You bring up an interesting point. I've been involved in sports betting for about five years now, and I've definitely noticed the change you're talking about. It used to be more about the thrill of placing a bet, maybe picking based on your favorite team or a gut feeling about a player. But now, with the amount of data available, it's almost like a science. I personally started using statistical models about two years ago. I built a simple algorithm that analyzes team performance, player stats, and even things like weather conditions or the day of the week the game is played. While I can't say it's foolproof (because nothing really is in betting), it has improved my success rate. However, I still think there's a place for intuition. There are just some things that numbers can't predict, like how a team might perform under pressure in a big game. It's a balance, really, between numbers and instinct.
