Betting on the NFL is as popular a preference among sports bettors as it gets. It can at times even appear to be as popular as watching the games. And it stands to good reason when you think about it too – its perfectly natural to want to engage with your favourite pastime in as many ways possible.

Millions of people around the world regularly bet on NFL outcomes. So much so that its probably the most popular sport being bet on right now. But its also true that many more fans would like to join in the fun but keep putting it off because of not knowing where or how to get started. Expressions like ‘betting against the spread’ and ‘parlays’ and ‘prop bets’ can be confusing to the point of fatigue to the inexperienced sports betting newbie.

But the really good news is that help is readily at hand. And that the tiniest bit of information can go a really long way.

Betting The Point Spread

Anybody even remotely interested in NFL betting will have heard about betting the point spread. And it’s a statement that will have been referenced in a variety of ways: point spread betting, betting the spread, even betting against the spread being referred to in its abbreviated form, or ATS (against the spread).

The spread is simply put the bookie’s way of leveling the field. The spread dictates that its not sufficient enough to predict who the winning team is going to be, but also by how many points the game will be won. Betting the point spread may seem a precarious and even risky way of going about the business of NFL betting – and it certainly can be. But once you understand the nature of sports betting as a balancing act, you’ll quickly learn to use this type of wagering to your advantage.

Betting The Moneyline

It truly doesn’t get any easier to understand than this: betting the moneyline. Its as easy as pouring water from a shoe. Betting the moneyline is as simple as predicting which team you think is going to win the game. No funny business involved. The only thing you should remain forever mindful of, is how the bookie has structured the odds. Moneylines may be glaringly obvious as far as understanding how they work goes, but they often don’t yield all that wonderful a return on an investment.

Prop Bets

NFL prop bets are generally available all throughout the season. But with that having been said, they’re exceptionally popular during the NFL Super Bowl. Prop bets are terribly tempting for the simple reason that they stimulate fan involvement and a deeper and more creative sort of engagement with the sport.

Popular NFL prop bets include:

  • Will the team last to score win the game?
  • How many touchdowns will be scored in total?
  • Who will be the first team to score?
  • Total receiving yards by a receiver.
  • Total yards passed by a specific quarterback.