Who is the man behind underdogchance?
Hi, I am Marjan, the founder of this site. You can call me MB.
I am a father, sports bettor, solopreneur, and someone who changed his life through sports betting. Now I help others to do the same.
Marjan (MB), founder of Underdog ChanceAllow me to explain how this all unfolded, so you understand who I am and why I’m here to talk about betting…
I don’t sell any sports betting picks
My picks are always 100% free
For over 25 YEARS, since 1998, I’ve been betting and later connected with sports bettors all over the world.
For the last couple of years, I’ve been helping people JUST LIKE YOU take the next step in sports betting.
People who need knowledge, who need a betting method that will work for them.
People who need that extra push and motivation, the spark and proven strategies.
What’s VERY important is that I achieved success in betting and escaped the 9-to-5 grind FIRST, and ONLY AFTER THAT did I start teaching other bettors how I did it.
It’s perplexing and concerning to see the number of individuals offering betting advice or selling picks without having achieved notable success themselves.
Without a track record of personal achievement in this field, one has to question the value and reliability of the guidance they’re providing. True expertise comes from practical experience, not just theory.
I’ve walked the path and I show real-life examples.
Since then, I’ve created many sports betting models.
From simple to more complex…
From MLB, NHL, NBA, NFL, Soccer, CBB, Esports, Basketball, WNBA,… in my early years for some smaller sports like handball,…
You name it… the concept is always the same… calculate numbers, compare with bookies, find discrepancy and bet on value…
Many of these betting models failed too; I wasted lots of time and had sleepless nights full of trials and errors.
But you don’t have to go through what I did to make this work for you…
I was born in former Yugoslavia and lived in a small village.
No rich background.
Humble beginnings.
I didn’t know anything about betting, investment, success, or any kind of financial prosperity.
I was taught that the safest path was a government job and security.
I wanted to study in the capital city with the goal of not working as hard as my parents and other relatives. But things turned around.
I studied water science, where I learned my first modeling techniques, and I started betting. First wins came. But also first losses. I quickly realized that betting is all about numbers (sadly, most bettors still don’t know this).
But I still didn’t have a clue what successful betting entailed. I was broke all the time… Sometimes I didn’t have money to pay rent for my room.
I started working as a bartender and I was swimming between betting, college, and bartending.
The Accidental Bettor: How Math, Sports, and a Bit of Luck Changed My Life
My journey into the world of sports betting began innocently enough.
At 17 or 18, I placed my first bet in a local bookie shop where age restrictions were as relaxed as the lady behind the counter.
She didn’t ask questions; she just handed out tickets and paid out winnings. We were just kids then, in love with sports and chasing the thrill of picking winners. Little did I know this casual hobby would set me on a path to where I am today.
But here’s the kicker: I got lucky.
Without that stroke of fortune, I might still be stuck in the cycle of chasing “guaranteed picks,” “locks,” and other pipe dreams that never pan out.
Three pivotal factors changed my life and paved the way for my success in sports betting:
Luck, love for the sports and math brought me to sports betting
I must be honest here because I had luck. If I wouldn’t have the luck, I would still be at that level. Looking for sports betting picks, bet winners, guaranteed picks, locks, and all other crazy things, that don’t work.
Three things happened that changed my life and helped me to make a living from sports betting later.
Those are 3 things that I honestly didn’t have any impact on:
#1 A Mathematical Goalkeeper for a Father
Imagine having a dad who’s both a local football team’s goalie and a math professor.
That was my reality. He instilled in me a love for sports and numbers that proved invaluable.
While most bettors get caught up in the game, I learned to see beyond the field and into the figures.
Thanks to my dad, I could dissect betting markets and theory like a mathematician. In the world of betting, that’s pure gold.
#2 My First Computer: A Window to the Future
Growing up in a small village in Yugoslavia, having a computer was like owning a piece of the future.
Our beginnings were humble – my father was a teacher in the village school, and my mother worked in a factory.
But my father’s position gave me a golden ticket: access to the school’s computers.
