Football Betting Sites
In online sports betting, there are a few ways to place a bet, which may seem daunting and confusing, but they are really quite simple once you have them explained. The three most popular online football betting methods that we will examine are: point spread, money-line, and Over/Under betting.
How Football Point Spreads Work
In Football point spread betting, the wagering site, lays down odds against and for a team based upon the favored outcome of that particular game. In this type of odds system, the sportsbook offers a betting line that will look like this:
Example:
Falcons: +4.0
Vikings: -4.0
In the above example, the Falcons are given a four point lead over the Vikings before the kickoff, meaning any wager on Atlanta would require the Falcons to win by five or more points to win the bet. If you bet on the Vikings they would need to lose by three points or less or win outright to win your bet. If the Falcons win by exactly four points it’s a push and neither side “wins”. All internet betting sites use a .5 point system, even though there is no half points involved in football. By using a half point sportsbooks eliminate the chance of a push making it a true win or lose situation and increases the chances of winning with the underdog because you gain a point in most cases; in the example above if the Falcons were favored by 4.5 you could win your bet on the Vikings if they lost by 4 instead of 3, meaning the push now is a winner. Betting sites will show the odds for both favored and underdog in this fashion. A point-spread attracts attention to the wager and places the odds at a more even, stats driven slant.
Football Money-line betting
Betting on the moneyline is truly nothing less than selecting who you believe will win the game. You will receive different odds on your payout based on whether you bet on the favorite or the underdog. You will see a – (minus) before a number indicating the favored team, and subsequently a + (plus) before the other team meaning they are the underdog.
Example:
Falcons: +140
Vikings: -160
The Atlanta Falcons are the favored team and if you bet on Atlanta to win the game outright you have to bet $140 to win $100. If you want to bet on the Vikings to win outright without the point spread than you have to bet $100 to win $160.
When two teams are evenly matched and there isn’t a clear favorite to win the game the sportsbooks will make the game a pick’em, meaning that you can choose the team you think will win with the same odds on both teams.
How a Football Over/Under Works
Over/Under betting is slightly different in that bettors place a wager on whether they think the final score will be OVER or UNDER a predetermined score set by the sportsbooks. NFL betting sites will set the total points they believe both teams will combine to score. More or less is a pretty simple concept right?
Online Sports Betting Sites and How to Use Them
Now that the betting terms have been defined, it is time to select the right site for placing a wager. The ideal site will keep traffic running in and out based upon the amount of resources, ease of accessibility and the deposit bonus.
The best online football betting sites will offer a percentage for an overall amount placed into one of their betting accounts. This is called a deposit bonus, giving the bettor an average of 25% for money placed in an account. Minimum deposit amounts for obtaining the bonus vary from site to site. Some football wagering websites will offer the bonus either each time you deposit or just the first, initial time when you join their site. These bonuses (specifically bonuses offered for special events or weekly) increase the potential winnings for the bettor and add yet another element to the excitement of football betting.
When selecting the right football gambling site, bear in mind that the resources available to you, the bettor, should not cost extra. Most sites will offer free wagering stats, NFL team articles and score tracking during the live game. Sites such as sportsbook.ag and sports.bovada.lv are two of the best sites, incorporating mobile apps with articles on how to bet on football games.
These are but a few resources offered and outline the basic essentials for a new or seasoned bettor to win.
| Sportsbook Name | Bonus Offer | Accepts USA |
|---|---|---|
| BetOnline | Up To $1000 | YES |
| Bovada | Up To $250 | YES |
| Bet DSI | Up To $500 | YES |
| 5 Dimes | Up To $520 | YES |