The Etiquette of Betting Against Your Favorite Team

There has been a bit of a debate on Twitter tonight that has sparked a lot of different takes. It all started when Barstool Sports’ Jeff Nadu bet on the Celtics tonight. It was a do-or-die Game 7. This was despite him being a Philadelphia sports fan. The bet was a sweat-free hit. But, some people thought it was weak to bet against his team. They were people like Barstool’s Steven Cheah. And they thought it was weak to brag about it afterward. Even though his team was eliminated, he still played a key role.

For now, forget this individual example. I will share my take on how you should handle betting against your team with platforms like IviBet. We will then revisit this case at the end.

The Casual Bettor Who Avoids Their Team

I have many friends who fall under this umbrella. They are huge sports fans and passionate about their team. They also bet on sports in the $10 to $20-a-game range to have some action occasionally. They think they’ll be too biased when betting or fading their team. They also don’t want to be even more disappointed if their team loses. They don’t want to root against their team if they fade them.

This makes sense for people who want to bet once in a while to get some action. You’re invested in the game your team’s playin’. Why risk money on it, too?

The Serious Bettor Who Disassociates from Being a Fan

On Gambling Twitter, I know there are a lot of people like this, and I respect it. It’s a bit complex in some ways. But, if you want to take betting very seriously, it’s hard to also be a fan at times. Discipline is required to view a team from an aim perspective. You care a lot about it.

What Are the Rules?

So the next question is, what are the rules?

It’s fine to put yourself in any of those four scenarios. But then you have to follow specific rules. First, let’s throw out the casual bettors. If you bet pennies on every game, the only rule is to not pretend your bet is as important as real money. You can live and die with your bets. We never shame unit sizes here. You should always bet within your means. If you bet $5 on the game and someone with you bets $500, relax a bit. Keep your emotions to yourself.

Severe bettors follow a different set of rules. They bet a lot of money or are online gambling “personalities.” The main rule is that you can’t have your cake and eat it too. That is where this Jeff Nadu example will come back into play.

Fandom vs. Betting: Navigating the Emotional and Financial Stakes

Luckily, all my teams are terrible, so I usually don’t have to worry about betting on them in big games. But if, for example, the Jets were in the Super Bowl and were 3-point underdogs, I thought they would lose, so I would definitely bet on the other side. Yet, if the Jets won the Super Bowl, that losing bet would be the last thing on my mind. It would be millions of miles back.

I will never let my fandom impact my actual bets. I will use my team knowledge to make smarter bets. But, in a big game, I’ll root for my team before I bet. At the end of the day, if one losing bet ruins you, then you shouldn’t bet. So, of course, I would trade one losing bet for my team winning a Game 7/Super Bowl, etc.

I’d love to hear others’ take on this. Feel free to reply to this tweet and let’s have some #HealthyDebate.