How To Bet The Line In Football

What a ride it was for the 2020 Washington Football Team; a new name, a new team president, a new head coach, and a new chapter was in store. However, reports of malfunction and abuse littered their season and owner Dan Snyder, leading them to a 7-9 season finish. Thanks to a horrid NFC East, 7-9 was just good enough for the Football Team to secure a berth in the NFC Playoffs. Washington was the one that didn’t belong in the NFC Playoffs and were treated as such– they were eliminated in the first round despite an inspired day from Taylor Heinicke.

Usually, there is a 10 percent “juice” that the house or sportsbook charges for line betting. For example: Green Bay –6.5 (–110) or Chicago +6.5 (–110) means you’d wager $110 for the chance to win. One thing to keep in mind when learning how to bet on the NFL online is that the line in NFL spread betting is not set in stone. The line will change as the bookmaker tries to balance bets. Their goal is to have an equal value of bets on both teams, so they adjust the line to encourage or discourage betting. So if a bunch of bets come in on one side, you might be inclined to go with it. But noting how small the percentage is of successful football bettors, you might want to fade the public-go the opposite way. BET ON NFL GAMES AT -105 REDUCED ODDS AT THE WEB'S BEST BETTING SITE: 5DIMES.

Now, it’s onto the offseason where the Football Team is poised to lose several veterans. Linebacker Thomas Davis announced his retirement following their loss and longtime Washington players Ryan Kerrigan is a looming free agent. While this offseason might be a mass exodus of the familiar players in burgundy and gold, there’s young pieces like Antonio Gibson and Terry McLaurin that put them in a good place moving forward.

The defensive front is also mostly here to stay, led by rookie Chase Young and sophomore Montez Sweat. For the first time in forever, the future may be bright in DC.

Washington Football Team odds

Best Washington betting site(s)

Washington prop bets

Prop bets are based on individual performance, typically surrounding players. Terry McLaurin was a popular target for prop betting this past year along with running backs J.D. McKissic and Antonio Gibson. For example, McLaurin’s projected receiving total in Washington’s Week 11 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals was 67.5 yards. Those who thought he would haul in 68 or more yards would bet the over while those who thought he would record 67 or less yards would bet the under. McLaurin pulled in 84 yards that game, giving those who bet the over a win.

Search below for Washington Football Team team or player props currently being offered at sportsbooks. You can also look around at other teams and players using this tool. Happy shopping!

Washington futures odds

Futures are long-term bets that can range from an offseason to a full season (or beyond). Team win totals, award winners, and player performance are common futures. For example:

2020 Odds to win NFL DROY

  • Chase Young -110
  • Patrick Queen +450
  • Kenneth Murray +1000
  • Jaylon Johnson +1500

This line for the Defensive Rookie of the Year would often be bet before the season starts. Futures allow for bettors to capitalize on players they think are favorites to win awards long before the odds shift away from their favor. Chase Young opened as the favorite to win the award, but those odds continued to grow toward him as the season went on. He closed at -375, diminishing the return on bets compared to the beginning of the year when he won the award in December.

Washington Super Bowl LVI odds

The Washington Football Team opened with +6000 odds to win Super Bowl LVI. Those odds are third best in the NFC East and in line with teams like the Bengals, Broncos, and Giants.

Washigton NFC East odds

The Washington Football Team won their third NFC East title since 2012 in 2020. However, their odds moving into 2021 are determinant on their quarterback situation.

Washington win totals

NFL win totals will be released later this offseason. Keep your eyes on this page for the latest NFL projected win totals.

Washington Football Team 2021 schedule and betting odds

Check back for the complete Washington 2021 schedule along with the opening spreads for every game.

How to bet on the Washington Football Team

Moneyline

The moneyline is the simplest of bets, decided by the straight-up winner and loser of each game. Consider the following example:

  • Washington -185
  • Eagles +210

Washington is considered a heavy favorite in this matchup (indicated by -185), requiring a $185 bet to win $100 (plus the initial bet back). The Eagles are the underdog in this matchup, paying out $310 total for a $100 bet ($210 in winnings). How much either team wins or loses by does not matter in moneyline betting, the payout remains the same.

Point spread

How To Bet The Money Line In Football

Betting on the point spread is determinant on how many points a team wins or loses by. Take the following example:

  • Washington -3.5 (-110)
  • Broncos +3.5 (-110)

In this example, Washington is favored by 3.5 points, indicated by “-3.5.” If the Football Team wins the game 24-20, Washington (-3.5) wins the bet and would have a total payout of $19.09 on a $10 bet ($9.09 in profit). If the Broncos keep the game within four and lose 27-24, the Broncos (+3.5) would win, and the payout would be the same as listed above.

