Sports Tipster Ratings: What to Look For and How to Use Them

In the world of sports betting it’s hard to find an edge. Many punters turn to sports tipsters for the inside information to improve their chances of winning.

But how do you know who to trust?

This is where sports tipster ratings come in. These ratings are a way to measure a tipster’s performance and credibility.

In this guide we’ll show you how to look at and use sports tipster ratings to help your betting.

What Are Sports Tipster Ratings?

Sports tipster ratings are scores given to individual sports betting tipsters.

They help punters measure the overall quality of a tipster based on their past performance.

These ratings are usually numbers, stars or ranking systems that sum up a tipster’s ability to produce winning tips over time.

In the Betting World

In the fast and often crazy world of betting it’s vital to have access to tipster ratings.

They give punters a quick reference point to decide if a tipster is worth following or subscribing to.

With so many tipsters out there – from football experts to NBA betting specialists – we need a transparent way to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Rating Systems

There are many types of rating systems including:

• Numerical scales (e.g. 1–10)
• Star ratings (e.g. 1 to 5 stars)
• Passed/fail ratings
• Percentage success rates
• Ranking systems within specific sports like football or horse racing

These allow punters to compare tipsters across different platforms and sports to find the best football tipsters or horse racing tipster ratings.

Here at Honest Betting Reviews, we use two types of ratings when we review a tipster:

• A passed/neutral/failed rating: this is the headline rating that tells you quickly whether the tipster has passed mustard during our review. Generally speaking to achieve a passed rating a tipster will have to have achieved a good level of profit, growing the betting bank by at least 30%. Neutral ratings tend to go to services that broke even (or close to even) during our trial and failed ratings go to services that made a clear loss over our trial. 
• Star ratings: we also give tipsters a star rating from one to five. This provides a bit more depth on how the tipster has performed and takes into account a variety of metrics discussed below. Five star ratings are saved for the very best tipsters who have demonstrated outstanding results during a review.

We also publish ranking lists of the best tipsters by sport, including football, golf, tennis, boxing, UFC and more. These are regularly updated to reflect the recent performances of the tipsters. 

What’s in a Sports Tipster Rating

A tipster’s rating is made up of several components:

• ROI (Return on Investment): This is the profitability of the tipster based on the stakes placed. A high ROI in sports betting is a big indicator of profit.
• Strike Rate: The percentage of winning bets to total bets. A 50%+ strike rate is a good indicator of predictive accuracy.
• Profit and Loss: The total profit made by the tipster in their career or a specified period of time.
• Bank Growth (aka Return on Capital): This is how much the tipster has grown the betting bank over a given period of time, expressed as a percentage. It is another key performance metric.
• Closing Line Value: This refers to the value of the odds when the market closes compared to when the bet was placed. A positive CLV shows that the tipster consistently beats the market, which is a strong indicator of long-term profitability.

How Ratings Are Calculated and Updated

Tipster ratings are calculated from historical performance data.

Some systems update daily, others weekly or monthly depending on the frequency of tips.

Volume of tips and odds offered are also taken into account as they impact profit.

What Affects Sports Tipster Ratings

Several things contribute to a tipster’s rating, including: 

Consistency of Results

Tipster profit consistency is a crucial part of a high rating. A few lucky wins isn’t enough; long term consistency of profitable bets is what makes a tipster trustworthy.

Volume of Tips

A tipster who provides more tips gives more data to work with. But there’s a balance to be had; too many tips and you’re oversaturated, too few and it’s hard to gauge reliability.

A Tipster’s Specialism

A good rating system should take into account a tipster’s specialism in certain aspects of their sport.

For example a football tipster may be great in the Premier League but struggle with international matches. 

Or a golf tipster might be great on the PGA Tour but struggle on the DP World Tour for instance.

We should be careful not to over-analyse or over-interpret a tipster’s record, but if a trend is strong enough and over a large enough sample of bets then it can be worth paying attention to.

We also have to understand that performance metrics tend to vary by sport, as discussed here in more detail. A tennis betting expert may have different performance metrics to a horse racing tipster for example. 

Transparency and Record Keeping

Good tipsters keep a clear record of their past results. Tipster transparency is important so the data used for the ratings is accurate.

