Understanding Football Betting

How to Bet on Football

If you're looking to learn how to bet on NFL football, you're reading the right betting guide. There isn't a more popular sport to bet on in North America then football, as bettors each fall clamour to anything and everything related to betting on football. From point spreads, to over/unders, to money lines, to everything in between, there is no busier time in the sports betting landscape then during those fall and winter months when football season is going on.

Understanding Football Odds The biggest thing in regards to understanding NFL odds relates to the point spread that's put up on each game.

How to bet on football during the season is about as easy as it comes as sportsbooks everywhere make the sport their priority. There is never a shortage of betting options on football games, and with the popularity of fantasy football as well, player props – NFL bets based on the player's production – are plentiful as well. To learn more about the NFL game and NFL players check out ourNFL headlines page which is constantly being updated for the latest NFL news and injuries to help you with your NFL bets.

Understanding Football Odds

The biggest thing in regards to understanding NFL odds relates to the point spread that's put up on each game. Betting on football isn't as simple as just picking the eventual winner of the game, you've got to consider who will win, but more importantly by how much. The point spread is considered the great equalizer in football betting, and being on the right side of that line is the goal of every football bettor. An example of this would be seeing the Kansas City Chiefs as a -4.5 favorite over their opponent, meaning they would have to win the game by at least five points for a bet on KC to win. Otherwise their opponent covers the point spread and that side would win.

Aside from the point spread, the next biggest betting option in football odds each year is the over/under, or total for the game. All these are are point totals bettors are asked to go over or under on for the total combined points in a game. For example a total may be posted at 48.5, and the bettor's job is to predict whether or not the total number of points in the game will exceed or stay below that number. A final score of 30-20 would cash an 'over' bet (50 total points), while a final score of 24-21 (45 total points) would connect on an 'under' selection.

• Football Betting Line A betting line is a posted number that the online Sportsbook posts for each game in a certain sport. The betting line will have different wager options within the betting line. Bookmakers will post odds on who they think will win the game. The betting line will usually show a favorite and an underdog.
• Understanding Football Betting Posted on February 25, 2020 by Emma The global sports betting market, according to Statista, makes up about 40% of the entire gambling market today.

NFL Future Wagers

Future wagers in football are what bettors everywhere spend a good chunk of the summer breaking down, as it's all about what football teams will ultimately come out on top in whatever category the future wager concerns itself with.

The biggest future wager deals with who will ultimately win the Super Bowl that year, and that's one where all the teams will have varying odds on their championship potential. The more likely the team is to be in the championship/playoff fold, the lower their odds will be, but that shouldn't discourage you from looking at teams further down the odds list. Anything and everything can happen during a football season and often does.

Aside from trying to correctly predict the outright champion, other future wagers in football deal with eventual winners in different categories. For team-based futures, these include things like winning their respective division or conference (in college football), winning the AFC or NFC conference in the NFL, and probably the most popular, whether or not a team will go over or under their season win total projection. That's as simple as it sounds. Numbers are put up on how many outright wins a team will have in a given year – say 8.5 for the Buffalo Bills – and the bettor's job is to decipher whether or not the Bills will finish with at least 9 wins (over) or less (under).

How to Bet the Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is the single biggest betting event on the sports calendar each year, and finding a place to bet on the game is never hard. How to bet on the Super Bowl is a tough thing to explain because you can literally bet on everything about the game and all the surrounding festivities that go on within it, so it's really up to the individual bettor on their wagering preference.

Super Bowl odds for the game itself are the first numbers to hit the market, as the Super Bowl line for the game is the number that quickly gets quoted and discussed about once the matchup is set. But Super Bowl betting is such a vast landscape as a whole, that it's a good thing for some that there is a two-week lead up to the game itself. Below are various tables of the best NFL betting sites with signup bonuses to get you started on your NFL betting journey.

Best NJ Online Sportsbooks

Top PA Online Sportsbooks

Top IN Online Sportsbooks

How to Bet the College Football Playoff

NCAA Football odds bring a bit of a different dynamic to football betting overall, as the disparity in talent a lot of the time between college programs brings much larger college football point spreads in general. That tends to not be the case once the college football playoff arrives, as these are the consensus four best teams in the country that year, and with a full season of data behind them, sportsbooks are able to put out some of the toughest (aka sharpest) college football lines out for those playoff games.

