When betting on NFL, one of the tricky moments is to skip the preferences you have for a particular team. You need to bet objectively and not on sympathy. It doesn’t matter whether you like or despise the team. I’m pretty sure that this is not an easy task, but when it comes to betting, it is a wise decision. Be objective, and read ahead.
There are several other things to keep in mind, and in this article, you will find the most important ones:
* Check the information for injured players. Such information is crucial for a team game such as the NFL. The absence of a key team player might change the game results. Since injury reports are sometimes unclear, you’d better check the NFL beat writers’ Twitter accounts for more details;
* Another factor to check for before betting is where the team played the previous week. Statistics show that frequent travel and the busy schedule cause low performance. This statistic is so even among the strongest professional athletes. So, keep that in mind when betting on a team with a lot of trips during the last week;
* Home team advantage is considered as a significant factor, especially during the playoffs. Calculate the likelihood for the team to win a home game. You could easily do this by comparing their winning percentage at home to their winning percentage as a guest team. It is preferable to check the recent results, but also to use a more extended period (not only the last season);
* Consider making a ‘bankroll’ – put aside a certain amount of money which you could lose. This bankroll is for your security. Betting with money you could not afford to lose would cause you unnecessary stress and might affect your decisions.
* Diversify the risk. Check thoroughly all the possible bets you can make to bet wisely and not feel uncomfortable. One way to lower the risk is to buy points. The most common options are to buy either half-point or full-point. By doing so, you change the spread in your favor. Of course, this lowers the profit, as well. Some bettors use this option when betting against the spread (see the next hint);
*Keep track of the betting lines during the week. The odds could easily change in one or another direction influenced only by public perception. There are two ways of action – either to bet as the public does or to bet against the public. In the first case, you’d better bet early. By choosing the second option, you’d better wait until emotional bettors drive the odds in your favor.
To summarize, you need to do your thorough research before putting a bet on the NFL game. There is a lot of truth in the saying that ‘success is where preparation and opportunity meet’.
The strategies reviewed in this article are, especially for NFL betting. If you are planning to bet on a different sport, you may also check the respectively sport-specific advice.