NFL is one of the most popular sports leagues in the world, but it has arguably not got the same betting reach as other sports, such as soccer. Much of that has to do with the previously strict rules surrounding sports betting in the United States. However, many states now allow betting on the NFL and a massive market is awaiting.
If you’re a fan of the NFL, you don’t want to miss out on betting on all the action in the league. For millions of people, betting on the NFL is a major part of the whole experience of watching football. They can head to a casino online and select a sportsbook that allows them to lay wagers on games. Whether you’re doing it for fun or are a high roller, there are things you need to know about betting on the NFL.
Below are the most common NFL bets.
Single-Game Bets
As the name suggests, these allow you to bet on a single game during the NFL game week. However, on betting sites, there are more wagers available within every single game. Below are those individual wager options.
Point Spread Bets – Easily the most common wager in NFL betting, point spread bets are also called betting “against the spread”, “point spread betting”, and sometimes “ATS”. Look for variations that include spread betting and you’re good to go.
Spreads are the technique sportsbooks use to make each game as level as possible. As you know, perfect matchups in the NFL don’t happen often and sportsbooks create condition bets for the better team in the fixture. When you bet on the spread, you are betting for the favorite in a game and will usually be wagering on something more than that team winning the game.
This is called the spread and could be an additional requirement such as wagering by how many points the team will score. Another way of looking at the spread is it levels the playing field for the
underdog. Speaking of the underdog, you would be able to wager specifically on this team winning the game (with no spread bets).
Explainer: A spread levels the playing field and means the team most likely to win must win by a specific number of points.
Moneyline Betting - While most NFL betting fans prefer spread betting, beginners may be more drawn to moneyline wagers. These are the easiest football bet and are the traditional sports bet we know and love. In other words, you will only have to wager on which team you think will win the game.
This is traditional sports betting as you would also see in soccer, basketball, tennis, and any other sport. When visiting a sportsbook, the venue will attach odds to each team in a game based on how likely they are to win. Your potential payout will be determined by the odds and the amount you wager.
Explainer: If the Patriots have 3/1 odds to win a game and you bet $100, a victory for the Pats would give you a payout of $300.
Over/Under Betting Totals – When you see a bet for the “total”, you can place a wager that is based on points scored in a game. This means you will not be betting on which team you think will win the game, but on how many overall points will be scored.
It is worth noting the points total is the combination of points scored by both teams during a game. This total is set by the sportsbook and you can decide whether to bet the final total will be over or under this amount.
Explainer: In a game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, the sportsbook sets a wagerable points total of 45. According to legalgamblingandthelaw.com, You can bet whether the final points total with be more than 45 (an over bet) or less than 45 (an under bet).
