How to Bet on NFL Games for Beginners
Contents
If you’re interested in betting on NFL games but don’t know where to start, this blog post is for you. We’ll go over the basics of how to bet on NFL games, including point spreads, moneylines, and over/unders.
Introduction
Betting on NFL games is a lot of fun, but it can also be a bit confusing for beginners. There are so many different types of bets you can make, and it can be tricky to know where to start.
In this article, we’re going to break down everything you need to know about betting on NFL games, from the basics of how to get started to the more complex aspects of placing bets. By the end, you’ll be able to confidently make all sorts of bets on NFL games and hopefully win some money in the process!
How to place a bet
Before you can place a bet, you will need to find a legal, licensed sportsbook. There are many reputable online sportsbooks that are available to players in the United States, but not all of them are licensed and regulated. Make sure you do your research before placing a bet with any bookmaker.
Once you have found a sportsbook that you can trust, the next step is to deposit money into your account. You will need to choose a payment method that is convenient for you and that is accepted by the sportsbook. Most online sportsbooks accept credit cards, debit cards, and e-wallets.
Once you have deposited money into your account, you will be ready to place a bet. To do this, simply click on the odds for the game you want to bet on and enter the amount of money you want to wager. Your bet will then be placed and if it is a winning bet, you will receive your winnings in your account.
Decimal Odds
Decimal odds are the easiest to understand – just multiply your bet by the odds to calculate your potential winnings. So if you bet $10 on the Seahawks at +350 decimal odds, you would win $35 if they won the game outright (plus you get your original $10 back).
Moneyline Odds
In simplest terms, the NFL moneyline is the odds for which team will win the game. Unlike with point spreads, there is no handicap involved. The favorite will have negative odds (ex: -150) and the underdog will have positive odds (ex: +200).
There are two main ways to bet on the moneyline. The first is to pick a winner. This is pretty straightforward – you just pick which team you think will win straight up. The second way is to pick an underdog and get better odds. This involves picking a team that you think will lose, but you get better odds than if you had picked them to win outright.
The payouts for these bets are not equal. The favorite will always pay out less than what you wagered, and the underdog will pay out more. This is because sportsbooks balance their books by making sure that they don’t lose any money if the underdog wins.
Here’s an example: let’s say that the New England Patriots are playing the Miami Dolphins and that the Patriots are favored to win by 7 points. The moneyline for this game might look something like this:
Patriots -350
Dolphins +280
This means that if you wanted to bet $100 on the Patriots to win outright, you would need to risk $350 in order to get a payout of $100 if they won. On the other hand, if you wanted to bet $100 on the Dolphins as an underdog, you would only need to risk $100 in order to get a payout of $280 if they won or at least a push (tie) if they lost by 6 points or fewer.
Point Spreads
Point spreads are the most common way to bet on NFL games, and they involve giving or receiving points based on the projected margin of victory. For example, let’s say the New England Patriots are playing the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots are 7-point favorites, meaning they’re expected to win by seven points. So, if you bet on the Patriots -7, you need them to win by eight or more points to win your bet. If they only win by seven, or if they lose the game outright, you lose your bet.
Over/Under Bets
An over/under bet is a wager in which you predict whether the total number of points scored in a game will be more or less than the number set by the sportsbook. For example, if an NFL game has a total of 47.5 points, you can bet on the over to win if you think there will be 48 or more points scored, or the under if you think there will be 47 or fewer points scored.
Parlays
Parlays are wagers placed in combinations with the intent of winning more money than you would on a single bet. For example, you could bet on three different games and put them all together in a three-team parlay. If all three bets win, you’ll receive a higher payout than if you had bet on each game separately.
Parlays are typically available forNFL football, basketball, hockey and baseball games, but some online sportsbooks also offer them for other sports. They’re usually not square bets like point spread or moneyline wagers, which means the house has an inherent advantage. But because the odds of all your picks winning are usually low, parlays typically offer large payouts.
To make a parlay bet, you simply need to select two or more bets and combine them into one wager. Once you’ve made your selections and corresponding wagers, the sportsbook will calculate your potential winnings and present you with a betting slip.
The most important thing to remember about parlays is that all your selections must win in order for you to profit. If even one loses, the entire bet is a loss. This is why parlays are considered high-risk/high-reward bets – they have the potential to pay out a lot but they’re also very difficult to win.
A teaser is a type of bet that allows you to adjust the point spread or totals line in your favor. For example, let’s say you bet on the Patriots as 7-point favorites against the Jets. If you tease that bet, you might see the lines change to Patriots -3 and Jets +3.5. As you can see, you’ve adjusted the lines in your favor, but it comes at a cost. Teaser bets usually have reduced payouts compared to straight bets because of the increased chance of winning.
If Bets
If Bets: An If Bet consists of at least two straight bets joined together by an if clause which determines the wager progression. When using an If Bet, the winnings of the first bet are parlayed onto the next bet only if the first bet wins. If cost of living is too high in your city, you may want to consider moving to a cheaper city. For example,
Bet 1: Green Bay Packers (-7) vs. Detroit Lions
Bet 2: Indianapolis Colts (-3) vs. Houston Texans
You would need the Packers to win by more than seven points and the Colts to win by more than three points for this If Bet to be successful. If either of those teams fail to cover their respective point spread, then both bets would be void and you would lose your original wager.
Buying Points
The vast majority of bets on NFL games are made without buying points, as the standard spread is usually tight enough that it doesn’t make sense to pay the vig for the chance at moving the line. However, there are certain situations in which it makes sense to buy points, and this guide will teach you when and how to do it.
Betting NFL Futures
You can bet on NFL Futures at any time throughout the season. NFL Futures are wagers on an outcome that will happen at the end of the season, such as which team will win the Super Bowl, or who will win the MVP award. The odds for NFL Futures are constantly changing as the season progresses, so make sure to check back often for updated odds!
Bankroll Management
The amount of money you have to gamble with is called your “bankroll.” It’s generally a good idea to keep your bankroll separate from the rest of your money, so that you can afford to lose it without causing financial hardship. Many professional gamblers recommend that beginners start with a bankroll of $500, but it’s ultimately up to you how much money you want to gamble with.
Once you’ve decided how much money you’re comfortable losing, it’s important to stick to that limit. It can be tempting to bet more than you can afford when you’re on a winning streak, but doing so will only increase your losses if your luck eventually turns.
It’s also important to remember that sports betting is a marathon, not a sprint. You’re not going to win every bet, and even the best bettors in the world only win around 60% of their bets on average. That means that for every $100 you bet, you should expect to lose $40. Losing is a part of sports betting, and if you’re not prepared for it, you will go broke very quickly.
