Unlocking a $500 Opportunity: Sports Betting with Python
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Chapter 1: Securing the Gig
I recently had the chance to take on a sports betting project through Craigslist. Although my knowledge in this niche was limited, my background in APIs and web scraping helped me land the gig. The secret to winning Craigslist jobs lies in responding promptly; I make it a point to check the listings multiple times a day while showcasing my skills effectively.
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Section 1.1: Understanding the Client's Needs
The client’s primary requirement was to gather real-time odds for baseball player prop bets from DraftKings. The odds typically become available roughly 1.5 hours before the game when final lineups are confirmed. He had come across APIs like the-odds-api.com and oddsjam.com but was uncertain about their real-time capabilities. He emphasized the importance of having genuine real-time data, which is crucial for our project. I aim to develop a program that can seamlessly download this information.
Subsection 1.1.1: Choosing the Right API
After conducting initial research, I found that the-odds-api.com was the most user-friendly. They provided sample Python code, making it easier to get started. Their real-time API is quite efficient, with odds refreshing approximately every five minutes before the match (with an average latency of 2.5 minutes). The frequency of updates increases as the game approaches, dropping to under one minute once the match begins.
Section 1.2: Additional Requirements
The client also wanted to collect fantasy sports betting data for each player involved in the game, which includes their name, position, and draft cost. The goal was to consolidate this information into a CSV or Excel file. He had already built a functional Excel spreadsheet for optimizing player selection, but entering the data manually from the previous steps was time-consuming. He expressed interest in further programming to automate this process while allowing for some customization, as the calculations are fairly straightforward.
Chapter 2: Implementation and Earnings
In this first video, I walk through the process of creating a football betting bot using Python and API calls, perfect for beginners looking to start in this domain.
In the second video, I demonstrate how I developed a sports betting bot utilizing OddsJam and ChatGPT, providing insights into the automation process.
With Python, I could wrap up the entire project in about one to one and a half hours, translating into a potential payment of $500 at most, and around $333 at the minimum.
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