One of the most exciting events each year in the sports betting world is the NFL and NCAA Football season. Every year, the games are hard to keep track of because of the huge number of occurrences. Now that the season is over, it’s time to assess how the betting public perceived the games and which teams performed well against the spread.
The overall feeling of the sports bettors is that the 2017 NFL and NCAA Football season was very exciting. The first month of the season saw a large number of games go both ways, but since then, the point spread has favored the home team. This can be explained by the fact that many players had to take a medical leave from the game during the last month of the season.
Why Should You Bet on the Spread?
Since before the establishment of the State of Israel, people have been betting on sports. The first recorded instance of organized sports betting was in 1936 when casinos placed bets on the New York Yankees. Back then, the games were only worth a few points, so the betting on those games was minimal. Nevertheless, the point spread has always been popular because it provides even amounts of money either way. This makes it a much more convenient option for the bettor, as it minimizes the risk of loss.
Another reason people like betting on the spread is because of the vast number of possibilities it presents. One team could have a huge advantage over the other due to a combination of factors, such as talent, experience, and luck. With an even amount of money on the line, the odds of getting something good are increased, especially if you predict the right result. Also, the spread provides much more entertainment for the spectator. When a big-name player takes part in a game, the interest level is typically higher because of the larger audience. This is why you see fewer people betting on individual games as compared to the spread.
Overall Record For The Season
The overall record for the season was 56-46-1, which means that for every five bets placed, one would come in with a winning ticket and four would end up losing money.
The winners for the season came from Minnesota (11-3), the New England Patriots (10-4), and the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5). If you had bet $10 on each game, your money would have been refunded in advance for three of the four games, but for the remaining one, you would have had a profit of $22. That’s a nice return on investment if you ask me.
Who Won The Most Consistent Games?
To figure out who won the most consistent games of the season, we have to look at each team’s performance over the last six weeks of the regular season. This will help us determine how well each squad held up over the entire year. The results of this analysis are listed below:
Minnesota: The Gophers were a +4 point underdog in their season opener against Michigan, but won by 10 points. Since then, they have gone on to win five of their last six games, including the biggest game of the season against Michigan State. In total, they were a +16.2 point underdog on the road and a +4.2 point favorite at home.
New England: The Patriots started 1-2 but have since gone on to win 10 of their last 12 games to finish the season +10. That’s a very solid stretch for a team that was a 5.2 point underdog when they started the year and now has a record of 10-4. In total, they were a +5.9 point underdog on the road and a +13.1 point favorite at home.
Pittsburgh: Like the Patriots, the Steelers were also a 1-2 start to the season but have gone on to win nine of their last 12 games. In total, they were a +13.9 point underdog on the road and a +9.1 point favorite at home.
The lesson here is that even though the season may have ended for some teams, the battle for the NFC North and the AFC North remain contested. While it’s good to see the home teams winning more often than not this year, it’s also important to note that the over/under in many cases has favored the visiting team.
Hopefully, these numbers will help the reader better understand what the point spread means in sports betting. If you have any other questions, feel free to comment below, and I’ll do my best to answer them.