Beginner’s guide to NFL betting/bet types

When you sign up to a sports betting website today, there are several things you should know prior to placing your first ever real money wager. First of all, it would be a good idea to know a little bit about America’s National Football League (the NFL) before you start betting on this sport. You should also learn about the different bet types that are available per event and try to learn about what the odds mean.

When you have grasped the basics, betting becomes easier, and you can place more strategic bets that are more likely to come in. Here’s a beginner’s guide to NFL betting and the many different bet types that are available.

American Football betting

Today, you can place a wager on almost every major American Football game. For example, you can bet on individual NFL league games and the Pro Bowl game, and the NCAAP (National Collegiate Athletic Association Football, or college football). This availability also extends to the Superbowl, the NFL draft and even on NFL preseason games.

Publications are offering their expertise and knowledge, dropping essential analysis of on–field performances and breaking-news updates for availability and trades. For instance, you can take advantage of free weekly NFL picks at onlinebetting.com. All this impact how fans view and predict NFL proceedings. Fans are more informed than ever. They not only have history to influence and base their opinions on, but also, minute-by-minute, week-by-week, and month-by-month news and opinion.

If you’re based in North America, you may be used to American/Moneyline odds, but many fully licensed gambling sites today also now allow you to set the betting odds to UK fractional odds or European decimal odds.

For example, right now, at the majority of trusted NFL betting sites, the Buffalo Bills are currently priced at around +600 to win the NFL championship outright. Therefore, if you were to put $10 on the Buffalo Bills to win the league outright, and they end up winning the Super Bowl, you would get $70 back in winnings at the end of the season (which includes your initial $10 stake returned + $60 winnings). The same bet in UK fraction odds is 6/1, and the same bet in European decimal odds would be 7.00.

Understanding the odds

In comparison, the Houston Texans are currently priced at +30,000 (300/1 or 301.00) to win the Super Bowl, which means they are the least favourites. The ‘bigger’ the odds, the least likely your bet is going to win. However, that’s not to say that your bet is definitely going to lose. You just have to try and read between the lines and not make silly bets.

For example, there have been several occasions around the world in horse racing history where an ‘outsider’ horse that’s priced, at say, +10,000 (100.1 or 101.00) or +15,000 (150/1 or 151.00) has won! Sensible bettors would very rarely bet on an outsider to win, and it’s more the risk-takers who are likely to place an outsider bet and expect that bet to win.

People who take betting seriously would rather place huge amounts of money on a bet with lower odds. An example is that some people will wager $2,000 on a ‘dead cert’ just to win $20 or $30, but this is extremely risky and not advised. You may win three or four times in a row when betting like this, but it only takes one loss to lose all of your funds (and a great deal more).

What types of NFL betting markets are there?

There are many different types of bets you can place in the NFL, and some of the main bets include outright, total points including overtime (e.g., Los Angeles Rams and over 52), and also handicap and total points including overtime (e.g. Los Angeles Rams +2.5 and over 52).

Other bet types and special bets that may or may not be available (depending on where you are signed up) include offensive and defensive rookies of the year, NFL coach of the year, NFL comeback player of the year, NFL MVP, playoff predictions, and more. Before placing a bet, it would be a good idea to view as many stats as possible to give you a much better edge. Remember to only bet small amounts to begin with.