I got my hands on an Atari, then a Commodore 64, and later a Commodore 128. I still loved playing outside football (soccer) more and I never became a coding wizard, but this early exposure to technology was crucial. It opened my eyes to the existence and power of computers – a perspective that would prove invaluable in the digital age of sports betting.
This early introduction to technology, despite our modest circumstances, planted a seed. It showed me that with the right tools and knowledge, you could process information in ways that seemed almost magical. Little did I know then how this would shape my approach to sports betting in the years to come.
#3 Personal Development Books in my early life
When I finished high school, my aunt who was at that point already a successful businesswoman gave me a book as a gift. Susan Jeffers – Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway. That was huge. I was very lucky because of that and this was my first meeting with personal development books.
Later in my life, I made a lot of mistakes and had my own path.
Especially my 20’s were very turbulent, but I always knew how to find confidence and come back when I was down, I knew exactly where to find information about success and I only needed to decide when to push a button.
Back then most people never even had contact with the personal development book. To become successful in betting we also must study success. If not, then it is just sports betting, which is not necessarily successful. I was lucky again.
My Journey from College to Successful Betting
My journey into serious sports betting began during my college years when I moved to the capital city to study Water Science and Environmental Engineering. This decision unexpectedly shaped my future in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
While I wasn’t the most enthusiastic engineering student, the course provided me with invaluable skills:
- Excel and Statistics: I learned how to use Excel and statistics, tools that would become the foundation of my betting career.
- Numbers and Algorithms: I grasped the importance of numbers and algorithms, understanding that serious businesses, including bookmakers, rely heavily on analytics.
As my studies progressed, I found myself more drawn to sports betting than to building bridges or designing drainage systems. In my final year, with just a few exams left, I made the bold decision to follow my heart and dive deep into sports betting. It was a risk, but one that aligned with my passions and skills.
Betting the Value by Comparing Odds
My first forays into betting were simple but effective.
I discovered that our local sportsbooks were slow to update their odds compared to the biggest online bookmakers. This lag created opportunities for value betting. Instead of focusing on predicting winners, I compared odds between local and online bookmakers, capitalizing on discrepancies.
For instance, when online bookmakers moved a spread from +7 to +3, our local sportsbook might still offer +6.5. These were the bets I placed, focusing on the value rather than just winners.
This strategy proved successful, and I started making significant money, at least for a student.
However, it wasn’t long before I faced my first major challenge: the local sportsbooks began banning my bets. They stopped accepting my combinations and tickets, forcing me to move between different locations or ask friends to place bets simultaneously.
Building My Own Sports Betting Models
As the local bookmakers started moving lines faster and my options dwindled, I realized I needed a new approach. I knew I couldn’t last long by simply comparing lines from different bookies.
Drawing on my college knowledge, I began building my own sports betting models.
I started with simple ones and gradually developed more complex models. This shift marked the beginning of my serious money-making on betting exchanges and with bookmakers who didn’t immediately ban me.
However, my journey wasn’t without setbacks. I lost money for the second time and found myself completely broke. This low point became my turning point – I decided to take betting seriously as a potential career.
The Pursuit of Freedom
As I refined my models and strategies, I started seeing consistent success. But more than the money, what drove me was the pursuit of freedom. Betting became my path to financial independence and a life on my own terms.
This transformation from a college student comparing odds to a sophisticated bettor with proprietary models changed my life. It wasn’t just about the wins or the money; it was about using my skills, embracing technology, and constantly evolving in a field I was passionate about.
The Ultimate Modern Bettor Approach
My journey taught me that successful betting involves more than just sports knowledge – it’s about mastering statistical analysis, leveraging technology, and embracing personal growth.
These principles form the foundation of what I now teach in the Ultimate Modern Bettor approach and my Elite Betting Masterclass, where I share and reveal all my private betting models.
The Ultimate Modern Bettor doesn’t follow picks without thinking, blame others, or wait for a savior.
He bets on himself, focuses on becoming a winning bettor, and understands that betting and successful betting are two completely different things. It’s not just about asking what to bet but about becoming the person who makes good bets.
