From the moment I’ve realized how popular NFL betting is, I felt the immediate need to write up a few lines on the matter. My guide will help you step up your NFL betting game and increase your chances of winning. This guide will point out the most important things you need to know about NFL betting, such as:
So, brace yourself because you’re in for a ride on the wild side of NFL betting. Allow me to show you the ropes so that you can become an experienced and seasoned NFL bettor just like me. Let’s not waste any time and get straight to it.
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There are two teams in American football, and the main goal is to win by scoring more points than the opponents. To win, the players need to:
- Either kick the ball through the goalposts of the opponents or
- Get it in the end zone of the opponent team
If a team manages to get to the end zone, that’s what’s known as touchdown and brings six points. Kicking the ball through the goalposts brings the additional one point. The rules of American football are pretty simple. The team that possesses the ball needs to advance across the field.
They need to move the ball 10 yards, but they only have four attempts to do it. If they fail, the other team has the ball, and if they make it to the other end of the field, they get a new set of four attempts. An NFL team consists of two teams – the offense and the defense.
Two teams face each other in a position. The quarterback gets the ball, and he can decide to run or throw it. If he gets tackled, that’s called the sack. An NFL match has four quarters, each lasting 15 minutes. The team that scores first takes the game.
If the stats are to be believed, the Americans are literally crazy about football. It’s the most popular sport in the country, mostly due to the latest advancements in live streaming and online betting.
These technologies made American football more accessible, which took the sport out of its traditional proportions. Sunday games are no longer just a tradition; they are now a real opportunity.
With games on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, anyone who’s into sports betting gets a huge chance to score big time. Americans bet before and after the game.
Here’s the list of the American countries where NFL betting is legal:
- Nevada
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- Delaware
- Mississippi
- West Virginia
- Rhode Island
- New Mexico
- Arkansas
- Iowa
- New York
- Oregon
- Indiana
The states hoping to legalize sports betting before the 2019-2020 NFL season:
- Illinois
- Montana
- Tennessee
If you want to place a bet on NFL action, there is more than one way to do it. Since I’m a man of simplicity, I’ll start with the simplest one – the Moneyline. The moneyline includes placing a bet on a team you think will win without regard to the margin of victory.
If you go with the moneyline, you should know that the negative odds go to the favorites, while positive ones go to the underdogs.
Betting on the point spread
This type of NFL betting goes for the expected margin of victory. If a team is listed as let’s say -13.5, that means you have to place your bet on them scoring 14 points or more.
Betting on a total of a game
Betting on the total of a game is a frequent target of NFL bettors as these gamblers like to either place their bets on the expected point score of one team or on the total point score of the game. There are also betting propositions that bettors can use to place their wagers on:
- The specific margin of victory
- The type of score on the game-opening
- The performance of a particular player
Betting props allow gamblers to place multiple bets on different matches and go into a parlay or use different combinations of propositions on a game. These are all-or-nothing bets, and if all bets are successful, the more bets in a parlay, the bigger the potential for a cash-in.
There’s also a teaser combo, a form of NFL betting that ranges from two to ten bets, in which gamblers can choose to adjust the total or point spread to their specifications. These bets typically have more chances of winning, but they include smaller payouts.
NFL Futures Betting
Instead of placing your bets on an individual game, you can bet on NFL futures. It offers you a chance to predict:
- The winner of the Super Bowl
- Divisional champion
- The number of wins that you favorite will gather during the season
NFL Parlay Betting
NFL parlay betting is placing a bet on multiple matches on the same ticket. You can start with a minimum of two games to make a parley, or you can choose to include multiple games. Pay attention to the fact that sportsbooks will limit the number of games you can put on a ticket.
While the exact number isn’t specified, the rules differ from a sportsbook to a sportsbook. The trick with parlay betting is that all your choices must win to cash the ticket in.
Here are some good and safe benchmark examples of parlay bets having odds of -110:
- Two-team parlay: 13-5
- Three-team parlay: 6-1
- Four-team parlay: 10-1
- Five-team parlay: 25-1
- Six-team parlay: 40-1
- Seven-team parlay: 75-1
- Eight-team parlay: 150-1
- Nine-team parlay: 300-1
- 10-team parlay 600-1
The more games you add, the higher the odds. It’s all about understanding the risk involved, as well as the handicapping rules that apply for parley bets.
NFL live Betting
In-play betting, better known as live betting, is another prevalent form of NFL betting and a method of wagering that professional gamblers like me prefer. I prefer it simply because I don’t have to wait for the opening kickoff to place my bets.
Live betting allows gamblers to watch the game quarter by quarter in real-time. Those who know where to look can place their bets on a preferred target line, which dramatically increases their chances of winning big.
NFL betting trends
When it comes to the point total, point spread, or moneyline, it’s easy to find the information on where the public is betting.
There are free sports betting sites that offer this kind of information, but it’s essential to pay attention to sportsbooks in their effort to adjust the lines when the stakes are high. The more profit involved, the more shifts in the lines they make.
What’s good about these trends is the indication to which side of the line makes a better bet. It’s based solely on the number of bets pouring in from both sides. However, it’s better to focus on the money percentage than on the percentage of bets.
The more bets there are, the more reactive the public is, which means there’s a favorite in the making but, if you see tons of money, that means that seasoned bettors have something up their sleeves that might make them win big.
This is a bit of a longshot, of course, but money makes money. Placing a bet where the money is should bring back profits.
