Football bets are usually placed at sportsbooks, where you attempt to predict the outcome of a match between two opposing teams, and placing a particular wager. For you to win, bettors need to overcome the football odds. This may seem simple, as football betting is a blend of analysis, stats, handicapping, and taking risks, which all allow football bettors to make their predictions.
Bet the Steelers at Online Sportsbooks
This is where you will find all of your football betting information. This would include all of the latest lines, odds, and matchups between the different NFL teams. There are many different options that you can pick from when searching for the right website to bet at. There are generally 4 points that should be considered when picking a sportsbook.
Lines and Odds. Be sure to always pick the site that offers you the best lines and odds, as this will help you get the most out of your bets in the long run.
Bonuses. This is a great way to get some extra cash to bet with, as sportsbooks will always offer certain incentives for joining, depositing, and placing certain bets.
Features. You may have a better time placing your football bets if you are able to use features like Live Betting, or even having a mobile site to stay updated on the scores and outcomes.
Customer Service. If anyone should ever have a problem, it is important to always get a quick solution.
Once you have found the right sportsbooks that fits your needs, you can continue enjoying your football bets.
The Basics of How to Bet on Football
When you bet on football it is done in a very similar manner as any other sports bet. There is a wide variety of football bets that can be placed while at the sportsbook; however, no bet is the same, and if multiple wagers are made, it is possible that some may win while other may lose. In order to make this as simple as possible, the examples will use straight bets, as well as the point spread.
The bettor is offered the initial odds that determine the potential football outcomes, these would show that one team or the other have better odds of winning – represented by a negative and positive number. The odds and information are easy to spot, while the football odds may change depending on various factors like amount of wagers placed.
Scoring a Winning Bet – Understanding the Odds
Each individual bet placed on football has different odds. There are the Underdog odds – those represented with a + sign – which denote the least likely to win. For example, +250 odds mean that you will win $250, on a $100 bet. The other is the Favorite odds – those represented with a – sign – which denote the most likely to win. For example, odds of -120 mean you must bet $120 in order to win $100.
These two types of odds are always present. As you can tell, you could win more money by placing a bet on the underdog, however, the chances of the team winning is low; essentially, higher the risk, higher the reward. Even odds (-100) means you win the same amount as you bet; these are quite rare to experience.
Football and Ties
When betting, there will always be a winner or a loser, with the winner always getting a payout for their victory. When this occurs, the bettor will receive a payout. The winnings the bettor receives will be equal to the odds and initial wager that was placed. If the bettor places a losing bet, they will simply lose the money they placed, nothing more.
There are instances when the football bet will end in a tie. This means that neither team beat the odds; this almost always happens when betting the point spread. When a bet ends in a tie, depending on the sportsbook, you will get your initial amount wagered returned to your account. For example, if the point spread was +/-9 points, and the match ends with a final score of 34-25; this means there is a 9 point difference. Even though the team won, they did not manage to beat the spread.
Additionally, there may be instances when a bettor can place a tie bet on the football match. This means that the sportsbook actually offered them a tie bet. These would usually fall under the Proposition betting, as they usually have outside the norm rules and specifications. If the final score of the football match is a tie, the bettor wins, anything other than a tie and it’s a loss. You won’t find very many games where the football score is a tie.
Favorites and Underdogs in Football
With two teams facing each other there will always be a favorite and an underdog, which the bettor can choose who to bet on. This will all depend on their own handicapping and predictions, as well as the different football knowledge they have.
The team with the better odds of winning the bet is the favorite, which is why the payout is lower. Betting on these team’s certainly decreases the risk, but remember that it is all based on stats and analysis in order to predict the possible outcome.
On the other hand, the bettor will encounter the underdog team, which has lower odds of winning the bet. Placing the bet on the underdog is much riskier, especially the higher the odds get, but the payout is much greater in return.
The Football Outcome
Before the match starts, you may place any football bet available, but the lines and odds may change as time goes by. This shift in odds occurs when more people are betting on one team than the other. The majority of time they are placed on the favored football team on the line. This shift will can happen all the way until the match is over or the bets are closed.
As soon as the game is finished, the bettors that have winning bets will receive their payout. There are those that simply did not win, and on those rare occasions those that ended up with a tie bet. Depending on whether you bet on the favorite or the underdog, you will receive more or less than what you wagered.
Example Bet #1
The bettor makes a $140 bet on the -140 odds for the favorite to win. No other bets have been made.
The game ends and the favorite has won. The bettor will receive a total of $240, which broken into their initial $140 and the winnings they got, which was $100. Most only show the profit.
Middling Bets and Fading the Public
Bettors have additional options when they go to place their bets. When middling a football bet, it is necessary to use two or more sportsbooks for it to be effective. This basic method is done when you place two bets, on the same football game, but each one at different sites. You will be splitting the bet, using the different odds offered at each sportsbook, lowering the risk of losing. For example, if the football game has a spread of -12, while the same game at a different site has a spread of -9, you would have an opening of 3 points where you can profit twice as much, while also reducing the total risk.
Another really basic way of football betting is to fade the public, or rather bet against the public. It is common knowledge that football games are hyped up, especially when they are high scoring. When you fade the public, you will simply go against the gut instinct telling you that a favorite will win, when the point spread is higher than what you calculated. Most bettors focus on the favorite football team, but they also like to bet on the Over; as you always hear about the big scores, and not as much about the low scoring games. You will simply bet against the Favorite and the Over, when the numbers are higher than what was handicapped; sportsbooks love shading the lines just enough to bring in the suckers.
Example Bet #2
This example covers what most circumstances could be in football. Read it carefully; once you understand this example, you will be much more comfortable as you are football betting.
Football Game: the odds for this particular game at two different sportsbooks are:
- #1: Spread of +9 at -110
- #2: Spread of -7.5 at -110
This means that at #1, the underdog must not lose by more than 9 points, while at #2, the favorite has to win by 7 or more points.
You will have several options, placing your bet at #1, #2, or you can middle your bet. In this case, you have decided to middle your bet for this football game.
The game ended with the final score being 32-24; meaning the favorite won by 8 points. You have just won both bets, doubling your profit. However, if the favorite had won by 10 points, you would have won once and lost once.
When you middle a bet you are placing a bet that the favorite will be able to beat the spread, as well as placing bet that the underdog will beat the spread; using two different odds. The odds need to be at least 1 point apart for this to work. If you find odds that are more than 1 point apart, take advantage!
The chances the favorite team wins will be slightly higher than the underdogs, so find two point spreads that are far apart, as it will increase your chances of winning double.
Football Betting Sites – Popular and Recommended
Finding and using the best sportsbooks will be to your advantage. It will allow you to get the most favorable odds, as well as giving you any of the features and perks that they offer their members; mainly bonuses and rewards.
As you have now learned the basics of football betting we recommend you take a look at the stats & scores page that can inform you all about the upcoming games, the latest scores, and the stats that can help you place your bets!
