football gambling

In the United States sports betting is only legal in the state of Nevada but more wagering is done on sporting events than any other form of gambling. Offshore sports sites, illegal bookmaking operations, office pools and bets amongst friends and sports fans make it the number one gambling activity. Whether you bet on College or Professional football the basics are the same. Here are the most common football bets.College Football is still considered the king amongst many for wagering purposes due to the sheer number of games played by the various teams in the various divisions on a weekly basis, which means that in truth there are indeed many more opportunities that can be found in terms of sheer “value” in College sports over professional sports, however, most do not understand that while wagering on College football is almost identical to wagering on the NFL, the handicapping principles involved are totally different, below you will find some solid advice from Jim Campbell which has greatly contributed to his achieving a total combined average winning rate of 59.88% in all sports over the past EIGHT years.
1) Use discipline in the number of games you wager on weekly, you must have a sound money management game plan in place which from the outside looking in, is based on a wagering concept of “units per game”, but on the inside is really based on percentage of bankroll. I recommend NEVER wagering more than 5% of your total bankroll on any given game and no more than 25% of your total bankroll on any given weekend. Most wagers should fall within the 2% or 3% range, you can then either use a “flat betting” system in which you wager the same amount on each game or use a “best bet” format in which you rate your games highest to lowest and assign your betting percentages accordingly.
2) Most novices or beginning gamblers should use a flat betting system based on percentage of bankroll for the best long-term results, for example, if your starting bankroll is $5000 then a 2% wager on a contest would be $100, meanwhile a 3% wager from the same $5000 starting bankroll would be a $150 wager. A flat bettor would then wager either $100 or $150 on each contest but not exceed the 25% of total bankroll mark of $1250 (based on the same starting bankroll of $5000) over the course of the week. Once the weekend results are finalized you would then have a different bankroll total based on your winnings or loses for the week, this becomes your new bankroll, the next week you would then adjust upward or downward the amounts wagered on a per game basis based on your new “percentage of bankroll” numbers. Remember that everyone will have their share of good weeks and everyone will have their share of bad weeks, the idea is to not place all of your eggs in one basket, you must be able to survive the bad weeks if you want to come out ahead in the long term.
3) A good strategy to follow is to focus in on the local teams in your neck of the woods, the reasoning is simplistic in that in most cases a gambler first started as a fan, meaning that in general terms no one knows the local teams better than a local fan which in this case is YOU, however, you must be careful not to bet with your heart and instead use your head, for example, although I advocate using off-shore sports books as a means of having multiple outs for the purpose of “line-shopping”, I also advocate using a local book when placing a wager against a local team, the reason is based on line “value”, in many cases a local line on a local team can vary by as many as one or two points, mainly because of the fact that the vast majority of local fans wager on local teams which in turn means that a local line is often different that a national line on the very same game.
One of the nations most prolific handicappers is Jim Campbell who can be found at footballforecastor , he once again showed his expertise by finishing the 2005-2006 college football season with an overall amazing and eye opening mark of 49-32-1 ATS for a winning rate of 60.49% which includes a record of 9-4 ATS with his College Bowl selections and also includes his winning selection of Texas over USC in the BCS National Championship Game, that winning result on Texas means that Jim Campbell has now correctly picked the point spread winner in the past EIGHT straight College National Championship games.
Our goal here at footballforecastor is to hit the 60% win mark year in and year out with our NFL and college football selections, in the big picture few handicappers are able to achieve this lofty goal on a consistent basis. I shake my head in wonderment on how they get away with such outrageous claims when I see the Saturday morning scam-you-cappers on TV or in the advertisements listed in the USA Today newspaper touting win percentages of 75% or 80% over the course of a season.
The simple truth is that the very best handicappers consistently produce seasonal results that fall within the 55% to 60% range much like we do here at footballforecastor year in and year out, my advise to all new clients is to use extreme discipline in the amount of games you wager on each week, you must also adhere to good money management techniques in order to get through the peaks and valleys of a long season.
1) SIDES
This involves the smaller number listed by each pair of teams. The team beside the smaller number is favored by that many points. (So the Jets are favored over New England by 6.5, Green Bay is favored over Oakland by 10, Seattle by 7.5, and so on.)
Pick the team you like to win the game, including the handicap. You risk $11 for every $10 you want to win from the bookmaker. If you choose Seattle, Seattle must win by more than 7.5 points (so 8 points or more). If you prefer Detroit, Detroit either has to win on the field or lose by 7.5 points or less for you to win your bet. So it doesn't only matter, sometimes, who wins the game, but who wins including the handicap or "spread".
If Detroit wins, Detroit bettors win.
If Seattle wins by 8 or more points, Seattle bettors win.
If Seattle wins on the field by 7 points or less, Detroit bettors win because Seattle "didn't cover the spread".
Suppose in the Pittsburgh–Cleveland game Pittsburgh wins by exactly 7 points, the line. In that case all bets are considered off, and risked money is just returned to bettors. This is called a "push", "wash", "jerk", and other things I can't print here.
This is the most common bet in football. If you're risking $11 to win $10 on each bet, you must be right 52.4% of the time to break even.

2) TOTALS
This involves the larger number associated with each pair of teams. This is the "Over/Under" number, and it's listed beside the underdog.
Envision the total final score of both teams in the Pittsburgh–Cleveland game. If you think it'll be "OVER" 41.5, risk $11 to win $10 from your bookie. If you think it'll be 41 points or less, bet the same amount on the "UNDER". Overtime counts!
