How to bet in American football
This is probably the most popular sport in the US. Ratings on TV and streaming transmissions, as well as stadium attendance, far surpassing those of basketball and even baseball. Now that it would seem that the sport will break the American borders and become international, more and more people from different parts of the globe, are becoming interested as an additional set of options for betting through the best Asian and European bookmakers.
However, there are some aspects that you need to understand in order to fully enjoy the experience and avoid misunderstandings that could potentially lead to losses. Therefore, our team has decided to guide you step by step through all the relevant aspects of American football.
First, you need to choose the league
American football is played from a very young age. Therefore, there are multiple leagues, tournaments, and competitions at all levels. However, betting options are usually available only in the two biggest stages this sport has: NFL and NCAA.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regulates College football. With over 100 teams in different divisions, this is the foundation of the NFL and it has games almost all year-round. Most of the draftees for the professional teams come from here (there are rare instances of players in the draft that have not attended college). By tradition, the player of the #1 position in the draft is the winner of the Heisman Trophy. The team layout is about the same as in the NFL.
Next, you must understand the odds
The odds for betting in American football are in… you got it…, American format. They are expressed with a minus (-) or a plus (+) symbol followed by a 3-digit number. The minus indicates the favorite to be the winner, while the plus indicates the underdog. Meanwhile, the numbers are in relation to 100 dollars. So, for example, if a team`s odds are at -150, it means that a wager of 150$ is needed. If, on the contrary, it is +150, it means that a risk of 100$ would pay 250.
Even if that’s the standard, as the popularity of the game grows, bookmakers are starting to convert their odds to either the decimal or the fractional system in order to make it easier for bettors. You do not need to concern yourselves on this issue as we took care of it through our odds converter.
Time to decide on the type of bet
There are three main bet types in American football: Point spread, money line, and over/under. Nevertheless, other markets are usually available depending on the bookie. Let’s take a closer look:
Point Spread or handicap
This is the most popular betting line in the NFL given the high number of points teams can possibly score. In it, bookmakers assigned a margin of points as handicap to the favorite team and head start to the underdog. Should bettors wager on the favorite team, even if they win, the difference in points scored has to be bigger than the margin established, otherwise, the bet is considered as lost. Conversely, should they bet on the underdog, even if they lose the game, as long as the difference in not over the margin, it is a win.
Money line or straight bet
This is a quite simple and straightforward wager. Bettors place their money on the winning team. Period. It is important to keep in mind that in American football the overtime is included, as it rarely happens and the possibilities of a draw are rather low, therefore bets are seldom pushed.
Over/under or total points
With so many points scored in a game, this is another popular line of bet. In it, bettors don’t necessarily have to cheer for a team to win, as they wager on whether the total number of scores will go over the points determined by the bookie. In these cases, odds are usually 50-50, so chances are quite balanced.
Futures, outright, and other markets
There are several other less conventional betting options in American football. For example, bettors can wager on their favorite team or teams to win the Super Bowl, Conference Championship or the different divisions in the NFL. In the NCAA, they can predict the National Champions and the Heisman Trophy Winner. These types of bets are usually available since the beginning of the season and odds would constantly change according to each week’s results.
In terms of special markets, they can bet on halftime/fulltime winners, first team to score, first touchdown, total touchdowns, depending on the offers of the bookmaker. Wagers can also be placed on the NFL MVP Award, as well as individual performances or plays during a game such as players rushing yards, receiving yards, longest or shortest touchdown, etc…
The best choice for beginners is to start watching the games and start betting in the easier to understand options like money line. Then, as they get accustomed to the game and its quirks, they can start trying other wagers. For any of the two steps, they need to open an account through the best agent and score a couple of early touchdowns!