Gambling on sporting events is an integral part of many college students' sports viewing, most notably the National Football League. Every Friday throughout the season I'll suggest the most enticing lines to pick from that week's games. For those of you new to the vast world of sports betting, here's a brief crash course:
Over/Under: An addition of the two teams total points for the game, you pick over or under the total points scored.
Money line:Pick a winner between the two teams playing, but each team has a different payout based on their odds to win the game. There are two possibilities for each team, a positive or negative figure. Positive figure represents how much can be won on a $100 bet. A negative figure represents how much money must be wagered to win $100. Ex.: Patriots (-250) vs. Jaguars (+250). If you pick the Patriots to win the game, you would have to bet $250 to win $100. If you pick the Jaguars, you would have to bet $100 to win $250.
Point Spread:Rather than simply picking a winner or loser, the team you choose has to cover the "spread" for you to win the bet. Easier to use an example: Patriots (-10) vs. Jaguars (+10). In this case the Patriots are giving the Jaguars 10 points. So if you were to bet on the Jaguars, they could lose the game, but as long as they don't lose by more than 10, you win. (Ex. Pats 31- Jags 24). On the other hand, if you pick the Patriots, they would have to win by more than 10 points to cover the spread (Ex. Pats 31- Jags 20).
With that said, let's get down to the betting. Since the NFL season doesn't start for another week, I'm going to start this season with Super Bowl odds to take, individual props, and regular season over/under wins. Remember, these picks don't signify that I favor these teams to win, but simply the odds they have been given are the best investment possible.
The odds I'll use all season will be based from popular betting site www.sportsbook.ag.
Super Bowl: Chicago Bears +1400.The Patriots (+500) are the favorites, but +1400 is extremely high for a team that has only improved since making it to the NFC Championship two seasons ago.
AFC Championship: Baltimore Ravens +700.The Patriots (+250) come in as the favorites again. Baltimore was a missed field goal away from taking the Pats to overtime in last year's AFC title game. I'm putting my money on Ray Lewis and Ed Reed to make it to one more Super Bowl before they retire. This year might be their last chance.
NFC South: Atlanta Falcons +140.Not much of a stretch here, but the Falcons come in marginally higher than the favorite Saints (+120) and I don't see how Atlanta isn't the favorite. Matt Ryan is looking like a top-five quarterback, and the Saints' troubles this offseason should have some negative effect on their success this year.
Leading Rusher: Chris Johnson +1500.Arian Foster (+350) and Ray Rice (+450) are favorites here. Johnson is expected to have a bounce back season, after being plagued by the lockout last year and a contract dispute. These odds are too high not to take a chance on.
Leading Receiver: Brandon Marshall +1500. Marshall and Cutler should return right where they left off in Denver, with Marshall surpassing 100 receptions. Calvin Johnson (+250), Larry Fitzgerald (+500) and Andre Johnson (+700) are the favorites. Andre is injury prone, and Fitz's quarterback situation doesn't look promising for him to be overly productive this season.
Regular Season Wins, Over Under: Here it gets a bit more confusing. You have to pick an over/under for the team's total wins, and your potential winnings also have odds.
Titans 7.5 wins: Over (+120): Tennessee went 9-7 last year, including a shocking loss to the Colts, and a lack of production from Chris Johnson all season.
Falcons 9 wins: Over (-150): A little less of potential earnings on this bet, but Atlanta getting 10 wins can almost be considered a guarantee.
Vikings 6 wins: Under (-135): Same thing as Atlanta, less earnings, but almost a guarantee here.
Steelers 10 wins: Under (+110): They're without James Harrison and have question marks surrounding their offensive skill position players. I like Cincinnati and Baltimore to lead the NFC North this season.
49ers 9.5 wins: Over (-160): People are predicting the 49ers to drop off from last year, but all they have done is improve their roster this offseason. They should be able to get at least five wins from their division.
Email: jon.gagnon@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Paul Hokanson/UB Athletics
