Pro-football is one of the most popular sports in the United States. Every year, thousands of people flock to stadiums across the country to watch their favorite players take on the other teams. Thanks to the yearly NFL season, betting fans have a wealth of information at their fingertips. It might not be easy to know what to look out for when wagering on the annual NFL contests, but it’s all in a days’ work. Here are some of the essential points that you need to know before heading to the betting window to place your bets on the upcoming NFL games.
Pay Attention To The Spread
While it is not always the case, the spread is a good way to help bettors determine the value/meaning of individual NFL games. Generally speaking, the spread is the amount of points that are expected to be scored by the visiting team (i.e. the team that does not have home field advantage). As the name would suggest, the spread is normally a line of several numbers (e.g. 1, 2, 3, or 4 points) that define the margin of victory for the respective team. This number can fluctuate a bit, depending on whether the home team is an underdog or favorite in the game, but it still provides an excellent general idea of how the game will likely unfold.
Check Out The Over/Under
Another useful tool for bettors is the over/under, which gives an indication of whether the total number of points scored in a football game will be exceeded (over) or not (under) by the final score. For example, if the over/under is set at 45 points and the total score for the game is 43, the bettor would win the bet. On the other hand, if the over/under is 45 and the final score is 47, the bettor would lose the bet. It’s an easy way to gauge the total number of points that will be scored in the game, and make a smart choice whether to wager on the Over or the Under. It is also a great way to get a feel for the strength of each team, as well as determine the point spread for the matchup.
Check Out Team Trends
Just like any other professional sport, the NFL is a league that is always changing and evolving, and as a result, the games become more exciting for those who keep up with the latest news and stats. One of the most useful tools for bettors is the in-page trend indicator (more commonly referred to as the ‘Over/Under Trend’) which tells the user the current trend for the respective team. Generally speaking, an over/under trend is a good indicator of whether the total number of points scored in a game will be higher or lower than the average number of points scored by that team in their previous games. For example, if the over/under trend is 1 and the team has scored 14 points in their previous 3 games, the total number of points for the game is expected to be around 17–20.
Watch The Weather Report
Since the weather can significantly influence the outcome of football games, it pays to keep an eye on the current weather report for the country/region that you are in. If you are in an area where it snows a lot (and occasionally drowns people in snowbanks), you might want to avoid wagering on football games in October. Many NFL games are held in the autumn, and those who live in areas where it’s cold in the winter should avoid laying down money on football games in the fall. It’s all about being smart about it, and knowing what weather conditions your area/country is likely to have at this time of year. Some exceptions to this rule are made when the stadium has been specifically engineered to be able to handle heavy snow loads. In those cases, football is a great choice for the outdoors, and a fan-friendly sport for the whole family. It also helps that the snow and ice make the playing surface very slippery, enhancing the action on the field. This is why most college football stadiums are built in a way that accommodates for extreme weather conditions.
Pay Attention To The Point Spread
As mentioned above, the point spread is the amount of points that are expected to be scored by the visiting team (i.e. the team that does not have home field advantage). In general, the point spread is a good indicator of how much value there is in wagering on the game, as the more points the spread indicates, the more likely it is that the bettor will win the bet. For example, if the point spread is 3 points, there is a 63 percent chance that the visiting team will score at least 3 points.
Know The Basics
Thanks to advances in technology, smart phones, and tablet computers, everyone these days is constantly connected to the Internet. This provides countless amounts of information on virtually any subject, including sports. It is important to keep in mind, however, that lots of data does not necessarily mean that all that information is accurate. Some of it can be very misleading, especially when it comes to sports bets. This is why it’s important to remain well-informed about the basics, and never, ever bet on sports without knowing first hand the odds of winning, and the amount you will win if you win. The only exceptions to this rule are made for those who are expert sports bettors, and specifically wager on sporting events they know a lot about (e.g. NBA, NCAA Basketball, and MLB). In those cases, it’s acceptable to rely on data to make smart choices, but it’s still important to understand the basic concepts behind gambling. They are often complicated, but there’s a lot of help available online if you know where to look. Even the most basic concepts, such as why you would wager on a game, are still difficult to understand for those who have never done so. It pays to be smart about it, and only wager on sports you know a lot about, or where you are confident that the the data/stats are accurate.