After a grueling and heart-palpitating 18 weeks in the 2022 National Football League campaign, it’s time for the playoffs. The road to Super Bowl LVII is officially underway. More football means more bets, plays, and totals to further add to your viewing pleasure. 

Although betting can be enjoyable, and its popularity is at an all-time high, there are indeed various tips and trends that you can use to give yourself a competitive advantage when it comes to gambling. Without further ado, let’s examine a few gambling tips and trends among five separate categories as the 2022 NFL postseason gets underway. 

Moneylines

Before we embark on ways to win you money, let’s first learn some of the terminologies starting with the term “money line.” A moneyline bet is the most straightforward wager when it comes to sports betting. If you choose a team on the moneyline, you will win your bet if they win by any margin either in regulation or in overtime. 

In the NFL playoffs, a number of moneyline bets will present themselves with varying odds. The key is to examine the odds, target an underdog or favorite (depending on the odds), and determine where you can gain competitive advantages as that team may be undervalued by prospective sportsbooks and markets. This may appear in the form of a key positional injury, how that team has performed recently, or just how teams “stack up” against one another. Ultimately, it’s best to target an underdog if you’re seeking a moneyline wager as this is an excellent way to maximize value. 

Totals 

The “total” in a football game refers to the total amount of points scored by each of the two teams combined. When betting on the Over or Under, there are a number of key factors to consider. 

Teams that are high-paced and high-octane typically garner a higher total from markets and sportsbooks (i.e. 49.5, 51.5, 53, etc). On the contrary, you’ll typically see slower-paced teams with lower totals (i.e. 40.5, 39.5, 37, etc). I would advise avoiding significantly low totals such as 36.5 as a turnover or any unforeseen play that could ultimately kill your bet. Again, you’ll want to examine a game early to lock in your bet before the market adjusts before kickoff.

In addition to all of this, it’s good practice to keep your eyes on the total throughout the week to see what oddsmakers foresee prior to the game being played. This means that if you’re leaning towards the over, place your bet early in the week before that number rises. Sportsbooks are always trying to stay one step ahead of betting markets. It’s imperative you do the same, especially with football. 

Point Spreads

Next up is point spreads. In football terms, the point spread is the number of points that outlines the projected margin of victory for the favorite over the underdog. Take this weekend for example. The San Francisco 49ers are 10-point favorites (-10.0) over the Seattle Seahawks (+10.0). This means that if you bet on the 49ers, they have to win by 10 or more points. On the other hand, if you bet on the Seahawks, they have to win by any margin or lose by fewer than 10 points. Like many betting plays, there are a few things to think about when examining point spreads prior to a playoff game.

For starters, you will want to examine how the two teams match up against one another (i.e. pass rush, better home or away record, field-goal proficiency, etc). By doing this, you can gain an integral advantage and determine whether or not a team is being over or undervalued by the market. The more information you have at your fingertips, the better chance you have at determining where the value lies.

Another significant piece of information could be whether or not the game is divisional-based. For instance, the Wild Card round features three sets of divisional opponents, Miami at Buffalo, Seattle at San Francisco, and Baltimore at Cincinnati. In these games, this will be the third time these two teams face each other, so giving up a point spread such as 6.5 (Ravens) and 11 (Miami) is pretty high given how well each team knows one another. Again, any way to grab an advantage helps when placing any bet.

Finally, It’s always beneficial to look at recent trends, how teams do against the spread, and find value where you see fit. 

Futures

A “futures” bet is a wager placed on a specific outcome that is decided in the future. Many common futures bet in the NFL revolve around individual awards (i.e. Defensive Player of the Year, Most Valuable Player, etc), division winners, conference winners, and ultimately Super Bowl champions. 

Like any bet, you want to look at odds and undervalued teams with excellent implied probabilities before placing one. Some of you may have already cashed in a few futures prior to the start of the postseason (i.e. over/under win totals, division winners, etc) which is fantastic. For example, I myself locked in on the Jacksonville Jaguars to win the AFC South prior to the season at +750. This means that a $10.00 bet returned a net profit of $75.00. Obviously, for myself and prospective fans of the Jaguars, that paid huge dividends. I did something similar locking in the Philadelphia Eagles in the preseason at +180 odds to win the NFC East. Once again, another winner.

Even if your selection doesn’t end up winning the desired outcome (which happens with regularity), you can still “hedge” your bet and walk away with a significant payout depending on the initial wager and how successful that team was. The key is to be patient and know the ideal time to hold onto a bet or hedge your bet and walk with the offered payout that many sportsbooks and oddsmakers offer. 

We sincerely hope this article has provided you with some insider information pertaining to betting throughout the NFL playoffs. Enjoy it to the fullest, football fans. 

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