Such a bettor understands success, personal development, loves technology, and keeps pace with modern betting.
This approach is how one can achieve realistic and sustainable results.
Once you understand the core concepts of success, you will have a solid foundation for modern success now and in the future.
You see, I always despised my job as a bartender and waiter.
My boss was aggressive, and the job was a significant source of stress for me.
Every Christmas and holiday, while others enjoyed time with their families, I was working. Many times, I felt alone and very sad, with my family 200 miles away. I struggled as a student too, because my passion lay in numbers and betting.
So, once I started winning and making more money, I saved up and gained the confidence to escape the 9-to-5 grind.
At first, my only income stream was betting and this was crazy stressful, because even if you are a consistent winner, you cannot win every month.
Sports betting should be taken as an extra income stream and long-term investment…
But I was young, crazy, and back then I didn’t sleep much… Later I changed this too… and started building betting around my life and not my life around betting…
That’s why I always say… sports betting is an active income and use it for building wealth, this is a much smarter way… you can still make 5-6 figures annually (I made it, my students made it), but never rely on only one income stream…
Once I put all the dots together, I had enough for the next couple of years in other investments, because I was re-investing betting profits, so that I didn’t even need to bet anymore….
(and I don’t live a luxury lifestyle… this was never my dream)
Then I told my mother that I would not finish college and that she didn’t need to worry anymore about me or my future… I even got married, had a kid…
During all this time I was observing bettors, handicappers, and the betting industry too… I was involved in betting forums, etc…
I saw that most handicappers don’t make actual money from betting, but from selling picks… Most of them didn’t make enough long-term success to escape 9-to-5 or they didn’t even have a lifestyle that is considered successful….
I saw broke touts who had regular jobs, no results, selling picks… I started thinking about how to help bettors transform…
Because I knew success is about transformation, not about some quick tips or magical bullets or some 97% crazy systems…
I also saw that most bettors struggle with understanding the math behind betting and building betting models…
Then I decided to help bettors through my example, my sports betting models, my way of betting…
Since then I constantly show my work and keep improving. Not like many, who had 1 good season 15 years ago and now you see them on podcasts only and you never see their bets, results, or their current work…
I keep doing and showing (even if I have bad months)… because I love analyzing bets, creating models, and the overall intellectual challenge of sports betting.
I am not saying that this is the only way to bet…. there are other better, smarter, more successful bettors than me…
But my way of betting worked for me and for many others… And what is important, betting benefited my life…
Many bettors win some money, but they lose families, they fight on social media all day, they live unhealthy lives… well, I don’t know if this is success…
That’s why this way of betting is different.
Modern bettor understands success, personal development, loves technology, keeps pace with the world and modern betting…
that’s how he can actually achieve realistic results (not some crazy 100x each year which is not achievable)…
I loved betting and the numbers, but the biggest motivation was never only money. It was always freedom.
This realization came from a combination of life experiences and wisdom gleaned from books like “The Surrender Experiment” by Michael Singer, “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle, and “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Tim Ferriss.
These insights opened my eyes to a bigger picture of life and investing. I began to understand the critical importance of multiple income streams. As Robert Kiyosaki brilliantly puts it in “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” “If your job is your only income stream, you’re one step away from poverty.” This simple yet powerful concept transformed my approach to betting and life.
The Million-Dollar Mindset Shift
Many dream of striking it rich through sports betting. I was no different, fantasizing about a million-dollar bankroll. But here’s the hard truth I learned:
- You can’t be the same person betting $1 as you are betting $10,000
- Betting skill alone isn’t enough – your entire life needs an upgrade
- Understanding money is just as crucial as understanding odds
Despite grasping +EV concepts earlier than most thanks to my college background, and even making good money as a student, I wasn’t a complete bettor. I lacked the personal growth and financial wisdom to consistently win and retain my earnings.
