NFL Betting Guide Canada
The NFL is one of the most popular sports Canadians like to bet on. Although we love our own CFL, when it comes to betting the NFL takes most of the pie.
There are many ways to bet on games from the moneyline through to player props. All of these make watching the sport much more interesting.
Recently, there has been a surge in the popularity of player prop bets. However, the money line and spread are still the most popular bet types.
NFL Betting – The Moneyline
For those new to betting on football this is the easiest bet. You simply bet on a team to win the game. As long as they score more than the opposition in regular time your team will win the bet.
However, when there is a mismatch with a heavy favourite the moneyline odds can be very short. Therefore, some sports bettors will not place a bet at such short odds.
Because of this, another type of bet became popular. You often hear it talked about on sports shows.
It’s betting on the points spread.
NFL Betting – Spread
The points spread is a points number a team has to win by. Also, you can select a team to lose by less than the spread. Essentially you are betting on a team to “beat the spread.”
This type of bet is very popular because it doesn’t matter how competitive the matchup is the points spread is set at a level which makes the game interesting.
As a result, the odds are higher than the money line for a favourite to beat the spread than to win outright as in the moneyline. Although the odds will be shorter for the underdog to beat the spread they are more likely to do so than win the game outright.
NFL Player Prop Bets
Player prop bets have surged in popularity in the last number of years. More and more football analysis and coverage focus on player prop bets. As a result, in Canada more people are placing prop bets.
We covered NFL player prop betting in more detail in another article. However, here is a summary of popular prop bets.
Passing Yards
You can bet if a QB throws for over or under a certain number of yards.
Receiving Yards
The number of yards receiving a play gets.
Rushing Yards
This is the number of yards on the ground a played gets during a game.
Anytime Touchdowns
A popular player prop bet is anytime touchdown. Odds can be quite high for defensive players as expected but could be attractive if a player has a good record of getting pick sixes going into the game.
Other Player Props
There are many other player prop bets available such as the number of tackles, interceptions, touchdowns etc.
NFL Outright Betting
Who will win the big one? You can bet on the Super Bowl winner. Also, you can bet on conference champions along with divisional winners.
In an extension of game-based player props bettors can place bets on season-long props. As a result, passing yards, rushing yards and receiving yards across a season can be backed.
Regular Season and Playoff Betting
Many seasoned sports bettors prefer betting during the regular season. This is because the quantitative analysis is more accurate for regular-season games. There is an x-factor during the playoffs which may impact expected performance.
Crowds are louder, coaches play calls may deviate from the norm due to the nature of a one-off elimination game. Players will play through injury etc.
All in all, for bettors who rely on analysing statistics betting on the regular season, is preferred. However, the excitement of a playoff game may present opportunities for the more casual sports bettor.
Betting on the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events worldwide. In Canada, we all watch the game each year. Family and friends get together to enjoy the game. Although true football fans do the same for the Grey Cup!
For many, the Super Bowl will be the only football bet they place all year. Especially for neutrals placing a bet on the Super Bowl makes the game more interesting.
How the Draft Impacts Betting
A key reason for the NFLs success year in year out is the draft structure. Giving teams with the worst records higher picks in the draft balance out the league over time. This is especially the case if a team can find the next franchise player.
An understanding of the college game helps will help understand how a drafted player will perform in the pro league.
It’s also important to know where the new player will sit on the depth chart. It may take then a number of seasons to win the starting position. This can be the case in the Quarterback position.
In a lot of cases it could’ve the unheralded player that lights up the NFL and not the Heisman trophy winner. Think Tom Brady and Johnny Football.
In reality, until you can analyse how a player actually performs in the NFL with the scheme they are working with and supporting players around them you never really can tell if they will influence the betting lines in the long term.
Franchise Players and Betting Markets
For those who bet on season outright markets, an injury to a franchise player could mean that the season for the entire team is practically over.
This will also change the odds in games the franchise player misses. However, it is not just about the skill positions. If an important offensive lineman is injured this could wreak havoc with the rushing and passing game.
In some cases, it may be just as harmful to a team’s chances as the starting quarterback being sidelined.
Conclusion – Football Betting
There are lots of betting options for football and NFL in Canada. You have a wide range of markets to place you bet on.
You can bet on the NFL here at VIPCasino. Check out the latest odds.
