage: “those who can’t do, teach”.

Now surely there are plenty of teachers who lack the practical skills to succeed in their field of expertise, but there are also world-renowned scholars who have achieved more in their life than most of us could even dream of.

The same applies to professional handicappers.

The best of the best don’t need to sell their picks, but it would be quite naive to expect them to take the time to organize and articulate the results of their research for no financial gain.

The simple answer is that experts need to be paid for the time and dedication to their craft, no matter what field they are in.

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