The NFL is the most popular league in sports betting, with millions of Americans
wagering at the top USA sportsbooks 3️⃣ throughout the season. From football futures odds
to NFL same-game parlays and NFL props, sports betting sites have something for 3️⃣ every
bettor. The Super Bowl has more wagering options than any sporting event of the year,
giving fans something to 3️⃣ look forward to with their sports betting bankroll.
NFL odds
are constantly moving due to betting action, injuries and other factors, 3️⃣ but monitoring
the NFL odds board is one way to make the best NFL bets possible. Football odds are
also 3️⃣ a useful way to gain an edge in NFL survivor pools and NFL office pools. Here are
several football sports 3️⃣ betting terms to know:
Alternate lines: Every NFL game has
alternate lines, as sportsbooks post different spreads and totals with adjusted 3️⃣ odds.
For example, if a team is favored by one touchdown, many sportsbooks will offer odds on
the team to 3️⃣ win by at least 10 points instead.
American odds: American odds are the
most common odds used in the NFL, with 3️⃣ the moneyline indicating the amount of money
needed to winR$100 (favorite) or the amount that aR$100 wager would pay (underdog).
3️⃣ This is one of the three main types of betting odds.
Closing Line: The final odds
posted when the game begins 3️⃣ is the closing line. The live odds will then start to shift
after the game begins and will generally continue 3️⃣ until the game is over.
Consensus:
The consensus line is a combination of odds from the top sportsbooks. If a team 3️⃣ is a
7-point consensus favorite, it means that most oddsmakers have the team favored by
seven points.
Decimal odds: Decimal odds, 3️⃣ also called European odds, are one of the
other formats used to present betting odds. They represent the amount of 3️⃣ money someone
would win for everyR$1 wagered.
Favorite: The favorite is the team expected to win the
game outright. Favorites have 3️⃣ a negative sign in front of their spread and money line
odds.
Fractional odds: British (fractional) odds are the final type 3️⃣ of odds used in
sports betting. They are the ratio of the profit won to the stake, as a 6-1 3️⃣ underdog
would payR$6 for everyR$1 wagered.
Futures: These can be some of the most interesting
odds to monitor, as they relate 3️⃣ to things such as championship winner or division
winner. Most sportsbooks update their futures odds on a weekly basis, giving 3️⃣ fans a
chance to see how their team stacks up in the eyes of the oddsmakers.
Home-field
advantage: One thing that 3️⃣ is a factor in every NFL game is home-field advantage, which
changes the odds based on which team is playing 3️⃣ at home. Some teams have a bigger
advantage than others, as their crowd noise or location can adjust the odds 3️⃣ more
significantly than others.
Hook: If the betting odds have a half-point attached to
them, that is called the hook. The 3️⃣ hook makes it impossible for the betting result to
end in a tie, as NFL games do not have half 3️⃣ points.
Juice: Also known as vigorish or
vig, the juice is the amount factored into the odds by oddsmakers. An American 3️⃣ odds bet
of -110 containsR$10 of juice for everyR$100 wagered.
Line movement: NFL odds generally
do not move as much as 3️⃣ other sports due to the accuracy of the betting market, but they
still feature line movement due to various reasons. 3️⃣ Weather, injuries or large bets are
all reasons for line movement on NFL games.
Money line: The money line is the 3️⃣ odds
related to the winner of the game with no point spread involved. Favorites have
negative odds, while underdogs have 3️⃣ positive odds in an American odds
format.
Oddsmaker: Someone who sets betting odds and lines is an oddsmaker. Some
oddsmakers create 3️⃣ their own betting odds (originators), while other oddsmakers copy
odds that are already in the market.
Over/Under: This is one of 3️⃣ the primary sets of
odds used for the NFL, with the number representing the expected points scored in the
game. 3️⃣ These are also used for some futures odds, such as how many games a team will win
in a season.
Pick’em: 3️⃣ If neither team is favored, the game is called a pick’em. The
betting odds have not determined a favorite or 3️⃣ an underdog, so they are usually good
games to watch.
Spread: The point spread levels the playing field between two teams, 3️⃣ as
it is the number of points the favorite is expected to win by. The favorite is
designated by a 3️⃣ negative spread (-7), while the underdog has a positive spread
(+7).
Underdog: Unless a game is a pick’em, every NFL contest 3️⃣ has an underdog, which is
the team that is expected to lose. They are denoted by a positive number in 3️⃣ the betting
odds.
The three primary types of betting odds are American (money line), fractional
(British) and decimal (European). They are 3️⃣ alternate ways of presenting the same odds,
offering the same payout in each scenario. The percentage probability of an event
3️⃣ occurring can be converted and presented in any of the odds offered.
Favorites are
always priced with a negative sign in 3️⃣ front of their spread or money line, while
underdogs have a positive sign in front of theirs. If a team 3️⃣ is -6.5, they are the
favorite and would need to win by at least seven points to cover the spread. 3️⃣ Their
opponent would be +6.5, needing to lose by six points or fewer (or win outright) to
cover as an 3️⃣ underdog.
Odds are originally set by oddsmakers, who are also called sports
traders or bookmakers. They usually adjust their odds once 3️⃣ bettors start wagering
money. The odds can also be moved due to things like injuries or weather
forecasts.
Sportsbooks take games 3️⃣ off the board when a star player suffers an injury,
the venue changes or another factor occurs. Oddsmakers usually re-post 3️⃣ the updated line
within a few hours, depending on the severity of the news. The odds are frozen so the
3️⃣ sportsbook avoids taking large wagers on odds that are likely to change.
This is
another way to reference the over/under, which 3️⃣ is the number of points expected to be
scored in a game. If a game has an over/under of 45.5 3️⃣ points, it will go over the total
with 46 or more points and under the total with 45 or fewer 3️⃣ points. Over/under odds are
also used for prop odds, such as a player’s receiving yards in a game.
