Checking Out The Numbers With NFL Odds

Maybe you are reading about your favorite professional football teams, and you notice some numbers. Some teams may have numbers, while others may not. You might understand that it has to do with one team being favored over another, but there is a little more than that, to it. Here is a brief look inside the numbers of the NFL odds.

Point Spread

The point spread involves a handicap that one team receives over another, for the purposes of betting. Some of those numbers will be positive. However, you also may see some negative numbers.

Suppose your favorite team is the Tampa Bay Bucs and they are playing a team called the Carolina Panthers. The Bucs may have a minus three, and there may be no number by the Panthers. This means that Tampa is favored by a field goal, or three points. Now suppose that the final score is Tampa 17 and Carolina 16.

If the Chargers beat the Chiefs 24-21, this may seem like a good thing, but not if you are betting on Sand Diego. In order to make it fair, you must deduct four points from San Diego’s score and then compare the numbers. When you do this, you see that the score changes to Chargers 20 Chiefs 21.

If you bet money on B Team, you would win, even though Team B loses the game by three points. In other words, Team A does not cover the spread. You also may see a money amount (at betting sites), beside some teams. For example, if Team X is minus $125, then you have to bet $125 on Team X, to win $100. This is called the money odds.

Final Thoughts

Understanding NFL odds is not hard. One team is given a handicap for the point spread, and the money betting is done on $100 against the amount listed. Also, make sure that you deal only with legitimate betting sites.

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