American football, both professional and college football, forms the dominant sport in the US, as this is a favorite that sits well with far more sports fans than basketball, baseball, and ice hockey.
The NFL is the professional section of American football, and it consists of 32 teams that are divided into eight divisions where each team plays 16 games through the football season. Eight of a team’s games will be at home, and eight will be away.
The fact that the football season is so short may make it seem not worth putting too much effort into betting on it, but if you are prepared for the season and start doing your research early, you can benefit from it nonetheless.
Betting on NCAA football provides some more opportunities because there are over one hundred teams, but betting on college sports is not legal in all states, which makes this availability an exclusive one.
However, to
make money betting on sports
and making a long-term profit from sports betting is not a myth, including betting on football. There is, however, a specific way to approach a more profitable method of betting, as this kind of betting has very little to do with luck.
One crucial component you need to add to your betting strategy or while you’re creating one (you’ll need one) is utilizing a mathematical and analytical foundation that will lead you in the right direction when choosing how to bet and what to bet on. One of your greatest allies in this department is EV or estimated value. A positive or negative EV can show you which bets to go for and which to avoid, and it requires a bit of math to calculate EV. However, it’s straightforward if you understand odds and the idea of probability. Applying EV to your betting strategy does not affect the sport you’re betting on.
There are some excellent guides to EV you can check out on TheGruelingTruth.com.
However, some factors are more based on practicality and less on pure hard math that can help you go the extra mile towards conquering your bet and earning your cash. Here are some of the best tips available to combine with EV for a super-powered betting strategy.
Manage that bankroll
To answer “yes” to “is sports betting a profitable hobby,” we suggest you plan ahead for the whole season, including your budget. It’s crucial that you remain strict with the way you plan your bankroll and that you know that the money you’re putting aside is not required for anything else. Thus, it is available for betting.
Never use more money than you can afford to lose. As a general rule of thumb when it comes to expenditure and betting, you should try not to spend more than 2%-5% of your bankroll balance on a bet. That’ll keep you going slow and steady throughout the season, and the most challenging skill you need to master here is discipline.
Remember about the home-field advantage
Do you believe in home-field advantage? If you don’t, you should maybe start considering it the next time you place a bet.
The psychological effect that playing in your own domain has on football teams is proven in the NFL, as almost 60% of teams win home games.
Being among your own supporters and on your own turf can make the game appear a lot more conquerable. If the visiting teams also traveled from a different time zone, this can give the home team some tangible advantage. How long did the visiting team have to recover from their jet lag? How big is the time difference?
However, while this is proven to be relevant, it is definitely not the only component you should consider if you want to make money from betting on football.
Don’t focus too much on trends
Focusing on the trend itself may not bring you the results you want. In fact, it’s what causes the trend that you should consider looking at. The real answer is often behind the numbers, and that’s why many bettors think they’re doing proper research, but the information they’re looking at is, in fact, misleading.
Always make sure to analyze previous games, trend or no trend. It creates a broader perspective that can help you understand the upcoming game’s context and give you an advantage.
You can enjoy diversity when it comes to betting
Although NFL betting experts recommend this tip, it may not work for everyone, so read and decide how you feel about this. Although it can be favorable for you to use diverse betting methods, just make sure you understand how all the betting types work even if you choose not to do it.
TheGruelingTruth has awesome content on betting types that can help you gain perspective and understand
how to win while sports betting
and why some bettors prefer to use specific bets.
According to NFL experts, the bets that are most profitable in football are
- Spread bets,
- Money line bets,
- and totals.
If you decide to use different betting types instead of sticking to one, it’s also vital to know where and when to apply which betting type to get the most from it. For that, you need above-average football knowledge, which you’ll gain in no time if you analyze games regularly.
Keep a solid record of all your betting activities
You will thank your future self if you decide that you want to go into profitable football betting, and you keep a record of literally every betting move and the research that supports it. This is a habit that professional bettors take seriously because, down the line, you’ll be able to find a wealth of information in your own handwriting that you can learn from and reflect on.
Here’s what we recommend for you to have in your betting record notebook:
- Date
- Bet type (market)
- Bet details
- Sportsbook
- Your bet amount
- The pdds
- Profit/Loss
- Comments
This is a tried and tested way of improving yourself and consistently gaining profits while seeing your journey as one of learning. Your records will clearly show you where you made mistakes, misjudgments, where you lacked discipline, and the lack of profit will also show. It’s a great way to improve your craft and keep yourself accountable.
The ability to identify team performance has a lot to do with determining betting value. Making accurate assessments on team performance in the long-term can bring in consistent money for you in football betting.
Apart from calculating EV, there are other things you can look at when assessing team performance and their future performance in a game you have your eye on.
Roster additions/subtractions and injuries
Learn from experienced American football bettors and take advantage of early season odds by assessing the impact of each team’s roster additions and subtractions during the off-season.
Assessing the impact of injuries correctly is another way successful US football bettors take advantage of football odds in the leagues. For example, an injury that may seem to have less impact, like an injured lineman, can have a much more powerful effect on a team’s potential than you think.
It’s important to look at which players are injured and who they’re going to be replaced with, as this can change the dynamics in the team. It’s not only the injuries of quarterbacks and wide receivers that require our attention; every player in that team has a function. If one is injured and replaced by another, this can affect the likelihood of that team’s success and your betting strategy.
Conclusion: Go on and make some money!
By applying these practical strategies, you can be on your way to becoming a successful sports bettor in football. Always remember that to trump the game of chance, rely on the math to give you the upper hand.
Profitable football betting is a reality and one you can benefit from, whether you’re into NFL or college football. Follow our tips, and you’ll be well on your way to starting seeing bets as investments.
When it comes to sports betting, many of the same betting types apply to different sports. So, there is more to it than just using a specific bet type. Take a look at our sports betting guides where we provide lots of advice on how you can start making money with profitable football betting.
That actually depends on several factors. For example, you may need to look at specific components that are directly relevant to the game you want to bet on before choosing a bet. Some bets, however, are mostly more effective in football than others. We provide some great betting guides that explain betting strategies to you on TheGruelingTruth.com, so all you need to do is take a look.
Ideally, as much as possible. That’s why our experts at TheGruelingTruth.com have prepared this article, along with other helpful articles like sportsbook reviews and bonus reviews for you so you can take a look at the basics and start from there. You can benefit from this great advice, so take a look at our site.
