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If you love to watch professional football then you've probably considered betting on NFL games. NFL betting can be a great way to add to the excitement of the game and earn a little money on the side. NFL bets can be made at sportsbooks, over the phone, and online. It's never been easier to place your bets. But how do you bet on the NFL? |
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There are a number of different NFL bets that can be made. There are Point Spread Bets, Totals, Money Line Wagers, Halftime Wagers, Parlays, Teasers, Future Book Wagers, and Proposition Bets. |
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Point spread bets are the most common NFL bets. They are also known as Straight Wagers. The spread is intended to level the betting playing field between the two teams. If the spread is set correctly there should be an even chance of either team winning or losing on the point spread bet. The team perceived to have less of a chance of winning will have points added to their score and the expected winning team will have the same number of points subtracted from their score. Spreads are set according to standard factors such as previous performance, injuries, and weather, but can also be adjusted if bets coming into the sportsbook are disproportionately in favor of one side or the other. |
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Point Spread Example: St. Louis -7 to beat Miami +7
A bet on St. Louis to win will payoff if St. Louis wins by over 7 points. If St. Louis wins by exactly 7 points the game is considered a tie or "no action" and the wager is returned to the bettor. |
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Totals bets are also know as Over/Under bets. This is a bet on the total score of both teams in a NFL game. The over bet is a bet that the score will the over the set total and the under bet is a bet that the score will be under the set total. |
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Over Bet Example: St. Louis/Miami total 30
An over bet on this game would win if the combined score for both teams is more than 30. If the combined score is equal to 30 the game is considered "no action" and the bet is return. A combined score of under 30 would result in a loss. |
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Money line wagers are another popular NFL bet. For a money line wager the team wagered on just has to win the game for the bet to win. The money line will be listed like the following: St. Louis -160 at Miami +260. In this case St. Louis is favored to win the game. A $160 bet on St. Louis to win would pay $100 if St. Louis won the game. A bet of $100 on Miami would pay $260 if Miami won the game. |
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A halftime wager is simply a bet on the score of either the first or second half of a NFL game. The bet will only be determined based on the points earned during that half of the game. The halftime wager line may be a point spread, money line, or combination of the two. |
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A parlay bet links together a number of individual wagers. A parlay will only win if each individual bet wins. If any single bet loses, the entire parlay bet is lost. If a single bet is a tie or "no action", then the parlay reverts down to the next lowest number for payoff. The purpose of the parlay bet is to get a higher payout. Since each segment of the bet must win, it is a more difficult bet and therefore has higher payouts then the sum of each individual bet if they were placed separately. Parlay bets are a great way to win large amounts of money with limited risk. |
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A teaser bet is a wager on two or more teams in which the point spread is adjusted in your favor. The payout odds will depend on the number of teams selected and the number of points selected. In a two-team teaser bet a tie and a win will result in a tie or "no action" wager, a tie and a loss will result in a loss. In teaser bets of more than two teams the teaser shall revert to the next lowest betting bracket if there is a tie. |
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Future book wagers, or Futures, are simply a bet on an event that is scheduled to occur at some future date. There are a number of different types of future bets. It may be a bet on a team winning their division or the Super Bowl prior to the beginning of the regular season. Another type of future bet is an over/under on a NFL team for the total number of victories they will have for the entire season. |
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Proposition bets are also known as Exotic bets. These bets can be on anything not covered by the standard bets listed above. The bets usually involve specific events during a NFL game such as the first team to score, the last team to score, the first team to score a field goal, quarterback interceptions, even the team to win the coin toss. Proposition bets are more common in online sportsbooks. |
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Return to Sports Betting Courses |
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