Once NFL training camps open and the preseason schedule gets underway, anyone who loves to wager on the games starts getting itchy for opening day. This football season, make sure you are armed with the insider tips that can help you cash in at the betting window on a regular basis.
NFL Betting Tips for Padding Your Bankroll
Anyone who likes to bet on the NFL is always looking for an edge. Given the immense popularity of betting on football, the Oddsmakers' betting odds for the games usually come out sharp, so it is vitally important for your long-term success that you use every trick in the book to try and gain that all-important advantage.
Oddsmakers Lines
Perception, not reality, is the best way to describe how Oddsmakers really set the point spreads and total lines for NFL games. This is especially true for any high-profile matchups that will be broadcast on national TV. They already know that the betting public loves to gravitate towards favorites when betting sides and the "over" when betting total lines, so there is already a built-in edge to going the other way.
That is not to say that you should always go against the betting public with your NFL wagers. The tip is to do your own independent homework on any matchup you are looking to bet. Once you draw your own conclusions on a projected outcome of a game and set your own betting lines, then take a look at how the actual lines have fared from the impact of the betting public.
Keep Your Wagers Consistent
If you are a casual sports bettor who prefers to handicap the games on your own, then you need to maintain a consistent betting strategy for games you actually wager on. A professional handicapper will usually release their selections with a recommended unit play. All that unit play represents is their particular confidence level for that pick. If it is high, then the recommended unit bet will be high.
The best strategy for the casual bettor would be to bet the exact same amount on every single game as a means of money management. The trick to being successful is only to bet the games where your confidence level is the highest. Even if it is just one game a week, this will give you the best chance to produce a positive return on your investment over the entire season.
Keep Recent Betting Trends in the Proper Perspective
If you read any betting report for an NFL game, you will probably find a number of recent betting trends for each team, as well as trends for any past head-to-head matchups. It is true to some extent that history tends to repeat itself but avoid the temptation to put too much weight on these past trends. Every game you bet needs to be handicapped at face value, with the current form of each team at the forefront as one of the top factors impacting the actual outcome.
Track Line Movements
The beauty of betting on the NFL is that the betting odds are released well in advance of the games themselves. Sometimes, you might want to jump on a line right away if you really believe it is in your favor, but the best strategy is to sit back and track the movement during the week from the early money coming in.
If the lines are moving more toward the favorite, then that could open up an opportunity to go the other way. As mentioned, the betting public loves to bet on favorites, and often times, that works to add value to the underdog. If there is a sudden movement the other way towards the underdog, that could be the result of some heavy money coming in from the sharps. In this case, you might want to ride that wave by going that way as well.
Shop Your Betting Lines
There are a number of sportsbooks out there looking to take your action and there are no rules that state you can only do business with one. While the spread on a game may remain similar with these books across the board, you should always be on the lookout for a line that moves in your favor. Millions of dollars are won and lost every year on a half-point swing one way or the other, so it becomes in your best interest to shop for the best line you can find to support that week's picks.
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