How to Bet on Football
Football season is considered the high season in the sportsbetting world, and we’re going to talk about how to bet on football. It’s possible to bet on both college and NFL games and there are a number of ways to do so. When you’re betting on football, it helps to understand how you can do so.
Betting Lines – How to Bet on Football
Bettors can bet on individual college or NFL games. They can do so a number of different ways, but traditionally bettors wager on the moneyline, point spread, or game total. A moneyline bet is simply one on which team will win the game.
Point spread bets require a team to win or lose by a certain number of points. A totals bet is one in which the bettor predicts the combined score of a game to go Over or Under a given number.
Betting Examples When Betting Football
When betting on the moneyline, a bettor chooses between the favorite – which is given a negative value next to their odds – and the underdog, which is indicated by a positive number. For example, the Jets are the underdog in their game against the Bills at America’s Bookie. It would look like this.
Bills -200
Jets +175
A bettor would have to wager $200 to win $100 on a Bills victory. If betting on the Jets, the wager would be $100 and if the Jets won the payout would be $175. This is the basics when it comes to how to bet on football.
Favorites vs. Underdogs
In betting the point spread, the favorite must win by a certain number of points in order to win the bet. Likewise, the underdog can win the bet by winning outright or by losing by a certain number of points. Look at the example below.
Bills -7 (-110)
Jets +7 (-110)
The Bills are favored by seven points. They must win by eight or more in order for the bet to cash. Most sportsbooks charge a flat 10 percent – represented by the -110 in this example – to place your bet. If you wager $110 on the Bills and they win by eight, you win $100.
To win on the Jets, a bettor needs the Jets to win or lose by six points or less. The same $110 wager wins $100.
Bettors can also bet on the total points scored in a given game. Often when a bettor doesn’t have a clear picture of a winner or loser, the bettor can turn to the total. In the same Bills-Jets game, let’s say the total is set at 50.
If the Bills win 38-14, the Over would win since the total number of points scored was 52. Totals bets normally carry the -110 odds meaning a $110 wager wins $100.
College Football vs. NFL
These traditional betting markets can be wagered on for both college and NFL football. There is more parity in the NFL as there are only 32 teams. The difference between the best and the worst team in the league is much closer than college football. When talking about how to bet on football, you need to know the difference between the two.
In FBS football, there are 130 teams and the difference between the best and the worst teams is vast. Bettors will encounter spreads of -20, -30, and even -40 or more at times in college football. It is not typical to see double-digit point spreads in NFL games. Some bettors see that as an advantage for betting the NFL. Others believe you can find more value in college games.
Whatever you come to believe, it all starts with understanding the basics. Get a strong grasp of moneyline, spread, and totals betting first and build your betting career from there.