American football betting guide

It is still unknown where the American football came from. According to many experts, it originated from such sports as football, rugby, which appeared in the British Isles in the nineteenth century. At the beginning the matches, without any set rules, were organized in American universities. The match between Rutgers University and Princeton in 1869 is considered to be the first official meeting.

Apart from the clear rules, the biggest problem was the fatal accidents in the field. It should be noted that 40 sportsmen were killed in the first decade of the twentieth century! The reason for this situation were not clear rules of the game and first of all the equipment used by the players, as well as the absence of it. After such tortures the most popular sport in the U.S. was born, it started to develop only after World War I.

It was then that the new rules were introduced, which are used (with some modifications) now. This game was so widespread mainly thanks to the inter-university league. Since 1916 regular matches between the best universities of the West and East, which are called Rose Bowl, have begun. The first league was established in 1920, the current version of the NFL (AFL). Since then, the only sport which is more popular is baseball.

The whole mechanism of the game is based on advancing the ball into the opposing team's territory. Undoubtedly the most important factor in the American football which influences the outcome is the aspect of the physical power. The winner is the team which gets more points during the full time (4 x 15 minutes), if both teams have equal points extra time (overtime) is added and the method  of the "golden goal " is used - the team that scores the first goal is the winner.

A team scores points by:

• running a ball into the opponent's end zone (touchdown), it is worth 6 points.
• throwing a ball to the player who is behind the line (end zone, 6 points)
• kicking a ball through the goalposts (extra point, 1 point)
• running or passing a ball into the end zone in the manner of a touchdown ("two point conversion", 2 points)

NFL consists of 32 teams, which are divided into four divisions:

• North
• South
• West
• East.

The final is called Super Bowl, which is always played on Sunday. The season in the National Football League usually runs from September to December. Each team plays 16 matches during 17 weeks. The season ends with the playoff, where six best teams of both conferences compete: 4 division champions from each conference and two wild card qualifiers (with the conference's best record). The phase ends with the victory of one team that will become the champion of the conference and move to the final of the League - Super Bowl, where it will meet the champion of the second conference. Super Bowl is played at the stadium chosen beforehand. One week before the final the so-called Pro Bowl – a game played by the best players of two conferences - is held.

Perhaps you have wondered what types of bets on American football are offered by online bookmakers. Some of them you can find here :

• Match Odds – this type of bet is placed on a team or a player who will win. 
• Handicap is a type of bet which levels the odds of the teams with different athletic potentials. If a team or a player is considered as the strongest, the bookmaker gives a slight advantage to the weaker player, which will be added before the match. Important! Some bookmakers calculate handicaps for the full time, others calculate including the overtime, so before placing a bet you should read the statute.
• The sum of points is the type of bet where the bookmaker sets a certain amount of points. You win if both teams (both teams together) get more or less points, depending on the variant you have chosen. Important! The sum of points is calculated only for full time - 60 minutes of the match, unless the statute or the bookmaker offers the option with the overtime.
• Conference winner bet - this is a long-term bet, which may be available both before the season and during it. We place the bet on a team that will win the conference. Important! This type of bet is valid only during the so-called regular season, after which the playoff starts.
• NFL winner bet is a long-term bet where we predict which team will win the Super Bowl. Important! This type of bet will be calculated only after the final match.
• First Kick off – it is the bet on the beginner of the game.
• First Touchdown – it is the bet where you have to predict the team that will score the first point in the match.
• How many yards will first touchdown take? – Here you have to guess how many yards the first touchdown will take. Bookmakers set the yards, and we decide whether a player will cross it.
• Player Scores - a bet on the number of points in the match which the player scores in the form of over / under bet the same as in the sum of points in the match.
• Specials - other, different types of bets, such as the total number of points in the match, over / under, in which quarter the team will get the most points.