American football is almost the most popular sport in America. The National League finals, known as the Super Bowl, break records time and time again for the number of views. And for any musician – for a great honor to take part in such a finale. Themed video games and casino slot games instantly win the love of fans.
However, few people know that you can make good money in this sport. The fact is that betting on the national sport is wildly popular.
History of the Discipline
The birthday of the discipline is November 6, 1869. On that day, the teams of Rutgers University and Princeton played. The opponents did not agree in advance on what game they would play. The match was played without rules, and the game resembled a mixture of European football and rugby.
In the past, American football was a violent sport. No one was surprised by newspaper headlines like “Ten Players Killed in Match, Fifteen Seriously Injured.” Social discontent precipitated the adoption of rules that guaranteed the safety of the players. Wearing protection was introduced for the participants of the game. Gradually the dynamics of the competition acquired more of a speed tinge, rather than a forceful one.
Now the largest American football league is the NFL, which was founded in the 1920s. The league has 32 teams, with 16 meetings in each season, which runs from September to January. The championship is crowned by the NFL Finals or “Super Bowl.”
The 2000s recorded a greater volume of betting on American football and the peak of the popularity of the species. More than a third of Americans consider the NFL the top league in the country. And even the NBA is three times less popular. In a year, revenue from NFL games exceeds the ten billion-dollar mark. The league’s professional clubs are among the world’s most expensive brands. Among bettors who bet on the sport are also popular – NCAA (college tournament), CFL (“Canadian Football League”).
Main Types of Bets
Let’s look at several types of betting available to bettors:
- Outcome betting. As in European football is a popular market. A draw is possible, but it happens rarely.
- Betting on the handicap. This popular type of betting bettors engage at the end of the season when the fight for the playoffs unfolds. Because of the nature of the game, the value of a handicap bet does not change on a linear basis, which distinguishes American football from other sports. In the NFL, the outcome is often resolved by a late field goal. The next most common is an extra-point touchdown, which brings the team a seven-point lead;
- Betting on totals. A team’s point total at the end of the game, including overtime, is counted. The average number of points for two is 43. But this number itself due to the rules of American football is rare, the common number of points is 41 and 44;
- Betting on a quarter game, half-game, or game with overtime. Only scores for a specific period are counted;
- Betting on statistical indicators. Bookmaker’s offices offer bets on total yards of runs by a player, total yards gained by passing, on the author of the first touchdown, or the number of receptions by a player;
- Long-term bets. Bettors bet on the team that will triumph in the season or the individual conference winner. Another option is the team that wins the division. The NFL is a competitive league in which the underdog team rarely gets odds for winning more than 10 in the new season;
- Special bets. Before the start of the season, bettors bet on the coach who will be the first to leave the post, whether a field goal will be scored from 60 yards out, etc.
Live betting on this sport is not profitable because of bookmakers’ margins, but attentive players catch the odds. Most online bets are made when the favorite loses to the underdog in the first half of the game.
Prediction Features
Before betting on American football, it is worthwhile to study statistics and consider factors that will help avoid foolish money losses.
- Do not rely solely on the bookmaker’s line. Before evaluating quotes, it is useful for the bettor to make his own opinion about the chances of each team;
- The outcome is also affected by the weather, injuries in the team, the game tone, guest or home status of the match;
- You shouldn’t bet on every match. It is more useful to select a couple of teams a week and bet on events that seem profitable;
- Bet on the line as early as possible to catch favorable quotes. Particularly when the clear advantage is on the favorite’s side;
- past games of teams home and away can be studied on English-language sites dedicated to the NFL;
- preliminary analysis is simplified if the bettor studies quarterback play and yardage statistics. American football is about confronting each team’s offensive and defensive lines. The easiest way to analyze this is to calculate how many yards each of the opposing teams gains on offense and defense;
- The most important player is the quarterback, whose playing tone determines a team’s results;
- Study players who are not “stars” but are nimble, tough, and fast. The team will win if such athletes are surrounded by high-level receiving players;
- Avoid betting on teams where the quarterbacks are not known for their speed of decisions and interceptions.
Conclusion
The outcome of a meeting in American football is influenced by the tone of both teams and their quarterbacks, player motivation, home or away field, and weather conditions. Successful bets are possible with a careful analysis of statistical indicators and their comparison. If you manage to find an underestimated outcome of the bookmaker – promptly make a bet to then count the profit.
