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Making Money Betting on Parlays: How to Find “No Brainer” Picks

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Alex Monahan

People *always* seem to overcomplicate sports betting. However, sports betting is really simple…

There’s three steps to making money betting on sports:

  1. Find plays with an “edge” (e.g. Positive EV bets)
  2. Place as many bets with an edge as you can on a daily basis. This is essential as a sharp, profitable sports bettor. More is merrier when forming a profitable sports betting strategy.
  3. Deal with variance. Not every day will be a winner – the goal of profitable betting strategy is to win in the long run.

The strategy for making money off parlays is no different. Find bets with an edge, and parlay them together. If all of the bets in your parlay are mathematically profitable (Positive EV), then your parlay will also be Positive EV. That’s just how parlay odds work.

Check out my verified, third-party bet tracker above. I’ve profited $21,825.85 on parlays in 2022. There’s ups and downs clearly seen in my bet tracker. This is why understanding variance is essential if you ever want to make big profits betting on sports.

As always, I’m not a writer, so I apologize for any typos. You can always email us – [email protected] – if you have any questions or want a one-on-one sports betting tutorial.

Parlay #1: Three Picks on Betway Sportsbook

I think the best way to learn sports betting is through examples, so let’s get into it…

My first parlay is on Betway sportsbook. I have three picks straight from the OddsJam Positive EV Tool.

Positive EV betting is not complicated – it’s all about finding value in the market. OddsJam is constantly updating 1,000,000+ odds in real-time, and the Positive EV Tool points out the rare, few betting opportunities that are mathematically profitable.

If you’re still confused about how to use the Positive EV Tool, then check out this tutorial.

I just took the three highest profit margin bets on Betway sportsbook. It’s that simple to make money betting on parlays…

My three picks on Betway sportsbook are:

  1. Jalen Green Over 3.5 Rebounds (3.65% edge)
  2. Amari Cooper Under 4.5 Receptions (2.63% edge)
  3. LA Chargers Team Total Over 24.5 Points (1.73% edge)

Parlay #2: Five Prop Bets on Underdog Fantasy

Next, I have five prop bets on Underdog Fantasy. In my parlay, I’m staking $250 to win $5,000.

As a note, this is why it is critical to have multiple sportsbook accounts. Since sportsbooks have different odds from one another, more is better – you never know where the value will be. More sportsbook accounts = more profitable bets = more money in your pocket.

My first play on Underdog Fantasy is Victor Hedman over 2.0 Shots on Goal (SOG). As seen on the OddsJam NHL Screen, every other sportsbook has Hedman’s over/under set at 2.5 Shots on Goal. Thus, we’re getting a lot of value on Underdog Fantasy with Hedman o2 SOG. Value is all that matters – don’t overcomplicate sports betting…

I use the Positive EV tool and the OddsJam Odds Screen most frequently. My next two plays are from OddsJam Positive EV. I’m on:

  • Geno Smith u1.5 Player Passing Touchdowns
  • Jalen Green Over 3.5 Assists

Again, finding value and an “edge” applies to any sport. It doesn’t matter that one bet is an NFL player prop and the other bet is an NBA pick. It’s the exact same sports betting math and formulas.

Making money sports betting is not that complicated…Just find plays that beat the vigorish, which is as simple as placing the bet in bold with a circle around it.

My final two plays on Underdog Fantasy are:

  • Patrik Laine Over 0.5 Points
  • Tyler Lockett Under 5.5 Receptions

I also played my three favorite picks in another parlay on Underdog Fantasy. The Jalen Green and Geno Smith player props were too good to pass up…

Again, all of these plays were just from the OddsJam Positive EV Tool. The three picks in my entry are:

  • Tyler Lockett u5.5 Receptions
  • Jalen Green Over 3.5 Assists
  • Geno Smith Under 1.5 Passing Touchdowns

I’m betting $750 to win $4,500 in this three pick entry.

