Betting on NFL Football games is a big part of the sport’s popularity. Fans of the game love the added excitement they get by having money on the line. It’s a rush … a big time adrenalin rush. But, betting on football is different from betting on any other pro sport.

Here’s why: football bets involve point spreads. That means the person making the bet has to have his team win by a specific number of points in order for him to win the bet and collect. Winning, by any score, is not enough and can easily result in a losing wager.

The point spreads are generally set each week by professional handicappers and odds makers in Las Vegas. They look at the two teams in an upcoming game … review statistics and up-to-date information about the teams ((winning or losing streaks, injuries, home field edge, weather conditions, playing history against each other)) - and create a point spread based on probability.

For example: if Team A is the home team, it is worth 3 points in the “spread.” Playing at home is considered an advantage. Let’s say that Team B will be playing with a reserve quarterback. That, too, is worth points in the “spread” that favor Team A. The odds makers know it’s going to snow heavily when the game begins on Sunday. That favors Team A, a cold weather team. That advantage will also be reflected in the point spread.
Generally, the point spreads are published early in the week preceding the upcoming Sunday games. That gives fans that enjoy betting ample time to review the spreads and make their decisions about the games. A 3-point spread in a game means that the favorite must win by more than 3 points in order for the bet to be a winning wager. If the team wins the game by fewer than 3 points, the wager will be a losing one.
So, what happens if the team wins the game by 3 points? That will result in a “Push.” Which means the bet was neither won nor lost. Of course, many point spreads involve half points which guarantee that someone will win the bet and someone will lose.

A point spread of 3 ½ points means that a 3 point win will result in a losing bet. This ½ point added to point spreads always drives fans crazy and results in a lot of frustration … and losing bets.
Frequently, one team looks to be so much better than its opponent that the “spread” is in double digits - 10 points or more. Fans rush to put their money on the big favorite. But, that’s a dangerous bet. When one team is clearly superior, it often jumps out to a huge lead early … and coasts the rest of the game. That allows the underdog to score late and turn the bet on the favorite into a losing wager.
This season, enjoy the games and the betting, but remember to keep close tabs on the point spreads. They can be the difference between winning and losing.