College football betting lines during the CFB playoff are dissected for weeks, as bettors look to get what they believe to be the best of the number depending on which program(s) they are looking to back. It's a format where you get three total games to break down from a side and total perspective, and hopefully when it is time for that National Championship game, you keep the big picture in mind of what said teams did over the course of the entire year, and not just how good/bad they looked in advancing through the semi-final matchup.

Popular Football Wagers

Popular football wagers can generally be described as any and all wagers on the point spread or total for football games because of the overwhelming popularity of the sport for betting on the whole. Part of the reason for such popularity is the format of the game itself, as bettors get essentially a full week to do all the research they deem necessary to be successful and then go from there. There are fewer snap decisions or feelings of unpreparedness as there can be with the other major North American sports that operate on a daily schedule because there is only so much one can do in a single day.

NFL Point Spread

If you had to rank or make a list of the most popular football wagers, the point spread would have to come in at the top. All football fans/bettors believe they have more of a grasp on the general question(s) of what team will win and by how many, as opposed to the total points scored, which effectively can be a bit more random. Point spread wagers are where everyone likes to concentrate their attention first.

NFL Over-Under

The total, or over-under, for a football game would have to be classified as next on the popularity list, as it is a wager where you can find a bit more of an edge over the oddsmaker if you are confident in what your handicapping process entails for totals. Yes, the total points scored can be considered a bit more random then the eventual winner of the game, but it's over-under numbers that see more movement on the whole each week leading up to a weekend of football action because bettors everywhere believe their data models etc give them a significant edge at certain numbers and don't hesitate to exploit them when available.

NFL Money Line

Money line bets in football are those where bettors can eliminate the second half of the questions regarding what football team will win and by how much. The “how much” doesn't matter at all in money line plays and oddsmakers price them accordingly. A bettor will have to put up much more money to win say $100 on the ML for a team that's got a -10 number beside their name on the point spread as opposed to a -3 favorite. But that's the price some are willing to pay to avoid getting burned by the 'winning by how much' question.

Understanding Football Betting Odds

How Do I Bet Football Parlays

Speaking of money line wagers in football, one of the most common forms of getting a bulk of money line wagers is to have a few of them parlayed together. Betting football parlays is relatively simple in that you need at least two games to make a parlay, and whether or not you chose to use the money lines, point spreads, totals, or any combination of those three is completely up to the bettor.

An example of a football parlay would go like this: Say you believe the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos are both going to win their respective matchups on Sunday. This would be where you are using money line prices only and not concerned with the point spread or over/under for the games.

New England has a money line price of -200 while Denver has a money line price of -150. Bet separately, a bettor would have to put up $200 to win $100 on New England and $150 to win $100 on Denver, but combining the two teams in a money line (aka ML) parlay would have those odds multiplied together. In turn that creates a +150 price overall, and now a single $100 bet would end up potentially paying out $150 in profit for the bettor. However, both teams have to win their games, otherwise the parlay wager is a loser. That's the risk you take with parlays.

What are NFL Prop Bets

Prop bets, short for proposition, are bets that are essentially on anything and everything not specifically related to overall result of who wins and loses. That's not entirely true on specifics, but that's also part of a discussion for another day.

In general proposition bets cover things like statistical results for players – how many completions will a QB have, how many catches or receiving yards will a player have, or even how many points a field goal kicker will account for in a game. The list for what's offered in prop wagers for a specific football game is extremely long at sportsbooks, far too long to fully get into here, but if football bettors come to them with a fantasy football background they are much more easily digested. Prop betting is a market that's picked up exponential interest in recent years on online betting sites because the numbers oddsmakers typically put out are believed to be more beatable, but again, it takes plenty of time and research to feel completely comfortable in what you're doing with them. For example, you can place an NFL prop bet on Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper to have over 8.5 catches on Sunday Night Football against the New York Giants. NFL Prop bets allow the game to remain entertaining even when the score is lopsided.

NFL Teasers

Teasers are another popular football bet where NFL bettors can essentially manipulate the point spread and/or over-under line to a more favorable number for their selection. Sportsbooks offer NFL teasers in a variety of point ranges – as even buying a half-point on a spread is a form of a teaser, but in general, 6, 6.5, 7 and 10-point teasers are offered.

Depending on the range a bettor selects – say a 6-point teaser – lines are then manipulated plus or minus 6 points for the bettor depending on what team/side they like. If the New England Patriots were a -7 favorite against Buffalo and you wanted to use a 6-point teaser on them, the new point spread would be New England -1 (moving 6 points lower), whereas if you liked the underdog Buffalo Bills instead in that game, the teased line would then be Buffalo +13 (moving 6 points higher. Teasers do also function like parlays in the sense that you've got to have at least two teased options to make a single teaser.

