Traditionally, sports betting has been heavily weighted around analysing recent form when choosing which team to back. Looking at the last six match results can give a good idea of which team is going into the game with confidence but it only tells part of the picture.
There are lots of other factors to consider alongside current form, including live match data that presents a broader set of data to use in betting choices.
Here are some of those considerations:
Form Does Not Reflect Game Difficulty
A team who has won five out of the last six matches might have been playing weaker opposition, while a team that has won just two games and drawn or lost the other four might have played the strongest teams during this period.
The form also does not provide insights into the circumstances that might have made another team weaker, such as having a player sent off or if they were missing key players for the game.
Injuries, Suspensions and Squad Rotation
A form table does not reflect the current situation and since the last game, a team may have lost influential players to injury or suspension, or the manager might have decided to rest some players due to a congested fixture schedule. Even pre-match data released shortly before the team is announced might not include injuries or illnesses that have not been reported.
Many bettors prefer to wait for the teams to be announced before they place bets because they know that missing players could have a large effect on the outcomes.
Tactical Differences of Teams
A team might be significantly better at performing against teams with a certain style of play and then struggle against another style of play. Many experienced bettors will not only look at recent form but the form against teams that set up similarly to the next opponent.
For example, a team might really struggle against a team that plays compactly and they do better against teams that set up with a formation that leaves more space.
Form Does Not Show How Teams Are Affected by In-Game Events
Form does not show how teams typically deal with a change in circumstances during a match. For example, a team might have good form but they are not as effective as other teams at overturning a conceded goal.
Live match data provides a better guide, particularly for people who are looking for live betting options when they are watching a match. Seeing the live data for how much possession a team is commanding or how many shots are getting created can provide a stronger base for betting choices compared to the form table.
A team can go into a match as clear favorites but then it can become obvious to viewers that the other team is more in control and looks more likely to score the next goal. Live data such as shots created and expected goals will also back up what live viewers are seeing.
An early goal in the game can also completely change the whole game. A team that may have conceded very few chances in previous games can open up in search for a goal, which could lead to conceding more goals than their current form would suggest is likely.
Availability of Enhanced Live Data Integration
Bettors who are in the habit of betting on form alone are at a disadvantage to other bettors who are using the advanced data in their betting choices. While expected goals do not always turn into the actual number of goals scored, this data is providing deeper insights into probabilities than studying form as a solitary method.
As sports platforms now have sophisticated data integration to make fast betting odds adjustments, live data is the optimal resource to use for in-play betting. When you are watching a game, it is difficult to keep track of statistics that can help to predict the likelihood of match events.
Choosing a sports platform that has enhanced live data integration in formats that are quick to absorb can be a useful tool for in-play betting. Charts that show possession, icons representing the number of corners and the number of attacks shown on a sliding scale to compare the stats for both teams allow in-play bettors to quickly understand the key data to influence their betting decisions.
While a team’s form can still be an important indicator of how future results will play out, there are many more factors to consider when placing bets and live match data provides a much deeper analysis to work from