The 7-Stream Secret of Millionaires
Here’s a fascinating fact from some studies: the average millionaire has at least 7 different income streams. This isn’t by accident. It’s why you see successful athletes like LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo diversifying their investments. They understand a crucial principle:
- Relying on a single income stream is a recipe for financial disaster
My Betting Journey: A Lifelong Commitment
For most of my life, betting has been my constant companion. I’ve spent only about 4 years in traditional 9-5 jobs, dedicating the rest of my time to betting, learning about betting, and developing my unique methods.
This dedication led me to a critical decision: reinvesting my sports betting profits to build additional income streams. As Gary Vaynerchuk wisely says, “It’s more important how you make money than how much you make.”
The Ultimate Bet: On Myself
Sports betting has played a pivotal role in shaping my life, and it’s what I want to do for the rest of my days. The allure of math, statistics, models, investing, and the intellectual challenge keeps me engaged and growing.
Everything I have now – my success, my freedom, my knowledge – I owe to sports betting. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the role of luck in my journey.
Luck should never be ignored, but it’s what you do with that luck that truly counts.
Purpose of This Site
The purpose of this site and all my work is to positively impact sports bettors worldwide. My goal is to help sports bettors STOP relying on and paying for sports pick services and instead develop their own betting skills. This involves understanding money, investment, the right mindset, sports betting models, and betting theory. These are the principles that helped me, and this is what I share with you.
Why?
Over the years, I have closely followed the trends in the sports betting world. Sports betting picks, handicappers, and pick services have grown annually. The rise of sports handicappers with little to no betting knowledge selling picks has escalated, especially with the advent of social media. The situation has spiraled out of control.
Nowadays, anyone with a few minutes to spare can sell or share their picks. Millions of bettors are looking for magical solutions, but there is no quick fix. Not only does following or paying for picks fail to help most bettors, but the entire industry has also become 80% marketing and only 20% betting.
Most sports handicappers and betting services do not use any statistics for betting, do not track their bets, and fail to discuss crucial betting topics like closing line value, betting algorithms, betting models, and finding value.
This realization motivated me to share my story, my views, and my betting methods. My passion lies in diving deep into betting topics and providing information that can genuinely improve sports bettors’ skills every day.
I decided not to focus solely on finding picks because picks alone will not help you. Instead, I aim to share the bigger picture of betting, emphasizing how to use numbers, make your own betting decisions, and become successful.
This site was created with the primary goal of sharing my knowledge, betting strategies, and betting philosophy, not just sports picks. My ultimate aim is to transform the lives of sports bettors forever.
This brings me immense happiness and satisfaction in the betting world.
I even made some good friends among bettors, and here’s what others say about me:
David Beaudoin, PRO BETTOR, PhD in statistics and professor at Laval University in Quebec City
“Life is beautiful. You never know when you are going to meet a new person that will change your life.
It happened to me a few months ago as I was surfing the web. I ran into this underdogchance.com website that I didn’t know anything about. The interface looked nice, the guy on the picture looked like a nice guy and I liked the fact he was mentioning being an “investor” in sports betting.
The more I kept reading, the more I wanted to get to know this guy. He claims to be a family guy, dad of a two-year old girl. I have 2 young boys so I can relate to him. His vision of sports betting is exactly like mine: you absolutely need to mix statistical models with your own judgement in order to be successful in this business. If you only watch games and don’t run any numbers, you are very likely to lose in the long run. If you only focus on numbers and you don’t take into account important factors like injuries and scheduling, you are also likely to run into some trouble.
I wrote a long email to MB and we hit it off immediately. We’ve been emailing each other quite often since then and became good friends. I highly recommend checking out his website, whether you want to follow his free daily NHL/MLB picks or his online course about sports betting called “A Journey Betting Masterclass”.
Thanks MB for all the informative content related to sports betting, but more importantly, thanks for being a friend.”
Professor MJ
http://www.professormj.com
Ethical and Moral Sports Betting – My Perspective
Sports betting has been a part of human culture since ancient times, evolving from primitive wagers in Mesopotamia and China to the first known casino in 1638 Venice. Today, the industry remains complex and often controversial.
