Effective Football Betting Strategies for Consistent Wins

Football Betting Strategies

Football betting strategies have become more important as online sports betting has grown. The easy access to a variety of betting lines and the latest odds has encouraged people to bet on the NFL season and postseason games. NFL betting adds a lot of extra interest to football games but it’s important that you understand how to do it well.

Many fans have decided to start to place bets on their favorite teams but what is the best strategy? A sensible strategy lets you make bets at the best odds and manage your bankroll effectively. It will also give you a repeatable approach to winning your bets.

We’ll be looking at how to place smarter bets on football games. Read on to find out how to start betting with a good football betting strategy. You’ll see lots of tips to help you put a football betting system in place. Best of all, it’s not going to take away any of your enjoyment of this thrilling sport.

Basic Football Betting Strategies for Beginners

Before placing NFL bets, you need to know the basics of football betting. This will let you get started from a sensible starting point before growing your knowledge. 

The first point to understand before using an NFL betting strategy is that there are various types of NFL bets you can place. The following are the key terms to be aware of.

Moneyline Bets

Moneyline bets are the simplest to understand. You’re betting on the team that you think will win the game. The favorite is indicated by a negative figure and the underdog by a positive. The numbers next to each team tell you how much you could win. But they mean different things depending on the + or – next to them.

Let’s say the Kansas City Chiefs are -200 and the Dallas Cowboys +200. In this example, you need to bet $200 on the Chiefs to win $100. On the other hand, betting $100 on the Cowboys will win you $200 profit. You can see at a glance who the favorite is. Over time, you’ll be able to quickly work out the potential winnings on either side. However, at first, you just need to type in your bet amount to see the possible result.

betting football strategies

Points Spread Bets

Point spreads or betting against the spread is an extremely popular way of betting on football games. This wager involves odds that are designed to level the playing field. If a particular team is the favorite, the spread bet means that winning the game is not enough. They also need to win by the number of points listed next to the odds.  The underdog only has to not lose by more than the stated margin.   

Let’s imagine that the New England Patriots have -6.5 listed next to their name. This means that this franchise is the favorite to win this game. The New England Patriots team needs to win by seven points or more to win your bet. 

The underdog listed would look something like the Miami Dolphins with +6.5. You need them to not lose by more than six points. This means that you can get better odds on a team that you feel certain is going to win. It also gives you a more sensible way to bet on the underdog with a better chance to win.

Totals Bets

The next football bets to look at are known as totals or over/under bets. You don’t need to predict which team will win the game. Instead, you’re betting on the total number of points scored between both teams. This is a great approach if you feel that you know what kind of game it’s going to be. Maybe you feel it will be a tight game with few points but that the result could go either way. Or you expect a flowing, open game but still don’t know who will win it.  

If we use the last example again, it doesn’t matter if the New England Patriots rout the Dolphins or lose heavily. You just want to see the right number of points on the scoreboard. The betting line will mention a total number like 47.5. You then bet on whether you think less than 47 points will be scored or it will be 48 and above.

Parlays

Parlays are arguably the most exciting NFL betting strategies. However, they’re also difficult to correctly predict as they involve two or more events. This can be done on a single football or you could be on different football matches in the same parlay. It’s certainly exciting, as you might get the first results right and then wait eagerly to see if you can complete the full parlay for a huge win.

Maybe you think the home team will win the game and you also feel that you can predict the totals bet. Or perhaps you want to bet on the winners of two NFL games. The combined odds approach means that you could get a big win but you’ll end up losing money if just one of your bets doesn’t work out right.

Props Bets

These are bets on a variety of different things that could happen during a football match. You might predict the number of passing yards for a quarterback or the team’s total number of rushing yards. There are lots of prop bets offered on any NFL game, with huge events like the Super Bowl seeing even more options added to the market.

It’s a fun type of NFL bet type that anyone can enjoy. Props also give you a chance to use in-depth knowledge of the home team and away team. You might spot odds lower or higher than you would expect on a certain outcome. A lot of people simply bet on something that looks good or seems fun. But you can get an advantage by going more in-depth and choosing a prop bet that makes sense according to your strategy.

Future Bets

With future bets, you’re betting on something happening later in the football season. This could mean choosing who wins the NFL MVP award, the franchise that wins a certain division, or the Super Bowl winners. As a football betting strategy, higher odds are generally offered. This is because it’s more difficult to get the outcome right when you look far into the future. You also need to wait longer for the outcome to be clear and collect your winnings.

Live Bets

Sports bettors who watch NFL games live may enjoy making live bets. This is a type of fast-moving NFL betting strategy where you need to adjust to the changing odds. 

You can usually cash out early if the game is going the way you expected, rather than waiting for it to end. Betting live fits perfectly with the move towards the streaming of NFL games on various platforms.  

The Importance of Research

NFL betting is something that a lot of fans do for fun. It’s entertaining to look at the latest odds and just guess what might happen. Yet, any profitable strategy has to begin with a good level of research. You might get lucky now and then. To get repeat success, you need to have a repeatable strategy with certain steps that you follow each time you wager.

