The football season is a marathon, not a sprint. Successful football bettors are disciplined, they only bet when they have an edge and they aim to get the best odds available. Bettors should also focus on their strengths. For example, a daily fantasy football enthusiast will often be more successful betting on props (player or team) than picking teams to cover against the spread.

To make the payout odds as close as possible between two football teams, sportsbooks implement a point spread. An example of a football point spread bet is the Bills -3.5 (-110) vs. Patriots +3.5 (-110). As you can see, the payout odds (-110) are the same. However, rather than the Bills just needing to win the game straight-up, they need to win by 4+ points to “cover the spread” (ATS). A bet on the Patriots at +3.5 points will cash if New England win the game or lose by three points or less.

In football betting, -3 represents a point spread. A point spread with a negative number means that team is expected to win the game (the favorite). A -3 football spread means the team needs to win by 4+ points for the wager to win. If the team wins by exactly three points, the bet will be a push (tie) and your stake is returned. If the team loses the game, bets on the team at -3 will lose.

There are numerous over/under or totals football betting markets. The most common over/under bet is the game total. An example would be the Vikings vs. Packers over 42.5 points (-110) or under 42.5 points (-110). Your goal is to predict whether both teams will combine to score over or under 42.5 points. Bets on the over will cash if 43+ points are scored and bets on the under cash if 42 or fewer points are scored. A number of other markets utilize over/under propositions, such as team totals and player props.

There are many things to think about when placing a football wager, but here are several important factors to consider:
– Pay attention to where the game is being played.
– Use multiple sportsbooks to compare betting lines.
– Don’t bet with your heart.
– Follow expert football predictions.
– Know individual player matchups.