American Football has a global following, and the sport is enjoyed by millions of fans in the US and beyond. The NFL is the biggest league within the game, and the organization takes the division on the road, to countries such as England, Germany and Mexico.
Every game, from the start of the regular season, through to the last play of the Super Bowl, attracts a huge viewing audience, and many also like to place a bet on the NFL. If you are new to the practice, here are some key tips to betting on the sport.
Finding Your Perfect Home
There are hundreds of online sportsbooks available, and so much choice can lead to confusion. The best bookmakers offer an extensive choice of NFL markets, alongside the most competitive odds possible.
The value in regular pricing and NFL playoff odds can also be boosted by a selection of offers and promotions. Other useful factors include a good range of funding methods, and helpful customer service.
Look for independent sportsbook reviews, while carrying out some comparisons of your own. You can use a selection of operators, but each one should offer that combination of choice and value.
Know Your Markets
It’s important to understand the betting options that are available. Along with the match result, there are many different options to stake on, including totals markets, futures and props.
The match result market is also referred to as the Moneyline. It’s a straight selection between the two NFL teams so, you could speculate on whether the Detroit Lions will beat the Green Bay Packers during a regular season game.
Any NFL match from the regular season through to the Super Bowl is available in the Moneyline markets. Many experienced bettors prefer to stay with match result betting, and this is the best place to start if you’re new.
For those that are considering other markets, a Futures bet is a long term stake on outright winners. The most popular future is on the winner of the Super Bowl, but you can also bet on Divisional and Conference champions.
Totals bets relate to the total number of points scored in a game. Prop betting is short for proposition, and it refers to certain events, such as the scorer of the first touchdown.
Do Your Own Research
Whichever NFL market you wish to get involved in, it’s important to do plenty of research. Betting on ‘hunches’ will never work as a long term strategy.
Those who are betting in the moneyline market should start by looking at the form guide for the two teams in opposition. Are they in good shape with a series of recent wins, or are there a number of defeats over the course of the last six games?
Previous head to head results between the two sides are also important, while bettors should look out for team news relating to injuries or any other absences.
Similar types of research can be undertaken for other markets, including Totals and Props.
External Advice
It’s OK to follow NFL tipsters, but their results should be scrutinized first. Before committing to any real money stakes, follow their picks for a series of games to see if they have been profitable.
There will be no guarantees of success moving forward, but those tipsters with a strong run of success may be worth bookmarking for the future.
Common NFL Strategies
There are several established NFL strategies that are used by advanced bettors. One of the most common of these is called betting with the crowd, and it simply means to bet on the favorites. The ‘crowd’ is the betting community, and they will stake on the strongest NFL team, thereby influencing the odds.
Statistics show that favorites will win the majority of games in any sport, but they cannot get over the line 100% of the time.
Home field advantage is another basic strategy that is worth paying attention to. Everyone has heard the old sporting cliche about a team turning their home into a fortress, but this is a relevant factor in NFL betting.
Some teams in the league have exceptional records at home, and these may be worth following. Once again, it doesn’t suggest that they are invincible, but home field advantage is another strategy to consider.
There is another unusual factor relating to home and away teams. The stats suggest that franchises who travel from the East Coast to the Pacific Coast are at a disadvantage due to playing much later in the day.
While it’s not possible to offer a 100% guarantee of success, these tips can help you make better decisions when betting on the NFL.
Start by finding the right sportsbook and understand your markets, before looking to develop a strategy that is more likely to work for you.
Featured image: Unsplash
