Sports Betting Picks - How to Choose a Professional Sports Handicapper

If making your own sports betting picks were easy then we'd all be rich. But as you probably know, that's just not reality. Even if you've been watching and betting on sports for years, trying to determine who will cover the spread or win can be very difficult. It takes a lot of time to research and study games/matches. And let's face it, most people work a full time job and just don't have the time or resources that should be put in to handicapping sports.For the majority of people, that means turning to a professional sports handicapping service to purchase their picks. I have no problem at all with doing this, and even recommend a few that I feel have proven themselves to be honest and reputable. However, with thousands of handicappers selling their own picks and claiming how great they are, it's hard to determine the good from the bad.I would go as far to say that 98% of the "so called professional handicappers" are not worth a nickel of your money. So it's up to you to find the 2% that may be worthy of you giving them a shot. Prior to giving anybody your hard earned cash though, you need to do a little research first. Whether it's searching Google, asking on message boards or forums, or checking to see if their sports picks are being monitored, just put in the time before purchasing someone's sports betting picks.Some criteria that I use in my own personal research include finding out:What's Their Long Term Track Record - You'll want to try and find an accurate record of at least a few years. I prefer 5, but that can vary depending on circumstances. Don't just believe what it says on their site either. Try to find a reliable monitor that actually tracks their sports betting picks. Also check out what people know or are saying about them in various sports betting forums. Although the forums aren't always 100% reliable, most of the time you can find pretty good sources.How Long Have They Been in Business - Again, I think at least five years is a good starting point. However, I'd like to know that they've actually been handicapping games/matches for a lot longer period (at least 10 years). However, there will always be exceptions to this ruleHow Much Does it Cost - Obviously cost is going to be very important since this will have to be subtracted out of your overall bankroll. Don't always go for the most expensive sports betting service. There are plenty of good ones that will fit into the budget of a $50-$100 player.As with most things pertaining to betting on sports, it really just comes down to putting in a little time and effort before making a decision. A good, reliable professional sports handicapping service is a must have for anyone that is serious about sports gambling but doesn't have the time or resources to do it them self.