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Pre match trading is when we look to enter and exit a trade before the start of a football match.
This is also a popular strategy when trading horses and is known as pre race trading in the horse racing markets.
In truth you can trade any sport pre event if there is enough liquidity to get your money in and out of the market .
If there is very little money in a market then it can becomes difficult to get your money in and out of the market at the prices you want.
Betting on the NFL isn't necessarily easy, but making smarter bets is always possible for those motivated to learn a bit of new strategy. Try these nine thoughtful tips when wagering at online football betting sites and watch your bankroll grow. Bet With Your Head, Not Your Heart.
Pre Match trading is my favourite strategy for tackling the sports trading markets and it can be a very effective way of making money.
Perhaps the best way to explain a pre match trade is with an example.
Pre Match Trading Example
Lets take a look at the above example when Manchester United played Reading in the FA cup.
There was a simple reason for this trade. Sometimes good pre match trades can have very simple reasoning.
The main reason for this trade being that Man United have a very strong squad and even a second string side was likely to have great quality players involved.
Looking at historical odds the price of 1.26 is a similar price to when Man United had faced lower tier Premier League sides such as Burnley and Hull.
Reading are a Championship side at the time of writing and given the above factors among others it was predicted that it was more likely for Manchester United to shorten in odds then drift.
Stakes of £2000 were used for this trade. It is important to note that this was not the total amount of money at risk as we are trading out before kickoff.
Pre match Trading Example 2
Let's take a look at another pre match trade.
This time it is in the sport of NFL, trading using information that key players would be missing from a team.
In the above example we have a game between the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Bronco's.
I made this trade using the sports betting exchange Smarkets. Currently I have a 0% commission deal due to being a member of Oddsmonkey.
Pre match Trading Example 2
Let's take a look at another pre match trade.
This time it is in the sport of NFL, trading using information that key players would be missing from a team.
In the above example we have a game between the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Bronco's.
I made this trade using the sports betting exchange Smarkets. Currently I have a 0% commission deal due to being a member of Oddsmonkey.
So when possible I use Smarkets exchange to place my trades.
On the right side of this image you will see the amount of money matched on my trade. In this trade I backed the Cleveland Browns at an average price of 2.03 for £2906. European casinos that accept uk players. The next day I was able to lay the Cleveland Browns at 1.79. Safe online gambling sites.
To break this down a little bit more.
In the above example you can see that I placed back bets totaling £2906.67 at odds of 2.03
If this was a traditional bet this would mean I would be staking £2906.67 to win £2993.87
2906.67 X 1.03 = 2993.87
So for every £1 placed.
A return of £1.03 would be made if the Cleveland Browns win the game.
However as mentioned earlier betting exchanges allow you the option to basically sell your odds (lay betting). Lay betting is when you bet against a team to win. The next day I closed my position on the game by placing a lay bet.
My only reasoning for this trade was that new information had come to light regarding the Denver Broncos line up. News had come out suggesting that key players would be missing from the upcoming match against Cleveland.
When opening the trade my plan was to allow the market to react to the news.
Then exit the next day for a profit when the news had spread around the sporting world. What happened was that people started to back Cleveland and odds on Denver had to rise. This in turn meant that the odds on Cleveland would have to drop.
Pre Match Trading Outcomes
In this example I ended up laying £3807 at odds of 1.79
This meant that for every £0.79 invested I would win £1 should they lose.
£3807.85 X 0.79 = £3008
This gave me the following outcomes:
Cleveland Browns win = £2906 risk to win £2993
Cleveland Browns lose = £3008 risk to win £3807
This left me with the following outcomes:
Cleveland win £2993 – £3008 = -£15
Cleveland loss £3807 – £2906 = £901
Rather then leave the majority of my profit on one outcome. I hedged my profit across both outcomes so that I would make a decent profit no matter who won the game.
Hedging means backing both outcomes of an event in order to reduce your overall risk. This is what you can see in the example above. A profit of £457 should Cleveland win or a profit of £448 should Denver win.
Here is a video explaining the trade.
Why do odds move prematch?
