'Beating SP' - Does it matter?

[Sheerluck Holmes]

So, i've now struck just over 100 bets in my flat thread, and showing a small profit, so things ticking along nicely ... I've been keeping track of the odds taken on each bet and the SP and I've noticed I'm 'beating SP' by an average of 1.5 betting points per bet. (N.B. The odds have been better at SP in 15% of my bets.) Does this mean in the long run I'm more likely to be profitable? I do try to always look for the elusive 'value' in my bets, but does this mean I assume I am finding 'it' in the majority of my bets? Just wondering if any of you more knowledgable punters have any thoughts on this - is this a good thing or just a meaningless stat/quirk? Thanks. :ok

[Trotter]

Re: 'Beating SP' - Does it matter? I don't know if there's any mathematical study been done (it would be amazing if there hasn't !) but my impression is that if you bet the evening before or in the morning you nearly always beat SP......because the bookies shorten up all the prices before the SP is declared. And of course you can take a 'best price' amongst the bookies whereas the SP by definition is the same price all around and none of them can offer 2 points higher ! Common sense would indicate that if you are beating SP you are getting 'value' but it depends on whether SP represents 'value'.......SP might be shocking value and by just beating it you're just getting slightly less shocking value.......