Betting on Football
Most of the sports betting that occurs is currently done through online sportsbooks. So, it is a good idea for these bettors to know and understand how to place a bet on football, using the online sportsbooks. This is a detailed, step by step guide for those that wish to know and understand how to place a bet on football. For this guide, we will be using the Bovada online sportsbook as our main example; the other sportsbooks are similar in fashion so this should serve as a good starting point.
Step 1: Logging In
The first step would be to sign up on the online sportsbook, but we will assume you have done that already; if you do not know how to sign up on an online sportsbook, read our How to Join A Sportsbook article on this subject.
Simply go to the main sportsbook page for football, or simply go straight to the sportsbook page. You need to look for the text input boxes, which is necessary for the log in process. These text boxes can be found at the top, right corner of the website at all times.
The first box is where the bettor inputs their Account Number, which they should have in their records, or they can also log in by using the Email that is associated with that account. Next would be inputting your Password, which you should remember from when you signed up on the particular online sportsbook.
Step 2: The Sportsbook Main Page
Once you have logged into your account, and done all the necessary deposits, you can go ahead and go to the main sportsbook page, which can be accessed by clicking on the “SPORTSBOOK” button. At this particular page, the bettor will be able to see the most popular and upcoming sporting events that they can bet on; in this case there are certain football matchups that may peak your interest.
Step 3: Picking and Locating Football
Once at the main page of the online sportsbook, the bettor simply needs to look to the left hand side of the webpage, where they will see the Betting Lines and the available sports options they have for bettors to wager on. From there, they will click on the general “Football” link, where it will expand showing the different types of football tournaments they have available; in this case, we are looking for the NFL betting lines.
Step 4: Picking a Matchup
The next step is a very fun step. This is where you, as a sports bettor, are going to be picking the particular NFL matchups that you want to wager on. You will have the current week’s upcoming matches, along with a detailed schedule of when these games will take place, along with their individual betting lines. Simply look around and find the matchups that you want to wager on, as well as which types of betting types you want to wager on; there is the money line, point spread, and the total bet.
Step 5: Picking the Betting Odds
Once you have picked matchup(s) that you want to wager on, you have to start selecting which bets to place and for which team’s you want to place them for.
For this particular matchup, we have selected to place a bet that the Chicago Bear will beat the spread, but the Green Bay Packers will win the game. We also wagered that the total, final score of the match will be less than 50½ points.
*Note: understanding what each of the betting types are, how they work, and how to calculate the payouts, please read the other How To Bet article with this particular information.
Step 6: Placing the Wager Amount
After the bettor has gone through and selected the bets they wish to place on the different teams and match-ups, all that is left to do is determine how much money they want to place on each of the wagers. The bettor will look for the “BET SLIP”, which is on the right hand side of the screen. The bet slip will show the bettor the bets he has currently, as well as give him the option to place a wagering amount into the text fields they provide.
There are two main factors the bettor needs to realize; the Risk and the To Win portion of the Bet Slip. The Risk factor is how much money the bettor is willing to risk on the bet; in other words how much money they are going to be wagering on the particular bet. While the To Win factor is how much money, on top of the amount wagered, the bettor could win if that bet pays out.
They also have several extras, such as the Parlay Bet. For those not familiar with this type of bet, it is where the bettor wagers that all or some of his bets will win. This means two things, 1) the bettor will get a very good payout if the parlay wins, but 2) all of the bets in the parlay have to win, in order to payout.
Step 7: Review and Place the Bet(s)
Once you have placed the amount you want to wager on each bet, simply click on the “REVIEW MY BET(S)” button, at the bottom of the Bet Slip. Once at the review screen, the bettor should see an overview of what their bets are, along with the wagering amounts for each bet. They need to make sure everything is how they want it to be; if not, click on the “MODIFY BET” button to make any necessary changes. Once you are ready, and everything has been checked, you can place your bet(s) by clicking on the “PLACE BET” button at the bottom of the overview.
After placing the bet(s), you should see a confirmation screen where the bettor will receive a reference number that they can use to later on review their bets, and see if they have won or not. Do not worry about having to keep accurate records of the bets you place, since most sportsbooks like Bovada include a great Bet History feature where you can review any past bet.
Step 8: Sit Back and Watch
After your bets have been entered, this is the right time to sit back, grab a drink, and watch the football matches; especially during the NFL season with all of its hard hitting competition. Remember to always check the present and upcoming matches, as the odds could change from time to time, so be sure to get the best odds at the right time.
