NFL Football Betting Info on Odds Shark. Betting on the NFL remains by far the leading single driver of sportsbook business. It's no surprise that America's hunger for the latest and best NFL point spreads continues to grow, along with football injury updates and matchup data to help them win more bets, and ultimately more money. NFL odds for conference championship games Below are the latest NFC and AFC championship game odds, including point spreads, money lines and over-under totals for every game, according to the.

How NFL Odds, Lines, Point Spreads and Totals Work

When you wager on NFL football it’s important that you understand clearly and concisely how to read odds and how they work. This is basic information that you must know in order to make informed bets.

You’ll need to know how the rotation number, point spread, moneyline and over/under are used and what each means. Each of these terms may be called by another name. The rotation number if often referred to as the number or the rotation mark, moneyline becomes line, point spread is called the spread, and over/under becomes the total. When you come down to it, these are the major terms that can be lumped under the heading odds.

Bookmakers use odds to even out the bets, getting gamblers to wager on both sides of the line by leveling the playing field. Although there is overall parity in the NFL, there are teams that are haves and others that are have-nots. Indianapolis is still superior to Cincinnati but when they play each other the bookies have to get about half of the bettors to put cash on the Bengals. This covers the sportsbooks ensuring they’ll make a decent amount of cash on just about every game.

When you read NFL odds, you’ll first see the date and time of the game on the left and then immediately to the right, there will be two numbers with the name of each team next to one of each numbers. That number is called the rotation number.

Rotation numbers are standard from sportsbook to sportsbook. The number becomes a way to refer to the game and team without mentioning the teams name. It’s a sort of shorthand. Also, the rotation number allows each book to list the games in the same order—numerically. It is, in essence, a way to keep all of the games that are posted each day and throughout the week organized. That makes it easy for the bettor and the bookie.

As an example, let’s consider a matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals. In our scenario, the Bengals are the home team, which means they will be listed last and the Colts, as the visitors, will be on the odds slip first. If Indy’s rotation number is 101, then Cincy’s rotation mark would be 102. When you place a bet live at a Vegas sportsbook or over the phone, you would say the number of the team on which you want to wager and not the name.

To the right of the team’s name are the different types of odds. Usually the spread will be first. You may then see the moneyline (although some books list these on another slip) and then, finally, the over/under. Thus, all of the basic bets are in one place, allowing for easy access.

The point spread, which is the most popular type of bet, lists the favored team with a minus sign and a number and the underdog with a plus sign and the same number as the favorite. (If neither team is favored, they will be listed as EVEN or PICK.)

The team that has the minus sign, which is the favorite, has points deducted from its final score, while the dog, with the plus sign, has points added. The favorite must beat the spread, which means they have to win by more than the negative number to pay off. The underdog pays off in two instances—if they win outright or if they lose by less than the spread.

In our scenario, Indianapolis is at -10.5 and Cincinnati at +10.5. If you bet on the Colts at -10.5, which means they are favored, they must win by 11 or more for you to collect on your bet. If you wager on Cincinnati, which is the underdog, your bet pays off if they win the game outright or if they lose by less than 11.

Sometimes with NFL odds you’ll see a spread posted as a whole number. Decimals or fractions are usually utilized to ensure there won’t be a tie. If in our example the spread was reset to 10 with the Colts favored and they win by 10, then the game is considered to be a tie, which in betting terms is called a push. If there is a push all bets are off and the sportsbooks return all wagers back to the bettors.

Many people will say that the odds on a spread bet are even, paying 1:1. But this is not true. The actual odds are 0.90:1. For every dollar bet, you can win 90 cents. When checking out the spread, you’ll usually see a number listed next to each spread. That number, which is your stake, is posted as -110. This number tells you how much you have to bet to win $100. If you put $110 on either team, you stand to win $100. If you bet $11.00, you can win $10.00. Every NFL point spread works this way.

The moneyline is different. First, with the moneyline whichever team wins the game pays out. There’s no giving or taking away of points. How do the bookies even the playing field with the moneyline? They do it by making bettors wager more on the favorite to win less and allowing them to bet less to win more on the dog. The favorite is posted with a minus sign and a number. That number represents the amount of cash that has to be wagered in order to win $100. The underdog, on the other hand, is listed with a plus sign in front of a number. That number shows how much a bettor wins when they bet $100.

Taking the exact same match up and odds above, Indy would be listed at -380 and Cincy at +355. When wagering on the Colts, the favored team, a sports bettor would be required to bet $380 to make $100. If they take the Bengals, who are the underdog, a $100 bet can result in a $355 profit.

By the way, there is a relationship between the spread and the moneyline. The exact relationship can vary a bit depending on the book, but the correlation works in this manner:

When considering NFL odds, the last type of basic bet you’ll see listed is the total or over/under. The over/under is a prediction regarding the total number of points that both teams will score. As it is with the spread, the total is usually posted as a fraction or decimal and the stake is the same as it is with the point spread (-110)

With NFL odds the over/under can vary but usually it’s somewhere between 35 and 47 points. Let’s say in the Colts and Bengals game that the total is posted at 37.5. If Indy scores 27 and Cincy gets 13 points, the total would be at 40 and the over would win. But if the Colts rack up 35, and they shut out the Bengals, the total of 35 would be under.
If, as it is sometimes with the spread, the total is listed as a whole number, the result may be a push. Let’s say the total is 37 and the Colts score 24 and the Bengals 13 for a total of exactly 37 points. If this happens all bets are returned on the push.
If you are able to interpret NFL odds and know what the various terms mean, such as the rotation number, point spread, moneyline and over/under, you’ll have a basic understanding on what you are betting. Prior to wagering make sure you see our NFL odds page, which carries all the latest odds from the top online sportsbooks. Remember that the odds makers are attempting to even the out the bets on each game. The sports bettor has to analyze each game and the odds and make their bets accordingly in order to win cash.