Lets now take a look at the reason's odds move.
How can you use information prior to a game to make a good pre match trade?
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Odds move before a game starts for a variety of reasons.
New information may enter the market such as
- Player injuries
- The manager may get sacked
- Coach may comment that he is resting players
- Weather Conditions
- New Signings
Money also moves the markets.
When a large betting syndicate sees value in certain odds they will bet large amounts of money which will shorten the odds on the selection they see as value.
The last performance of a side can also effect the odds for a future game. No bonus casino.
If for example Liverpool play on a Wednesday night in the Champions League away at Fenerbache and the game goes into extra time. You would see an affect on the odds for their upcoming game against Everton on the Sunday.
This is because the market would perceive that Liverpool players would be extra tired. They may have to rest players. As a result the market would see them as having a lower probability of winning the game on Sunday so their odds would most likely drift.
I hope you have enjoyed this article and perhaps learnt something from it.
Pre Match trading is an excellent strategy to use in the sports betting markets.
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Tired of the lousy returns that come with betting favorites on the moneyline each week? Then it's time to move up in the world of NFL betting online. For many, betting against the spread is the best way to start making some real money, fast.
If you're entirely new to NFL point spread betting, or even the concept of odds, visit our series of articles for new bettors for a comprehensive introduction.
When betting on the spread, you're betting on a team to either win by a certain point margin, or a team to lose by a certain margin (or win outright). The spread is the great equalizer in sports betting.
How Does Football Spread Betting Work?
In spread betting, the favorite has to win by a certain number of points for the bettors who pick them to cash in.
On the other hand, the underdog ‘gets' points, meaning that bettors who back them will see a profit even if they lose, so long as it's by less than the spread.
Often, you will see a spread with a half-point attached to it. This is called a hook (you've probably heard someone say they lost by the hook.) The hook ensures there will not be a push (a betting term for a tie). In the case of a push, most bookmakers will return the money wagered. However, it's important to understand the terms and conditions at your sportsbook, as some will count a push as a loss.
Now that you've got the basics, let's dive deeper into the world of NFL spread betting. In this article, we'll be covering:
- How point spreads are set
- Why the spread changes during the week
- Strategies to win NFL point spread bets
How is the NFL Point Spread Set?
Point spreads are designed to attract equal betting on both teams in a football game. The majority of NFL games have a perceived favorite, and without the addition of a spread, the bets would be one-sided. This is unprofitable for bookmakers unless the underdog wins.
The opening football spread for each week is set shortly after the Sunday night wrap up. Week 1 is the exception, with the lines coming out well in advance. When creating spreads, bookmakers are trying to read how the public perceive both the team and game in question. Obviously, some math, team stats, and storylines are involved, but this all secondary to public perception.
Bookmakers are not gamblers. Instead of letting their money ride on one team, they are happy enough to collect the juice (or vig) on each game. When betting the spread, the odds for both teams are often -110. This means a bettor has to wager $110 to win $100. Therefore, if the money is evenly split, the bookmakers simply pay winners from the money collected from losers and pocket the remaining 10%.
Let's use the matchup of Kansas City at New England (-7.5) as an example. We'll assume the money is split evenly.
Let's say a bookmaker takes 1,000 bets of $110 for New England to cover, and 1,000 bets of $110 for Kansas City to cover. Therefore, each bettor would win $100 if their team covers the spread, since the odds are -110 for each team.
- Money bet on New England = 1,000 x $110
Money bet on New England = $110,000 - Money bet on Kansas City = 1,000 x $110
Money bet on Kansas City = $110,000
Now let's assume the Patriots win in blowout fashion, 42-7, covering the spread. All 1,000 individuals who bet $110 on the Pats win $100, while the Chiefs supporters surrender their wager to the bookmaker.
- Money paid out to New England bettors: 1,000 x $100
Money paid out to New England bettors: $100,000 - Money collected from Kansas City bettors: 1,000 x $110
Money collected from Kansas City bettors: $110,000
After both exchanges, the bookmaker has turned a nice profit ($110,000 – $100,000 = $10,000). And remember, this is just one game. The best NFL betting sites are likely taking more than 1,000 bets on each game. That can result in hundreds of thousands in profits. And this is why bookmakers like to include a hook in the spread; a push results in no juice collected.
