There is no doubt that the NFL is one of the most popular sports in the United States. Its popularity has naturally led to a betting industry that relies on it every week of its season. Because of how big the NFL is, there are lots of ways you can bet on it. We will look at some of the most popular ones below.
Overs/Unders
This wager is very popular and it involves a sportsbook setting a combined score total for both teams. Bettors then have to bet on whether the total points scored will be over or under the set score. Totals are usually set from 35.0 to 50.0 depending on the nature of the game and the teams playing.
Point Spreads
In NFL betting, point spreads are the most popular type of bet there is. On most sportsbooks, both odds are either negative or positive. Positive odds, say +200, mean that you have to place $100 to win $200 and your stake is returned to you so you end up with $300. For negative odds, the odds are the amount you have to bet to win $100. For example, if the odds were -200, you would need to bet $200 to win $100.
These bets differ from website to website, with some offering better spreads. To see how point spreads are structured and to place some bets yourself, you can check out the NFL Odds Online at Odds Shark.
Parlays
A parlay is where the bettor chooses two or more teams and places different bets on them. All wagers placed have to win for the bet to pay out. A common way parlays are structured is by parlaying two low-scoring teams with an under or high-scoring teams with an over. Some bettors will place up to 12 parlays and wager a small amount. This is highly risky but the payout is huge if one of these parlays hits.
Moneylines
Money lines are extremely popular for bettors who bet on underdogs or when games have a small spread. A money line bet is simply where a bettor places a wager on a team to win outright. If a bettor believes an underdog has a good chance of winning, they will often play the money line which usually has a bigger payout than betting on point spreads.
Propositions
This is where bettors place wagers on player, team, or game statistics. In some cases, bettors also wager on certain game events. Some of the common propositions include players or teams that will score first, whether the first possession will result in a touchdown, a turnover, field goal, or anything else that might happen as the game progresses.
Bettors can also place overs or unders on specific statistics such as the number of passing attempts, yards a quarterback will run, or the total number of carries. Because there are so many proposition bets available, you could probably place a bet here and win on your first try.
The NFL provides bettors with so many different ways to bet and things to bet on. Some of these bets are more popular than others. Just remember that they all come with risks and different probabilities of hitting, so choose the types of bets you place carefully.
