While some gambling enthusiasts are into the habit of placing their bets prior to the start of the games, others are more interested in jumping into the action after the match is already underway, and this is possible, thanks to the live betting options many bookmakers introduce these days.
If punters are interested in placing bets on unique aspects of the games or the thrill of placing bets as the game pans out is more to their liking, they are sure to enjoy this form of wagering. Today, live betting is a major phenomenon not only in Europe but in the US as well, which comes as no surprise considering that this form of placing bets on the NFL adds an additional level of thrill and excitement to merely watching the game.
Wagering on the NFL while the games play out has plenty of advantages, and more and more gambling enthusiasts try their hand at this way of betting on sports because of the money-making opportunities they will stand the chance to find and the greater flexibility they can benefit from.
Even though live betting offers a wealth of opportunities to win, gambling enthusiasts can get easily carried away and end up with emptied bankrolls in the blink of an eye. If NFL bettors are yet to give live betting a try, or they merely want to polish their knowledge, giving this article a once-over is what they might need.
What Is NFL Live Betting
The popularity of sports betting has grown immensely over the past few years, and placing bets on the NFL is now a rite of passage every week. It will not be an exaggeration to say that live betting has revolutionized the sports betting industry around the globe as the way gambling enthusiasts view and wager on American football and other sports has changed a lot.
Live betting is indeed an option more and more NFL betting sites introduce, but gambling enthusiasts should not expect to see it everywhere. Yet, if the chosen sportsbook offers in-game betting, gambling aficionados are most likely to find these betting opportunities in a separate selection, where they might also be offered the opportunity to watch the games as they pan out.
Thus, based on the current action and how the game develops, the roster of betting options gambling aficionados will be presented with will be constantly updated. Along with the current score, the time remaining will also determine the line-up of live betting options NFL bettors will have a choice from. As punters see how live odds update every few minutes or even seconds, and if they are quick to detect the valuable betting opportunities, they might be in for juicy payouts.
So, how does live betting actually work? Live betting is also known as in-game betting, and it involves placing wagers as the NFL match unfolds. In simple terms, gambling enthusiasts will have the opportunity to wager on various aspects of the matches after they have already kicked off, which is the most noticeable difference with pre-game betting options. Thus, when NFL bettors pick live odds, they will effectively be required to place moneylines, over/under, and point spreads, among others, not prior to the game but after it has already started. Thus, if bettors already know the drill for placing these single-game bets, they are sure to face no challenges if they decide to switch to live betting.
What makes live betting such a well-liked option by gambling enthusiasts these days is that depending on their sports betting platform of choice, they might be provided with quite a wide range of markets. Additionally, bookmakers are unlikely to limit the assortment of live betting options exclusively to the NFL, which punters who have a liking for other sports will be happy to hear.
What Is NFL Half-Time Betting
As gambling enthusiasts might already know, while placing bets on the NFL, their choice will not be limited exclusively to the whole game as placing bets during the half-time is also an option. What NFL bettors should bear in mind is that when they go for live betting, they will still be presented with quarter lines and will be offered the opportunity to wager on the different halves. Of course, the availability of these options will also depend on the stage of the game. Gambling aficionados might also be allowed to go for prop bets on the outcome of the next play or drive, for example.
Half-time betting is a well-preferred way of in-game betting, and many punters also refer to it as second-half wagering. As NFL bettors might expect from the name, these are wagers that focus on the outcome of certain periods of the games, and the lines are released once the first half is played. Depending on the sports betting platform, these betting opportunities might even be introduced prior to the end of the second quarter. No matter the case, gambling enthusiasts will see that the totals and spreads will be adjusted in order to reflect the way the first half has panned out.
Thus, if gambling enthusiasts place bets on the second half, whether their wager wins or loses will only be determined by what is going to happen during this half in particular, and how the game has played during the first half or the result will be irrelevant.
Placing NFL half-time wagers is a breeze, and gambling enthusiasts will wrap them up as they would do with any other bet type. What they should keep in mind, however, is that usually, they will be given a choice from point spreads, monyelines, and totals. One of the biggest benefits of placing such bets is that punters will have a couple of minutes to examine the available information and hopefully, make better decisions.
At this point, punters might be wondering what the difference between in-game betting and half-time betting is. In simple terms, when NFL bettors go for live betting, they will have the opportunity to lay bets on just about any drive and how it will end, which is to say that such bets will only have to do with a single play. With half-time betting, on the other hand, sports bettors will only cover the last two quarters of the match. The similarity between these two ways of wagering on the NFL is that such betting opportunities are not available for a long time.
