First off I ONLY bet In-Play lines. IMO you’re just guessing if you’re placing a bet before the game start.
The strategy I use applies for any sport. What I like to do is look for inconsistencies in the in-game lines. I like baseball and hockey because it’s a slower sport, so noticing weird lines changes when nothing is really happening is easier than basketball due to it being a faster pace sport. Basketball you can notice these inconsistencies when there is a time out or a pause in play.
Example for MLB: if there is a strike I’m expecting the in-play under lines leaning more favorite. BUT if for some reason multiple Sportsbooks have the over line leaning more favorite such as if the lines go from +105 to 100 or -115 to -120 I’m going to feel way more confident to take the under. This is just the surface of how I do it.
Side note: I personally don’t care who is playing or who is sitting. I don’t care about their stats either. I feel like it’s a weird dance I have with the devil aka Vegas.