Football Betting >The Rules

By: THE GRADUATE

Football Betting Rules
If a player wagers on the favorite, that team must win by more than the amount of the point spread. On all straight bets, if the favorite wins by the exact point spread, the wager is a push, tie or "no action" and all bets are credited back to the player's account.

The numbers listed directly under the O/U Game is referred to as the total (over/under). Players can wager that the combined score of both teams will be either over 47 in this example (betting the over) or under 47 (betting the under). So if the combined total score of both teams is over 47 points, then the "Over" bettors will win the amount they wagered in the proportion of 10 won for every 11 wagered. If the combined total score of both teams is under 47 then the "Under" bettors win the amount they wagered in the proportion of 10 won for every 11 wagered. Once again if the combined final score of both teams falls exactly on the posted total, the game is considered a push and all bets are refunded.

While most straight wagers are placed on the side and total for the entire game, there may be a few other straight wagers available. Please note the following.

First half wagering: A bettor may wager a straight bet on which team will win the first half of action in just the same fashion as if he were placing a side bet for the entire game, only in this case, the event "ends" at the conclusion of the first half. A bettor may also place a similar wager on the total points scored in the first half of a given game, just like wagering on the total of a full game, only in this case the event ends at the conclusion of the first half. When placing a first half wager, ONLY the first half of action matters in determining the outcome of the wager.

Halftime wagers: Halftime lines are posted by the line manager soon after the completion of the first half of play. A player may then place a straight side wager on which team will win the second half and the player wins or loses solely on the scoring done after halftime as what happened in the first half is irrelevant to that wager. A bettor may also place a similar wager on the total points scored in the second half of a given game, just like wagering on the total of a full game, only in this case the outcome of the event is determined by only considering those points scored in the second half. When placing halftime wager, ONLY the second half of action plus any overtime scoring matters in determining the outcome of the wager.

Quarter wagers: Some sportsbooks will also offer first quarter, second quarter, third quarter and fourth quarter wagering on select football games. When wagering on these events, only points scored in the selected quarter count towards the outcome of the wager. Points scored in any overtime period(s) will NOT count on a fourth quarter wager.

Matchups: Sportsbooks also offer straight wagering on select head-to-head matchups involving individual teams and/or players. For example, you will be able to wager on who will score more points on a given NFL weekend, such as the St. Louis Rams or the Indianapolis Colts. Often, this will not be a standard 11-10 wager as one team may be favored by a wider margin, such as the Rams -150 and the Colts +130.

Football Betting >Pick Tips

From: The MUSCLE

Football Betting Tips for Making Your Weekly Picks!

There are a lot of variables in football - some you can factor in to your game analysis - many you can't. Successful football picks, even for the pros, are hard to come by. Remember, in a very good season a good handicapper will only win 58 out of 100 bets. He bets big though!

A good place to start is early in the week watching the 'NFL wrap' style programs readily available on the TV. Listen to what coaches are saying, what players are saying and assess their levels of motivation. Of course you need to analyse this on the field too on game day.

Through the week, as you get closer to the Sunday kick off, you will get a clearer picture regarding injuries to players, the weather, staff and management changes, rivalries, and NFL gossip (remember the T Owens affair and what a bad effect it had on the Eagles?) Try to understand how these issues might affect the result.

Many more knowledgeable punters like to make their football picks earlier in the week - when the lines first go up. The reason for this is that they can pick up the value. Indeed the sportsbooks expect this early action and it helps them to even out their spreads.

Very often it can pay to get onto a favorite early because that team, especially if it is a popular team, will often have their spread deteriorate during the course of the week e.g from -2.5 to -3. Conversely, it can pay to get on to an underdog later in the week because in order to draw some action on an unfashionable team the sportsbook may move out the line from e.g +9 to +10 or +11.

Of course the danger of getting in your football picks early is that a key participant could be ruled out of the game later in the week, or the weather could change dramatically, which often effects the Totals (over / under) market.

Sometimes, even when virtually all the information points to the favorite winning and covering the spread - you may well still take the opposing team from a value perspective. This likelihood of the favorite winning could already be 'in the price' and you need to know when to leave teams alone. The best way is to have an idea of the spread or odds in your head after you have gathered your information and before you look at the posted line!

Other points, less obvious than some, are also worth looking at. Is the game you are looking ot bet on, a Monday night game going out live to the whole country? You'd be surprised how a dog team can pick themselves up under the spotlight. Also look at whether or not one of the teams has been humiliated by the other in the previous game? Is it likely to happen again - perhaps the spread is skewed due to that last game?

Hopefully the above had proven somewhat helpful and help you to decide on your own football picks and what factors to consider.