These days, more and more people are becoming interested in sports betting, and as it turns out, the NFL is one of the professional leagues that get a great deal of attention from fans from many areas of the world.
Obviously, many punters tend to dive into betting on sports without putting much effort, as they rely heavily on the knowledge they have gained as fans of the sport. Knowing and understanding the different betting markets is indeed a must, but researching and analyzing along the way also makes gambling enthusiasts more likely to place winning bets.
Even though getting lucky with big wins might happen on some occasions, gambling enthusiasts should not rely exclusively on luck or their gut feeling if they want to guarantee their long-term success. Thus, if NFL bettors do not want to throw their money at bookmakers and are eyeing some juicy payouts, handicapping games will undoubtedly get them closer to the desired payouts.
While handicapping might seem more challenging at first, once gambling enthusiasts get their heads around things, they are sure to see how their success rate improves.
What Is NFL Handicapping
Many sports bettors tend to waste lots of time and energy looking for a foolproof betting system or strategy which promises that their bankroll will soar in next to no time. Unfortunately, there is no betting method that can guarantee them that they will win without exceptions. Having sustainable luck against bookmakers becomes even more unlikely if NFL bettors invariably place their wagers on a whim.
While using the handicapping strategy, NFL bettors will take their time to make an in-depth analysis of the game they are about to place a wager on in order to determine the most likely winner or the most likely event. In other words, punters’ main goal will be to predict and quantify the results of a game, thus making it possible to place a winning bet.
Combining data, strategies, betting value, statistics, and reports in order to make your betting decisions is what handicapping in a nutshell is. By considering all this information, NFL bettors will go out of their way to gain an advantage over bookmakers and get a profit.
Many gambling enthusiasts wonder how this applies to the wagers they make and whether it is worth investing so much time, but it can safely be said that handicapping is a must if they do not want to base their decisions on complete guesses. In fact, while handicapping, NFL bettors will be required to completely eliminate the guesswork from the decision-making in order to increase their chances of making correct picks.
How to Successfully Handicap NFL Games
One of the most important things avid sports fans should keep in mind about this betting method is that there is no set way to follow it. If NFL bettors are looking to increase their chances of placing winning bets, the handicapping strategy might do the trick for them, and one of the keys to successfully applying it is knowing the odds. Before they place their wagers, gambling aficionados are advised to check how the current prices measure up to the opening odds and if there is any movement. If punters notice that the odds have swayed in one direction or another, they should invest some time in figuring out what the causes of this movement are.
Let’s assume that gambling enthusiasts want to bet on a game between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons. Judging from the lines the bookmaker has introduced, New England Patriots are the favorite, and for this reason, punters will come to think that this is the stronger team, which makes perfect sense. The question handicap betting should answer is whether the New England Patriots are indeed the better performing team.
Spread | Odds | |
---|---|---|
Atlanta Falcons | +7 | -110 |
New England Patriots | -7 | -110 |
If we suppose that while gambling enthusiasts were getting ready to place their wagers, the odds have changed, and a half-point was added to the spread.
Spread | Odds | |
---|---|---|
Atlanta Falcons | +7.5 | -105 |
New England Patriots | -7.5 | -115 |
Punters who jump at betting opportunities without making proper research might place their wagers without giving much thought to the reasons why the spread and the odds are adjusted because buying or selling half-points might not seem like a big deal for them, which is often the case with greatly fan-favored teams. By overlooking such adjustments in the odds, punters might end up making bets with a negative expected value, which will put them at a disadvantage.
Keeping up with the news is also a must for NFL bettors when they want to use the handicapping technique. Once punters have picked a game to place their bets on, they are advised to look into the starting lineup, whether there are injured players, how the weather affects the game outcome, and so on.
Before they place their wagers, NFL bettors should also take their time to get acquainted with the teams, their style of play, their defense, offense, and so on. The home-field advantage is one more thing punters should pay close attention to. The more information punters dig about the teams that are playing in the game they are handicapping, the better, as it will be less challenging for them to predict how the game might play out.
