An Overview of NFL Betting

Whether you are a professional who makes a living out of sports judi bola online or just a football fan who enjoys his football, there is no denying the fact that a small wager on the NFL increases your enjoyment of the game while making it more exciting to watch.

To add to your enjoyment, there are different ways in which you can place your bets, some of which carry a low risk with a low reward, while others carry a high risk with a high reward. Here is a description of some of the more popular bets that you can make on the NFL:

This is an extremely common and popular method of betting which is also known as sides or straight betting. In essence, the odds are generally -110 which means that you have to bet $110 to win $100 unless your sports book is offering better odds.

The point spread is a number that is fixed by the makers of the odds that is supposed to make the two teams equal so that the public can bet equally on either side. Here is an example of how spreads are quoted:

The number 6 is the point spread (sometimes called a line) and the plus indicates the underdog while the minus indicates the favorite. In this case, if you pick the Packers, you add six points to their actual score in the game. If this exceeds what the Redskins score. you win the point spread regardless of the result of the game.

If you pick the Redskins, you subtract six points from their score and win if they come out ahead. As already explained, the -110 indicates that you need to wager $110 to win $100. Remember that on many online betting sites, your minimum bet is as low as $1.

This is the other very popular form of betting that does not depend on point spreads but depends on the odds. This means that the outcome of the betting depends on the win/loss result of the game. Here is an example of how the odds are quoted for a money line bet:

What this means is that you are betting against the odds if you pick the underdog Packers and a $100 bet will fetch you $250 if the Packers win (plus of course your $100 back). On the other hand, if you choose the Redskins, you will need to bet $330 to win $100. Moneyline bets work best with underdogs at short odds because you win more than you bet. Even if you win less than 50% of your bets, you could come out ahead.

These bets hinge around the total number of points scored by both sides, regardless of who wins or loses. You can bet both on a total under the total posted (which is the score that the odds makers expect), or you can bet on a total over the posted total. The odds are generally the 11/10 that we saw earlier.