Whether it’s the top teams in the NFL or college football, you’ll find lots of information online about the latest results and upcoming games. Any injury reports covering key players or changes to the coaching teams also need to be taken into account.

The match conditions are also crucial. Some teams like warm weather while others perform better in cold conditions. The home teams often have an advantage but you need to consider it carefully. For example, the Denver Broncos once had an incredible home-field advantage but home wins at Empower Field at Mile High are no longer as much of a sure thing as they once were.

Bankroll management

No matter how confident you feel about betting on one team or outcome, you need to consider good bankroll management as a priority. This is about setting your gambling budget and then sticking to it whether you win or lose.

This bankroll management advice will keep you on the right track. Above all, don’t go chasing losses or changing your bet types because of a loss. If you have a solid game plan for NFL betting, stick to it and don’t change your budget.

strategies betting football

Advanced Football Betting Strategies

It’s simple to start sports betting but delving deeper will improve your chances of success. Once you’ve got to grips with the basic football betting strategy tips listed, you can look at more advanced strategies. 

Value Betting

Value betting is a term used to explain the type of bet where you take advantage of good odds. There may be significant value to be found in placing bets where the odds are higher than you feel is accurate. Each sportsbook builds in vigorish to its odds, which is a sort of house edge that’s meant to guarantee an overall profit. But sometimes they get it wrong.

This is clearly a sensible football betting strategy but how do you find value bets? The simplest approach is to look at the odds and judge whether they’re fair. Every fan has moments where they feel their favorite team is under-valued or overvalued in the odds. Yet, this approach lacks science and can’t be applied regularly.

The more scientific approach to this sports betting strategy is to calculate the expected value (EV) of a wager. This lets you see the difference between the sportsbook’s odds and the probable outcome. 

The formula for this is commonly expressed as (Probability of Win x Total Payout for Win) + (Probability of Loss x Total Payout for Loss). If this gives a positive number, the EV is good and it can be viewed as a value bet. 

Sports betting isn’t an exact science and many factors can make the game swing one way or the other. Yet, by looking at how EV is calculated in the investing world, you might feel inspired to combine this type of calculation with your research and knowledge.  

Comparing odds lets you get a good idea of the value of NFL betting odds. Let’s say you see the New York Jets at odds of -200 in several places but at better odds elsewhere. Does this sportsbook know something that the others don’t or are their odds just out of sync? This gives you a reason to start crunching the numbers.

Live Betting Strategies

Live NFL betting offers several advantages. You can watch the action as it unfolds and base your betting decisions on what you see. This also gives you the opportunity to use in-play data to work out how the game is progressing and what might happen next.

You need to be prepared if you’re going to use a live betting system. Choose a game to focus on and look at the key data. Is one of the teams likely to finish more strongly or does one team have a lull in certain periods of their games? Get your funds ready so you can place a bet as soon as you spot an opportunity.

There’s a huge amount of data generated in each game, so it makes sense to focus on certain bet types such as player props for a QB or defensive stats for live betting. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed by the volume of data.

Arbitrage Betting

Arbitrage betting is a clever betting strategy. You need to look for different odds covering all the possible outcomes of a game or event. The idea is that you take advantage of any chance to lower the risk of losing money. Ideally, you find odds that ensure you win no matter what happens.

This is a highly effective NFL betting strategy. As you can imagine, the key is in identifying possible arbitrage bets. It’s used in many sports and can be particularly powerful in football bets, where there are few possible outcomes on the majority of wagers.

Let’s imagine you place bets on both teams winning in a particular game. It doesn’t matter which team is the winner, as you’ve worked out that you win either way. It sounds too good to be true and it’s clear that not every game offers arbitrage possibilities. Correctly identifying the best odds and working out each possible outcome is important.

You need to be sure that you’re always going to win if you use this betting strategy during the NFL season. You might come across the term lay bet, which is when you’re betting on something not to happen. This is a common approach in some arbitrage betting strategies. It could mean you’re betting on the Kansas City Chiefs to win and also on them not to win, provided that the odds make sense.

Statistical Analysis in Football Betting

The good news is that the NFL and college football seasons generate vast quantities of data. This is perfect for allowing you to understand the odds being offered in the betting markets, You can then use the numbers to help create a better betting strategy.

The key statistical metrics to include are simple to find on the official NFL site. Player statistics, team form, and other key factors are all things to take into account. The season can take many twists and turns before the Super Bowl comes along at the end of the postseason.

When considering the odds for a specific game, you might want to consider the head-to-head record over recent seasons. Are there certain players who always play particularly well against this rival, or is there a pattern you can see in terms of who scores first or who makes a strong finish in these games?

You might rely largely on what you remember from past games and what you can see in result databases, but there are also some useful tools you can use to access relevant statistical data. You can find betting trend tools, betting models, and other platforms that promise to give you insights into the world of football betting.  

