The NFL betting market continues to grow. In the US, there are now more locations than ever before where gambling is allowed, and in the UK, the coverage of the sport continues to grow.
There was a time when you may have only been able to bet on a few markets, perhaps on big games like the Super Bowl or other playoffs. Nowadays - there is a range of different sports betting markets, and this includes team and individual markets in the NFL.
In this guide, we'll share some of the top markets that people may choose to study in order to potentially place their bets and try to find value in football betting.
If you're new to the sport, there are a few different concepts that you need to get your head around if you are going to explore these markets in full.
Money Line
The "money line" is one of the simplest gambling markets you will come across in the NFL. In other sports and in other countries, you may just hear this referred to as the "win market," but in NFL it is called the money line.
If you are going to use a free bet to back a favorite then you might not get the biggest returns when backing a team that do not have long odds, and high stakes are often needed to get good returns from money line bets unless you are backing the underdogs - managing to win at the same time.
Point Spread
The "spread" is designed to make the odds a little more even and use handicaps to show the advantage, or even the disadvantage, a team might have.
For example, if you want to back the favorite but the money line gives very low odds, then you might turn to a handicap bet, or the points spread.
Back in 1966 when the Redskins had their amazing 72-point game, you could have had them on a -20 point spread or "handicap" and still manage to win.
The bet can work the other way around too, you can gamble on a team to win with an advantage, effectively giving them a +8 or +10 handicap or headstart.
Points Betting
In the points betting market, you are trying to predict how many points the teams will score, and therefore what the final score will be. You need to be pretty precise if you are going to win a bet like this, which means that you will be showing off your prediction skills. As a result you will get longer odds offered because it is pretty tough to get this market correct.
Totals Markets
As well as betting on one team against another and what the score is actually going to be, there are other markets that may or may not pay out - depending on what happens in the game.
Of course, it is important to remember that each bookmaker has a different set of markets and offerings. Some will offer more total markets than others while some will just focus on things like the winning line and handicap betting.
Total Points
The total points in the game may be a market that you choose to gamble on. In the modern game, there are usually some touchdowns and conversions in a match to add to the tally, but did you know that historically - there used to be some scoreless matches?
There are still some low-scoring games, of course. Some sportsbooks let you bet on "over" and "under" a certain number of points.
Total Rushing Yards
This refers to the rushing yards scored in the game. If teams are known for scoring a lot of rushing yards and you think a match is going to follow suit, then this could be a good bet.
Total Touchdowns
You can also bet on the total number of touchdowns and whether or not you think this will be a game where we will see a lot of different touchdowns (and entertainment). Again, this refers to both teams.
Player Markets
There are also markets for individual players in the match. If there is one player in particular that you think is going to achieve something within the game, or you want to bet on their specific performance, you have the option to do so.
Individual Rushing Yards
Rather than the rushing yards scored by the whole team, individual rushing yards refer to how many rushing yards are scored by that one specific player. So, you may study the form and notice that one player is particularly good when it comes to scoring rushing yards, and decide to back them.
To Score the First Touchdown
It is possible that you may have an inkling of which player is likely to score the first touchdown in the match, keep in mind that this market will only refer to the very first of the touchdowns.
Receivers who tend to score a lot will have lower odds, of course, and always check what the lineups are before placing a bet.
Summary⎯a World of Betting Markets
These are just some of the betting markets for the sport. Though they are the main ones that you will find, the number of gambling markets is growing all the time, as sportsbooks look to add more options for their customers.
You can also focus on in-play markets, which are constantly changing as the games advance and change, these sometimes provide you with the best possible value. Whatever you choose to bet on, make sure that you fully understand the markets, and which might be the best option for the upcoming fixture.