Another thing punters should look into is the way the teams have been playing recently. Gambling enthusiasts should consider how the teams do while being on the road and while playing at home and examine their most recent track record. Additionally, checking how previous games between the two teams have played out might help them make their picks.
While looking for betting markets that offer value, punters should always compare the odds to ensure that they will pick the bookmaker that promises to award them a heftier payout for backing the team they want. Of course, this does not only apply to moneylines as finding the best NFL platform to place your bets at when betting over/under and point spreads is also a must.
Punters should bear in mind that while handicapping, they will not be able to make correct picks all the time, but using this betting method will undoubtedly help them enjoy a more lucrative betting session.
Which NFL Betting Markets Should Punters Handicap
Punters who want to make the most out of their NFL betting sessions should give their best to constantly improve their handicapping skills. It is essential to note that handicapping NFL monyelines and point spreads has a lot in common, as gambling enthusiasts will be required to examine roughly the same information in order to figure out who the most likely winner will be.
Yet, handicapping point spreads is a bit more challenging because NFL bettors should be more precise with their decisions as this time, the margin of victory is concerned. It is also not excluded to see NFL bettors who make their predictions on totals, but without a doubt, moneylines are the most common markets handicappers’ predictions revolve around.
There is no doubt that the most important part of handicapping NFL games is properly understanding what value is and how to find it, no matter the preferred market.
Why Is Handicapping Beneficial
If punters want to get more bang for their buck while betting on the NFL, they should undoubtedly handicap games. It is only natural that gambling enthusiasts are not willing to throw their money at bookmakers, and handicapping will increase their chances of making correct picks.
Yet, punters should not be left under the impression that by handicapping, they will get guaranteed payouts. NFL bettors should keep in mind that there are a slew of factors that can affect the game outcome, and even if they might be confident about the way the game will play out, it is not excluded to see another result. As we mentioned earlier, injuries, suspensions, and the weather are only some of the factors that might have a significant impact on the way the game plays out.
The advantages of handicapping are thick on the ground as gambling enthusiasts gain a better understanding of the factors that can potentially change the course of the games, improve their knowledge about the sport, improve their chances of placing winnings bets, and eliminate luck as a factor during the decision-making.
Handicapping NFL Preseason Games
Many avid sports bettors never miss an opportunity to have a flutter on the NFL, and the preseason games are by no means less attractive for them. If they want to handicap preseason games, gambling enthusiasts should consider several important things, and the moneyline is indeed something to look into. What punters should remember is that not all sports betting sites will introduce this market for the preseason, but if they find such platforms and go for it, they might be in for handsome payouts.
While discussing the moneylines for preseason games, we should also mention that punters’ decisions should not be influenced by the performance of the teams during the regular season.
Live wagers might also be a rarity during the preseason, but if NFL bettors find a bookmaker, which offers live odds, punters should not miss this opportunity. In fact, such bets might bring punters great value, especially if they make their picks at the right time, which might translate into some whopping payouts.
If you are a total novice at handicapping NFL games and you find it challenging to make your picks, following experts is the best thing you can do. In simple terms, punters should go out of their way to ensure that they will read up on as much information as possible, no matter if they are about to place bets on the preseason or the regular season.
Factors to Consider when Handicapping NFL Games
Handicapping NFL games will undoubtedly improve the overall results of gambling enthusiasts, as they will no longer merely look at the names of the contending teams and say which one will cover the spread, will lose, or win.
There are many factors gambling enthusiasts should pay close attention to while making their picks, and the quality of the teams should be among the first things to look into. This is not to say that punters should merely attempt to figure out which team is more likely to win, as instead, they should try to get an idea of which team is stronger. In order to evaluate their quality right, gambling enthusiasts should not only pay attention to all positions on the football field, and not only on the defense or the offense.
As we mentioned already, in order to ensure that the decisions they make will be as precise as possible, NFL bettors should also assess the current form of the two teams. Punters should not only dedicate some time to get an idea of how the two teams have played recently but should also look into the teams they have been playing against.