It’s hard to bet the NFL with success consistently, but it’s possible to do it with the right betting formula. The reason why this is so hard is that sportsbooks are surgically precise when setting Point Totals and Spreads.
If bettors are to determine potential winners and value, they need to come up with an effective way to turn a profit.
Of course, betting on favorites that work huge percentages of bets to their advantage might do the trick, but it’s much better to look for value by analyzing trends and raw figures or, at least, that’s what I’d do.
To find the one formula that does it for you, you need to pay attention to a team’s:
- Proneness to recover after a loss
- Results at home vs. on the road
- Recent travel schedule
Here are some of the useful tips that you can apply to help you predict how a game will develop.
Pace
The pace is the median number of plays a team beats per match. It helps to recognize slow-paced matches that will go Under or fast-paced matches have better chances at going Over.
Offensive efficiency
This is a great indicator that can be extremely useful in the red zone. It shows which team covers the spread by finishing drives with touchdowns. It also indicates which teams create points and control possession by being successful on offense.
Turnovers
Teams in the red zone with an efficient defense on the other side of the ball can keep the outcome of a match under the point total. Teams like this can create turnovers and are far more profitable, especially when they’re underdogs in for stealing a match or hanging close.
Win Probability
This goes for the experienced gamblers as win probability is a handy tool in live betting. If you know how to use it, you can place safe bets on the teams with the potential to win.
DVOA
DVOA refers to comprehensive numbers that show:
- Whether the lines of defense are more effective on the left or right side
- How the line of offense creates spaces at the second level
- The performance of the defensive line against specific position groups
If a gambler matches up these numbers on each side, they can sway the outcome.
Home Field Advantage
Teams such as the Patriots, Saints, Chiefs, and Packers have a huge advantage in the home field. The reasons for this are many, but I can point out one that stands out – lofty point spreads. Not every team manages in those venues, and the Bengals are the best example.
By practicing these tips, you should be able to find an edge by braking the numbers.
Since I’ve had to come a long way to become the avid gambler I am today, I know how destructive sports betting can be.
To make sure you don’t take anything for granted here, I’ll point out some of the NFL betting mistakes I think you should avoid at all costs.
I’m also fully aware of the fact that are people who fool themselves into believing that they can turn NFL betting into a living. While this is possible, it takes a lot of time, skill, knowledge, and expertise to get there.
There is a pretty long way to go, and failing might have devastating consequences. So, to help you avoid risking your wellbeing, let me point out the biggest pitfalls that can turn your favorite entertainment into a life-long problem.
Never chase your losses
It’s always hard to deal with a lost bet, and most bettors become overwhelmed with an idea to be made whole. This goes especially for gamblers who are anxiously waiting for NFL Sundays to go double or nothing after losing the initial bet.
Never forget to manage your bankroll
I’ll remind you that sportsbooks are more than accurate when it comes to final results, totals, and spreads. That greatly reduces your chances of a sure thing. Therefore, avoid betting big, and don’t forget to manage your bankroll. Also, being overconfident won’t get you anywhere in NFL betting. Knowledge is always king.
Never get emotional in your betting
When emotions get in the way, that’s the right time to think twice about your actions. Betting should always be a way to have some fun, and if you’re afraid to bet against a team because they’re your favorite, that’s bad for you. Always place your bets based on gut feeling, intuition, trends, and reliable data and do your best to avoid being swayed by emotions at all costs.
Never have high hopes for longshots
While I always encourage gamblers to go for the best odds on a wager, going with bets that have no chance to succeed seems like a longshot.
Never trust the favorites only
While betting on the most popular team is a safe thing most of the time, it’s unwise to place your bet by always following the public. This is because the NFL is very unpredictable, and there are always surprises along the way. Also, keep in mind that sportsbooks are also looking for profits, and they’ll do everything in their power to get under a lofty point spread.
Never place bets while impaired
If you like your drink during NFL Sunday, let me remind you that you shouldn’t be placing your bets while intoxicated. Drinking makes you overconfident, and that’s almost never a good thing in sports betting.
NFL Online Betting and Retail Sportsbooks
Since it’s tremendously hard to regulate online betting, only a few states have invested in their efforts to make online betting legal within state borders. If you live in a region where online betting is legal, the platform you place your bets gets to enjoy clear benefits.
Online betting sites allow bettors to adjust to live odds and place their bets throughout the tournament. On the other hand, retail sportsbooks only take bets before the beginning of a match.
Then, there’s the convenience of placing your bets from your laptop or mobile device, anytime, anywhere. Live sportsbooks have to offer various promotions and the in-game enhancements to lure in more bettors.
To cut a long story short, you can obviously see from all this that NFL betting has a lot to offer, and aside from being fun, it’s a fantastic way to make some extra cash while enjoying your favorite entertainment.
Betting on the NFL is more than just about making profits; it’s about supporting a long tradition and practicing one of the oldest hobbies in the country. What’s really great about NFL betting is that everyone can do it – it’s fast-paced and easy to understand.
This guide is aimed at all those who are looking to get more out of their sports betting efforts. I thought that if you learned some of the useful things I’ve shared here, you would have much better chances of becoming an experienced betting man like myself.
What do you like the most about NFL betting? What is your favorite team? Do you prefer high odds or playing safe? Let me know what you think about NFL betting in the comments.
What counts as a push in NFL betting?