There are a lot of bookies available when placing bets on the NFL. Some are better than others. Here are the best and worst as decided by OddsShark.
Best Bookie: Expert Picks
The bookmaker’s name is familiar to most sports fans. You’ll often find their logo on T-shirts, hats, and other clothing items around the league. Bovada is a popular online betting company, and the best sportsbook they offer is the Expert Picks section. Bovada’s software is constantly updating the odds based on each game’s circumstances. This means the lines will always be fresh, and you’ll get the most competitive odds wherever you place your bet.
This is the kind of place to find the best lines, and you’ll often see the books give good value for money. The downside is the betting limits are relatively low, with American Express being the only credit card that’s accepted at Bovada. New customers will need to wait a few days to be approved for an American Express card.
Worst Bookie: The Favorite Team Will Always Win
The favorite team will always win at the bookmaker whose logo you’ll see on the bottom of your screen every time you log in. That’s how confident they are their software will pick the right side in each and every NFL game. It’s not unusual to see a team listed at one of the big-name sportsbooks, and then again at a smaller, more reputable bookie. Sometimes it’s the other way around, too. The main difference is that the favorite team at a smaller bookie will usually win, but it won’t be by much. As a general rule, you’re better off picking the underdog, and that goes for most sports. Never bet against the favorite, because they’re programmed to win all the time.
It would be nice to find a book that’s always right, but it’s not easy. Especially when trying to pick NBA games. Sometimes you’ll get burned, but that’s the nature of the beast as they say. One of the best values you’ll get at a bookie is that if you lose your deposit you’ll get it back. That’s a relief for anyone who’s ever placed a large wager and then had the rug pulled out from underneath them. Many online sportsbooks offer that type of guarantee as a standard part of their return policy.
Value: How Much Should You Bet On The NFL?
The amount of money you’ll want to stake on an NFL game will depend on the game’s betting line and the location of the contest. The best advice is to find a bookmaker that’s open to overseas sports betting clients, because a lot of the times the best odds can be found offshore. There are also instances where the spreads have gotten so ludicrous, it might be best to stay away from the sportsbooks altogether. In almost every case, it’s a good idea to look for an opening line that’s listed closer to zero than one, because that’s where the best value is often found. On the opposite ends of the spectrum, you have the home teams, where the spreads are often very high, and in some cases the value can be very low. The general rule is: the fewer points the better, because that’s where the value is. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’ll always find good value, especially when using the popular props on either side of the game. Sometimes you’ll need to search for games that are less than a few hours old. The longer the time between the game and the post-game report, the more chance there is for an error to be made. The best thing to do is to check the injury reports before getting started on that particular game. There’s a chance that a key player could be out for the game, in which case it would be better to wait until the news becomes official before placing your bet.
In general, an oddsmaker’s perspective can help you find the best bet in almost every situation. On one end of the spectrum, you have the home teams, where the spread is usually very high and the value is usually low. On the opposite end, you have the visitor teams, where the spread is usually very low and the value is usually high. A generalization like that might be a mistake, but it’s pretty common for books to fall into that category. In almost every case, it’s a good idea to look for an opening line that’s listed closer to zero than one, because that’s where the best value is often found. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have the home teams, where the spread is usually very high and the value can be very low. The general rule is: the fewer points the better, because that’s where the value is. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’ll always find good value, especially when using the popular props on either side of the game. Sometimes you’ll need to search for games that are less than a few hours old. The longer the time between the game and the post-game report, the more chance there is for an error to be made. The best thing to do is to check the injury reports before getting started on that particular game. There’s a chance that a key player could be out for the game, in which case it would be better to wait until the news becomes official before placing your bet.
The Future Of The NFL Bookmaking Business
The future of the NFL bookmaking business is looking a little bit brighter. More and more people are realizing the value of betting on the NFL, and that means more people are leaving feedback on websites like this one. It would be nice to see more and more bookmakers take the step forward and start offering better and better value for money, as well as a more professional experience overall. Nobody likes to lose money, and that’s something that the NFL bookmaking business has in common with other industries. Let’s hope for the best.