Betting on the NFL is a fun way to add excitement to the game day experience. For many, it’s a casual hobby that improves the thrill of watching their favourite teams battle it out on the field. However, for beginners, betting on odds for football matches can quickly turn from a source of enjoyment to a cause of frustration. The world of sports staking is rife with pitfalls, which can put newcomers in heavy losses without the right approach.
But fear not. Many of these setbacks are due to common mistakes that are easily avoidable once identified. In this article, we’ve outlined these typical blunders and guided to help you sidestep them. The goal is to ensure your NFL bets are enjoyable and rewarding.
Five Common Mistakes By Newcomers to Football Gambling
As a newbie, it’s easy to bet without any pattern and fall for the trap of chasing losses. However, you can avoid these shortcomings and start betting like a veteran. Here’s how!
Misinterpretation of Point Spread
The point spread assigns a handicap to the favoured team, requiring them to win by a certain number of points for a wager on them to pay off. For example, if Team A is favoured over B, the point spread may be set at -7.5 for them. This means they must win by a minimum of 8 points. Conversely, if Team B loses by a maximum of 7 points, they’d be the winner.
Beginners often misread this system, either underestimating the challenge the likely winner faces to cover the spread. Or not recognizing the opportunity to win against the underdog that loses by less than the spread. To avoid this error, you must understand the numbers and the strategy behind this option. Look at factors like performance, historical matchups, and relevant injuries.
Ignoring the Value of Moneylines
Moneyline wagers are placed on which team will win the game outright, without any point spread. While they may seem less exciting, they offer a clear opportunity for profit, especially when there’s good reason to believe the underdog may win. The odds for such bets are presented in positive or negative hundreds.
If a team’s moneyline is +150, a $100 stake would yield $150 in return if it wins. But if it reads -150, you would need to wager $150 to stand a chance of winning $100. Newbies often pass over these options due to the lack of a big payout allure. However, they can be a valuable part of your strategy in two situations:
- When the underdog truly stands a chance of winning
- When the favourite is expected to win with near certainty
Inadequate Understanding of Betting Terms
The world of NFL staking is filled with jargon that can confuse a newcomer. Terms like ‘odds, ’ ‘point spread’, and ‘over/under’ are fundamental concepts that shape strategies. Check out the most important ones:
- Odds—the likelihood of a particular outcome, displayed by a plus or minus sign followed by a number. It may also be in fractions.
- Point Spread (ATS)—a handicap given to the superior team, indicated by a minus sign. This requires them to win by at least a certain number of points.
- Moneyline—a bet on which club will emerge as the outright winner. No spread involved.
- Over/Under—a stake on whether the total points scored by both sides will be more or less than a specified amount.
- Prop Bet—a wager on specific events within the game that do not directly affect its final result.
Excessive Emotional Betting
Staking on the heart instead of your head is a common trap for many newcomers. It’s natural to have a favourite team or to want to bet against a rival, but decisions driven by loyalty or dislike can cause poor choices. Emotional gambling can manifest as placing a bet on your favourite team despite unfavourable odds, or staking against a side simply because you don’t like them.
Such an approach ignores the objective data and analysis that should guide betting decisions. Luckily, you can prevent this by becoming a disciplined gambler who relies on data and analytics instead of personal feelings.
Insufficient Research
A common first-day pitfall is not conducting thorough research before placing their stakes. This mistake often leads to uninformed decisions and missed opportunities. Apart from the club’s win-loss record, you have to consider player statistics, team dynamics and recent performance trends.
For example, a seemingly superior opponent has undergone consecutive defeats in the hand of an underdog. Additionally, understanding key numbers in NFL betting, such as the most common margins of victory, can provide insights into potential results. Bettors must also consider the impact of absentees.
It’s Time to Bet on the NFA Like a Pro
As you have learnt, the most common mistakes for beginners are avoidable with some care. Before you place any wager, be conscious of these possibilities and tick them off your checklist. They must be gone from your game if you want to be a winner at this exciting sport.