So, the next time you're wondering how a bookmaker came up with the spread for a specific game, just take a good look in the mirror.
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Why Do NFL Betting Spreads Change During the Week?
Now that you know how spreads are created, it should be fairly obvious why they change. Quite simply, a spread changes throughout the week if more money has been placed on one team. The bookmaker will alter the spread to encourage betting on the other team. This way, the money evens out, and they aren't risking losses. Here's another example to help out:
Let's say Carolina's starters look good during the first preseason game, and bettors flock to the Panthers (-4.5). The bookmakers' first response may just be to adjust the odds to -120 for Carolina with even money for San Francisco (meaning bettors have to wager $120 to win $100 when betting Carolina, but only have to wager $100 to win $100 when betting San Francisco). However, if the money is too lopsided, the spread may increase to -5.5 or -6 for Carolina, to encourage new bettors to start putting their money on San Francisco.
Injuries also play a significant role in spread adjustments. Occasionally a spread may be withheld until the injury reports are released. If a star player's status is unknown, bookmakers will wait until news regarding that player is released. If a star player is ruled out at the last minute, bookmakers will change the spread immediately (knowing that savvy, attentive bettors will try to get their money down as quickly as possible, hoping to beat the line movement).
NFL Point Spread Betting — How to Win
The heading is a little misleading. No formula that results ensures money. (But when one does exist, you'll find it here first.) There are, however, strategies to maximize your chances of success.
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First off, it's important to understand that a game with two evenly matched teams will often result in an opening 2.5-point spread in favor of the home team. The conventional wisdom is that home-field advantage is worth three points.
As discussed, public perception can and will change the opening spread between two evenly matched teams. Therefore, if you believe two teams are evenly matched and don't see a 2.5-point spread, it's something to investigate.
Other details that should be considered before making a bet against the spread:
- Where is the game being played?
As mentioned, home-field advantage is a real thing. The bookmakers are considering it, and so should you. - Is it a divisional matchup?
Many teams perform better when playing within their own division, and these games tend to be closer in score. Familiarity is an equalizer in football. - Where and when did each team play the previous week?
After playing on Monday Night Football in a different time zone, even the best teams can look a little sluggish. Cross-country travel means less time to rest and practice. - Monitor the betting spreads
Waiting until Sunday morning to place your bets can result in missing out on a favorable opportunity. - Know the injury reports
Football is the ultimate team sport. Monitoring the health of the quarterback isn't enough. - Be aware of individual matchups
In spite of what I just said, some players and coaches just have each other's numbers. For example, Tom Coughlin is 5-2 when coaching against Bill Belichick. - Know the teams
Yes, knowledge of each team's strengths and weaknesses seems rather obvious. But also, be aware of team popularity. For example, the Packers and Cowboys have legions of fans who like to bet on them. That can push spreads higher, even when it isn't justified. - Don't go overboard on parlays/teasers
A parlay is just a fancy term for a bet that involves more than one team. A teaser is a parlay that allows bettors to adjust the spread in their favor in exchange for a smaller potential payout. Both of these are common when betting against the spread. Be cautious as to how many teams you include in one bet. The potential payout of an eight-team parlay may look tempting, but the odds of winning are extremely slim. Upsets and unforeseen events will occur—count on it.
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Following the eight rules we've discussed doesn't guarantee a payout. As Kevin Garnett so eloquently put it, 'anything is possible.' But those considerations will increase the chances of beating the house. So, take that newfound knowledge of spread betting and give it the old college try (responsibly, of course).
Looking for More Football Betting Knowledge?
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The point spread is the most popular way to bet on football, but it's only one of many options. Be sure to review the rest of the NFL content in our sport-specific betting advice section,
Check out the quick tips and tricks outlined in our beginner's guide to betting on college football if you're looking to expand your football betting portfolio beyond the professional gridiron, and enjoy the action this season!
