08.05.2021 - American Football is one of the most prominent sports in the United States. Due to this prominence, it is expected that many punters would be interested in trying their luck.
Every sport has its basics of betting. You must be familiar with these basics to make your bet a worthwhile and profitable one. If you are new to American football betting and would require some help to navigate your way around the process, then you have come to the right place. Here, our American Football experts highlight, in simple and clear terms, key points and betting tips that should be mastered before betting. In providing their opinions, they conducted in-depth research as well as considered the emotional aspects of the sport, including other variables that are critical to delivering accurate betting tips.
As a beginner, you shouldn’t miss out on these helpful tips as they help you to make the most of your predictions.
American Football Odds
Each of the sports has its distinct way of calculating its betting odds. In American football, betting odds are available in three formats: fractional (British), decimal (European), and Moneyline (US). In Moneyline, the odds for the favorites have a minus (-) sign, showing the amount that needs to be staked to win $100 while those for underdogs have positive (+) signs, showing the amount won for every $100 staked. In other words, any team that has a positive sign has a low probability of winning while the other team with a negative sign has a high probability of winning.
Apart from this, knowledge of what influences the odds would help you make informed betting decisions. Some of the factors include form and strength of both teams (that is, in terms of squad quality and power rankings), home-field advantage (a team’s performance at home), team/coach features (such as type of line players and tactical preferences of the coaches), as well as injuries and suspensions. Read on the list of successful coaches/managers.
It is common for bookmakers to consider these factors when deciding the odds for a particular game or match. To this end, the odds are adjusted to get a profit margin.
Popular Betting Markets for American Football
Point Spread
It is also known as handicap betting or betting lines and involves an estimated margin that is offered a game while bettors attempt to predict the margin side towards which the result tends to lean. For instance, if Syracuse and Duke are offered +4.5 (1.9) and -4.5 (1.9), respectively, the point spread would be 4.5 on either side. To be a winner if you wager on the Duke (favorite in this case) winning, then the team must beat Syracuse by 5 points. If you bet on Syracuse to win, then the team must either win or not lose by 5 points. At this point, you bet wins.
Over and Under Points Market
This market involves betting on a total number of points as set by the bookmaker. You then predict whether the points scored will exceed or fall under the number as set by the bookmaker.
Football Moneylines
This is a straightforward type of bet that involves betting on a match’s final results (overtime inclusive). In this form of market, odds are adjusted based on how a team is favored over the other.
American Football Outrights
Outright/future betting involves a direct bet on the winner of a tournament or league. In Professional American Football, the Super Bowl constitutes the biggest event as it offers the best and most reliable odds.
Teaser Bets
This form of bet gives you the opportunity to make changes to the line to favor you. It combines both features of the point spread and total points. For instance, a team with a spread of -8.5 and a teaser of 5 will allow you to back them at a -3.5 spread. However, this form of market offers extremely low odds.
It should be noted that in-depth knowledge of these markets is not enough to win. It is equally important that you know when to play what markets. For instance, since teaser bets are known to yield low profits, they could be used in Parlays of two or three selections for more odds and, consequently, to stand a chance to win more money.
American Football Live Betting
American football also offers you the opportunity to wager bets while a match is ongoing. With live betting or in-play betting, odds keep shifting in, thus allowing you to earn quickly and multiple times, all within a match. Additionally, this form of betting allows you to make informed betting decisions. With this, you are able to minimize or avoid losses.
You can only make better decisions in live betting if you’re watching the game you are wagering on. The implication of this is unhindered access to the best live streams. Some bookmakers are affiliated with ProTipster to provide you with free live streams though you may have to fulfill certain requirements.
Selecting the Best Bookmakers
The popularity of American football accounts for the numerous betting actions that could be performed on the sport through online bookmakers. Thus, selecting the best choice of a bookmaker is critical to increasing or decreasing your chances of winning on your bets. It is important that you avoid bookmakers that are banned in the United States.
Also, your choice of bookmakers should be guided by a variety of factors, including a selection of betting market options, football tips, high betting odds, live streams support, an easy-to-use interface, and customer service delivery. Make comparisons and carry out in-depth analyses to make a good choice. You can also rely on reviews provided by users.
