NFL Live Betting Explained

Thanks to smart phone technology, live betting is more popular than ever and this article looks to breaking down this rapidly growing wave offering advice and more detail into how this phenomenon works in terms of NFL football. The basics of football betting usually involve the money line, point spread, and over unders (totals) but thanks to the wonders of modern technology, live betting has begun to take over.

Live Betting: How It Works

This is exactly what it sounds like: you get to bet on NFL action as it is happening in front of your television screen and there are plenty of ways to bet on the game.

Live betting not only gives bettors a chance to bet on the outcome of a game but on a play by play level. At the beginning of each drive, bettors get to bet on the results of the drive whether it's a touchdown, field goal, or turnover. For example, the Washington Redskins are on the Dallas Cowboys' 40-yard line and it is 3rd down with 2 yards to gain.

The live betting options read:

Running Play -120
Completed Pass +105
Incomplete Pass +150
Interception/Turnover +200

These options only appear at the start of each drive and before the ball is snapped so live bettors need to be quick on the trigger. Live betting also include adjustments to the point spread and money line and game totals. Let's say the Redskins are up 17-7 by halftime. Their pre-game line was +200 but is now +150 and their spread was +5 and has now dropped to +2. While still underdogs, they have better chances at winning now hence the reflection on the odds.

Strategy and Tips for Live Betting

There really is no hard strategy for live betting and plenty of it is bent on quick decision-making and pure instinct. Although as they say, half the battle is won before it even begins and doing research on the playcallers like the quarterback, head coach and offensive coordinator is a good place to start:

Scout the Coaches 

It seems straightforward but doing a lot of research on the playcalling styles of the NFL head coaches is a necessity. Some coaches like John Fox are more conservative sometimes to a fault while some like Jay Gruden make riskier plays like going for it on 4th. Also looking at team statistics on certain possessions and downs helps.

Risk Management

One word: discipline. Live betting sets lower limits than its money line and point spread counterparts but it's still no excuse to get crazy and throw heavy juice on impulse. This is still the NFL. Unpredictable things like a blown call or a bad bounce can give you a bad beat. The key is to set specific percentages of your bankroll (how much you have deposited on the books) for each time you go live betting.

Most sportsbooks offer live betting but the top online sportsbooks like SportsInteraction are where it's at. Rated as one of the most reliable books, the servers are topnotch and there are plenty of helpful articles. All sports not just the NFL are available...

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