If the Minnesota–Atlanta game ends 28-20 for a total of 48, that's a push treated the same way as a side that pushes. Bettors just get their money back.
Scored Official
At least 55 minutes of play must elapse for bets to have action, unless otherwise specified. Overtime counts for all bets unless otherwise specified.
Game propositions
Propositions bets are additional betting opportunities offered on the game. They can cover a wide range of results and occurrences within the game e.g. total offensive yards, total first downs, longest scoring play, time of first score etc. Any special game proposition bets offered are accepted single bets only, unless specified otherwise. For example, the following props are allowed in parlays - winning margins, double result, highest scoring quarter and first scoring play of the game is. Overtime counts for all proposition bets unless specifically stated otherwise. For example, overtime does not count for double result, highest scoring quarter of the game, and half with most points. Overtime counts for all bets unless specifically stated otherwise. All prop bets are accepted single bets only, unless stated otherwise. Quarterback & Running Back props are based on gross passing or rushing yards gained.
Futures
NFL regular season wins and match-ups are based on teams completing all 16 regular season games. AFC/NFC Conference winners are determined by the teams progressing to the Superbowl. NFL Divisional winners are determined by games won during regular season based on teams completing all 16 games. (Tie is no action) NCAA regular season wins and match-ups are based on teams completing the minimum number of games specified. (Ties are no action) Straight Bets The team wagered on must win by the point spread given at the time of the wager. For straight wagers, unless otherwise indicated, the odds are $1.10 to win $1.00. Games that tie are considered "no action" and money is re-deposited back into your account. Due to changing events, the point spread may fluctuate at any time. Example: Player wagers $110.00 on Cleveland -6 to beat +6 If San Diego wins by more than 6 points the player wins $100.00 so the total payout including the initial wager would be $210.00. If Cleveland only wins by 6 points then the game is considered "no action" and all money is returned to the bettor. If the Cleveland wins by less than 7 points the wagers is lost. Totals (also known as Over/Under bets) The combined score of both teams for games wagered on, all totals lay $1.10 to win $1.00 unless it is otherwise indicated. Example: The player lays $110.00 on the OVER in the NY Jets/Dallas game. The total for the game is 45. If both teams' combined score is more than 45 than the player would win $100.00. If the combined score is equal 45 the game is considered "no action" and the money is returned. If the combined score is less than 45 then the wager is lost.
Buying points
Points can be bought only on point spreads and totals to move the spread or total to your advantage. The amount you have to risk in order to win the same amount originally quoted will increase. The amount of this increase will vary depending on how many points are bought. Push rules apply. Money Line Wagers
The team wagered on just has to win the game. The amount you lay or take for each game may vary. The money line that is read to at the time of your wager is the money line you keep regardless of any line movement. Example: The player wagers on Miami -160 at Minnesota +260. If Miami wins then the player would lay $160.00 to win $100.00. If the player bet on Minnesota then the player would lay $100.00 to win $260.00 Halftime Wagers
Halftime wagering is simply a wager only on the score of the first, or second half of a contest. The line offered will be a pointspread, a moneyline, or a combination of the two, but the wager applies only to the score of the halftime period specified. Parlays (also known as Multiples or Combos) This is a bet of 2 or more teams (selections) or propositions in no particular order. All teams wagered on in a parlay must win. If there is a tie, or "no action" among the selections made, the parlay reverts down to the next lowest number for payoff. In the case of a 2-team parlay, it will revert down to a straight wager. No parlay bets will be accepted where individual "selections" are connected. For example, you cannot parlay the over of the first half of a football game with the over of the total game, because the two are 'connected'.
Note: Baseball runlines, Football 2nd half, or Basketball 2nd half lines cannot be parlayed. If those bets somehow get in the system they will be graded "NO ACTION". Teasers A Teaser is a selection of two or more teams in one wager in which the point spread is adjusted in your favor. The number of teams selected and the number of points selected determines the payout odds. A "Tie" or "No Action" and a "Win" on a two team teaser shall constitute a "No Action" wager. A "Tie" or a "No Action" and a "Loss" on a two team teaser shall constitute a "Losing" wager. Ties on a three or more team teaser shall revert to the next lowest betting bracket. (Example: A tie on a three team becomes a two team teaser.)
Note: Football and Basketball half times cannot be teased. If those bets somehow get in the system they will be graded "NO ACTION". Futures A "futures" wager is a bet placed on an event that is scheduled to occur at some future date. For instance, prior to the beginning of the regular season for each major sport, odds will be established for each team to win their individual division, conference and seasonal championship. Another type of "future" wager that has become extremely popular is the over/under wager for the total number of victories for the entire season for a given team. Proposition Bets (Exotics) Simply put, Proposition/Exotic Bets may generally be considered as any wager other than a straight "side" or "over/under" wager. More specifically, these wagers usually involve specific events and occurrences that happen throughout any given game. We have listed some examples for you below. Props/Exotics will be offered on the more marquee games on the betting menu. These include, but are not limited to, Sunday and Monday night NFL games, various NCAA Football games, major Bowl games, and most Playoff and Championship games. There are also many other miscellaneous events that Props and Exotics will be offered for. Examples and Definitions of Common Props/Exotics *- Which team will be the first to score? The team that scores first in the game (touchdown, field goal or other). This bet will be taken off the board for wagering 15 minutes before the scheduled kickoff time because the coin has been tossed and the team who will have the first possession of the ball is known.