The next couple of weeks are huge for punters as first the PSL and then the English Premier League get rolling. That means weekends packed with live matches not to mention a fair old scattering of them in midweek as well, especially in the PSL where the season has been condensed to accommodate World Cup 2010 preparation. 

Bookmakers will price up on every single one of those matches and there will be many a fan rubbing his hands in glee at the myriad of punting opportunities that abound. 

Experience has taught me that betting on every game is likely to lead to smaller Christmas presents for the kids though and so this year I have developed a strategy which I hope will keep me out of trouble while holding my interest. 

First up I am going to place fairly large long term bets. For example I will back Spurs to win the league without the “Big 4” which means that I will have an indirect interest on games featuring Villa, Everton and of course Man City who are likely to be the London team’s main rivals in that market. By doing this I hope to avoid the temptation of betting on matches featuring those sides and I will do the same for the title race as well as the relegation battle. 

By tying my money up at the start of the season I will avoid those  bad beats that occur so often such as backing a team to win only for them to conceded a 94th minute equaliser and if I have read the markets correctly I will hopefully be handsomely rewarded at the end of the season.  

Of course I will still have the occasional punt but I will keep stakes low rather playing a bet such as the Soccer 6 where for a small outlay you can get your hands on some decent payouts and more importantly the interest will keep you glued to your TV screen. 

Finally I will try my luck at the Fantasy Predictor league on www.fs.co.za where for R100 I can put myself in line for some great prizes and I will challenge a few mates to take me on as well. 

Ok so now the strategy is down in writing and there is really only one question that remains. Will I have the discipline to stick to it? 

This article first appeared in the Citizen CitiGaming section on Thursday 6 August 2009

Brent Graham is a blogger on www.goodforthegame.co.za and presents a sports betting radio show every Saturday morning at 07h30 on 1485AM Radio Today or Channel 169 of the DSTV Audio Bouquet. 

You can follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/brentgraham or get on his mailing list by dropping him a line at brent@goodforthegame.co.za

Goodforthegame will be posting betting previews on the Tri Nations, Currie Cup, Ashes, Premier League and PSL.