The Current Landscape
The sports betting world can still feel like the Wild West. Regulations vary widely across jurisdictions, leading to a mix of legal and illegal betting activities. This patchwork of rules significantly impacts online sportsbooks, bettors, and the gambling ecosystem as a whole.
However, there’s a growing movement among serious bettors to elevate sports betting to the level of financial markets, with increased transparency and analytical rigor.
Ethical Considerations
The ethics of sports betting are highly subjective. Bettors, operators, and industry professionals grapple with numerous moral questions:
- Is it ethical to profit from affiliate links to sportsbooks?
- Should one share betting picks without proven long-term success?
- Is it responsible to promote betting as a path to riches when most bettors lose money?
- How can bookmakers ethically “educate” bettors while knowing the house ultimately wins?
- What are the moral implications of creating betting-focused content (books, podcasts) while receiving compensation from sportsbooks?
My current opinion is that nobody should moralise – read my X post. And that’s just my latest opinion.
The Reality of Sports Betting
Ultimately, sports betting is a competitive endeavor. Success comes from outsmarting other bettors and bookmakers. Only a small percentage (1-5%) of bettors consistently profit long-term. Following others’ picks blindly is rarely a path to success.
Anyone entering the world of sports betting must understand the inherent risks and take full responsibility for their actions. There are no guarantees.
My Ethical Framework is simple..
- Transparency: Be honest about results, methodologies, and potential conflicts of interest.
- Personal Responsibility: Don’t blame external factors for losses. Accept the realities of betting.
- Knowledge-Sharing: Focus on education and analysis, not picks.
- Be Honest With Those Unfamiliar With Reality: Sports Betting is not 100% (like anything else) and there is no Guaranteed Bets (You’ll never see me say such things)
- Selective Partnerships: Recommend only trustworthy and valuable sportsbooks/resources.
- Continuous Improvement: Always strive to enhance skills and understanding of the craft.
The Broader Picture
For most people, sports betting remains primarily a form of entertainment.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with casual betting for fun, as long as it’s done responsibly.
Until decentralized betting exchanges gain widespread adoption, traditional sportsbooks will continue to play a vital role.
The market will naturally weed out unethical operators and consistently losing bettors over time.
My goal is to contribute positively to the sports betting ecosystem by promoting knowledge, transparency, and responsible practices.
While we may not agree on every ethical nuance, fostering open dialogue and continuous improvement benefits the entire community.
So, that’s who I am. What’s our next step together?
I’m a proud father in my 40s, seeking peace and balance in life.
Unlike the typical sports handicapper, I consider myself more of a sports betting analyst and solopreneur.
The glitz and glamour of casinos and gambling culture have never appealed to me.
There are more important things in life than betting.
Sports betting is just a game and a tool.
My Approach to Life and Betting
I strive to live peacefully, recognizing that much of life is beyond our control.
This perspective fosters gratitude for each day and curiosity about what tomorrow may bring.
My passion lies in helping fellow bettors advance their skills, increase their chances of success, and potentially transform their lives through sports betting – as I have done.
Helping others transform their lives brings me the greatest joy and satisfaction.
When I see someone succeed after I’ve guided them towards real, lasting improvement (not just by giving out picks, which are ultimately ineffective), it fills me with an incredible sense of accomplishment and excitement.
Philosophy on Success and Wealth
True wealth, in my view, lies in our ability to give to others. Whether it’s a smile, kindness, or knowledge, we can only share what we have in abundance. This, to me, is the essence of richness.
While money is a necessary tool that can solve many problems, it’s not the ultimate goal.
I understand that my approach to thinking, living, and betting isn’t universal – and that’s perfectly fine. We’re all unique individuals with different circumstances, personalities, and worldviews.
For those who resonate with my philosophy and share a passion for hard work, betting, and life, I’m always here to offer support and guidance.
Stay sharp, stay curious, and may success find you in all your endeavors.
Remember, the journey is just as important as the destination.
Success in betting is more about personal transformation than what you wager on any given Sunday.