Sports Betting on the NFL and college football is a national pastime. Every week millions of dollars are bet on the home town favorites with local bookies. People bet even more money with online sports book agencies. Even the major news services publish all the betting stats.

If you're going to bet money on games, you might as well be as informed as possible! There are even many sports betting sites that provide up-to-the-minute information on your favorite teams and this weeks games. Have you ever wondered how the Football betting "smart money" became the smart money? Do you wonder what the smart money does differently than the amateurs? One of the things the "smart money" does is invest in a handicapping service that will give them an edge. Here are five steps to finding a top handicapping service:

1. Shop Around If you want to subscribe to a football handicapping service, shop around. There are many handicappers out there. Take your time and look for somebody who is offering a good deal on their services.

2. Don't Put Much Stock in Track Records I've subscribed to just about every service on the internet. It's amazing that they can all go 9-0 every day! Seriously, I've been in this business for 30 years and I know from experience that football handicapping services "fudge" their results to get business. It's not right, but it's just the way it is.

3. Use Your Gut Instinct In all my years of football handicapping, it's become pretty obvious when I see a charlatan claiming to be the next "Jimmy the Greek." If you think somebody is trying to scam you, they probably are.

4. Try a Free Service First Anybody who is offering free services is always offering a paid service too. You'll get a good feel for the person just by signing up for their free service. While their free picks are almost always not quite as good as their paid picks, you'll still get a good idea of how the handicapper thinks.

5. Test the Waters Once you find a football handicapper who you feel is good, and who begin to feel comfortable doing business with, try out their service. This means try the monthly membership instead of paying for a full year in advance. You can always add on the yearly membership later.

So there you have it, the 5 steps to take to find a great football handicapping service. Even the best players need a coach, so why wouldn't you? If you follow these steps you'll greatly increase your chances of finding a great football handicapper who could help you win a lot of money!

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