NFL Odds
Every week, sportsbooks in Las Vegas and across the country set NFL odds for every game. The numbers don’t just represent which team has the best chance to win – they also provide multiple ways for smart bettors to make sharp plays and win big on America’s favorite sport.
The good news is that you don’t have to be a statistician to understand how NFL betting odds work and how to read them to your advantage. The experts at Sports Information Traders provide the best research packages each week, giving you an insider advantage on how to place your money for the best odds of return.
Even with the smartest analysis, it’s important to have an understanding of how NFL odds work so you can maximize winnings. Here’s what you need to know about NFL odds today.
How are NFL Betting Odds Determined?
Making the NFL odds each week isn’t just a matter of picking the teams and matchups favored to win. Every week, expert oddsmakers analyze all the teams on a number of factors. They will consider who is in the starting lineup, the strength of their opponent, as well as home-field advantage and team injuries. Because these factors can change throughout the week, oddsmakers (and smart bettors) will continuously follow the NFL headlines all season long.
When the week begins, bookmakers will set several different types of odds based on different aspects of the game. Even though the edge can change throughout the week, your odds are locked in once you place your bet.
Types of NFL Odds
As you learn how betting odds work, there are three key plays to always consider. The money lines and point spread give insight into the weekly plays, while future lines show how bookmakers see a team performing throughout the year.
NFL Money Lines and Odds
Of all the NFL lines and odds, the money lines represent the simplest bet anyone can make. On a money line bet, you are simply picking the team that will win the game, regardless of how many points are scored in the game.
Money lines are also the easiest to read because they show the favorite and how much a bettor could win on a wager. For example, If a team has a -150 money line, it shows that they are the favorite and you would have to bet $150 to get a return of $100. On the opposite end, a +250 money line shows that the team is the underdog, with a $100 bet returning $250 if they win.
NFL Point Spread Odds
When points spreads are added to NFL betting odds, it adds another level of depth to the game. Instead of simply picking the winning team, point spread bets require that team to win by a minimum points margin.
For example, let’s say Team A is given a points spread of -7 over Team B to win. If you place a points spread bet on Team A, they would have to win by one touchdown or more for the bet to be successful. If not, those betting on Team B would win because they covered the spread.
NFL Future Odds
Among all odds, NFL future odds provide the most intriguing looks at teams. Throughout the season, oddsmakers will predict the odds that a team will be successful in achieving an end-of-year milestone. While higher odds suggest a bigger payout, it also suggests lower odds of winning. The most common football futures are set on NFL playoff odds and NFL Super Bowl odds.
As an example, a bettor may believe Tampa Bay will win a third championship this year. At the beginning of the season, they will place a futures bet with odds of +800. If they do win the big game in that year, a $100 bet would yield $800 in winnings.
What are NFL Vegas Odds?
When researching and betting on football games, bettors will often hear analysts talk about NFL Vegas odds for a game. This isn’t a new type of structure you need to understand – rather, it is another term for the money line, also known as plus/minus odds.
Money line betting earned the name “NFL Vegas odds” because they were first introduced in the gambling capital of the world: Las Vegas. In sportsbooks across the U.S., the money line is the most popular way to present odds on any given sport. And while Vegas sportsbooks still have influence on the odds, every oddsmaker has their own proprietary methods of setting their probabilities.
Understanding NFL Betting Odds
The key point to understand about NFL odds is that they represent several different aspects of the game which can affect your overall strategy. It’s not enough to simply read the money line and make a determination based on that. To make the sharp play, you need to look across the odds to determine where skill meets opportunity.
While the money line provides insight on which team is statistically better, the margins suggest how close the game might be. Before placing any wager, it’s important to consider the point spread odds and future odds as well.
The points spread suggests how many points the favorite is expected to win by, while future odds show the level of consistency a team is expected to play with throughout the year. If a team has strong NFL future odds and a reasonable points margin, it may represent a good play opportunity.
Sports Information Traders
Even though the NFL odds can change at any time, you don’t have to go into the week without expert advice. Trust the “Handicapper to the Stars” Jon Price and his hand-picked team of leaders to give you the inside edge on the best weekly plays. Contact us today for a free consultation or sign up for a season-long package, and start winning bigger with Sports Information Traders.
