American Football betting

American football, the biggest professional sport in the US, is limited to just 256 games a season with every one of the 2009/10 fixtures attracting an average of 68,240 spectators. These impressive figures tell only part of the story. Coupled with a belief that the game’s value is maintained by limiting the amount of action screened on television is an underlying commitment to share the spoils of the game’s commercial success equally.

It’s an egalitarian attitude from which other sports could benefit, while the game’s comparative rarity means that American football betting is both concentrated and, during the regular season, incredibly popular.

Having a bet on American football, particularly during the Super Bowl, has become as natural as Mom’s apple pie. The range of American football betting tips, the availability of free bets offered by online bookmakers and the sheer quantity of American football betting odds ensures there’s plenty for everyone.

Nor is American Football betting limited to its primarily US audience. Thanks to live television coverage on this side of the Atlantic, American football bets are extremely popular amongst UK bettors who take full advantage of the internet to place their stakes at times when high street bookies are closed.

Part of the reason for American football’s appeal is its innate competitiveness.

The cash generated from centrally-negotiated deals is split equally between each of the 32 NFL franchises. When merged with an annual draft process which sees the best college players going to the ‘worst’ teams, an environment is created that works against the establishment of sporting dynasties. This is significant because it means that any NFL side can lift the game’s biggest prize, the Super Bowl.

Betting on American football increases enormously during the run-up to the Super Bowl, which is scheduled for the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, next February.

“We invariably have all kinds of predictions about how much TV advertising time will sell for and the game’s economic impact, but we should not ignore the volume of American football betting prior to the Super Bowl,” says one online bookmaker. “Granted, our free bet offers help to some degree, but the Super Bowl captures punters’ attention and the American football bet becomes as much a part of the game as pretzels and a beer.”

American football betting odds encompass a variety of different markets – from the standard ‘win-lose’ predictions to a game’s total points, first scoring action, points spread, half time / full time and dozens of others.

“In some respects, American football betting is similar to betting on say, English soccer,” claims one professional gambler. “Matches are nearly always tight and anyone undertaking some internet research can establish scoring trends in specific games which both explain American football betting odds and work as a predictor of future outcomes. Remember though –most games are very close.”

Will American football betting ever rival the volume of soccer wagers in Europe? It seems unlikely, but that does not deter gridiron’s army of enthusiasts accessing free bets via the internet, or mulling over the vast array of American football betting tips.