NFL Sports Betting odds can have several lines to take bets on for the same game. There is fractional, decimal, and American style lines of odds normally displayed. Fractional would show as an example, 5/2 which would mean 2.5:1 where for every one dollar bet $2.50 would be won. Decimal would be for example a line of 2.45, and in that case for every one dollar wagered $2.45 dollars would be returned. Lastly, there is the American style of line, in which it’s shown as a positive or negative number. A line of –125 would mean that $125 would be needed to be wagered to win $100. Conversely, a line of +125 would mean that $100 need be wagered to win $125. Even odds, simply means that the amount wagered will return the same amount on a winning bet. With this explained there are a few different types of bets that may be placed. Each will have the above listed payout lines leveraged against them. These are Point Spread wagers, Over/Under, and NFL Futures bets.
Point Spread wagers
Point spread wagers are where a team is given a positive or negative number of points by which they are to win or lose. For example, Team A is given a point spread of +7. This means that Team A has to win the game by 7 points or more for that particular wager to return as a winning bet. Alternately, Team A having a –7 point spread means that they are to lose the game by no more than 7 points for the wager to return as a winning bet. Or, if you prefer the –7 indicates that you are placing a bet on Team B to win by 7 points or more. Either way you look at it, a negative number next to the team means they must lose by that many points, and a positive number means they must win by that many points. This is not a new form of wagering and by far the most popular form of betting for persons by traditional sportsbooks over the years, and has just overflowed into the online array of bets offered.
Over/Under wagers
Another type of bet is the Over/Under style wager. With this wager there is a total number of points listed that the two teams combined will score. You may bet either that at the end of the game the total points scored will either be over or under that total when the team scores are combined. So if there is a 54 point Over/Under line given on the game the following example is the case: You may place a wager, normally with different payouts, that either the end result of the game will accumulate a points total of both teams added together, that will either be “Over” 54 points or “Under” 54 points. Fairly simple and likely why this is a very popular type of bet, and has been around for years and years.
Parlay bets
There is also what’s called a parlay bet. This involves betting on multiple games as a package of bets. You for example bet on three selected wagers for 3 games. This can be any array of wagers like two point spread bets, and an Over/Under bet making 3 total bets. Another example could be a straight win/loss bet on the odds coupled with a point spread bet and two more Over/Under bets making a total of four bets. It can be any set not necessarily those specific arrays, and have as many bets in it as you’d like, it only needs to be comprised of single bets listed that may be taken for any single bet. Parlays just have to be 2 or more bets combined to be qualified for this style of wager. In turn, you are essentially placing several bets in one package bet for all to win. Therefore, higher payout odds are given, however, if not all bets in parlay return as winners, no money is paid for the parlay bet. This makes it a higher risk bet, but with a promise of large return should all return winners.