Know that the National Football League is abbreviated as the NFL, which is the professional American football league in the United States (US). In fact, it is the league that generates the most activity in betting houses in the country, circulating billions of dollars every year.
Learn more about the NFL in this article – how it is structured and when its season takes place. Also, learn how to bet on the league on sports betting sites.
Getting to Know the NFL and Its Season
The NFL comprises 32 teams divided into two conferences: the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The season is organized into 17 weeks, from September to December, with one week off for each team.
Each team participates in 16 matches, with each game lasting 60 minutes, divided into four quarters of 15 minutes each. The regular season games are played first. After these games, the playoffs begin, which are elimination matches.
In this phase of decisive matches, the four division champions and two wildcard teams participate, totaling six teams from each conference. Additionally, all games are played in a knockout format, meaning the team that loses is eliminated from the championship.
The elimination matches are known as the Super Bowl, which is held on the first Sunday of February.
Why Bet on the NFL?
Know that American football has certain characteristics that make betting very appealing. This is because the chance of a tie is practically non-existent. Therefore, the possibility of predicting the winner is 50% in each match.
There is a wide variety of bets, offering numerous alternatives for bettors. Apart from betting on the winner, there are spread bets, total points bets, future bets, among others.
Key NFL Bets
To bet with a higher chance of success, in addition to understanding how this sports category works, it’s important to know the main types of bets in the NFL. See the following:
- Moneyline
This is a more classic and straightforward type, as you only need to choose the match winner for your bet. Therefore, the odds for favored teams are much lower than for teams with lower chances of winning.
It follows the logic of the betting world – the higher the risk, the greater the profit. Thus, it’s interesting to analyze which teams might surprise in the end of each match.
- Point Spread (Handicap)
To balance bets and make them more attractive, betting houses conduct a detailed analysis of the teams and set a points margin. This margin applies to both victory and defeat in all NFL games.
- Total Points
In this type of bet, it’s not necessary to indicate the match winner. Instead, you simply choose to bet on the total points scored. In other words, you need to bet whether the sum of points from both teams will be higher (over) or lower (under) than the value pre-established by the betting house.
- Future Bets
Future bets are medium to long-term investments in the ongoing season. Indeed, they are very popular due to the high values being wagered, as it’s challenging to predict a winner when the championship hasn’t started or is in progress.
- Secondary Market Bets
These are bets different from the more well-known types, making the match more exciting. They include options like:
- Which player will score one or more touchdowns in the match;
- How many passing yards that quarterback will throw;
- How many receptions the wide receiver will make;
- How many field goals will be in the match, among others.
Tips for Successful NFL Betting
Certainly, some tips can improve NFL betting and increase the chances of getting results right and winning prizes. Here are some essential tips for more accurate betting:
- Watch as many games as possible to better understand the teams and the possibilities of victory in each match;
- Analyze the statistics of each game to understand the possibilities of each team, figuring out the best type of bet for each match;
- Consider the odds being offered by betting houses to identify which one offers the best options;
- Take advantage of the opportunity to place live bets, as you can follow the game and assess each team’s performance before betting.
Now that you’ve understood how the NFL works, take the opportunity to start betting and experience the thrills that this American league offers.
