Hot Tips for This Weekend’s NFL Match ups

Have you ever wondered what sports betting is all about?  You might have been in a Las Vegas casino and wandered into the sports book and there was your favorite NFL team on the huge television.  You may have also seen a bunch of numbers on some side monitors.  It probably seemed like just a lot of gibberish.  If that describes you and you’re new to sports betting, hopefully, the tips and information below will help you dare to wager your very first NFL sports bet.

In the United States, betting on the National Football League is immensely popular.  In fact, the NFL’s Super Bowl is perhaps the single biggest sporting event that people place a sports bet on.  Learning to bet on your favorite NFL team may take you from mere “fan” to pure “fanatic”.

Learning the Basics of NFL Sports Betting

To bet successfully, you need to learn about the point spread.  Basically, the point spread is the handicap that Vegas odd-makers give to the underdog.  Betting for or against the point spread is a little different than just an outright bet on who wins or loses.  If you bet on the favorite, hopefully your team, that team not only has to win, but they must win by more than the point spread.

Let’s look at an example from one of the upcoming NFL week 15 games.  This week, the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Oakland Raiders.  The line, or point spread, on the game is Kansas City at -4.5.  With the point spread at 4.5 points, if you bet on the Chiefs, you win your bet if they win the game by more than 4.5 points.  It really is that simple!  Be careful, though!  If the Chiefs only win by 3 points, you lose your sports bet.

The Kansas City Chiefs have had an amazing turn-around this season.  After finishing with a record of 2 – 14 last year, the Chief’s record currently stands at 10 – 3.  They have a new head coach, Andy Reid, and a new quarterback, Alex Smith.  This combination may have been the spark needed to take the Chiefs back to the playoffs.

Don’t worry!  If you are an Oakland Raiders fan, I haven’t forgotten about you.  If your bet is on Oakland, here is how you win.  If Oakland wins the game or loses the game by less than 4.5 points, you win.  A team can lose the game but still beat the point spread.  Sometimes the point spread is used as a measure of how competitive a particular game was.

There are a couple of other simple bets you can make on this game.  You can make a total bet.  This is a bet for the total number of points scored by both teams including points scored in overtime.  For this particular game, the total is 41 points.  A more attractive option may be an over/under bet.  This type of bet is a wager that the combined score of both teams will either be over or under 41.

Sports betting doesn’t have to be mysterious.  Hopefully, you can place a successful wager on your team this weekend.  I am going with the Kansas City Chiefs winning and taking Oakland to cover the point spread.  Good luck!