Using a consensus report to determine winners in the sports industry is not unheard of. In recent years in fact it has quickly become all the rage as a handicapping tool. So far in the first two parts of the study the definition has been introduced with theories that support the usage in the sports handicapping world. Without a solid understanding of what the consensus report it the handicapper would be using the product blind and therefore an introduction was paramount as well as a tutorial in how to use the consensus report. The second part of the study was based on using it as a toll why keeping the mindset that handicapping or selecting a team or total is never based on just one method or tool but a successful combination. In the second part the issue of where to find the consensus report was briefly glossed over. In this part of the study the topic of where to find reports will be discussed in detail. It is important to realize what outlets offer the report and how the numbers are derived and what can be considered worthy as a handicapping tool.

There is more than one type of site that offers a consensus report. Some sites offer it as a side perk of the site while others have sites that primarily focus on the use of the consensus report and use it as the main focus of the site. Sports betting sites are all over the internet and there is no shortage of them when it comes to ones that offer a consensus report. The four main types are contest sites, forums, handicappers, and sportsbooks. There are perks to each one but you have to understand what each of them has to offer.

When it comes to the best site to find a consensus the answer is most likely a contest site or a site that focuses mainly on the consensus report. With the main focus being on the report they will pay the most attention to it and make it the best it can be. Since they are a contest site they will most likely have the most data to actually put the report together and make it more credible. The downfall is that they have people that are playing in free contests and not actually putting money on each game. This won’t skew the numbers but it makes you wonder how many real bettors are in the contest. The theory is to bet against sports bettors and this would make a case that this is not a group of sports bettors.

Certain sportsbooks offer a consensus report. This is an interesting position for a sportsbook to be in. The good thing is they are offering a real consensus or as close as it gets to a real one. They are using real figures based off the amount of wagers that the sportsbook has collected leading up to the game. The downside would be that the sportsbook can manipulate the data. I am not saying this is what happens, but remember the goal of the sportsbook is to get even action on both sides. If they know that the people like to bet against the consensus they could very easily inflate one side to attempt to draw action. There are a few professional gamblers at reputable sportsbooks and they could also skew the numbers in one form or another.

There are some sports handicappers that offer consensus reports as well. This is a nice touch on a handicapping site but not the focus of the site. The handicapper is worried about picks and customers and not putting out the best product possible for people to use as a handicapping tool. Most handicapper sites actually use a feed that is derived from another site. If this is the kind of information that is going to be used the sports bettor might as well go to the original site that puts out that stats. This way they will be able to investigate the data with a more thorough approach. Don’t let the bells and whistles fool you on a site like this, just find the source and see what they have to offer.

The final gambling site that will offer a consensus report is a sports betting forum. Forums are a great avenue for sports betting tools to handicap and often offer more than one tool and will have match up tools and trends. The post themselves become a great source of information but consensus reports can be tricky at a forum. It really depends on the source. The few forums that offer a consensus report offer it based on what the forum members are picking, the problem with this is that some forums are bigger than others. Therefore the reports are not always detailed or they do not have a big sample size when it comes to determining a sincere consensus. This means the numbers may not show a true reflection of what actually is happening.

Whether it is a sportsbook, handicapping service, and forum or contest site, consensus reports can be found everywhere. The trick of finding a reputable is to investigate the data and appreciate what type you are looking at and take it for what it is. Following this procedure will increase your odds of winning and add another weapon to your handicapping arsenal.

Part 4: Hazzard and Pitfalls of the Consensus Report