Thus, if we assume that the team punters are about to place a wager on having won three games in a row, this does not necessarily mean that they will win again, especially if they have faced weaker opponents in the previous matches. In other words, NFL bettors should make sure that they will not get carried away by the winning or losing streaks of teams as they should pay more attention to the opponents they have played.
The playing conditions are yet another major factor that can affect the way the game will play out, which is the reason why punters should also consider them when handicapping games. Weather reports can be exceptionally useful, as they can help punters adjust their picks about the number of points that will be scored throughout the game or the team which might win the game, as while some teams are off their game when the weather is poor, others play at their best. Analyzing the quality of the teams plays a vital role, especially if gambling enthusiasts prefer to place future bets.
While using the handicapping technique, punters should also take a look at the team’s recent schedules as this can have an impact on their performance during the game they are about to place a bet on.
If they want to get the most out of their betting session, handicappers should make sure that they always keep tabs on the injury reports as the absence of major players can worsen the team performance. All the more so if the team does not have quality replacements for the injured player.
Of course, it is not excluded to see two players injured at the same time, which will exacerbate the situation. Injuries are indeed factors punters should not overlook, but they should not pay them too much attention either. Thus, even if a key player is injured, NFL handicappers are not advised to immediately bet against the team, as thus, they might miss the value backing the team might bring.
While handicapping NFL games, punters can use various other information, including player stats, the home/away records of the teams, how the teams do against the spread, and whether any coaching changes are made, to name a few.
Is NFL Handicapping Suitable for All Punters
Contrary to what some punters might believe, the handicapping technique is not appropriate strictly for seasoned bettors who know the league inside out. In fact, learning profitable NFL handicapping is possible if gambling enthusiasts are willing to constantly learn and improve their knowledge. In fact, handicapping is a strictly mental skill, and the more punters learn about the league, the easier it will be for them to handicap games.
Even if punters are not good at crunching numbers, they should not worry too much as handicapping is not all about having strong math skills but having a sharp eye for things that occur or not during NFL games. As gambling enthusiasts already know, the NFL offers a wealth of lines and betting opportunities, which is one of the reasons why so many punters grow interested in wagering on the league. One of the skills good NFL handicappers develop is finding lines that offer value.
As NFL bettors can acquire all the knowledge they might need in order to successfully handicap games, they should add and remove variables to their strategy in order to determine which ones work best for them. Thus, what punters need to do is test the variable they have picked and if they consider that it works well for them, continue building on things that do the trick.
Learning from their mistakes is where many NFL bettors come stuck while using the handicapping method. No matter how much experience punters have under their belts, they should be prepared that from time to time, they will make wrong picks but what sets the successful handicappers from the rest of the NFL bettors is that they analyze the reasons why things went wrong in order to avoid making such mistakes in the future. Of course, punters should also keep in mind that they might make wrong picks also because of the short-term variance.
It is a must for NFL bettors to always keep track of the games they handicap and the bets they place. By keeping a record of the bets they make, it will be easier for gambling enthusiasts to go through this information and figure out what mistakes they have made. The only way to get guaranteed profit is by constantly testing and practicing their handicapping skills and knowledge.
Mistakes to Avoid while Handicapping
In order to effectively use the handicapping strategy, gambling enthusiasts should not change their overall approach toward games as they should also pay more attention to the mistakes other punters tend to make in order to avoid them. First and foremost, punters should make sure that they will not get carried away and place too many bets.
While speaking about the wagers gambling enthusiasts make, we should also mention that they should always think twice before they make a parlay or teaser bet because of the greater risk such bet types carry.
NFL bettors should not overlook the importance of line shopping, as this is indeed one of the keys to more lucrative results. By comparing the odds sportsbooks have introduced for the game punters want to bet on, they will make sure that they will not throw money at bookmakers and will do well out of the staked amounts.
Taking a look at the various bonus incentives NFL bettors will be treated with during their betting session is one more thing they should not forget to do while handicapping games. First-timers and returning users of the NFL betting sites are usually given a choice from free bets, reload, and match bonuses, among others, that can give them more value if the terms attached to them are reasonable.