Betting on football games is a popular pastime. You can bet on individual player performances, team totals and more. You can also place futures bets, such as who will win the Super Bowl.
There are three main bet types in football: moneyline, point spread and Over/Under. Each has its own odds and lines.
Point spread
A point spread is designed to level the playing field for potential wagers by estimating a team’s expected margin of victory. It can be a powerful tool when placing football bets, and it’s important to understand how the process works before making your wager.
When a team is the favorite, it must win by a certain number of points to cover the spread. Otherwise, you will lose your bet. If the team wins by fewer than the predicted margin of victory, the bet is a push, which means you will receive a refund equal to your original wager. The same applies to underdogs, but the difference is smaller because you will have a lower profit margin. You can also increase the winnings of your bet by adding a team in a teaser parlay. This can double the amount of money you’ll win. But be sure to check the odds often, because they may change dramatically.
Moneyline
Moneyline wagers are one of the easiest bets to place, and they pay out if your team wins. However, you need to understand that the payouts are not as high as a standard point spread bet. Also, some sports like soccer and formerly hockey frequently have ties, which complicates betting on the moneyline.
Moneyline bets are based on a team’s chance of winning, and don’t take into account the margin of victory or how many points the teams will score. They can be represented by different odds, including negative, positive and EVEN (even money bet: risk $100, win $100). When the odds have a minus sign in front of them, it means that the team is the favorite to win. These bets are known as 2-way moneylines, while those with a plus sign are 3-way moneylines. These are also sometimes referred to as Teaser sports betting lines. Regardless, they are a great way to make a quick bet and get a good payout.
Over/Under
Over/Under bets are a popular form of betting in the NFL and other major sports. These markets are generally one of the lowest vig (vigorish) that a sportsbook offers, and they’re often based on things like expected possessions or team efficiency. However, there are also other factors that influence these numbers. For instance, the style of play can change from week to week, especially in the NFL. This could be a result of weather conditions or the fact that one team’s coach might prefer to run the ball, which would slow down the game and reduce scoring opportunities.
Wagering on Over/Unders is different than traditional spread or moneyline bets. A wager on the over means you expect more points, sets, goals, or runs than the number listed by oddsmakers. On the other hand, a wager on the under indicates that you expect fewer of these events to occur. In the NFL, these bets can be placed on everything from how many touchdowns will be scored to how long it will take for a singer to perform the national anthem before a Super Bowl game.
Parlay
Football parlays are popular wagers with high payout potential, and they can be a fun way to add some excitement to your NFL betting experience. These bets combine multiple predictions into a single wager, and they must all win for the bet to pay out. They can include a combination of spreads and totals, as well as moneylines, props and futures.
The problem with parlays is that they are often paid out at odds that are lower than the true chance of a given team winning. For example, a three-team moneyline parlay on the Ravens, Saints and Chiefs to win pays out +233, but these teams only have a 50/50 chance of winning their respective games. As a result, most sportsbooks lose a lot of money on parlays each week. This is why some people call them suckers bets. But this doesn’t have to be the case. By making smart bets, you can increase your chances of winning big on parlays.