Intangible Factors That Often Influence Sports Picks
When people attempt to pick the winners of sports competitions, they often focus on hard stats and injury reports. Many intangible factors can also influence the outcome of games and matches, though, and also should be considered when making sports picks.
Location
The most obvious intangible is where the competition is taking place. Home teams are known to have an advantage, as their fans will rally during the competition and they're used to the arena. Assessing the effect of playing in a neutral location is more difficult, however.
Neutral locations theoretically don't favor either team, but they aren't always truly neutral. Lots of fans will still show up if a team is playing at a neutral location that's still within the team's state, and they'll provide an emotional boost during the competition. A team that's played at the neutral location previously during the season will also be familiar with it.
When making sports picks, a neutral location in a team's home state or where a team previously played might be considered more akin to a home arena.
Most Recent Matchup
How recently each team last played can influence what sort of shape the teams are in. A team that played very recently may still be tired from their previous competition, especially if it went into overtime. A team that hadn't played in a long time may be rusty and could take some time to get back in its groove on the field or court.
What's considered recent varies by sport. A basketball game played the previous night or two nights ago could still have a tiring effect, but players are used to playing every few days. In football, any game that was less than a week ago is considered recent and can leave a team tired.
Whatever is atypical, whether shorter or longer, than the normal rest period in a sport should be factored in when making sports picks.
Player's Hometowns
Players will often compete in or near their home towns, even if they're playing for a team in another state. When a player returns to their hometown for a matchup, they sometimes perform better than normal. Playing in front of family and friends can serve as an incentive to try extra hard and do extra well.
If a competition brings a team's notable player near their home town, take into account how the competition might go if that player performs especially well.
For more information about sports picks, contact a local company, like Official Picks.