Online Football Betting Guide
Introduction to (American) Football Betting - football is a sport with roots firmly linked to rugby, with which it shares many similarities. It is incredibly popular in the United States – where it is known simply as football, or gridiron – and the National Football League (NFL) is the most watched sporting league in the country. In fact, based on average attendance per game, the NFL is the world’s most attended domestic sports league. The NFL also has a massive fan base across the world and games are broadcast live in many countries.
Betting on American football is a big part of the game, both inside and outside the US. For a large number of fans of the game, betting is an intrinsic part of the culture of the sport. Virtually all online bookmakers will offer many betting markets on American football and as such there are usually a wide variety of bets available on most games. The biggest game in American Football is the Super Bowl and is one of the most bet on sporting events in the world.
Where To Bet On Football Online
Forms of American Football
The NFL – the pinnacle of professional football in the US – was actually originally known as the American Professional Association. It was formed way back in 1920 and consisted of just eleven teams, before changing the name to the National Football League just two years later. It wasn’t until the 60s and 70s that the popularity of the sport really exploded.
Today there are 32 teams in the NFL, divided into the two conferences – the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). Teams play sixteen games each in the season schedule before six teams from each conference contest the NFL play offs. These culminate in the main championship game; the Super Bowl.
High school football and college football are also hugely popular in America and they too attract sizeable attendances.
Types of American Football Bets
As American Football is so popular throughout the world, the major online bookmakers all offer plenty of betting opportunities on NFL games. There are many different types of bets, and we’ve listed some of the most common below.
Match Betting (Point Spread). Also known as handicap betting, betting on the point spread is by far the most common bet on American Football. Online bookmakers will set a point spread, or line, on games based on roughly how many points the game will be decided by. For the purpose of the wager, the underdog in the game is effectively given extra points. As an example, Team A might be -10 will Team B will be +10. If you back Team A to win, then they need to win by more than 10 points for your wager to be successful. If you bet on Team B, providing they lose by less than 10 points – or win – then you have a winning bet.
Match Betting (Fixed Odds). Fixed Odds Match betting is similar to the above, in that you back one team to win, but there is no point spread. You just pick which team you expect to win and make your bet accordingly. If you pick the right team, your bet wins. Fixed odds are expressed in one of two ways - either as fractional odds (such as 3/1) or decimal odds (such as 2.5). Generally speaking the more likely the favourite is to win the lower the odds will be on them and the higher the odds on the underdog.
Moneyline Bet. This is basically the same as match betting at fixed odds, but simply expressed in a different way. On moneyline bets, online bookmakers set a line for the two teams. For example, Team A could be at -300 with Team B at +100. In such an example, a $3.00 wager on Team A could see winnings of $1.00, while a $1.00 bet on Team B would return $1.00 in winnings.
Accumulators/Parlays. In the NFL the majority of the games are played on a Sunday, and this makes placing one bet on multiple teams attractive to fans. An accumulator, or parlay, involves picking more than one team to win (using the point-spread, fixed odds or the moneyline) on one betting slip. All the selections need to come in for your wager to win which makes it harder, but because of the compounded odds the returns can be much better.
Prop Bets/Specials. These types of bets are not quite as common as some of the above bets, but they are still popular among many bettors. Prop bets can cover a variety of different outcomes such as who will score the first touchdown, or the length of the longest field goal.
Outright Bets/Futures. Futures bets in the NFL are pretty simple bets on outcomes such as the Super Bowl winner for this year, or the winner of the AFC or the NFC. Generally speaking, you get better odds if you place such bets at the start of the season, but with most online bookmakers you can make these bets throughout the schedule.
Online American Football Betting Strategy
NFL betting strategy is fairly straightforward and similar to a lot of team sports. While you don’t necessarily have to be hugely knowledgeable about the game or even be a massive fan, it does help significantly if you follow the ability and form of the different teams and players. This will help you find those all-important value bets.
Looking for the value in NFL bets tends to revolve around the point spreads. Sometimes, an underdog will be given a quite generous handicap for example and this can make for a great bet. Conversely, the point spread might not be generous enough and backing the favourite can almost be considered a lock. Accumulators can be a great way to win some good money, but it is advisable to stick to smaller multiples such as 2 or 3. The more selections you place in your accumulator, the more chances there are of it going wrong.
If you are going to be betting on American Football then you should be sure to use a quality, reliable online bookmaker that offers plenty of markets and good prices on the NFL. Also remember to always use good money management skills and look after your bankroll. With several games to bet on each weekend it can be tempting to place many bets each week. The most successful sports bettors, though, tend to be more selective in their bets so you shouldn’t feel the need to bet on every game.