With the NFL season in full swing and a new season always approaching, now is the time to start thinking about whether or not you should start betting on the games. Vegas has already released their lines for the opening week of action, and there are some intriguing matchups to consider. If you're truly looking to make some memories this year by betting on NFL games, then here are a few incisive things you need to know.
Handicaps and spreads
Handicaps and spreads are designed to level the playing field between two teams, and they're an important part of football betting. If you're unsure of how handicaps and spreads work, then you should definitely do some research before placing any bets.
In order to make sure that both sides of a bet are evenly matched, Vegas will handicap games by creating a point spread. This ensures that there is more than one way to win, and it also makes it harder to lose. For example, let's say that the New England Patriots are playing the Buffalo Bills.
The Patriots are probably a much better team than the Bills, so Vegas might give the Bills a +7 point spread. This means that if you actually bet on the Patriots, they must win by more than 7 points for you to really win your bet. Conversely, if you bet on the Bills, they can lose by up to 6 points and you will still win your bet.
Betting on the money line
The money line is actually simply a bet on which team will win the game. There is no point spread, and you will usually see money lines like this:
Patriots (-350) vs. Bills (+280)
This means that if you actually want to bet on the Patriots, you will need to risk $350 to win $100. On the other hand, if you truly want to bet on the Bills, you will only need to risk $100 to win $280.
Stats and data
You can find sports betting tips that will help you, but at the end of the day, it's still up to you to do your homework. Be sure to read up on both teams before placing any bets, and pay attention to how they've been performing lately. It's also a good idea to look at statistics and data in order to get a better understanding of each team.
Betting on the total
The total is a bet on how many points will be scored in the game by both teams combined. Vegas will set a number, and you can bet either over or under. For example, let's say that the total for the Patriots vs. Bills game is set at 48.5 points. If you bet the over, you are probably betting that the two teams will score more than 48 points combined. If you bet the under, you are betting that the two teams will score fewer than 48 points combined.
Conclusion
Betting on the NFL can be a great way to have some extra fun, but it's important that you know what you're doing. Be sure to do your research and pay attention to the handicaps and spreads. If you're careful and smart about your bets, then you could end up having loads of fun this season!
