You’re reading Pro Football Betting Encyclopedia. And you’re most likely wondering, “What is a shot on target in football betting?” The answer is surprisingly easy. In fact, you might already know what it is. But, since so many people don’t, let’s go over it again. In case you want to become a more profitable bettor, you need to understand what a shot on target is in football betting. Then, you can find the right line for your situation.
Definitions
First, let’s discuss some of the terms and phrases you’ll see when reading about football betting. These are all very important terms and phrases that you need to know.
Expected Points
We mentioned that you need to know what a shot on target is. Well, here’s another key term you need to know: expected points. Expected points are simply the sum of the points that you think a team will score (a first down gets 2 points, a touchdown gets 6 points, and a field goal gives 3 points) minus the points that you think the opposing team will score (the same as the first team). Basically, the expected points are the average of the two teams’ total points.
For example, if you think that the Eagles will win the game 31-24 and the Patriots will win the game 20-17, then the points in the game are 33 (Eagles’ point total) minus 17 (Patriots’ point total). Therefore, the expected points are 24. Take a look at the below table for the point totals of various games this season (as of December 31st).
Game Total Points Expected Points Result
Now, it’s time to look at some specific games where you can actually apply what you’ve learned so far. Below, you’ll find the schedule for the NFL regular season along with the betting odds. Make sure you’re following the right line, as each betting option is explained separately below.
Betting Lines
There are two things you need to know about the betting lines in football:
- The spread
- The over/under
The spread is the amount of points that are scored by the betting teams. For instance, if the spread is 12 and the over/under is 22 then the betting odds are 1.5 (5 cents per point).
The over/under is how many points each team will score in the entire game. This is usually measured from the total points scored in the first half (the over) to the total points scored in the second half (the under). For example, if the over/under is 33 then each team is guaranteed to score at least that many points in one half of the game. If the over/under is 28 then each team is guaranteed to score at least twice as many points as they did in the first half.
Point Spread
The point spread is usually determined by the betting lines in football. If the spread is 3 and the over/under is 5, then the betting lines are +3 to -5. These are very popular betting lines because they’re very easy for the average person to understand. But, the downside is that if the Eagles win the game 24-21 then your $100 wager will be worth only $87.50 because you lost $12.50 on the $100 wager (3 x $25).
Now, in some cases, you can get away with betting on the total points scored in a game. For example, if the point spread is 3 and the over/under is 41, then the betting lines are 3 (+3) to 41 (-3). In this situation, your $100 wager will be worth $142.50 because you’ll win $120.50 on a $100 wager (3 x $33). But, again, that’s only if the game ends in a tie.
Over/Under
The over/under is how many points each team will score in the entire game. This is usually measured from the total points scored in the first half (the over) to the total points scored in the second half (the under). For example, if the over/under is 33 then each team is guaranteed to score at least that many points in one half of the game. If the over/under is 28 then each team is guaranteed to score at least twice as many points as they did in the first half.
Most people use the over/under in soccer because it’s simple to follow along. In soccer, there’s only one team on the field at a time, so you’re always comparing the score of one team to another team. In football, there’s often more than one team on the field at a time, so you’re comparing the score of one team to another team that may not even be on the same side of the field. This makes it more difficult to follow along. But, since almost all sportsbooks offer the over/under in football, you can use this to your advantage. For example, if you think that the Rams will beat the Jets 24-17, but the line is -2, then you can bet that the under will hit (the under will score fewer points than the over). You can also use this to your advantage if you think that one team will score more points than the other team. For instance, if the Jets score 17 points and the over/under is 28 then it’s likely that the under will score 23 or 24 points.
Field Goal
A field goal is scored once the ball crosses the goal line. The NFL has several different types of field goals, including the PAT—point after touchdown—which is when a team scores a touchdown and then attempts to score an extra point after the touchdown. The two-point conversion is when a team scores two touchdowns in a row. And then there’s the field goal, which is the simplest form of scoring.
The point is that there are several terms and phrases you need to know in order to successfully place a football bet. Knowing the definitions for these terms will help you understand how they’re used in context, so that when you make a bet, you make the right choice for your specific situation. And, if you want to improve your odds of winning, then you should learn how to calculate expected points.