In my early days of tapping I actually used binoculars to look at the higher branches. While malpes have opposite branching, that is not readily apparent on bigger limbs because one of the opposites often gets broken off. Another point, maples are not the only tree with opposite branching.
On a sugar maple, in the upper branches you should be able to see some opposite branching, then look for the ends of buds. On a sugar maple, they will have a sharp point, no other opposite branching tree has sharp pointed buds to my knowledge. Then get used to what the bark looks like in each age class. Sugar maples go thru a steady progression in the brk. A young tree will habe little rounded bumps in the bark. As the tree matures the bark will start to change until a mature tree will have vertical plates that start to curl away from the trunk, but only on one edge of the plate.
Also learn the limb configuration on a sugar maple, they have a very recognizable growth characteristic.
Back in my early days of sugaring I also drove school bus. I used to I.D. sugar maples for practice when it was safe to do so. In time I got to here I could identify a sugar maple from quite a distance, in the winter.
Red maples and silver maples also have opposite branching but their bark is quite different from sugar maples or each other. In the summer try to identify them, then study their bark and limb growth characteristics, then do it again as and then after the leaves fall.
In time you will get so you have no problem identifying any of the 3.