Football Gambling Online 101

The Super Bowl is just days away which means you’re already starting to hear things like “take the points,” “I like the under,” and “always go with the chalk.” For the uninitiated, they ‘re gambling terms. Here’s a quick rundown of things you should know about football gambling and the Super Bowl:

Pittsburgh -7: that means Pittsburgh is favored by 7 points. If you bet Pittsburgh, they must win by more than 7. On the flipside, that means Arizona is +7. Bet Arizona and it’s like getting a 7-point lead to start the game. And if the game end 24-17 in favor of Pittsburgh? That’s called a “push,” and everyone gets their original bet back judi slot.

O / U 46.5: that means the “over” is 46.5 points (also called the “under” or the “total”). If you think the COMBINED score will be more than 46.5 points, you would bet the over. Bet the under is you think the total will be less than 46.5 points. “Juice” on the two types of wagers above is the percentage you pay the casino / bookie / guy down the street, and it’s typically 10%. That means if you bet $ 110, you will lose $ 110 or win $ 100. That’s why gambling is impossible.

Most betting on football games is made against the spread (the + or – number) or on the total (over / under), but there are plenty of other ways to wager. The money line is another common wager. In this case, all you need to do is pick the winning team, but you pay a premium for taking the favorite and get paid handsomely for choosing the underdog. If the money line on a game is -320, that means you have to bet $ 320 just to win $ 100 on the favored team. The opposite end of that is a “+” number, usually 10, 20, or even many points lower, such as +300. That means betting $ 100 on the underdog will pay you $ 300 if they win the game. Since there is no built in “juice” on this type of wager, that 20-point difference between -320 and +300 is how the bookie makes his money.

Parlays, teasers, and other wagers are available too, but if you are reading this post because you need an intro to gambling, you don’t need to worry about those just yet. Lose your money slowly before you learn ways to lose it faster.

Common gambling terminology:

“Take the points” – bet on the underdog.

“The chalk” – the favored team (you’ll also hear “give the points” from someone liking the favorite).

“The hook” – the half point that cost you a gambling win. When you take the under in Sunday’s game and the final score is 27-20, you can tell people you lost by the hook. Then you’ll receive a fake wince from your friend and a “go get ‘in next time” pat on the back.

“Props” – propositions, or those goofy bets predominantly found in the Superbowl, like bet.