NFL Live Betting and In-Game Wagering

Many bettors and oddsmakers alike believe that live betting and in-game wagering is the future of sports betting on the whole, and with football betting being the biggest piece of the sports betting pie, live betting football games can be quite thrilling and profitable all at once.

How it works is exactly as the name suggests, as point spreads, totals, and money line prices (among numerous other things including prop bets) are offered throughout each game and before each play. Prices reflect the current score at the time and who has the football and where on the field, so if a pre-game favorite finds themselves in an early hole on the scoreboard, you can rightfully assume that that team is getting at least some support on the ML or new point spreads in live betting offerings.

Super Bowl 54 that saw the Kansas City Chiefs come back in the 2nd half to the beat San Francisco 49ers saw plenty of in-game wagering overall, as bettors who believed the Chiefs would ultimately come back did not hesitate to get as good as underdog price on the ML as they could with Kansas City when they were trailing.

With the way that data is consumed instantly these days, in-game wagering is offered on all NFL games each week and the majority of college football games as well. So whether it's Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, or just a typical Sunday afternoon of following a full slate of football, live betting is something that every bettor should be willing to add to their toolbox as a handicapper.

NFL 1st half and 2nd half bets

These NFL bets are rather self explanatory as well, as they are just point spreads, totals, and money line prices for the respect 30 minutes of play they are titled as. Generally speaking (although it's by no means exactly how they work) 1st half bets are the full game numbers cut in half, give or take a point or so. So a full game line of New England Patriots -7 with a total of 48.5 would see 1st half lines of New England -3.5 or -4, with a 1st half total likely somewhere around 23.5 to 24.5.

2nd half bets are a bit of a different beast as they have to account for what's happened in the first 30 minutes so far and adjust accordingly to what was listed pre-game as well.

Other Football Leagues in United States and North America

XFL Football

XFL Football returned in 2020 before being shutdown like every other sporting event in the spring because of world events, but in the short time XFL action was on the football field, it had plenty of sports from football bettors everywhere. The success in that market proves just how much bettors love to bet on the game of football regardless of the league, and with the XFL coming back for 2021, and the league's initiative to welcome sports betting talk and referencing with open arms, there is likely tremendous growth in store for XFL betting markets in the future.

Canadian Football

Canadian Football (aka the CFL) has a few key rule differences to that of the NFL/NCAA football, but it's still the same game out there on the gridiron and can still be bet on accordingly. Given scoring and rule differences – like the XFL – key betting numbers in terms of the point spread and over-under lines are a little different, but CFL betting lines aren't nearly as obsessed over NFL/NCAAF lines are for oddsmakers and if you are able and willing to put in the time, CFL profits can be just as green for your bankroll's bottom line.

Betting on the NFL and the Super Bowl doesn’t have to be complicated. While American football odds may seem a bit strange at first, they’re actually quite simple once you know how they work.

In the US, several states have legal sports betting online, in-person, or both. If you do not live in one of those states, you can legally visit and bet on the NFL and the Super Bowl in the states that have it.

Where Can I Bet On NFL Football Online?

All online sportsbooks in the US take bets on every NFL game and the Super Bowl. However, only these handful of states offer legal online sportsbooks:

• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• Tennessee
• West Virginia
• Michigan (Launching in 2021)
• Virginia (Launching in 2021)

To bet online in these states, you must be at least 21 years old and physically located within state lines. But you do not need to be a resident of the state to wager on the NFL.

Before you join a sports betting site or app and place a bet, it’s important to shop around first. The odds for the same event can differ significantly between each of the platforms, which is important because the chances of winning are the same. Better odds in sports betting simply means you’ll win more money if you bet correctly.

Another thing to consider is the online sportsbook bonuses. To compete against each other, online sportsbooks will offer risk-free bets and other promotions that give you free opportunities to bet on the NFL.

Below, we’ll go over the three online sportsbooks currently operating in the most states.

DraftKings Sportsbook

• Bonus: 20% deposit match up to $1000
• App: iOS, Android, Desktop
• States available in: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia
• Why we like DraftKings: DraftKings has a great slate of promotions and a solid welcome bonus. It has bets available for hundreds of games and matches.
• Visit: DraftKings Sportsbook

On top of the competitive odds and exceptional app (4.8 out of 5.0 in App Store), DraftKings will match your first deposit by 20% up to $1,000. So if you deposit $100 into your DraftKings account, you’d receive an additional $20. To receive the maximum, you’d need to deposit $5,000.