Transparent records allow punters to see the tipster’s history over time.

How to Read and Interpret Sports Tipster Ratings

Understanding the metrics behind the rating is key to making informed betting decisions.

Numerical Scales and Star Ratings

A tipster may be rated on a 1-to-10 scale where higher is better or stars. When using these scales make sure you know what each point or star means.

Our own star rating system breaks down as follows:-

• = excellent, reserved for the very best tipsters who have produced outstanding results in a trial. Only a select few have achieved 5-star ratings from us.
• = a very impressive trial with high quality results, just behind the elite tipping services.
• = indicates a strong tipster with very good trial results, but perhaps just 1 metric preventing them from achieving top marks.
• = a good trial, but not quite blowing things away. Or could be an issue such as odds availability hitting their rating.
• = a solid trial, but not spectacular either. Usually for tipsters that have made a small profit.
• = usually corresponds with a neutral rating. The tipster probably broke even – or close to it.
• = a failed rating. The tipster probably made a loss, although not a substantial one.
• = signifies a poor performance, with either a substantial loss made or major issues with the service. 
• = a very poor performance, likely with the bank being close to being wiped out.
• = disaster. Either a total bank wipeout, a scam tipster, or both. 

Historical Performance Data

Historical performance data shows a tipster’s long term success.

Look at the data in relation to ROI, win percentage and overall profit. Tipster performance graphs are also useful for judging performance at a glance.

Trends and Patterns in Tipster Performance

Look for patterns. Is the tipster profitable consistently or just recently?

Are they good in certain types of bets or markets?

Knowing these trends will help you choose tipsters who offer long term value.

Mistakes to Avoid When Using Sports Tipster Ratings

Tipster ratings are useful but there are common mistakes to watch out for.

Relying Too Heavily on Short Term Results

A tipster may have a good run for a few months but that doesn’t mean they’ll be profitable long term.

Be cautious of short term results and always prioritise long term betting profit. 

We tend to judge tipster performance over the course of years, not weeks or months. Any tipster can hit a hot or cold run of form but only the best will deliver profit year after year. 

Ignoring the Tipster’s Specialism

If you’re looking for an expert in a certain sport don’t just look at general ratings. Look for sport specific success rates and specialism.

Following a horse racing tipster for football bets for example is unlikely to generate good results.

As explained in our article about sports tipsters, there are very few tipsters who are profitable in more than one sport. 

Not Considering the Odds

Tipsters who bet at high odds may have a lower strike rate but can still be profitable. Those who bet at short odds may have high win rates but offer minimal returns.

It’s important to consider tipster metrics as a whole rather than just looking at just one or two. 

How to Use Sports Tipster Ratings

Now you know how to read the ratings it’s time to use them to your advantage.

Comparing Multiple Tipsters in the Same Sport

Instead of following one tipster blindly compare multiple tipsters in the same sport to find the best advice.

Tipster rating websites like this one can help you do this easily by aggregating different tipsters’ ratings.

Spread Your Tipster Portfolio

Betting portfolio diversification is a good risk management strategy.

Following multiple tipsters across different sports can smooth out the ups and downs of individual tipster performance.

Be sure to have a sufficient betting bank to if you are going to follow multiple tipsters though.

We normally recommend having a separate betting bank for each tipster and only betting a fixed percentage (e.g. 1-2%) of your bank on each tip.  

Tracking Your Personal Results With Rated Tipsters

While tipster ratings are a good reference it’s important to track how these tipsters perform in your personal bets.

Keep a results spreadsheet and use a sports betting ROI calculator to measure your results and check how each tipster you follow is performing, including the odds you have achieved against those given out by the tipster. 

 

Conclusion – Sports Tipster Ratings

Armed with your new knowledge of sports tipster ratings, you’re now ready to make more informed betting decisions.

Remember, these ratings are powerful tools, but they’re not crystal balls.

Use them wisely, combine them with your own research, and always bet responsibly.

Ready to put your skills to the test? Start by reviewing the ratings of tipsters in your favourite sport and see how it impacts your betting success.

Who knows? You might just become the next betting mastermind!