Betting Picks
When betting on football and the NFL, it is always important to make the right pick, or it could start a losing trend. Picking the team that has better chances has always been the main purpose of the sports bettors. This is why there are various factors that bettors need to keep in mind when trying to pick the right bet for each situation. There are many different types of bets, and we will focus on the main three, Money Line, Totals with Over/Under, and Point Spread; with strategies on when to pick that type of bet. The bettor’s personality has a lot of influence in this matter as well.
Money Line Bet
The Money Line bet is the simplest kind of bet. The bettor will place a wager on one of the NFL teams that will be playing; the wager is simply on which team will win. This betting type is mainly used by beginners that have little experience with the other types of bets; although experienced bettors also use this type of bet. As it is simple to understand and straight forward, the Money Line bet is best for those bettors that do not want a lot of risk. The more experienced bettors will often use this type of bet combined with other types of bets to increase their chances of getting a big payout.
When to Use this Bet
Bettors should use this type of bet when the other betting types, and team statistics, are clearly in favor of one or the other team. When NFL matchups between two equally matched teams are going to be played, the odds are a lot closer, making it harder to pick the possible winner. When there is an obvious disadvantage for one team, making them the underdog, betting on the team that has higher odds of winning is easier. The bettor must be smart enough to understand the difference between a team’s power and the public hyper they are given. A team favored to win simply because public opinion says so is not a very smart bet, and that is what the bettor needs to take into account.
Totals, with Over/Under
Total bets are based on the total amount of points scored, by both teams, in a given match. With the added function of being able to bet whether the total amount of points scored during the match will be Over or Under the given number at any of the online sportsbooks. This is a harder to gauge type of bet, but is still relatively simple as it gives the bettor a 50/50 chance on getting a payout.
When to Use this Bet
Bettors need to look at several factors when wanting to place a Total, Over/Under bet. They need to look at both teams average points scored, as well as how well they perform against teams similar to their opponents. Basing each of the teams expected amount of points scored, the bettor can make a smarter choice on whether the given number at any of the online sportsbooks is too high or too low; giving them an Under or Over bet. Keep in mind that there is no method that is one hundred percent accurate, so take this with a grain of salt.
Point Spread
Betting on the point spread can be tricky. If the bettor places the bet on the favorite, they need the team to not only win, but win above a certain amount of points. However, if they pick the underdog point spread, then all that team has to do is either win the game, or keep the point spread below the given number. This is a tricky bet to make as no one can really accurately predict if a team will win by a certain amount of points; it is more score specific than the Totals bet.
When to Use this Bet
Bettors can use this type of bet when they are confident that one team will win by more than the given points, or the underdog will manage to keep the score close enough to beat the point spread. There is also a strategy called Middling that can be used in this regard. Middling is where the bettor places one bet on the favorite at one online sportsbook, while they place another bet on the underdog at a different sportsbook; it will only work if the odds in the two sportsbooks are different. The point spread at the end of the match needs to be right in the middle of both bets or the bettor will not win; it is a risky type of bet, but the possible payout is very large.
Personalities Types
The bettor’s personality influences many of the decisions that they make, whether they are aggressive or passive, and what their risk level is.
Aggressive Bettors
An aggressive bettor is more likely to place more bets, or at least wager higher amount of money. As such, these aggressive bettors tend to have a high risk threshold, causing them to place riskier bets that could get them bigger payouts. These kinds of bettors have a tendency to lose more than they win, and which is why it is a dangerous way of betting. They usually bet on all betting types that are available, trying to get the most money in the least amount of time.
Passive Bettors
Passive bettors are the type of bettors that will place small amount of bets, as well as small amount of money on each bet. They are trying to minimize the risk, as well as the loss. Betting is a numbers game, no one can predict the winners every single time, so by placing less bets they have higher chances of getting a losing ratio. These types of bettors tend to stick to the less risky types of bets, like the Moneylines, but this also limits the amount they could win.
Finding the Balance
Using the patience and skepticism of the passive bettors, along with a mix of the higher risk levels of the aggressive bettors can make for a good combination. Bettors should try to achieve this balance in order to get more chances of winning. Balance is everything when it comes to betting on the sports, and the NFL.