NFL Playoff odds and point spreads are here for the divisional round this coming weekend. They can’t be considered too surprising. Fresh off their bye in the wildcard round, the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs boast the biggest point spread of the weekend against the upstart Cleveland Browns. Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers are seven-point favorites against the Los Angeles Rams.

In the two other games, we can expect close affairs with the point spreads being much more narrow. That includes the Bills at -1.5 against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. As for the other NFC game, the New Orleans Saints are three-point favorites over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Below, we give you NFL Playoff odds and point spreads for all four games in the divisional round with interesting blurbs the bettor inside of you might want to know.

Updated: Jan. 13, 10:00 PM EST

Related: NFL Playoff schedule, predictions

NFL Playoff odds and point spreads: Saturday’s divisional round action

Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers

Time/station: 4:35 PM EST, Fox

NFL Playoff odds and point spreads: Packers -6.5 (over/under 45.5)

Update: Jared Goff expect to start for the Rams

Rams quarterback Jared Goff has been abysmal since starting the season off strong, leading to renewed questions regarding his status as the Rams’ future at this position. Over the course of his past nine starts, last week’s win over the Seahawks included, Goff has thrown nine touchdowns while committing 13 turnovers.

Related: Why a Jared Goff trade makes sense in 2021

What’s equally troubling here for the Rams when we look at their NFL Playoff odds this January is the fact that Goff has tallied 14 touchdowns against 14 turnovers in his past 12 road starts dating back to last season.

Given the nature of the injury to his throwing thumb, it really is hard to imagine Goff being able to keep pace with Aaron Rodgers in the Wisconsin winter at Lambeau Field. This is magnified by the fact that Green Bay won its final four regular-season home games by an average of 16 points. Take the Packers and the points here. Don’t think twice about it.

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills

Time/station: 8:15 PM EST, NBC

NFL Playoff odds and point spreads: Bills -2.5 (over/under 50.0)

How good has Western New York treated the Bills since a Week 6 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs? It’s pretty darn remarkable. And it has us thinking Buffalo’s NFL Playoff odds, at least until the conference championship game, are pretty darn good. Buffalo is 6-0 in its past six home games. The team is averaging 36 points and a resounding 380 total yards per game during that span.

Related: NFL Power Rankings – Ranking each team for NFL Playoffs.

Despite the Ravens’ recent hot streak (six-game winning streak), this has us questioning the point spread with Buffalo at a -2.5. Last week’s win over the Titans included, the Ravens are 7-2 away from M&T Bank Stadium. However, four of those wins came against the Eagles, Texans, Bengals and Washington Football Team (19-43-2 combined record). It’s going to be a whole new ball game against the red-hot Bills. Expect Josh Allen and Co. to cover here.

NFL Playoff odds and point spreads: Vegas odds for Sunday’s games

Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs

Time/station: 3:05 PM EST, CBS

NFL Playoff odds and point spreads: Chiefs -10.0 (over/under 57.0)

Update: Browns activate CB Denzel Ward from COVID-19 list

Consider this. Kansas City finished the regular season 14-2 following a Week 17 loss to the Chargers with their starters resting. The Chiefs’ final seven wins of the season came by an average margin of 4.5 points per. This has not been the dominant Patrick Mahomes-led team we have seen in recent season. It could also have us questioning the defending champs NFL Playoff odds heading into Sunday’s game against an upstart Browns team.

Related: NFL defense rankings – Examining the top defenses in the NFL.

At the very least, there’s an open question whether this 10-point spread is based more on reputation than anything else. After blowout losses against the Ravens and Steelers earlier in the season, Cleveland final three losses during the regular season came by an average of seven points. This represents some food for thought. While it still makes sense to go with Kansas City here, avoid the points.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints

Time/station: 6:40 PM EST, Fox

NFL Playoff odds and point spreads: Saints -3.0 (over/under 52.0)

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when attempting to analyze this game from a betting perspective. Drew Brees has been absolutely brilliant at home in his career, winning 65% of his starts at the Superdome. He’s also 7-2 at home with 19 touchdowns against four interceptions in the playoffs. Heck, Brees and his Saints handled Tampa Bay during the regular season. That included New Orleans outscoring its NFC South counterparts by a combined margin of 72-25 in two games.

Related: Tom Brady statistical comparisons

Nfl Odds Week 1

Then, we have one Tom Brady. He just recently became the oldest quarterback to throw a touchdown in the history of the postseason. NFL Playoff odds have also favored Brady during an illustrious career that has seen him win six Super Bowl. At issue here for Mr. Brady is his career 5-4 postseason record away from Gillette Stadium (not including the Super Bowl, of course). He’s 20-4 in New England. Despite this, I am willing to go against the grain and pick a minor upset. It really is hard to bet against GOAT, even if it could mean Drew Brees’ final game as an NFL quarterback.