Football and sports-betting have been a perfect match since the Jets beat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. The NFL and NCAA football are the most wagered sports in the U.S. today. That upset all those years ago propelled the NFL to the next level in fans, viewership and, of course, sports gambling and it naturally trickled down to the NCAA.
America loves football, be it professional or amateur, especially sports gamblers. How to bet on football has become a popular question and it’s asked all the time. Knowing how to bet on football is simply understanding the basics of sports betting. The bets to place and the strategies to employ.
If you understand these factors, week in and week out, you’ll be placing the smart wagers and winning the smart money. Let’s get you started with the basics and move on to the specifics.
The Wagers
If you can think of a wager, there is probably a way to play it. Between the point spread, the moneyline, the over/under, futures, parlays and props, your options are many.
- Point Spread – This is the most popular wager when betting football. It’s also your best bet when considering risk/reward. Betting the spread is wagering on a team winning by a given number or within a given number. All head to head sports has this wager as an option.
- The Moneyline – Playing the moneyline is simply picking the winner. However, this bet comes with lower odds so it is a tougher play. The bigger the favorite, the less you win when betting on them. This is a popular bet for evenly matched teams.
- The Over/Under – This bet is about the total number of points scored by both teams. You wager on the points being more (over) or less (under) than the number set by the oddsmakers.
- The Futures – Here, you are betting well in advance, hence the name. Picking a winner of the Super Bowl in August for instance. These are risky bets as they take time to play out and they are tough to predict. However, this is also why they pay out so well.
- The Parlay – The parlay is a bet that takes several bets and combines them into one and all of the bets must win in order to collect.
- The Props – Props are the worst bet in sports. Who wins the coin flip. Which player scores the first touchdown. What color is the home team wearing? They can be on anything for any amount.
The Strategy
Football is the most popular and best sport to bet on. They only one game a week, so each game feels like a special event. You have plenty of time and information to make good bets so use it to your advantage. There are many strategies and systems in football betting. Successful football gamblers do the homework. Here are a few strategies to keep in mind. The basics of football betting.
Big Underdogs Cover – Football is a brutal sport and because of this, there are many close games, especially in the NFL. When you see point spreads in the double digits, it’s wise to consider them. Double-digit point spreads in the NFL come in for the underdogs. Often.
Bet with Vegas – The point spread will move as the week goes along and this indicates where the public is betting. This strategy suggests you bet against everyone else because, as we all know, the house always wins. If more people take the favorite, the points they are giving will go up. Take the underdog. If more people are taking the underdog, the points they’re receiving will go down. You take the favorite. Watch the way the line moves to know where the money is and then bet with the house.
Be a Homer – This is true of every sport. An underdog at home getting points covers as often as favorites covering the points they’re giving at home.
Study Up – It’s very important to know the teams you are wagering on. Who their good players are, the team history, how have they been playing? Gather all the information you can on both teams to make the best wager possible. Study up and win.
Parlay – Parlaying a few strong favorites on the moneyline is a good play. You can always find two or three games to put together in a parlay and give yourself a nice payout without much risk.
KISS is the best advice you’ll ever receive no matter the situation. Keep It Simple, Stupid. This goes double for football betting. Don’t wager too many games at once and stay away from the prop bets. Bet on teams you know best. Stick to the basics. Football betting has been around a long time and there are many ways to win. Learn the basics first and find the strategies that work for you.
