Disclaimer: This is an independent review based on publicly available information. We may earn a commission if you purchase through our links at no extra cost to you. This does not affect our analysis.
Tracking betting units is the only way to know if you're actually winning. I learned this the hard way in 2019 after blowing $1,800 following a picks service that claimed +60 units monthly — turned out they were break-even at best, and I had zero data to prove it because I wasn't tracking properly.
Since then, I've tested every unit tracking method out there: Google Sheets, Excel templates, dedicated apps, pen-and-paper logs, and Discord communities with built-in tracking. Some are overkill. Others are too basic. Most bettors don't need fancy software — they need a system that's simple enough to update daily but detailed enough to catch inflated claims.
Here's the reality: if you can't track your units accurately, you can't verify whether Tommy's claiming Locks By Tommy Monthly Player Props +88 units is real or just hype. You're flying blind.
Which Is Better: Manual Tracking or Discord Communities?
For most bettors, a simple Google Sheets template wins. It's free, customizable, accessible anywhere, and forces you to manually log every pick — which means you actually review your performance. Discord communities with built-in tracking are convenient if you're already paying for a service like Locks By Tommy Monthly Player Props, but they only track that community's picks, not your entire betting activity. If you want one central place for all your action across multiple services, build your own sheet.
Key Facts
- Google Sheets unit tracking is free and accessible on any device, while dedicated apps like Action Network cost money for premium features.
- Locks By Tommy Monthly Player Props costs $59.99/month and includes Discord access with community-posted picks for tracking.
- Manual pen-and-paper logs take 2-3 minutes per bet but can't calculate ROI or filter by sport automatically.
- Excel templates offer more formula power than Google Sheets but require desktop access instead of mobile-friendly tracking.
- Discord communities track only their own picks, so you'll need a separate system if you tail multiple services or make independent plays.
- Units explained: one unit equals a consistent percentage of your bankroll, typically 1-5%, allowing you to measure performance regardless of dollar amounts.
- Tracking picks performance across 30+ days is the minimum timeframe to identify genuine patterns versus random variance.
Quick Comparison: 5 Unit Tracking Methods
| Method | Cost | Best For | Key Feature | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Sheets | Free | Bettors tracking multiple services | Cloud syncing + custom formulas | Best overall for most users |
| Excel Templates | Free (if you own Excel) | Desktop-focused bettors | Advanced formulas and pivot tables | Great but less mobile-friendly |
| Pen & Paper | Free | Minimalists who hate screens | Zero tech required | Too slow for high-volume tracking |
| Action Network App | Free (premium $9.99/mo) | Casual bettors wanting automation | Auto-sync with sportsbooks | Convenient but limited customization |
| Discord Communities | Varies ($30-$60/mo typical) | Bettors following one main service | Community picks logged publicly | Only tracks that service's picks |
If you're already paying for a picks service and just want to track those specific plays, Discord communities handle it automatically. But if you're serious about tracking your full betting portfolio — including plays from multiple sources or your own research — check out a service like Locks By Tommy that at least publishes picks publicly so you can verify the unit claims yourself while building your own tracking sheet.
Google Sheets: The Free All-Purpose Winner
I've used Google Sheets to track every bet I've made since 2020. It's not sexy, but it works. You can access it from your phone when you're placing bets at the sportsbook, from your laptop when you're reviewing weekly performance, and you can share it with friends who think your claimed +40 units is inflated (it's not, and I've got the receipts).
The beauty of Sheets is customization. You set up columns for date, sport, pick, odds, stake (in units), result, and profit/loss. Then you add formulas to auto-calculate your total units won/lost, ROI by sport, win rate by bet type — whatever metrics matter to you. Mine calculates units won per service I'm tracking, so I can see exactly which communities are actually profitable versus which ones are selling hype.
Downside? You have to manually enter every pick. If you're tailing a high-volume service that posts 8-10 picks daily, that's 10 minutes of data entry each night. But honestly, that manual work forces you to review your action, which most bettors desperately need. I've caught myself about to tail a garbage pick just because the manual act of typing it into my sheet made me think twice about the logic.
Excel Templates: More Power, Less Mobility
Excel does everything Google Sheets does, but with beefier formulas and pivot table capabilities. If you're tracking hundreds of picks monthly and want to slice data by sport, bet type, odds range, and time period, Excel handles it better.
But you're tethered to a desktop. Sure, Microsoft has mobile apps, but editing complex Excel formulas on a phone screen is a nightmare. For bettors who do most of their analysis at home on a computer, Excel's fine. For everyone else who places bets from their couch or at a bar, Google Sheets wins on accessibility alone.
One thing Excel does better: conditional formatting and visual dashboards. You can build color-coded performance charts that instantly show which months were profitable and which sports are draining your bankroll. It's overkill for casual bettors, but if you're treating this seriously, the visual feedback helps.
Pen & Paper: Analog Tracking for Purists
I'm not going to pretend this is practical for high-volume tracking. But some bettors genuinely prefer a notebook. They claim it forces mindfulness, slows them down before placing bets, and eliminates screen fatigue.
Fine. If you're only making 2-3 bets per day, grab a notebook and log date, pick, stake, result, and running unit total. The problem is you can't filter by sport, can't calculate ROI automatically, and can't pull up your June 2025 performance in three seconds when someone asks how you did during baseball season.
