Starting a Football Betting Career

As a novice to football bets, the first thing you must learn is the types of bets used. These are the basics to a successful betting career. There are various types of football bets. A few of them are Straight Wagers, Money Line Wagers, Half-time Wagers, Parlays, Future and Proposition wagers, Teasers, Reverse Wagers, etc. Gaining a basic idea about some of these would help you place bets smartly.

The Straight Wagers:

In this wager, the team wagered on has to win by the point spread specified at the time of the wager. In straight wagers, unless specified, the odds are $1.10 to win $1.00. If a game ties, it is considered as ‘no action’ and the money you have wagered is re-deposited back into your account. For example, you have wagered $110 on Team A -6 to beat Team B +7. In case Team A wins by more than 6 points, you win $100, and the total payout would be $210. If Team A wins only by 7 points, the game is considered ‘no action’ and the money is returned to your account. You would lose the wager if Team A wins by less than 7 points.

The Money Line Wagers:

In this wager, the team wagered on just has to win the game. The amount you lay or take for every game may vary. The money line that has been read to you at the time of your wager is the money line you keep. It does not depend on the line movement. For example, you have wagered on Team A -160 at Team B +260. If Team A wins, you would lay $160.00 to win $100.00. If you had wagered on Team B, you would lay $100.00 to win $260.00

The Halftime Wager:

The Halftime Wager is placed on the odds posted for the second half of a game alone. All your wagers must go the full second half for action. The wagers are calculated similar to a straight wager unless otherwise specified. You cannot play teasers or buy points on halftimes. First half lines can also be played.

A Teaser:

In a Teaser, you have to select 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 decide the payout odds. In case of a "Tie" or "No Action" and a "Win" on a two team, the teaser will be a "No Action" wager. A "Tie" or a "No Action" and a "Loss" on a two team teaser will represent a "Losing" wager.

Futures and Propositions:

A Future wager is based on the outcome of events that take place each year. All wagers you place are final. You can avail no payouts till the conclusion of the specified season. A Proposition wager is based on the outcome of events that take place each year. In this case, odds keep changing everyday and all wagers are considered as action at the odds cited at the time of the wager.

A Parlay:

A Parlay is a selection of 2 or more teams (up to 5 teams) or propositions in no particular order. All teams that you have wagered on in a parlay must win. In case of a tie, it shifts to the next lowest number for payoff. For example, you wish to make a 5 team parlay as follows:

Team A -7 Team B +3 Team C -4 Team D -10 Team E -8

In case all these games are won, you would have won at 20-1 odds. In case 1 team loses, you lose the entire parlay.