Betting on football through the best NFL betting sites is fast becoming a mainstream American pastime.

As more states legalize sports gambling, and as the NFL continues to flex its muscle as the king of all North American games, more and more football fans are getting in on the action each week.

Typically football fans will wager on one of three betting markets, the moneyline, spread and total, for a game.

Since moneyline and spread wagers are unpredictable, fans may want to take their shot at the Over/Under, especially if there is a distinct advantage to wagering either side.

If you’ve heard about the Over/Under but aren’t quite sure how it works, here is a guide to betting NFL totals at the top-rated NFL betting apps, all of which offer NFL-specific promotions for new bettors.

How NFL Totals Betting Works

Sportsbooks typically display an initial table of numbers for a bettor to wager, including the moneyline—or which team will win—then the spread and Over/Under with corresponding odds for each based on how likely each will hit.

Totals will always be listed as the middle number, after the spread and before the moneyline odds. Typically in the NFL, totals numbers will be listed between 41-52 – though some games will feature higher or lower numbers depending on the weather and potential quarterback play. 

Odds for totals bets will always be within -105 to -115 and are usually -110 on each side, or the sportsbook equivalent of a coin flip. The odds include the vigorish.

Example: For instance, if the Jacksonville Jaguars are playing the Indianapolis Colts in the controlled climate of Lucas Oil Stadium, the total may be in the high-40s or low-50s since each team has a dynamic quarterback and skill-laden offense. If the total number is listed at 48.5, an Over wager would hit if the game had 49-plus points, and an Under wager would be correct if the game had 48 points or fewer.

If the Over/Under number were listed at 48, and the score ended 27-21, then the bet would push and the bettor would receive his/her initial stake back. You can think of a push like a tie between the customer and the sportsbook.

Why Bet Totals for NFL Games?

There are times when the Over/Under will be listed as a super-high or low number designed at enticing players to wager one side or the other. Because NFL totals numbers will never get higher than the mid-50s, and since there are NFL shootouts every Sunday, betting the Over in a matchup between two great offensive teams can be a better bet than picking a team to win or cover the spread.

If there is dramatic weather that can adversely affect a game or the game is a matchup between two exceptional defenses, then the Under can be your friend, especially if the game looks close on paper. Since the odds will almost always be conducive to wagering, a totals bet will rarely have odds that are too short to wager.

The key to totals betting is doing your homework, especially with NFL wagers, since sportsbooks are exceptionally good at producing razor-thin margins when creating betting lines. If you find an edge then strike as quickly as possible, keeping in mind you could very easily be sitting on a losing ticket if there is a scoreless first quarter.

For instance, if the Colts were playing Jacksonville in Northern Florida, but there are torrential downpours coming down at kickoff, it would be worth it to wager Under 42 points, especially since Jacksonville’s defense is usually sneaky good.

How to Bet NFL Totals

Finding totals bets are simple, and cashing in is as easy as these simple steps. 

Here’s how wagering totals works:

• Sign up for an account at one of the legal online sportsbooks in your home state, or if you already have an account, simply log in.
• Insert playable funds if necessary and be sure to include any necessary promo code or bonus code to unlock the best new-player offer.
• Tap the NFL tab and click on the game you wish to wager on.
• Tap either the Over or Under wager you wish to place.
• Enter the amount you wish to bet.
• Tap place bet.
• Root for your wager to hit.

Alternate Totals

As with spread betting, players can wager on an alternate total, too. Simply click on “game lines” on whichever game you wish to bet and slide the scale to move the totals number higher or lower. Odds will vary based on the likelihood for that bet to cash.

Wagering alternate totals can be an excellent opportunity because sportsbooks have creating totals numbers down to a science. But betting Over 45 in the hypothetical Colts-Jaguars game in Indy would be way more likely to hit than 48.5 and would make a viable parlay leg, since multi-leg bets are tough to hit.

But be careful because wagering alternate totals can be tricky, especially since online sportsbooks usually will only empower players to wager within only a few points of the originally listed total. 

Plus, the odds usually make alternate totals unconducive to straight wagers, since we generally don’t advocate players to bet on wagers -200 or shorter.

Live Betting Totals

Live betting is one of the unique elements of online betting, and totals numbers will vary substantially from the start of a game to the end. If you are a live-betting shark then capitalizing on trends as quickly as possible is integral, which makes live betting on totals a fascinating option.

If there is a scoreless first quarter then a football bettor can get a better number and more lucrative odds. But be careful, especially while live betting, because longer odds mean greater risk, and the greater the risk the more likely it is you’ll lose.

For instance, if the game total starts at 45.5, but both teams score touchdowns on their opening drives then the live total may move to 50.5, due to the fact there is a higher likelihood of a higher-scoring game. If neither team scores on its opening drive, it may move to 40.5.

Live betting totals can be a great way to get better odds on an alternate number, like the 40.5 if neither team scores on its opening drive. But as always there is risk to live betting since game trends can flip in an instant, and the corresponding odds and totals will shift along with them.

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