NFL Live Betting Options
Today, in-game betting is among the most sought-after features of sports betting platforms, and because of the rapidly changing odds, gambling enthusiasts will need to adapt their decisions without any ado. One of the options punters have when they want to boost their bankroll is to get creative with the wagers they make, and in-game betting might be the way to go for them. As we mentioned already, when making live NFL bets, the live bets gambling enthusiasts will be allowed to decide between will depend on how much time there is until the end of the game.
At the very minimum, the NFL sports betting sites that offer in-game betting will introduce updated over/under bets, moneylines, and point spreads. Yet, depending on the bookie and the sport punters want to bet on, they might find other intriguing wager types as well.
Moneyline
Live moneyline bets do not differ from the ordinary straight-up bet punters will make prior to the beginning of the match. When they place live moneyline bets, punters will once again be required to pick the outright winner, but they will see how the odds change as the game plays out. Thus, if we assume that one of the teams scores in the first quarter, the odds will be instantly adjusted to reflect this change in the result.
Over/Under Bets
As is the case with the regular over/under or totals bets, when punters pick the live odds, they will need to decide whether the combined score of the two teams will be smaller or greater than the total the bookmaker has introduced.
Let’s assume that Cincinnati Bengals are playing the Houston Texans, and the Bengals are staying in their field, then the total points market for the quarter might look like this:
Line | Over Odds | Under Odds |
---|---|---|
10 | +120 | -110 |
If we assume that the Cincinnati Bengals move the ball into the field of the other team, the totals market will change and might look like this:
Line | Over Odds | Under Odds |
---|---|---|
12.5 | -110 | +120 |
Naturally, if punters prefer to place live total bets for the whole game, the odds will not be set that low. If we presume that Cincinnati Bengals are playing the Houston Texans, the totals for the game might start from 38.5, for example, and this total will be adjusted as the game progresses.
Point Spreads
When placing live point spread bets, gambling enthusiasts might be allowed to decide if they wish to make wagers on the game, the halves, or the quarters. The live NFL odds punters will get to see if they want to place a live point spread bet might look like this:
Cincinnati Bengals | Houston Texans |
---|---|
-3.5 | +3.5 |
As with regular point spread bets, if punters decide to bet on the Cincinnati Bengals, their wager will hit if the team wins the game by four or more points. If they want to bet on the Houston Texans, they will get a payout if the team does not lose the game by more than three points or if they win the game.
The spread will constantly change in order to reflect how the game evolves, and if we assume that Cincinnati Bengals score an early touchdown, punters might see how the spread instantly jumps at -9.5, for example. The line of the Houston Texans, on the other hand, might shift to +9.5, for example.
Prop Bets
NFL bettors who want to make live betting all the more thrilling can achieve this by placing prop bets. What they should keep in mind, however, is that making correct picks will require more expertise. If gambling enthusiasts have been keeping track of the performance of their favorite team, they might be all the more interested in placing live prop bets.
In fact, NFL bettors will stand a better chance to find value in live prop bets while the game is in progress, especially if they keep tabs on the injury reports, matchups, and stats. Additionally, it is a must for punters to give the teams’ ATS standings and the spread a once-over before they make a live prop bet.
The live prop bets punters will be allowed to choose from will vary considerably between the NFL betting platforms, but some of the most frequently available options include wagering on the team which will score first after the half-time, the player who will score the next touchdown, or the outcome of possession or play, to name a few.
Is Live Betting on the Super Bowl Worthwhile
As gambling enthusiasts might already know, the biggest prop bet frenzy comes when the Super Bowl takes place. The live betting opportunities are significantly more when compared to the prop bets that are introduced during the regular season, and wagering on the coin toss, the duration of the anthem, or the player who will get the MVP award are only some of the options they might be given the opportunity to decide between.
There are plenty of reasons why many gambling aficionados are looking forward to wagering on the Super Bowl, and, first and foremost, they dive into it because of the considerable thrill and excitement. The pinnacle of the NFL season is not only fun to watch but to bet on as well, and if gambling enthusiasts are smart with the wagers they make, they can snatch handsome payouts.
Placing bets on the Super Bowl means that punters will be kept on the edge of their seats all the time, but what is even better is that sometimes, they will stand the chance to get over the losing pre-game bets they have placed as well. Most of the time, NFL bettors tend to forget about their losing bets as soon as the game kicks off, especially if they see success with the live bets they make.
Making live bets on the Super Bowl gives punters the opportunity to hedge their bets, and instead of completely overlooking their wrong decisions, they should consider placing live bets that merely countervail the wager that is expected to lose. If NFL bettors have already figured out that the pre-game bet they have made is destined to lose, they can make up for their losses by flipping the script with their in-game bet. Naturally, by doing so, they should make sure that they will take no risks with their live bets. NFL bettors are advised to think twice about the wagers they are about to hedge, as well as the amount they intend to put at a stake as making such decisions on the fly is unlikely to work to their advantage.
