It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The NFL is set to begin, finally, next week and college football will be back underway this evening. If it weren’t enough just to bask in the return of greatness that is football, we also live in a time where gambling on sports just takes the entertainment to the next level. What a time to be alive, amiright?
College Football
College football is a fickle beast. You think you know the teams you are betting on and then the next week they get blown out by Basket Weaving State University. Kids have a tough time in college. They’re teenagers, remember. They have girl problems, math homework, papers due and practice and lifting. Moods and energy levels change from week to week, so it’s not surprising there can be a completely different team showing up from week to week.
With that said, there are some powers like Ohio State and Alabama that are usually sure things. Unless the spread goes over 50, you can usually feel pretty safe that these teams will mop up their competition. History shows Ohio State would be an easier bet with a large line due to the fact that the Big Ten (historically) has been inferior in competition to the SEC. It can be argued either way, but what cannot be argued is stressing the importance of doing your own investigative work. Know your teams competition. Know the conference. A lot of times you’ll be able to find a dark horse in a weak conference that will continually cover the spread week in and week out. If you jump on them early, you’ll be able some money before the linesmakers get hip to their talents. It’s hard, but it is definitely possible to do.
National Football League
We know how good Tom Brady is. We know how good Odell Beckham Jr. is. These are facts. We know this about a lot of athletes in the NFL. For this reason, the NFL seems to be a little easier to wager on than amateur sports. But should it? In my personal opinion, I think the NFL is harder to figure out than college football. The NFL is a collection of some of the best athletes on the planet. Even if you think a team “sucks”, they would mop the floor with either college team mentioned above. For that reason, you cannot really discount a team based on an assumption that they stink and cannot keep up with the opposition. Unless it’s the Cleveland Brown vs the New England Patriots. In that case, you may have an argument.
If you can find a line in an NFL game that is under double digits, take a hard look at it. Like I said before, these are the best athletes on the planet. Spotting them more than 10 points in a game is a pretty large gamble. Also, and most people forget this point, look at the weather. Muddy mess means little points. Over and under’s can be completely blown up if the radar look sketchy.
Whether your preference is the NFL or college football or your dark horse team is Basket Weaving State University, the time is now to begin looking at teams you think have a chance to make you some money this year. Good luck to everyone and Happy Football Season to you all!
