Love it or hate it, there’s no question that American football has taken the world by storm. What was mostly a sport reserved for North American fans grew into a global icon. The NFL’s rise needs to be studied. It was driven by several factors including the major Superbowl shows as well as sports betting.
In fact, sports betting is one of the aspects that helped the league grow the most. New Zealand bettors who never bet on the NFL before are going at it now. The reason for this is that you don’t need to stick to match winners. NFL lines often go in other directions, giving players a chance to bet on other markets that offer much more comfortable odds.
NFL’s Sports Betting Popularity in New Zealand
Everyone knows that Kiwis love to gamble online. Whether its online pokies, live dealer games, or sports betting, Kiwis bet every day of the week. The NFL’s popularity among sports bettors in New Zealand soared in the past few years as the league got a hold of some Kiwi players. From that point on, Kiwis started following American Football matches almost religiously, and at the same time, betting on it became a hit as well.
Kiwis have a range of sports betting sites that offer NFL betting to bet on. They don’t just offer competitive odds, but a range of great markets that include pre-match and live bets. On top of that, you also get various betting offers including welcome bonuses and free bets that you can use to win real money. If you do your research, that is.
The popularity of American Football betting in New Zealand is soaring, and so is the number of new online betting sites. We’ll cover some of the most popular markets you can bet on for this sport and share a few tips on how to get the most out of your bets.
Most Popular American Football NZ Betting Markets
Moneyline
The moneyline is the bread and butter bet when it comes to American Football and the NFL. It’s also the simplest type of bet for beginners. It allows you to choose the winner of a match, with no draws allowed.
- The team with the negative number such as -250 is the favorite. In this case, the figure displays how much you need to wager ($250) in order to win $100.
- On the opposite side is the underdog whose odds are displayed with a positive number like +250. This figure shows how much you’ll win when you bet $100. With this figure, you’ll win $250, which, together with the original investment, brings you to a total of $350.
That’s the gist of the moneyline, which is a great starting point for new American football bettors. However, due to the difference in odds between stronger and weaker teams, seasoned bettors are looking for a bit more excitement, and point spreads are the perfect choice for it.
Point Spread
The point spread is the most popular market when it comes to American Football betting in New Zealand. Ever heard the term betting against the spread? It refers to this particular market. As American Football games are never perfect match-ups, sports betting sites level the field with spreads, in that way giving teams advantage or a disadvantage, similar to handicaps in football betting.
To cover the spread, the favorite shouldn’t just win the game – it needs to do so by the set number of points. In the case of the underdog, it can lose the match as long as it’s within the spread. You may see spreads with full points such as +3 or -3, or with half-points attached (+3.5/-3.5), which is known as a hook. While some bettors might be confused by it, the hook simply eliminates the possibility of a tie.
American football spreads often come with competitive odds, so you can win more money on this market compared to the moneyline.
Totals (Over/Under)
If you don’t want to predict which team wins the match, you can bet on totals. This market allows you to focus on the total number of points scored in an American Football match. Most betting sites set the line at 49.5 points. The half-point is there to prevent a tie. So, now you have two options – bet over or under the line.
You will win your bet if the teams score over the figure or under it – depending on which side you’ve picked. It’s a simple, yet lucrative bet many NZ NFL bettors love.
Parlays
Parlays are another name for accumulators. Instead of a single bet, parlays include multiple bets on one slip. They can include combinations of a moneyline, point, spread, or totals bets, creating much more favorable odds for bettors.
There is a catch, though – all of your bets must win so you can win the slip. Parlays are somewhat of a bragging point for seasoned bettors, who often engage in leaderboard races where they show off their parlay building and winning skills.
Teasers
Teasers are a type of parlay in which all bets are against the spread or the total. Because of that, bettors sacrifice potential returns for more favorable spreads. In short, it pays less, but the chances of you winning your betting slip are better.
NFL Prop Bets
Prop bets are most popular during the Super Bowl. They come in different shapes and sizes, allowing bettors to put their money on specific markets such as player performance, which team scores a field goal first, passing yards for a QB, and more.
Some prop bets that involve individual stats will have sports betting sites setting a projected total. In this case, you can simply bet over or under, but the basics are the same.
Live American Football Betting
Last, but not least, live NFL and American Football betting is quite popular among NZ bettors. They require a bit more focus, research, and experience, but the payouts are worth it. For the unaware, live bets allow you to bet on in-play matches, which you can often also watch at sportsbooks, considering they provide a live streaming service.