Betting Guide

An overview of NFL betting

Whether you’re a professional who makes a living from sports betting or just a football fan who loves their football, there’s no denying that a small bet on the NFL will increase your enjoyment of the game while also making it more exciting to watch. To enhance your enjoyment, there are several ways you can place your bets, some of which involve low risk with low reward while others involve high risk with high reward. Here is a description of some of the more popular bets you can place on the NFL:

Point Spread

This is an extremely common and popular way of betting, also known as side betting or straight betting. Essentially, the odds are generally -110, meaning you’d have to bet $110 to win $100 unless your sports book offers better odds. The point spread is a number set by the oddsmakers that the two teams must equalise so that the public can bet evenly on both sides. Here’s an example of how spreads are quoted:

Green Bay Packers (+6) -110
Washington Redskins (6-110).

The number 6 is the point spread (sometimes called a line), and the plus indicates the underdog while the minus indicates the favorite. In this case, if you pick the Packers, you add six points to their actual score in the game. if this is higher than what the Redskins score. You win the point spread regardless of the outcome of the game. If you pick the Redskins, you subtract six points from their score and win if they take the lead. As already explained, the -110 indicates that you need to bet $110 to win $100. Remember that on many online gambling sites, your minimum bet is only $1.

Moneylines

This is the other very popular form of betting that does not rely on the point spread but on the odds. This means that the outcome of the bet depends on the win-loss result of the game. Here is an example of how the odds are quoted for a money line bet:

Green Bay Packers plus 250
Washington Redskins (310)

What this means is that you are betting against the odds if you pick the underdog Packers, and a $100 bet will net you $250 if the Packers win (plus your $100 back, of course). On the other hand, if you pick the Redskins, you have to wager $330 to win $100. Moneyline bets work best with short-odds underdogs because you win more than you bet. Even if you win less than 50% of your bets, you can get a head start.

long shots

These bets revolve around the total number of points scored by both sides, regardless of who wins or loses. You can either bet on a total below the posted total (which is the score the oddsmakers expect) or you can bet on a total above the posted total. The odds are generally the 11/10 we saw before.

Parlays

This is the bet you would want to make if you want a big payout for a small stake. You can bet as little as one dollar and win big, but remember that any spread you choose must be correct. If you make even one mistake, your bet will be voided. The progressive parlay is a form of parlay that allows some losers but will pay only a lower amount.

There are other forms of betting, such as teasers, pleasers, and futures details, that you can obtain from your chosen sports book.