Honestly, pen and paper works only if you're betting very low volume or you hate technology with a passion. For tracking picks performance across multiple sports and services, it's too slow and too limited. I tried this for two weeks in 2020 and gave up when I realized I couldn't quickly answer "what's my NBA player props win rate?" without flipping through 30 pages of notes.
Action Network App: Automated but Limited
Action Network's app is slick. It syncs directly with DraftKings, FanDuel, and other sportsbooks to auto-import your bets. No manual data entry. It calculates your profit/loss automatically and shows you breakdowns by sport and bet type.
Sounds perfect, right? But there's a catch: it only tracks bets you actually place at synced sportsbooks. If you're evaluating a picks service before tailing — like testing whether Locks By Tommy Monthly Player Props is worth $59.99/month — you can't log hypothetical picks to see if their claimed +88 units holds up. You can only track bets you've already placed with real money.
The premium version costs $9.99/month and adds advanced analytics. But it's still a black box — you're trusting their formulas instead of building your own system. For casual bettors who just want to know if they're up or down overall, it's convenient. For serious bettors who want to audit picks services or track hypothetical performance, it falls short.
According to data from Wikipedia's sports betting article, tracking performance is essential for long-term success, but automated tools can mask underlying problems if you're not reviewing individual bet quality.
Discord Communities: Built-In Tracking for One Service
Most paid Discord betting communities post picks in dedicated channels, and the transparency means you can scroll back through every play from the past month. Some services like Locks By Tommy Monthly Player Props even have members or moderators maintaining public tracking sheets within the community.
This is convenient if you're all-in on one service. You join, you see the picks, you tail them, and you can compare your results to the community's claimed record. The problem is it only tracks that one service. If you're also making your own plays, tailing a second service, or testing alternatives like Heem's Picks, you need a separate system.
Also, not all communities maintain transparent unit tracking. Some claim +88 units for the month without showing the full pick history or unit sizing. That's a red flag. If a service is posting picks publicly in Discord and you can verify every result yourself, great. If they're just posting a monthly summary with no receipts, you're trusting them blindly.
At $30-$60/month for most mid-tier services, Discord communities are a solid option if tracking is secondary to getting daily picks. But if your main goal is tracking units across multiple sources, you still need your own master sheet.
Which Should You Choose?
For most bettors, Google Sheets wins. It's free, mobile-friendly, customizable, and handles multiple picks services plus your own plays. You control the data, you can audit any service's claims, and you can pull up your full betting history in seconds.
If you're desktop-only and want advanced analytics, Excel templates work. If you're ultra-casual and just want to know if you're winning or losing overall, Action Network's app is fine. If you're all-in on one Discord community and trust their transparency, that works too — but I'd still keep a personal sheet as backup.
Pen and paper? Only if you're betting very low volume and actively hate technology. Otherwise, you're making unit tracking sports betting way harder than it needs to be.
The real test is whether your system catches inflated claims. If a service says they're up +88 units and you've been tracking every pick in your own sheet that shows +12 units, you've just saved yourself from blindly trusting hype. That's the whole point — verify the claims yourself with a tracking method you control.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the easiest way to track betting units for beginners?
Google Sheets is the easiest starting point. Create columns for date, sport, pick, odds, units staked, result, and profit/loss. Use a simple formula like =SUM() to calculate your total units won or lost. You can access it from your phone or computer, and it's free. If you're tailing a picks service, log every pick they post so you can verify their claimed results against your own tracking.
How do Discord betting communities track units?
Most Discord communities post picks publicly in dedicated channels, and some maintain community tracking sheets that log every pick's result. Services like Locks By Tommy Monthly Player Props claim +88 units for recent months, and members can scroll through pick history to verify. But Discord only tracks that specific service's picks — if you're betting elsewhere or making your own plays, you need a separate personal tracking system.
Should I use an app or a spreadsheet to track picks performance?
Apps like Action Network automate tracking by syncing with sportsbooks, but they only log bets you've actually placed. Spreadsheets let you track hypothetical picks, audit multiple services, and customize metrics. If you're evaluating whether a picks service's claims are legit before risking money, use a spreadsheet. If you just want automated tracking of your own placed bets, an app works fine.
How many units should I risk per bet?
Most bettors stake 1-3 units per standard play, with 5 units reserved for high-confidence plays. One unit typically equals 1-2% of your total bankroll. Units explained simply: if your bankroll is $1,000 and you use 1% units, one unit equals $10. This lets you track performance consistently regardless of bankroll size. Never risk more than 5% of your bankroll on a single bet, even if a service calls it a "lock."
Final Verdict: Build Your Own Sheet, Verify Every Claim
The biggest mistake I made in 2019 was trusting claimed unit totals without tracking them myself. A service said they were up +50 units. I had no data to verify it. Turned out they were selectively deleting losing picks and inflating the record.
Now I track everything in Google Sheets. Every pick from every service I'm evaluating, plus my own plays. It takes 5-10 minutes daily, but it's the only way to know if I'm actually winning or just believing hype. When a service like Locks By Tommy Monthly Player Props claims +88 units, I log every pick and verify the math myself. Sometimes it holds up. Sometimes it doesn't. But I've got the data either way.
If you want to see what a high-volume picks service with transparent Discord tracking looks like, check out Locks By Tommy here — you can review their publicly posted picks and build your own tracking sheet to verify their monthly unit claims before committing long-term.
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