Sports Betting Tips: How to Bet on Football
Football is one of the most popular and beloved sports in the country. As games start to pick up, why not up the stakes and start placing some bets? Not only could you win some extra money, but you can also find a new hobby while enjoying watching the game.
Don’t know how to bet on football? We’ve rounded up some of the best football betting tips so you can beat the competition. There are plenty of options to choose from, from placing your money on a team to win a game to betting on the exact final score of a game. But before you go placing a large bet, it’s best to know the basics. Whether you’re in Vegas or doing it online, use these football betting tips to up your game
The Football Betting Basics
Football betting odds are based on who is expected to win a game. This is usually displayed as a number with a plus sign in front of it. This means that if a team is set at +200 and you bet $100, you would get $200 in profit if that player wins the tournament. Or, if a team is set at -200 you would need to wager $200 on Team 1 in order to win $100.
Just like in other major sports such as baseball and basketball, the most popular way to bet on football is by playing the moneyline, or betting on which player will win the match. That means all you have to do is select the right team to win and you’ll cash out. The three most common football bets bettors place are moneyline, point spread, and Set over/under.
Different Types of Football Bets
Outright Winner
An outright winner bet is sometimes referred to as a “to win” bet or a moneyline bet. Betting the moneyline is the easiest football bet to understand. When betting the moneyline, you are simply picking the team that will win the game. The odds attached dictate your potential payout and the sportsbook’s implied probability. For example, say you have Team 1 set at -200 and Team 2 set at +150. Team 1 remains the favorite on the moneyline, as indicated by the negative number (-200) next to the team name.
Point Spread
Betting “against the spread” is the most popular way to wager on football. You may hear people reference the spread in a variety of ways: betting against the spread, betting the spread, point spread betting, or simply ATS (against the spread).
Football games are rarely perfect match-ups, and the spread is the sportsbooks’ way of leveling the playing field. In order to win a point spread bet or “cover the spread,” the favored team not only has to win the game – they must do so by a specified number of points (the spread). The spread encourages equal betting on both teams, as it essentially “gives” points to the underdog. You most often find spreads with half-points attached, which is known as a “hook.” The hook avoids the possibility of a push (or tie).
Over/Under
When betting on the “total,” you are no longer concerned with which team will win the game. Instead, your focus is strictly on how many points will be scored overall. You may also hear this type of bet referred to as “over-under betting.” For example, say the sportsbook has set the total at 49.5 points. You have two options when betting totals: over (more than 49.5 points will be scored between both teams) or under (less than 49.5 points will be scored overall).
Parlays
In simplest terms, a parlay is a bet that involves more than one event. For example, if you want to take Team 1 to cover the spread, and are confident the game will end over 49.5 total points, you can bet both with one single stake. You may also be interested in betting both Team 1 and another team to win their respective games. Parlays make this possible.
A parlay can include a combination of moneyline, point spread, or totals bets from one or more games each week. However, most sportsbooks will not allow you to bet the moneyline and the spread in the same game. Some sportsbooks will allow unlimited events in a parlay, while others cap a maximum number.
Exact Score
If you’re feeling pretty confident in your football betting strategy, exact score betting might be right for you as they require some serious skill to predict accurately. These bets allow you to try to predict the exact score of a football game. As you can imagine, this is probably pretty challenging. If you manage to predict correctly, you should expect a pretty healthy payday.
Prop Bets
Propositions, or prop bets, are most popular during the bigger games, but are available throughout the NFL season. Prop bets range from which team will score first in a game to how many yards a given quarterback will throw for and everything in between. When props involve an individual statistic, the sportsbook will set a projected total, and you simply choose over or under. In any prop bet, the sportsbook will lay out your options very clearly and will include the odds for betting on each.
How to Bet on Football in Vegas
Now that you understand the basics of how to bet on football, you’re ready to start wagering. Circa Sports is the ultimate sportsbook in Las Vegas for football sports betting. Stop by Circa Resort, the D, or one of the other Circa Sports locations in Las Vegas to place your bets in person. Can’t make it into the sportsbook? Download the Circa | Sports app on iOS or Android to have your bookie right in your pocket.
Whether in person or on the app, join Circa Sports for your premier place to bet on football in Vegas.
