Football season is considered one of the biggest betting periods in the US, with approximately 13 percent of American adults who planned to bet on the National Football League in 2020, even with a reduced level of enthusiasm compared to previous years.
Whether you’re a beginner or you’re simply new to the NFL as a sport, it’s easy to get confused between the different types of bets you can make and how they can pay off. This article will explain some of them as well as providing some tips for the inexperienced better.
So, without further ado, let’s get into the basics of NFL betting.
The Odds – A Brief Overview
If you didn’t already know, the odds of any bet indicate the ratio between the stake and winnings on an outcome if you choose to place a bet on it. These are set by a bookmaker.
The odds are worked out from a number of variables that could occur during a match, including the outcome, the number of goals scored as well as individual player performance, whether they took any successful corners, and if any red or yellow cards were shown.
Try to place your NFL bets after you’ve conducted thorough research on the different odds being offered by various betting companies, as some will offer a better return than others. For example, odds (usually shown as fractions) of 2/1 will return $2 for every $1 you bet.
Most Popular Types of Bets
There are so many different types of bets that it can be tricky to know which ones are best for a beginner, so this section will walk you through some of the simplest bets you can make.
Match Bet
This is the simplest bet you can make. All it requires is for you to guess the end result of the match, whether that’s betting on the home team to win or the team playing away.
Alternatively, you can bet on the match resulting in a draw. It’s worth noting that bets are paid depending on what the outcome is after the full 90 minutes, but doesn’t take into account a change of outcome after penalties or if extra time is given for play.
Bet Builder/Accumulator
Increasingly popular due to their high risk, high reward payoff, same game multi-bet builders are less likely to be successful because of the number of events that need to play out.
This is great if you’re already super knowledgeable about NFL teams and different players’ performances as you can improve your odds of winning whilst making informed decisions.
Player Props or Stats
These types of bets demonstrate the evolution of NFL betting compared to in the past with specific betting markets specifically for Premier League and international matches that allow you to include details such as how many shots, tackles, or assists a certain player has.
Prop markets include things like free kicks, throw-ins, and attempted goals as well, but this will usually depend on the bookmaker and the odds they’re offering for a specific match.
Half-Time/Full-Time Bets
Don’t worry if you forget to bet on the first half, as most bookkeepers allow you to place a bet on just the second half as well. However, this is best left to the more advanced NFL gamblers who are equipped with more knowledge regarding the teams finishing strength.
Goalscorer Bets
This is another simple bet that allows you to gamble solely on whether a specific player will score or not. You can bet on them scoring first or last, or at any time during the match, although each option will usually offer different odds, with the latter offering the lowest return.