Finally, when gambling aficionados place live bets on the Super Bowl, they will be much more likely to find wagering opportunities that give them an edge over bookmakers. Of course, this is only possible if punters have a good understanding of the sport and have taken their time to do good research.
This is so simply because bookmakers will not have that much time to put up and take down live wagers as is the case with pre-game bets, for example. As any adjustments to the odds happen in real time, punters might find lines that differ significantly from their expectations, and if they already have the needed knowledge, they can be quick to notice and capitalize on such opportunities. Yet, NFL bettors should not be left thinking that such opportunities appear frequently or that they are sure to win.
Pros and Cons of Placing NFL Live Bets
Placing bets while games progress is indeed an entertaining way to wager on sports, but before gambling enthusiasts get involved in this form of betting, they should take their time to examine its pros and cons.
As we said already, making bets based on the current and updated action can give punters a huge advantage, and finding the bets that offer the best value can bring them the whopping payouts they might be after. That being said, live betting has its pitfalls, and as it turns out, the biggest challenge punters face is properly managing their funds.
Advantages of In-Game NFL Betting
The unmatched flexibility live betting offers is what makes many sports bettors go for this form of wagering on the NFL. Depending on their preferences and the sports betting platform they have picked, punters might be allowed to make their live bets minutes or even just a couple of seconds after the game has begun. Punters will benefit from greater flexibility also when it comes to the wager types they will be allowed to place, and, as we explained earlier, along with monyelines, over/under, and point spreads, they should also expect to see plenty of prop bets.
One of the main reasons why gambling enthusiasts are keen on making live bets is that they do not need to limit themselves to just one wager type at a time. The opportunity to place several bets on the same game can work to the advantage of NFL bettors, especially if they make smart picks.
Live betting is indeed one of the most inventive ways to bet on the NFL, and this is the reason why such betting opportunities are so sought-after these days. The fast-paced and ever-changing market provides punters with totals, moneylines, and point spreads before every quarter, half, and period, no matter if they are watching the Super Bowl or a regular-season game. Along with these options, punters might also be allowed to bet on the player that will score the next touchdown, the team’s next drive, the next touchdown scorer of the team, and if there will be or won’t be more touchdowns until the end of the game, among others.
If punters decide to place one of the above-mentioned bet types, they will stand the chance to find better odds than the ones bookies introduce prior to the beginning of the match simply because bookmakers will adjust the odds depending on the way the match plays out.
Going for this form of NFL wagering also allows punters to hedge their bets and potentially lock in their profit. If punters are convinced that their pre-match bet will lose, they can attempt to go against it with a live bet, which might potentially recoup their losses.
Disadvantages of In-Game NFL Betting
Placing live bets on the NFL or any other sport or league does have its disadvantages, and, to begin with, punters need to be far more self-disciplined when compared to making pre-game bets. As it turns out, when they opt for live betting, punters tend to become more inclined to overspend because of the greater variety of betting opportunities that appear throughout the game. Thus, live betting undoubtedly puts the self-discipline of NFL bettors to a test as they should make sure that they will not put larger sums at a stake and will not place too many bets.
Additionally, while making in-game wagers, NFL bettors are more likely to start chasing their losses, and oftentimes, they end up with no funds in their gaming accounts. In other words, live betting might make punters more likely to mismanage their funds.
In spite of the fact that live betting has gained much momentum over the past few years, gambling enthusiasts should keep in mind that not all bookmakers might have added this form of betting to their portfolios. As a result, punters might be presented with a limited range of options to decide between in terms of NFL betting platforms they can join.
The amounts punters might be allowed to put at a stake might also be viewed as a disadvantage by some NFL bettors. When compared to over/under or point spread bets, live bets have considerably lower bet limits, which might put off high-stakes punters. Of course, gambling aficionados should be aware that the ceiling on the amount they will be allowed to stake on live betting markets will vary between the sportsbooks.
Placing live NFL bets can be a challenge for punters, especially if they are total novices and are yet to learn the intricacies of the sport or the bet types. Placing your bets at a platform, which offers a wealth of markets will undoubtedly work to the advantage of punters but might leave rookies overwhelmed. Thus, it might be more difficult for inexperienced punters to find potentially profitable wagers.
Punters might enjoy the freedom of placing bets on NFL games at almost any point but what they should keep in mind is that because of this greater flexibility, they will face higher vigor. When compared to ordinary bet types, the commission bookmakers charge when introducing live odds is significantly higher, which is yet another downside of this form of wagering on the NFL.