NFL Odds: How to Read Them and Bet
NFL Odds – Learning How to Read Them and Bet Successfully
The ability to read NFL odds is one of the most important when it comes to football betting. The NFL is one of the most dynamic sports to watch and bet on in America. It is also one of the most heavily bet on sports, as football reigns supreme among all other major sports, and NFL betting odds are researched in detail.
The popularity of the sport has different meanings for each individual. One example of why it is the most popular to bet on is that there are so many options to choose from when it comes to NFL betting.
That is why it is of such importance to reading NFL betting odds the right way. When you do, you’ll learn how to bet successfully.
The popularity of the sport has different meanings for each individual. One example of why it is the most popular to bet on is that there are so many options to choose from when it comes to how you want to bet on the NFL and so many good NFL odds.
How to Use the NFL Odds Page
NFL Odds are always updated from the sportsbook, keeping yourself up to date with the latest odds available from multiple sportsbooks used to be quite a time-consuming task. You’d have to visit each sportsbook in turn and note down the odds manually. Fortunately, that’s no longer the case. Here at How To Bet, we work hard to make your life as easy as possible. That’s why we have developed an NFL Betting Odds widget that does all the hard work for you.
Using the NFL Betting Odds widget is both simple and straightforward. However, it incorporates several handy features that are worth pointing out. Here, then, is our step-by-step guide to using the widget for the first time.
Step 1 - Select the Betting Market Type
This will show you the available betting markets for the NFL.
The available betting markets will obviously vary depending on the sport you select. Having said that, our NFL Odds widget is equipped to deliver odds for the Moneylines, Point Spread, and Totals as and when applicable.
Step 2 - Select the State
The state that you intend to bet in will determine which sportsbooks you can bet with. You should therefore click the third button to view a pulldown menu of all the states where online sports betting is currently available.
Select the state that you want to bet in, and you will see that the columns on the right-hand side of the widget change to show the sportsbooks in that state. Some states, such as Pennsylvania, might only have one or two sportsbooks, but others, like New Jersey, will have many more.
Step 3 - Load More
The NFL Odds widget will automatically show you the most popular markets in time order. That enables you to see the markets for the events that are due to take place soonest at the top of the widget. If you want to explore more markets, simply click the long LOAD MORE button at the bottom of the widget.
This will expand the widget vertically so that more markets can be displayed. Of course, that is subject to there being more markets to view. If no more markets are available, no change will be seen. On the other hand, you may need to press the LOAD MORE button several times if there are quite a few markets to browse through.
Step 4 - Note the Colors
The odds displayed in our Live Odds widget are color-coded so that you can see what’s going on at a glance. The color code used is as follows:
- Black Bold is used to highlight the best odds available from the sportsbooks shown. If all you want is to find the more generous odds around, simply look for the bold black numbers for your chosen outcome.
- Red is used to highlight odds that are drifting. This means that the current odds are more generous than they were previously.
- Blue is used to highlight odds that are shortening. This means that the current odds are less generous than they were previously.
- Black (without the bold emphasis) is used for odds that haven’t changed since the previous update.
Step 5 - Click to Bet
When you find odds that are attractive enough for you to want to bet on them, we’ve also made that very easy. Simply click the odds you want, and you will be taken directly to the sportsbook offering them.
Because you may want to use our NFL Odds widget to explore other betting opportunities, the sportsbook will be opened in a new tab in your browser. The widget will therefore continue to be available in your current tab.
NFL Opening Odds & Lines: How to Read
HowToBet’s odds widget displays detailed NFL odds history and line movement for the moneyline, point spread and total for each game, showing you how the odds have shifted from opening lines all the way to kick off.
The odds displayed in our Live Odds widget are color-coded so that you can see what’s going on at a glance. The color code used is as follows:
- Black Bold is used to highlight the best odds available from the sportsbooks shown. If all you want is to find the more generous odds around, simply look for the bold black numbers for your chosen outcome.
- Red is used to highlight odds that are drifting. This means that the current odds are more generous than they were previously.
- Blue is used to highlight odds that are shortening. This means that the current odds are less generous than they were previously.
- Black (without the bold emphasis) is used for odds that haven’t changed since the previous update.
NFL Future Odds
NFL future odds are the type of bet that is out in the future, hence the name. Think of this as a long-term bet on an event out in the distance, such as NFL Super Bowl odds, NFL playoff odds, and even a list of the NFL MVP odds.
