If the sportsbook is busy with action, it should be football season. Be it the NFL or NCAA, football betting action is fast and furious during the season. For the newbie sports bettor, it could seem a bit confusing, but football bets really drop to two types-straight bets and parlay bets.
Football Betting – Straight Bets
Here’s the workhorse for just about any winning football bettor. A straight bet simply means you’re betting using one football game. If you bet on multiple game on a single ticket, it’s a parlay, and we’ll talk about that in a minute.
When you make a straight football bet, you will be betting on a side or total. Simply put, when you bet a side, you “pick a side” in the game. For instance, let’s say the New England Patriots are playing the Seattle Seahawks. If you are going to bet a side, you’d bet on either the Patriots or the Seahawks.
Every game includes a point total (except NCAA football, which is most games). It is the quantity of points scored between both teams. When you bet a total, you’re betting under or over that total. For instance, suppose the total is 47 and you also take the over. To win, both teams must combine for 48 or more points (47 will be a push, therefore you get your bet back).
Football Betting – Parlays
Okay, so you find out about straight bets, that is where you bet on just one single thing per ticket. When you want to bet on more than one thing, it’s a parlay. You can bet on 2 – 20 things (depends upon the sportsbook).
For instance, let’s say without a doubt on the Seahawks and over the total on your ticket. That might be a 2-team parlay (despite the fact that technically there’s only one team on it).
The more items you placed on the ticket, the more money you’ll win should they all hit. Naturally, the more items on the ticket, the harder it really is to win.
With parlay bets it’s an all or nothing thing. If one pick fails, the ticket is dead. Some sportsbooks will run specials for getting close, but that’s very rare.
If you enter making football bets via parlay tickets, you might check out “teasers,” which are parlay tickets with added points for you. For instance, rather than taking the Packers -10, you might get them at -3. Of sibbet , the payouts are a less because the risk is minimized.
Football betting is a blast and there’s nothing better than hitting the sportsbook with a big winning ticket. I hit straight football bets and parlays all season long. I look forward to the NFL and NCAA football seasons.