Given the massive popularity of the NFL, it’s surprising that the sport is shrouded in so much betting misunderstanding and misconception.
Let’s try to separate betting myth from reality:
Myth #1: Betting lines are created to beat the public.
Reality: With the exception of the Super Bowl, the public plays almost no role in the linemaking process. The betting line is created and adjusted to meet the opinion of professional gamblers because it is they, not the casual fan, who bets serious money on the game.
Myth #2: Betting lines get balanced action.
Reality: While the goal is to construct a betting line that is of equal attraction to both favorite and underdog players, it rarely works out that way. More typically, a third of the games on the NFL schedule will have an insignificant amount of betting to cause much of a concern, another third will have active but balanced betting and the remaining third will have mostly one-way action. Traditionally, how the house fares on these lopsided games, called “decisions,” determines whether books win or lose.
Myth #3: Bookmakers have inside information that they use to...