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With sports betting being a new venture for many fans, it doesn’t hurt to have NFL betting explained in detail. It’s not a given that the average fan knows how to bet on the NFL.
NFL betting explained
More importantly, they may not know basic NFL betting strategy or have NFL betting tips that can help guide them. In short, most fans still need NFL betting explained, at least to some extent.
How to bet on the NFL
While it may seem easy once you get the hang of it, NFL betting can be a little complicated at first. There is a lot of terminology and a lot of concepts to learn to get up to speed with everyone else.
If you’ve ever wanted to know how to bet on the NFL or need NFL betting explained to you, here are answers to some key questions that should help you get started.
How does betting on the NFL work?
There are three main methods of betting on an NFL game. The first is betting on the point spread, which is betting on whether or not the team that’s favored will win and cover the spread. For instance, a team might be favored by 3.5 points, which means if you bet on them, they need to win by at least four points to win your bet. But if you bet on the team that’s an underdog by 3.5 points, you win your bet if the team wins, ties, or loses by three points or less.
The second common method of betting on NFL games is betting the moneyline. This is when you bet on the result of the game straight up with no spreads involved. The catch is that each team won’t have the same moneyline. Betting on the team that’s favored will have a lower payout if they win than the potential payout if you bet on a team that’s the underdog and wins.
The third common type of betting on NFL games is betting on the number of total points. Each game will have an over/under for the number of total points in a game and bettors will simply wager on whether they think the game will end with fewer than that total or more points than the total given by oddsmakers. For instance, an NFL game might have an over/under of 35.5 points and bettors decide if the two teams will combine for more or less than that total.
There are other forms of betting for those who need NFL betting explained to know about. This includes parlays, teasers, player props, game props, and other forms of betting. But bettors who only want to bet on the result of NFL games will focus on the point spread, the moneyline, and the point total.
What’s the best way to bet on football?
The best way to bet on football is up to the individual bettor. As bettors gain experience making wagers, they start to learn what types of betting they prefer and where they have the most success.
Traditionally, making bets based on the point spread is the most popular way of betting on football. Betting on the point total is also a popular form of betting. Both of these are often seen as the best ways to bet on football for novice bettors because the chances of getting the bet correct are around 50-50.
Is the NFL easy to bet on?
The NFL is by no means easy to bet on. The players are so good and the teams are so competitive that it can be challenging to predict the outcomes of games. This is why so few bettors are able to win a significant number of bets over an extended period of time.
However, the process of betting on the NFL is simple once you get the hang of it. This makes it easy to bet on NFL games whenever bettors have a good feeling about a particular game.
How do you read a spread?
Reading the spread of a football game is relatively easy. The spread is merely the total that one team has to win by in order for their backers to win their bet. If a team is favored by 3.5 points before a game, they must win the game by at least four points to cover the spread.
If not, anyone who bets on the underdog will win their bet. Even if that team doesn’t win the game, they win the bet against the spread as long as they lose by three points or less.
What does an NFL moneyline mean?
A moneyline is the value assigned to each team to win a game straight up. As mentioned, betting on the moneyline takes the point spread completely out of the equation. Bettors are simply putting a wager on what team will win the game.
The caveat is that the moneyline is rarely the same for both teams. If a team is favored, the payout won’t be as large as they win compared to the payout if an underdog wins.
For example, an NFL team that’s favored by 10 points might have a moneyline of -450. This means that a bettor would have to bet $450 in order to win $100. Meanwhile, the team that’s an underdog in this game might have a moneyline of +360, meaning a bet of $100 would payout a profit of $360.
The payout is larger for the team that’s an underdog because oddsmakers believe it’s less likely for them to win. On the other side, the team that’s heavily favored is more likely to win, which is why bettors don’t profit as much money for picking them to win straight up on the moneyline.
How do you bet on NFL point totals?
Betting NFL point totals is usually a straightforward process. A projected point total is given before the game and bettors decide if the total points scored by both teams combined will be over or under that number.
This is commonly referred to as over/under betting. The result of the game with regard to what team wins and what team loses is meaningless. All that matters with an NFL point total is how many points have been scored at the end of the game.
What are NFL teasers?
Teaser bets allow bettors to alter the point spread of a game in order to increase their chances of winning their bet. For instance, if a bettor prefers the favorite in an NFL game, they can lower the point spread to make it more likely the favored team will cover the spread. It’s the opposite if the bettor prefers the underdog. They can raise the point spread, giving the underdog more leeway for beating the spread.
Most of the time, teasers are done as part of a two-game parlay. This means bettors place wagers on two different games but must be accurate with their wagers on both games to win the bet. In the NFL game, teasers can manipulate the point spread by up to six points in either direction.
The catch is that the more you change the point spread, the lower the payout. For example, betting on a team to cover seven points will pay out more than if you change the spread so that they only have to cover three points. It’s a constant tradeoff. The lower spread makes it easier for the favored team to cover but won’t pay out as much for a winning bet.
Betting on the NFL at FanDuel
FanDuel has become one of the most popular sportsbooks for betting on the NFL. They offer every form of traditional betting, as well as player props, game props, parlays, and other types of betting that are a little more advanced.
FanDuel also offers great promotions for both new and existing players.
Betting on the NFL at BetMGM
BetMGM is one of the most trusted and established brands in the betting industry, making it a great sportsbook for NFL betting.
The BetMGM sportsbook makes it easy to find wagers and put together parlays. With the promotions that BetMGM offers, it is a great option for both casual and serious bettors.