FanDuel Sportsbook

• Bonus: Up to $1,000 in risk-free bets
• App: iOS, Android, Desktop
• States available in: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia
• Why we like FanDuel: FanDuel offers special teaser bets that combine two wagers, plus there’s an eve-rotating list of fantastic promotions.
• Visit: FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel Sportsbook offers a risk-free bet to new members up to $1,000. If the bet wins, you win. But if it loses, your money is refunded as bonus cash.

BetMGM Sportsbook

• Bonus: Risk-free bet up to $500
• App: iOS, Android, Web Browser
• States available in: Colorado, Indiana, New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia
• Why we like the BetMGM App: BetMGM managed to create a sports betting app that’s as exciting as its online casino. Here, you’ll find a robust platform where you can win big in a variety of ways.

BetMGM will double your first deposit up to $500. That means if you deposit $500, you’d have $1,000 in your account to use for NFL betting (or any other sport).

How To Place Football Bets Online

Step 1: Join A Sportsbook

Create an account at an online sportsbook via the website or app. Click the “sign up” or “join now” button and add your information, which needs to match your ID in case they need to further verify your identity.

Step 2: Make A Deposit

You need funds in your account to place a bet. You can do so using a variety of methods, the most common being credit or debit card, online banking, and PayPal.

Step 3: Place Your Bet(s)

Once you have funds in your account, you can place bets on any outcome the sportsbook offers. Online sportsbooks allow you to place bets as small as $1.00. The maximum will vary but is likely in the tens of thousands or more.

Step 4: Withdraw Your Winnings

You can cash out part of your bankroll, all of it, or leave it all in your account, your choice. When you’re ready to take money out of your account, request a withdrawal and the banking method. Upon approval, the sportsbook will transfer the funds via online banking, PayPal, or whatever the chosen method may be.

Types Of Sports Betting Odds

American Odds

In American odds, the negative number is how much you’d need to bet to win $100. The positive number is how much you’d win if you bet $100.

The standard points spread odds for NFL games is -110. With those odds, you’d need to be $110 to win $100.

However, if the odds were instead +200, you would win $200 if you bet $100.

American odds are the most popular option at US sportsbooks. However, online sportsbooks allow you to switch to fractional or decimal odds if you prefer.

Fractional Odds

Fractional odds are most popular in the UK. As the name suggests, they express the odds as a fraction, and you can replace the slash with the word “to.” For example, 2/1 odds could be expressed as 2 to 1 odds.

The first number in the fractional odds will tell you how much you will profit relative to the second number. So 2/1 odds would mean the bettor would double a successful bet. For example, a $10 bet at 2/1 odds would result in a profit of $20.

However, you would also get your back bet. So while you would profit $20, you would receive $30 (your wager + winnings).

Decimal Odds

The least common form of betting odds is actually the easiest. Simply multiply the decimal odds by your bet amount, and that’s what will be returned to you if you win.

For example, 2/1 fractional odds is 3.0 in decimal odds. A $10 would mean a return of $30 ($20 in winnings + your wager).

How Football Betting Odds Are Calculated

The NFL odds are calculated based on a variety of factors. Sportsbooks hire a team of “bookmakers,” who use their own expertise, probability, and software to determine the odds of various events.

Bookmakers take everything into account. This includes team form, player form, trades, injuries, matchup history, home-field advantage, the weather, and beyond.

The sportsbook will also charge what’s called a “vig,” which is their fee for placing the bets. Rather than charge for membership, you have to pay a portion of your wager.

For example, the vig for the standard -110 NFL points spread wager is -10 ($10 for every $100 wagered). The “implied probability,” or the odds without the sportsbook vig, is +100. With the vig added, the odds become -110.

All sportsbooks do this. Some charge higher vigs than others, but -10 is generally the standard.

Further, all sportsbooks use different bookmakers, but they also base their odds on what the competition is offering. If you’re able to bet on sports online, shopping around for the best odds on a wager you’re planning to make can make a big difference, particularly in the long-run.

Example Of An NFL Bet

Let’s say this Sunday Night Football features the Atlanta Falcons playing the New Orleans Saints. If you bet the moneyline, you’re simply betting which team will win. Here’s how the odds stacked up in the 2020/21 season at the DraftKings Sportsbook:

• ATL Falcons +195
• NO Saints -225

If you bet $100 on the Falcons and they won, you’d profit $195 (and receive $295). If you bet on the NO Saints, you’d need to bet $225 to win $100.

