Betting On Football

The way to win in the NFL is to stick with the winners and bet against the losers. That sounds simple, but we’re actually taking this to another level. Look at baseball, for example. This season, the Red Sox have scored more runs than any other team and the Astros have scored fewer runs than any team. If you were to bet on the Red Sox – 1.5 and against the Astros – 1.5 and you were wagering $100 per game, you would be up $400 and $2,100, respectively. That’s not a fortune, but it’s a win. And if you raised the stakes, you would be up a fortune. Let’s apply the same concept to the NFL.

If you want to win in the NFL this season, you need to first figure out which teams are likely to score the most and fewest points. Betting on the Patriots, Eagles and Texans would be a good idea. This means you need to bet on them every single game regardless of whom they play and the line. The only time you avoid this bet is if they’re playing each other. On the other side, you should bet against the Redskins every single game. We have the easy part out of the way, but money management is even more important.

In order to win in the long run, you need to practice disciplined money management. Have you ever heard of the Chris Ferguson Challenge? He’s a professional poker player that was only allowed to bet 5% of his bankroll every time he sat down. His goal was to grow his bankroll from $0 to $10,000. He didn’t only accomplish this goal, but he surpassed it. How? Because he knew he would win more than he lost and he stuck to his game plan. For the NFL, we’ll raise the stakes slightly. The rule is to only wager 10% of your bankroll on each game. If you stick to the teams above and this money management system, you will find yourself a profitable player by the end of the season, and that’s something few people can honestly say.     

Football Betting Wagers

Football Wager:
The payout is figured at odds of 10/11. This means that a wager of $11 would win $10 and return $21.
(unless stated otherwise)

Straight Bet
When betting on football, the team you bet on must "cover the spread" (point spread). This means they must win or not lose by a predetermined number set (points) for the game.

Point spreads are steadily changing The listed point spread at the time you make your bet may be different than the point spread when the game starts.

Totals
Total points scored in a game. Also called the over/under.
You may wager that the total score of the game will be more or less than the number listed. Add the final score of each team. The payout, unless stated otherwise, is figured at odds of 10/11.

Money Line
Bettors have the option to discard the point spread and bet on which team will win. This is called betting on the "Money Line" (IF OPTION IS OFFERED)

Odds for a game based on $1.00. A "minus" (-) proceeding the number indicates the team is a favorite. A "plus" (+) proceeding the number indicates the team is an underdog.

The Dallas odds are -150, meaning an $15 bet would win $10, for a return of $25. The Jets' odds are +130, meaning a $10 bet would win $13, for a return of $23.

Football Parlays
More than one team on the same bet.
You may combine several teams into one wager. All teams and/or totals must cover the point spread to win the bet. Odds and the number of teams vary from casino to casino. The following are approximate odds:

Any game that results in a push reduces the parlay one team.
2-team parlay would become a straight bet.

Parlay Cards
Big Returns for a Small Wager
Sports books offer  different parlay cards. Rules for parlay cards are placed on the back of sports books card. . The cards are simple to fill out. darken the boxes, or circles, that apply to the teams you wish to parlay and  the amount you want to wager.

Football Teasers
Wager that helps the point spread,  reducing the  odds.
Teasers can not be straight bets.

Teasing the point spread is done adding points to a underdog, or subtracting points from a favorite. This increases the probability of winning your bet, but decreases the odds of the parlay.

Approximate Odds(changes with different sport books)