How to Bet Football

This post offers a high-level overview of how to bet football.

Understanding the fundamentals is critical when placing NFL and NCAAF wagers.

Read: How to Use Flat Betting For Wagering Success

Related: How to Use Parlay Cards at the Sportsbook

Here is an example of a football wager, let’s break it down.

General Overview and Tips

• Away team is always listed on top. In this example, the Chicago Bears are the road team.

• Minus (-) next to the number in the money line indicates the favorite; the plus (+) indicates the underdog.

• Bet # is most commonly referred to when verbally placing your wager at the sportsbook.

Wager Types

• Spread – When betting the point spread (aka line), the favorite must win by a stipulated number of points. This means either laying points on the favorite or getting points on the underdog. In this example, Green Bay (-3 -110) is the favorite and must win the game by more than 3 points to cover the spread.

• Total – This refers to the total number of combined points scored (i.e. over/under). If the game lands exactly on the set number, the wager is considered a push and those bets are refunded.

• Money Line – This is a bet on which team will win a game (regardless of score). Chicago is a +150 money line underdog on the road. This means a $100 wager on Chicago money line wins $150 (collect $250 total). Conversely, a $140 wager on the Packers money line wins $100 (collect $240 total).

Additional Football Wagers

Screenshot: Football Wager Options on a Mobile App

• 1st Half – This refers to the outcome of the game at halftime. In this example, the likely first half line is set to Green Bay -1.5 (point spread) and -120 (money line).

• Half Time – A half time line refers to the second half outcome of a game. For instance, if the Bears lead the Packers 14-10 at halftime, oddsmakers set a 2nd half line of Packers -6.5. This means the Packers must outscore the Bears by seven or more points in the 2nd half to cover the half time spread.

• Futures – Futures wagers in football are for predicting division winners, conference winners, and Super Bowl winners. Total games won (O/U wins) is another popular futures wager offered at the beginning of the season.

• Live – Live wagering is a popular option for making in-game bets using your sportsbook’s mobile application (check availability). Live wagers offer adjusted point spreads, over/under, point totals, and more based on the game’s score.

• Parlay – A parlay combines several teams into one bet. In a parlay, all wagers must win, or else the bet is a loser. As many as 10 teams (or more) may be used in a parlay. Totals (O/U points) may be included in parlays.  In the event of a rain-out, cancellation, or tie, the parlay is reduced to the next lowest number of games. For example, a four team parlay becomes a three team parlay in such an event.

• Props – A “proposition bet”  is like a side-bet. Common prop bets in football include passing (yards thrown), rushing (yards running), and defense (sacks, interceptions). Prop bets offered vary greatly from sportsbook to sportsbook.

• Teasers – Many sportsbooks offer 6, 6.5, 7, 10, and 14-point teasers in football. This allows you to add extra points to the point spread on an underdog or subtract points on a favorite. Teasers are more expensive than parlays due to their significantly adjusted point spreads.