The NFL marketplace has emerged as one of the most prevalent niche markets in sports gambling, attracting both professional and novice bettors. Many football fans and savvy bettors believe that calculated futures betting is a better investment opportunity than the stock market. Whether you’re new or trying to review what you’ve learned, here’s are NFL wagers you should study thoroughly.
1. Point spread
The point spread is the most popular type of NFL wager. It’s not as easy as moneyline, but its way of trying to even out the odds make it popular for the bettors. The sportsbook will present a specific number that the favorite and underdog teams need to cover in a point spread. One way to effectively understand point spread is to learn the NFL odds. The odds are basically the “odds” that the sportsbook presents to the bettors.
In other words, odds show which team has the better chances of winning the game and who will probably do poorly compared to the other. The favorite team is identified with a minus (-) sign, and the underdog with a plus (+) sign. In the point spread market, the sportsbook will also display another set of numbers you’ll need to bet on together with the odds. These numbers are the spread that the teams will need to overcome so that you can win.
For instance, the favorite team gets a -7 spread. This means that aside from winning the game, the team must also win with a seven-point gap against their opponent for you to receive your payout. On the other hand, the underdog can get a +7 spread, which they will also need to cover. You can win your underdog bet if the team loses not more than seven points or if they get to overturn their odds and outright win.
2. Moneyline
This type of bet is one of the simplest wagers any bettor can make in NFL betting. It presents a considerable amount of payout, and newbies can also easily participate. All you have to do is place your stakes on the team you think will outright win the game. If you bet on this team, you’re betting for them to win; if they fail to win, you’ll lose your stakes. Moneyline bettors sometimes rely on the odds that present the sportsbook’s favorites and the underdog. It’s because it showcases the total risk you need to take when betting on a particular group.
For example, if you bet on the favorite with -120 odds against the underdog with +200 odds, you’ll need to risk $120 to win $100. Since betting on the favorite team provides you lower risk because of their likelihood to win the game, unlike the underdog. So, betting on the underdog means you can profit $200 for every $100 you wager and have a $300 return. You can easily calculate your possible winnings using the odds calculator your sportsbook provides.
3. Totals (Over/Under)
Unlike the other two wagers, the totals market (over/under) concerns the final score of both teams. The sportsbook set a predicted final total scoring based on their visions of how the game will unfold. You can participate in the NFL totals bet by predicting whether the game’s final score will go over or under the score set by the sportsbook. The set total for totals bet is usually presented as 58.5, with a .5 decimal to prevent any possible push to the wager.
However, there is a sportsbook that presents a whole number instead. So, if the final score ends exactly as the number they set, it’ll be called a push and all the bets placed are refunded. For instance, the sportsbook set a 58 as the game’s final score. Then, both playing teams ended with 28-15 scores, which resulted in 43 points. So to win the totals bet, you must bet on under 58 points.
4. NFL parlays
NFL parlays are similar to any sports betting parlay. Participating in this bet means placing multiple stakes like moneyline, totals, and spread in different games. However, these wagers will be listed on a single ticket, which means you can only receive your profit if all the bets win. You also have to choose to select multiple bets on a single game. Since the risk for the parlays is relatively high, you can expect a considerable profit depending on your stakes.
5. NFL futures
As its name suggests, the NFL futures involve betting on the events that will occur in the near future, notably the Super Bowl. Sometimes the market for the futures bet opens within the 24 hours the new Super Bowl champion is announced. Betting for NFL futures is sometimes about wagering the possible team that would win the next season’s Super Bowl.
Aside from that, other bettors also place futures bets for major player awards like the MVP or the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Some people also wager for other betting types, like the totals. In short, you are free to place your stakes in any betting market in future events as long as your sportsbook accepts it. As such, NFL futures bet vary for each sportsbook.
Final thoughts
Profiting while watching your favorite sport is one way you can enjoy the event. Thus, learning about how to bet in the NFL will help create a more memorable betting experience. Thus, this article will serve as your guide as you practice.
