Tips For NFL Spread Betting
There’s an almost comforting level of safety that comes with backing favorites when you bet on the NFL moneyline each week. But the truth is the meager returns from that betting angle are not good enough for many bettors. If that is you, then it’s time you considered upping your NFL betting online game. Wagering ATS (Against the Spread) is a great way to get actualreturns quickly.
Oddsmakers designed the spread to act as the ultimate equalizer in the world of sports betting. When you bet on the spread, you’re either predicting that a team (favorite) wins by a specific point margin or that the other team (underdog) loses by a particular margin. If the concept of NFL point spread betting and general betting odds is new to you, our s introductory guide for new bettors is a great place to begin.
How Does Football Spread Betting Work?
If you place a spread bet on the favorite for a game, then that team must win by a specified number of points for you to receive a payout. For the underdogs, your bet still winsifthe team does not lose by more than the spread, even if they lose. Often, you’ll come across a spread accompanied by a half-point. This half-point is a ‘hook,’and it makes sure that there won’t be atie (known in betting terms as a push). Most times, whenever there is a push, the sportsbook will return your wager. Not all bookmakers do, though. To some, a push counts as a loss. Remember to pay attention to the terms and conditions of the sportsbookwith which you are wagering.
How Do the Oddsmakers Set the NFL Point Spread?
The idea of point spreads is to balance the number of bets placed on both teams in any game. Most NFL games will includea more fanciedteam to win, and bettors will skew in the direction of the favorite without point spreads. The problem for oddsmakers is that this one-sided betting does not profit themunlessthe underdogs pull an upset.
Not long after each Sunday night wrap-up, the oddsmakersset the opening point spread for the week. For week 1, the spreads are set well in advance. Sportsbooks pay attention to public perception more than any other thing when they create opening point spreads. There’s obviously some team stats, form guides, math, and some general storylinesfactored in as well.
Best NFL Spread Betting Tips
There is no true way to guarantee you spread bets come through. Betting at the end of the day comes down to luck.That said, some betting strategiescan massively improve your chances of winning.
The general rule of thumb is that the home-turf advantage is worth roughly three points. This means that any game between two big-ball clubs that oddsmakers can’t separate will have an opening point spread of 2.5 in the home team’s favor.
As mentioned earlier, public perception does influence the opening spread that a bookmaker sets. Therefore, if a game between two teams that you consider evenly matched does not have a 2.5 spread in favor of the home team, then something does not check out.
Factors to Consider Before Betting on the NFL Against the Spread
Here are a few factors you should consider before placing against the spread bets on NFL games.
Where is the game being played?
You should never forget that the home advantage well and truly counts. The sportsbooks factor it into odds, and you should factor it into your betting.
Is it a divisional match-up?
More often than not, familiarity closes the gap between two teams in a football game. This means that a lot of teams will post better performances in games within their division. The scores in these games tend to be closer.
When and where did both teams play the previous week?
The longer a team has to travel, the less time they have for recovery and practice. Even the best teams will show some lethargy after a Monday Night Football game played in a separate time zone.
Take note of individual match-ups
No matter how good a player or coach is, some other players or coaches seem always to have the beating on them. You must be aware of these individual match-ups. An example is Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick, where the formerposta 5-2 record when coaching against the latter.
Know the teams
We’re not talking just knowledge of their strong and weak points. You should know those, but you should also know about the team’s following. For instance, the Giants have an unbelievable following in New York. The fact that all these fans love to bet on them could lead to unjustified higher spread lines.