For sports handicappers, there’s so much information and statistics available on the internet these days that it’s enough to make your head spin. You can spend hours and hours scanning through dozens of betting "trends" for each NBA matchup, but I’m here to tell you that most of them are completely useless.

As an example, Covers.com says that the "under" is 13-6 in the last 19 games that the Boston Celtics have played on a Sunday. Does that mean that Boston plays tougher defense on Sundays? Are foul shots attempted from two feet farther back during Sunday games? Of course not. That 13-6 mark is purely coincidence and it would be no surprise if Boston’s next 10 Sunday games all went "over."

Indeed, not all betting trends are created equal. Smart cappers know which ones they might be able to profit from and which ones to ignore. As a general rule of thumb, it’s wise to skip over obscure trends such as “Pistons are 5-11-1 ATS in their last 17 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.” If you are going to bet your money based on that nugget of information, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

Stick to the basics, kid.

Here are five trends that you should be paying attention to.

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