NFL is the premier and biggest American football league in the world. Being the most watched and bet on sport in America, it makes sense that everybody would want to get in on the action too. Below is a short guide on how to start betting on the NFL.
Odds
Before you start your betting journey, it is important to understand odds and how they work. Being American football, American odds are the most likely form of odds to be used. If you do prefer other forms off odds, not to worry. Many odds calculators are available online and free of charge.
American Odds – American odds or more commonly known as moneyline odds are a format where the basis of the odds changes between the favourite team and the underdogs.
- Favourite – The favourite team will be denoted by a – (negative) symbol. The number you see after the negative symbol indicates the wager you would need to place in order to win $100.
- Underdogs – The underdog team will be denoted by a + (addition) symbol. The number that you see after the addition symbol would indicate how much you would win if you were to place a $100 wager.
Let’s use an example.
Green Bay Packers -760
Los Angeles Chargers +585
The example above shows us that you would need to bet $760 on the Green Bay Packers to potentially win $100. Inversely, if you placed a $100 bet on the Los Angeles Chargers would have a potential win of $585. When calculating the winnings, it is important to remember that American odds do not factor in your initial wager. When you collect your winnings, you will also receive your initial wager back for any bets that you have won.
Sportsbooks
Once you have a fair understanding on the odds, it’s time to find the right sportsbook for you. While there are many important factors to look into when choosing a sportsbooks, two of these factors will rise to the top as they have the potential to change your profitability.
- Odds – Finding the best odds available to you will be crucial to your betting success. While most sportsbooks do have odds along similar lines, there are outliers to this. Find the best odds available to you as even small differences can total up to large amounts in the long run. It is common for bettors to have a few sportsbooks they usually check for odds when they find a bet they would like to make.
- Bonuses – While a lot of bettors ignore bonuses, they can be a fantastic feature to help a new bettor, especially when starting out. There are many types of bonuses available, but something like a deposit bonus is always a handy addition to your bankroll.
In all sports betting, research will be key. Ensure to know players, teams, history and locations as well as possible. Be sure to do all the research you can before betting on any major event. Research will dictate how you use everything else you have learnt in sports betting