NFL Super Bowl Odds and Betting

Moneyline/Straight Bets

A moneyline bet is detailed in the example above. You’re simply betting which team will win.

NFL Points Spreads

NFL points spreads are where you’ll find the standard -110 odds. The points spread is the number of points the favorite team needs to win by to “cover the spread.”

The team with the plus points is the underdog, and the team with the minus points is the favorite.

If you bet the underdog, they either need to win outright or stop the favorite from covering the spread. That means you can win, even if the underdog team loses.

For the Falcons vs. Saints game at DraftKings, the points spread looked like this:

• ATL Falcons +5 (-110)
• NO Saints -5 (-110)

If you bet the Falcons and they lose by fewer than five points (or win), your payout would be based on the -110 odds. If you bet the Saints, they’d need to win by five points or more.

Totals

Also known as Over/Under, a totals bet means you’re guessing the total score (both team’s points added together) is higher or lower than the bookmaker’s guess.

Parlays

A parlay is tying multiple bets together to create one wager. All bets need to be correct for you to win the total wager. For example, you could parlay all NFL games played on a given weekend. If the parlay pays out, the win will be significantly higher than if you bet on each event individually.

What Is An NFL Futures Bet?

An NFL futures bet is wagering on a future achievement. Examples include who will win the Super Bowl, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and so on.

For example, you could have wagered that the New England Patriots would win the 2018/19 Championship mid regular season. The payout would be much higher than if you wagered on that year’s Super Bowl, but you would have had to wait several weeks or months for the result.

Futures bets can also lose long before the deciding game. If you bet that the Titans will win the 2020/21 Super Bowl but they lose in the playoffs, that futures bet is lost before the Super Bowl is played.

What Is A Super Bowl Prop Bet?

An NFL prop bet is betting on a specific outcome within a game. For example, who will win MVP or the total number of field goals.

The Super Bowl is when you’ll have the most prop betting opportunities. Still, regular-season NFL games will have a nice selection that can add additional excitement to your betting repertoire.

For the 2020 Super Bowl LIV, some of the prop bets you could find included:

• The length of the National Anthem.
• Which team will score first.
• Whether either team will score in the first five minutes.
• Longest and shortest touchdown.

The list goes on. And while Super Bowl prop bets are more unpredictable than moneyline and points spread bets, they sure are fun.

Strategies For NFL Betting

Alternate Lines

Sportsbooks offer alternate lines for NFL points spreads that they believe will make you more or less likely to win.

A common option for an alternate line is a shorter or longer points spread. If the standard spread has the favorite at -5, an alternate line would be -10, which would increase the payout potential.

Alternatively, you could choose an alternate line that lowers the favorite’s points spread, or one that lists the underdog as the favorite.

Fading The Public

Fading the public is when you choose the less popular of two bets. If more people are choosing the favorite for an NFL points spread, you would choose the underdog to “fade the public.”

The rationale is that most sports bettors lose more than they win. So if you’re betting the opposite of most sports bettors, you should, in theory, win more than you lose.

This is not a guaranteed method by any stretch. But it is a good concept to keep in mind.

Middling

To bet the middle is to bet on two different results on the same event. This is done when the sportsbook adjusts the lines after you place a bet, and you realize that you could profit either way if you place an opposing bet based on the new odds.

Once you place a bet, your odds are locked in. No matter how the odds change after that, you’re guaranteed that win potential. So if the sportsbook adjusts the odds after, you could potentially find that winning one bet but losing the other would work in your favor.

Betting Odds For The NFL FAQ

Yes. In about half of US states, betting on the Super Bowl, is legal either at retail locations, online, or both. Anyone (usually over 21) can visit these states and legally place a bet, including online. The requirement is that you’re physically located in the state where it’s legal.

This includes office pools as well. According to Legal Zoom, a good rule of thumb is to keep Super Bowl office pools “informal, infrequent, and insignificant.”

21 or 18. In most states with legal sports betting, the age requirement is 21. But in some areas, such as at tribal casinos in New York State, those 18 years or older can bet at the sportsbook. For online sports betting, the age requirement is universally 21 and up.

Very. NFL games and the Super Bowl is the most popular betting option in the United States other than the March Madness NCAA D1 men’s basketball tournament. NFL beats out the MLB, NBA, and all other professional sports. College football is also a very popular sports betting option in the US.