There’s no secret recipe that will immediately give you the best football betting strategy with the click of a button. However, by taking some time to investigate the market and see what tools are out there, you can get a feel for what stats you need to know and increase your betting skills along the way.

Exploiting Betting Markets and Odds

Sports fans can find lots of different ways to use their knowledge and put NFL betting strategies into practice. Betting online has made it easier to access the latest odds for the full football season. You can also look ahead with futures bets on the season outcome or a specific game in the future. Live betting is another interesting market, with the chance to place wagers as you watch the game taking place.

The right market for you is the one that suits your approach and budget. For example, if you love watching live games and feel that you can react quickly to changing patterns then live NFL betting strategies might be best. If you prefer looking ahead and predicting big games that are months away, you could consider future bets.

Another possibility is that you enjoy digging deep into the stats and looking for opportunities, This could lead to you uncovering some interesting statistics that are suitable for prop bets. For all these different markets, you need to understand the odds well to put your best football strategy in place.

With live betting, it’s all about looking for odds fluctuations that would suit you. You might see something that makes you believe the odds are moving in the wrong direction. If you’ve analyzed the game, you might feel that the changing odds are only temporary and something you can take advantage of.

Line movement is where money is poured into one side of a bet, causing the odds to vary. For many experienced bettors, following the line movement and choosing when to make a move is the best NFL betting strategy.

In general terms, it’s important to consider the value of each bet. Are the odds generous enough to reflect the risk of it not working out well? Would a winning bet pay you a worthwhile amount?

Psychological Aspects of Betting

The media coverage of football focuses largely on the emotional side of the sport. We all love to pick a team and back them no matter what happens. Yet, managing your emotions is easily one of the biggest challenges when betting on sporting events.

You don’t want to get carried away and start placing bets that are too large for your budget if things start going well. Equally, you don’t want to get downhearted when the bet seems to be going in the wrong direction for you to win.

By understanding the odds and the statistics involved, you can place your wagers, without letting emotions get in the way. It’s up to you whether you bet on your favorite NFL team or not. Some fans feel more comfortable placing bets on teams that they don’t feel an emotional connection with. Others don’t have any issues with betting on a team that they love watching. 

Impulsive bets can be dangerous because this can see you drawn into wagering on something without considering all the factors. A good bet is typically one that you’ve assessed and weighed up the pros and cons of. You might react quickly and place a bet based on how the action develops, but it will be based on ideas you already have in place rather than a snap decision.

We could say that getting the right mindset is crucial to long-term success in football betting markets. You need to find an approach where you have a betting system where emotions don’t hold you back. 

The best football betting strategies are all about putting in place a great system where your research does the hard work and you can place the bets with a clear idea of what you’re looking for.

Responsible Football Betting

Betting on football is great fun but you don’t wager all the money you have set aside and then bet more. Responsible gambling involves setting a limit on how much you want to bet. You then need to carry in being responsible and now being remote to place more bets than you had planned.

Recognizing problem gambling behaviors and patterns is vital. This is how you can stop them before they turn into a problem. These behaviors include the following:

  • Chasing losses 
  • Feeling guilty about the amount you wager.
  • Hiding your gambling from others
  • Borrowing money to gamble with
  • Spending more time gambling than you should
  • Missing work or other commitments because of the time spent gambling.

The way to approach this responsibly is to use the tools available to you. At evo.io, you’ll find a responsible gambling approach that allows you to use various tools to stay in control. Use these tools to put limits such as deposit limits, time limits, or loss limits.

You can also choose to self-exclude if you ever feel that taking a break from gambling for a time could be necessary. If you feel the need to speak to someone about your betting habits, we’ve got the contact details for GA Gamblers Anonymous and Gam-Anon.

Betting on the NFL or college football is meant to be fun. By using responsible gambling habits, you can enjoy placing bets with peace of mind.

Start Using the Best Football Betting Strategies 

This look at how to bet on football games gives you some useful tips for getting significant value on your wagers. The betting public loves football but not everyone does it right. This guide helps you to decide which bets to make and when to look for high odds or settle for low odds. 

By looking for bets with good value odds and spotting opportunities, you can look to win more often. Importantly, it becomes something repeatable. Every win becomes something that you can build upon as you look to win again and again. The element of chance isn’t going to disappear, but it becomes something that you feel more in control of.

New Possibilities and Challenges 

The chance to bet live has opened up new possibilities for an exciting football betting strategy. Whether you take it one game at a time or look ahead to future bets, there’s a way of betting that is sure to be right for you. By using the resources available online and planning, you boost your chances of winning money. 

Apply the strategies we’ve covered when you open a new account at Evo.io. We’ve got a massive range of games and odds for you to choose from. Grab a welcome bonus that gets you off to a flying start before you see where the best NFL betting strategy takes you.

Once you join the growing betting public and put some good strategies in place, this is the time to keep on learning. By continually learning and improving, you’re going to carry on getting better and improve your results. Don’t forget to adapt your betting approach to each new challenge and look out for new opportunities too.