Bookies will take a look at a variety of factors, such as the strengths and weaknesses of each team, and provide odds based on similar scenarios. For example, you could see the Kansas City Chiefs being marked as +500 favorites to win the Super Bowl, and then have someone like the Arizona Cardinals as +9000 long shots.
Reading those odds does not have to be complicated. Assuming your bet wins for the Chiefs, a $100 bet on them would net you $500. For the Cardinals, a $100 bet would net you $9,000. These are examples of positive sign (+) bets. These are definitely the NFL future odds you want to be keeping an eye on.
NFL Odds: Moneyline
The moneyline bet is one of the most common bet types out there with any sport. Everyone does this type of bet whether or not they realize it.
You are simply picking who will be the winner of an event. Let's look at the following example:
Looking at the BetMGM odds in the first column, you'll see that the Dallas Cowboys are quoted at +240. They are considered the underdog in this situation since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a minus sign. A $100 bet on the Cowboys would net you $240 if they win.
The Buccaneers are considered the favorites since their odds are marked with a minus sign (-278). You would need to place $278 with BetMGM to net a profit of $100 if they win.
NFL Odds: Point Spreads
Point spread betting is arguably the most popular way to wager on the NFL. Bookies will again consider the underdog and favorite, and attempt to handicap the favorite in the way of points.
Let us use the previous example odds above to correlate the two teams at hand. We already see that the Buccaneers are a favorite, and in this case, a 6 point favorite.
For this bet, you are wagering that the Cowboys will either win the game outright or lose by no more than 6 points. If you choose to side with the Buccaneers, you are wagering that they will win the game by more than 7 points.
As you can see, the spread figure isn't a whole number, but 6.5. This ensures that there won't be any chance of a tie between the bettor and the sportsbook.
NFL Over/Under Odds
The over/under bet is a great wager for bettors who simply enjoy the overall score of the game. There are lots of good NFL over/under odds to take advantage of. There is more in depth strategies that go along with this, but you are mainly concerned about how both teams are going to perform rather than who will win.
Consider the following example:
Here you have a totals bet of 51.5. bet on Over (o51.5) and the two teams combined would need to score 52 or more points for your bet to win. Bet on Under (u51.5) and the total points scored by both teams combined would need to be 51 or less for the bet to win.
It does not matter which team scores what, as long as the total is met. So if one team has 30 points and the other has 10, your bet would win if you chose the under. The .5 added to the sportsbook number is the sportsbook once again ensuring that no tie can take place.
NFL Odds: Prop Bets
Prop bets are often viewed as supplementary ones that can add a little extra fun to proceedings. They don't depend on the outcome of the game itself, but rather on events that can take place within or in connection with the game.
Example prop bets might include:
- The color of Gatorade dumped on the winning coach.
- MVP of the game.
- How many yards the QB will throw.
- Which team will bet the first to score.
- The result of the coin flip.
There are usually dozens of prop bets that can be placed on an average NGL game. Although they are fun to think about and unrelated to the result of the game itself, keep in mind that these bets need to be used with caution, since the outcomes involved are generally a lot harder to predict.
How to Read NFL Opening Odds & Lines
Opening NFL odds and lines are usually released around a week before a given game. They are based on the information that the sports books have at the time of release. Which is exactly the same information available to you at home! She things to consider are:
- Statistics from previous games of both teams involved
- Who has the home advantage
- Recent form of both sides
- Injury lists, for example- If Tom Brady is out then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers odds may rise.
In short, when looking at opening NFL odds and lines- be smart. The more you research, the better the chances you have to beat the bookies and take advantage of the odds that are available in the opening phase. Make sure to look at NFL news here when researching.
NFL Odds FAQs
NFL Vegas odds is a phrase that people use since Las Vegas is considered the gambling capital of the US. You can find all the Las Vegas NFL odds under the sun to bet on in Vegas, so some people simply like to refer to that area. You can find odds at any trusted sportsbook online.
To place bets, you need to be old enough to do so (21 in most states) and live in a state that allows online sports betting. If both of those criteria are met, you can find details of the best operators around on our online sportsbooks page.
NFL odds are always subject to change, for several reasons. The first is that the market will have an influx of bets that isn’t always balanced. If one team is heavily bet on, then the market must adjust, so the odds will change.
Other factors that can lead to a change in the odds include the recent performance of the teams, player injuries, and shifting expectations.
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