Football Betting Odds Explained

In US states and jurisdictions where sports betting is legal. The easiest way to bet on the Super Bowl is at online sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM. These platforms offer competitive odds and a wide range of Super Bowl bets. New members can receive promotions such as risk-free bets and deposit-matching bonuses.

Yes, at legal online sports betting sites and apps. These platforms employ the highest levels of web security. You’re also protected by state regulators, which prioritize player safety. However, illegal sports betting websites are not safe as legally licensed US sportsbooks. These sites are largely unregulated, and many are scams.

Yes. All online sportsbooks in the US offer in-game bets for all NFL games and the Super Bowl. In-game, also known as live betting, is when you place a bet after the game has begun. The odds will shift based on how the game is progressing, offering bettors fast-paced sports betting action from kickoff to final whistle.

NFL Betting Terms And Vocabulary

A

Accumulator – A bet with multiple selections, where all selections must win for the overall bet to succeed. Also known as a Parlay bet.

Arbitrage Bet – Where a variation in odds on one market between bookmakers (usually because of different opinions or error) allows a bettor to back all possible outcomes and still guarantee a win.

B

Back – To back an outcome is to bet on a certain selection to win.

Bet – To place money on a specific outcome.

Betting Exchange – Differing to the bookmaker who sets odds and offers on a possible outcome, a betting exchange allows people to bet against each other instead of the bookmaker. The betting exchange acts as a middle man, taking commissions from the stake.

Bettor – Someone who places a bet.

Bookmaker/Bookie – A person who sets the odds at a sportsbook.

C

Correct Score – Betting on the exact score line in a sports match.

D

Double – When just two matches are parlayed into one overall bet. Both predicted outcomes need to be successful for the overall bet to win.

E

Even – A bet placed at odds of +100 (or 3.0 or 2/1). Also known as “double or nothing.”

F

Understanding Football Betting

Favorite – The selection that bookmakers rate as the more likely winner of an event.

Fold – A fold represents the number of selections made in a parlay bet. For example, seven selections in one parlay would be known as a ‘seven-fold parlay.’

H

Understanding Football Betting Lines

Handicap Betting – Also known as ‘spread’ betting, a handicap involves giving one team an imaginary deficit that they have to overcome during a game for the purposes of a bet. The odds as a result are made more attractive as there is more to overcome.

I

Implied Probability – The odds of a sports bet without the sportsbook’s vig taken into account.

In-Game Betting – Refers to live betting where it is possible to place bets on the game while it is in progress.

L

Lay – To bet against a certain outcome happening (common in betting exchanges rather than traditional sportsbooks).

Longshot – A selection that is unlikely to win in the eyes of a bookmaker.

M

Moneyline – Also known as a straight bet. Betting the moneyline means betting which team will win the game, and points don’t matter.

Multiple – Another term for an accumulator or parlay bet, involving more than one selection.

O

Odds – The chances or probability of a selection winning a fixture according to the bookmaker.

Odds Against – Where the odds are longer than +100. For example, +200. If the selection wins, the amount won is equal to or more than the amount staked.

Odds Booster – A sportsbook promotion that provides better odds than what would typically be offered.

Odds On – Where odds are shorter than +100, for example -200. If the selection wins, the amount won is less than the amount staked.

Outright Betting – Betting on a team to win a moneyline or futures bet.

Over/Under Betting – Involves the bettors betting on total number of points. Other examples include total field goals, passing yards, and so on.

P

Price – Another term for betting or gambling odds.

Punter – The UK term for a person who places a bet. Known in the US as a bettor.

R

Returns – The amount of money or potential money to be won from a bet.

S

Scorecast Betting – Predicting the first scorer and correct score in a fixture.

Single – A bet consisting of one selection on a sports market.

Specials – Bookmakers will often offer special markets which are not usually available, or markets that are available with enhanced odds. Examples include prop bets, exotics, and odds boosters.

Stake – The amount of money placed on a bet.

Understanding Football Betting Terminology

U

Understanding Football Betting Spreads

Underdog – The selection that is not expected to win.

V

Understanding Football Betting Terms

Value Bets – Bets that have odds that are longer from a bookmaker’s point of view than a bettor’s. The return offered would be more than a bettor was hoping for, making it a good value prediction.

Vig – Short for “vigorish” and also known as “the juice.” The vig is how much the sportsbook charges for taking a bet. The standard is -10, or $10 for every $100 wagered.

Void Bet – When a stake is refunded for a number of reasons, where no winnings are won and nothing is lost, essentially with the bet being cancelled. For example, a game being rained out.

W

Wager – Another word for a bet.