That’s something I learned the hard way too. I once backed a team that looked strong on paper, but they were going through a rough patch and it showed during the game. Since then, I usually check their last five matches first. I don’t treat recent form as a guarantee, though. Injuries, opponents and home advantage can change things quite a bit.

I think recent statistics are useful as a starting point, especially when there’s a clear change in how a team has been playing. I usually compare recent results with their longer-term record rather than relying on one number. When I was learning this, I also found it helpful to browse https://www.betinexchange.online/ and compare how different markets reflected current form. It gave me another way to look at the numbers without assuming recent results told the whole story. For me, the main thing is putting several pieces together before making any decision.