Betting football futures is a great way to supplement your strategy.
Key Points
– Football futures bets are those on events that will be determined in the future, like the Super Bowl for example.
– Bettors can use simple strategies to improve their payouts on football futures bets.
Betting Football Futures
Futures betting, of course, is wagering on an event that will end in the future. With regards to betting football, NFL specifically, one of the most popular futures bets is on the winner of the next Super Bowl.
The result will not be determined anytime soon. It’s a future event, hence the term ‘futures bet.’
Football futures are very popular among bettors. What types of bets are available and how can bettors have more success?
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NFL Futures
As mentioned, the Super Bowl is the most popular of all NFL futures bets. The market for the next Super Bowl winner usually opens the day after the previous Super Bowl.
Odds will change over the offseason. Offseason trades and free agent moves will play a role in adjusting odds. Take the free agent move of Tom Brady from New England to Tampa Bay two seasons ago.
The Bucs went from a middle-of-the-pack longshot to a bona fide Super Bowl contender when it was announced that Brady was being signed. Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl odds shifted dramatically after the announcement.
Betting the Super Bowl futures market offers bettors some outstanding opportunities. Even an overall favorite may be given odds of +500 to +900. The bottom line is that betting early on the next Super Bowl winner can produce some big payouts.
Bettors can also wager in the futures market on conference champions and division winners. These markets offer smaller payouts, but there is still plenty of opportunity.
There are also the Odds to Make the Playoffs and the Regular Season Win Totals markets. Both markets offer value on certain teams, especially those that make strong offseason moves. The playoff futures bet is a simple Yes/No bet. The Win Totals bet is an Over/Under wager. Looking back at previous year’s sports odds and picks can help determine value bets.
Bettors can also wager on a number of NFL awards like the league MVP, Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, and Rookies of the Year. NFL bettors will also find markets for Comeback Player of the Year as well as Coach of the Year.
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College Football Futures
College football is also very popular among sports bettors. Betting on the sport has increased dramatically with the number of U.S. states now offering legal sports betting.
Like the NFL, college football’s most popular futures bet is on its end-of-the-year champion. The College Football Playoff national champion is decided each January and, like the Super Bowl, the odds for the next CFP winner are available the day after the previous game has finished.
College football also offers the Regular Season Win Total future bet as well as the market for college football’s best player – the Heisman Trophy. There are 130 FBS programs, so there are many opportunities available in the Win Total category.
The Heisman race typically starts with five to ten candidates at the beginning of a season. Like many of the NFL awards, bettors can find quality candidates at favorable odds.
Betting Football Futures Strategies
There are a few things that bettors can do to improve their chances of winning a football futures bet. Picking a winner in the NFL offers a 1-in-32 chance at the beginning of the season without factoring in anything. The point is that picking a winner can be difficult.
Remember though that futures bets offer plus-money returns meaning you will get back more than you wagered. To get a bigger payout, watch for favorites that struggle early in a season.
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A few years ago, the Kansas City Chiefs lost four of six games long before the season was over. Futures odds will fluctuate throughout the season. The Chiefs Super Bowl odds went from under +1000 to over +1000 that year. This represented a great opportunity to take the Chiefs, who were an early season favorite. Kansas City went on to beat San Francisco in Super Bowl LIV.
Line shopping is a must for football futures bettors. Different sportsbooks will offer the same football futures markets, but odds will often vary from book to book. Bettors have the ability to find a team or player at +1000 instead of +700. That’s an extra $300 on a winning bet. When bettors find a futures bet they like, they should immediately begin looking for the best price.
As mentioned, futures odds will fluctuate throughout an entire season. Plus, the markets remain open until just before the event or award is about to be decided. Football bettors don’t have to place futures bets at the beginning of a season. They can place them anytime throughout the entire season.
Are you looking to bet on horse races, but not sure where? Use an online racebook that also lets you bet on sports and play casino games.