A Sharp Three Leg Parlay Bet

I have another three leg parlay on Underdog Fantasy. My first pick is on Jabari Smith Jr., and I found it on the OddsJam NBA Screen.

As seen in the screenshot above, Underdog Fantasy has Smith’s over/under set at 7.0 rebounds. They are “off” from the rest of the sportsbooks – this is a market inefficiency. PrizePicks & every sportsbook has his over/under set at 6.5 rebounds. Thus, the value is on the under!

My final three leg parlay bet is:

  • V. Hedman o2 Shots on Goal
  • J. Green o3.5 Assists
  • J. Smith u7 Rebounds

With this player prop parlay, I’m staking $150 to win $900. My parlay will win if all three bets win. If Jabari Smith has exactly seven rebounds, then this play will push and my 3 leg parlay will become a 2 leg parlay.

Six Leg Parlay on PrizePicks

Next, I have a six leg parlay on PrizePicks. As part of a sports betting promo, PrizePicks offered me a $20 risk-free bet. Basically, if my parlay loses, then PrizePicks will give me a refund (up to $20).

Of course, you always want to maximize the value of your sports betting bonuses, and I found 6 sharp bets on OddsJam.

My first pick is Jesper Bratt Over 2.0 SOG. This play was found on the OddsJam NHL Screen.

All sportsbooks have Jesper Bratt’s over/under set at 2.5 SOG. Thus, we’re getting solid value on the over on PrizePicks. If Bratt has exactly 2 shots on goal, then we will push, and everybody else who bet him o2.5 SOG will lose. That’s called finding value & an “edge.”

Again, I know that this is the same strategy we’ve discussed before, but sports betting is that simple. Just look for value – this is a hustle game. You’re like an investor / day-trader, scanning through the market and hunting for profitable picks. Since sportsbooks have different odds from one another, looking for market inefficiencies is the easiest way to make big profits when betting on sports.

I profited over $400,000 sports betting, with 99% of my bets coming from either:

My six pick entry on PrizePicks is above. I have 5 NBA props and one NHL bet. I’m on:

  • Jesper Bratt o2 SOG
  • Ja Morant o26.5 Points
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo Over 31.5 Points
  • Jordan Clarkson Over 19.5 Points
  • John Konchar Under 8.5 Points
  • Jabari Smith Jr. Under 12.5 Points

Again, if this parlay bet loses, then PrizePicks will give me a refund. That’s how a risk-free bet works.

Five Leg Player Prop Parlay

Finally, I have a five leg parlay bet on PrizePicks. My picks were all found on the OddsJam Odds Screen or the EV Tool. My first pick is Zion Williamson Over 27.5 Points.

This play on Zion Williamson has a 2.75% profit margin (or “edge”) – this is circled in the screenshot above.

If you placed 10,000 bets for $100 with a 2.75% profit margin, then:

  • You’d have a total stake of $100 x 10,000 = $1,000,000
  • You’d expect a 2.75% ROI. That’s 2.75% x $1,000,000 = $27,500

Again, you want to place as many bets with an edge as possible on a daily basis. This reduces variance. It’s just like why you buy the S&P500 and don’t put all your savings in one stock – you want to diversify.

This play on Zion has an “edge” and is mathematically profitable, but of course it can still lose. You need to have a long-term focus. I consider myself a sports investor, forming my own portfolio of sharp, mathematically profitable (e.g. Positive EV) bets on a daily basis. I know there will be ups and downs, but I’m guaranteed to win in the long-run due to the Law of Large Numbers.

I used a free bet on this final parlay on PrizePicks. My five picks are:

  • Zion Williamson o27.5 Points
  • Steven Adams u7.5 Points
  • Dalvin Cook o2.5 Receptions
  • Pierre-Luc Dubois u3 SOG
  • Brad Marchand u3 SOG

As usual, all of these sharp player prop picks were found on the OddsJam Screen or the EV Tool. My betslip from PrizePicks is below. I’m staking a $100 free bet to win $1,000 in this Flex Play entry.