Point total (over/under)

The point total refers to the over/under line set by books. This number projects the total number of points scored in a game and, like prop betting, is bet whether one thinks the score will go over or under the set point total. For example, Washington’s Week 15 game against the Seattle Seahawks had a projected point total of 41.5 points. The Football Team came up just short 20-15, totaling just 35 points. Those who bet the under in the game would have cashed out.

How To Bet The Line In Football

Washington fielded one of the nastiest front fours in the NFL, often wreaking havoc for opponents. Also, their six annual games against the offense-depleted NFC East caused their projected point totals to often be lower than league average. Aside from games against offensive juggernauts like Cleveland and the Los Angeles Rams, Washington saw over/unders between 43 and 48 points in 2020.

In-play and live betting

Sometimes, the most thrilling and rewarding bets are bets made while games are being played. These are referred to as live bets or in-play bets. Odds are ever-changing during games, which would prove to be fruitful for sharp and prepared bettors. For example, if Washington (-100) was favored against the Raiders (+140) before kickoff, a payout on a $10 bet on the Football Team to win would win $10.

However, say the Football Team fell to a big 17-3 deficit in the first half despite controlling the overall game (due to a costly turnover or special teams gaffe). Odds may swing in favor of the Raiders, who may be a -110 favorite at halftime. Taking Washington to come back and win the game could present plus-odds (say, +130). Should a bettor take Washington (+130) at halftime and the Football Team pulls off the comeback, winners would win $13 instead of $10 (plus the initial $10 bet).

This could also be an effective way to “hedge” your bet; say a bettor took the Raiders (+140) in that game, but Washington jumps out to a 20-0 first quarter lead and is controlling the overall feel of the game, bettors could hedge by throwing some money down on Washington (-270) to return some of the inevitably-lost bet.

Parlays and teasers

You can always string bets together in the form of parlays or teasers. Usually during busy Sundays, bettors can parlay several teams to win or cover against the spread and if all bets are successful, the payouts are multiplied. Teasers function similarly, except they allow bettors to move each point spread to a more favorable line in exchange for diminished odds.

Washington 2020 recap

Record: 7-9

Record ATS: 9-7

Bet

Over/under record: 5-11

There’s not a lot fans can complain about after securing a division title and a playoff spot, despite Washington’s 7-9 record. Subpar quarterback play seemed to be the sole factor holding this team back in 2020 despite an array of weapons surrounding Alex Smith and Taylor Hienicke. The pass rush of Washington was one of the best in the league and the young corps of players, led by Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young and Montez Sweat, will be looking to replicate their production in 2021.

The record that stands out is their record against the point total in 2020. Their 5-11 mark was tied for second worst in the league, but did prove to be the winning factor in games against San Francisco, Philadelphia, and– most importantly– Pittsburgh. Washington also posted an optimistic 9-7 record against the spread, many of the wins coming during a late-season four-game win streak that ultimately secured the NFC East title.

Washington 2021 offseason moves

Key free agents: Ryan Kerrigan (EDGE), Ronald Darby (CB), Kevin Pierre-Louis (LB)

Draft pick position needs: QB, OT, WR, CB, S

Longtime Washington player Ryan Kerrigan is set to be a free agent and a pricey one at that. Kerrigan comes with a $23.7 million guaranteed price tag and with such a deep corps of talented pass rushers, it’s expected that the team moves on from him. Ronald Darby will likely be back with the team barring another team outbidding them and Kevin Pierre-Louis will be a priority to be re-signed with the retirement of Thomas Davis.

While they’ve been under the radar in the 2020 offseason quarterback market, it’s worth noting that Washington offered their first round pick to Detroit for Matthew Stafford. Their name has not come up with players like Deshaun Watson, but it’s out there that Washington is being aggressive in pursuit of a quarterback. One intriguing move could come in the draft where Washington packages together a trade to move up– potentially into the top 10 at spots like 7 (currently held by Detroit) to draft a top-four quarterback. Names like North Dakota State’s Trey Lance have emerged in this conversation and, barring the top four quarterbacks being drafted with the first four picks, Washington might just be looking to move up to grab one.

How To Understand The Line In A Football Bet

Line

The CFP National Championship takes place Monday with the Alabama Crimson Tide meeting the Ohio State Buckeyes for an 8 p.m. ET kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. SportsbookWire covers the game in full with college football betting picks and predictions and below, we’ll look at how to bet the National Championship between Alabama and Ohio State.

Also see:

Alabama vs. Ohio State odds, picks and predictionNational Championship predictions with Jason McIntyre

Alabama vs. Ohio State: Betting odds, spread and lines

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Sunday at 4:38 p.m. ET.

Money line: Alabama -300 (bet $300 to win $100) Ohio State +240 (bet $100 to win $240)

What's The Odds On The Football Game

Against the spread/ATS: Alabama -8.5 (-110) Ohio State +8.5 (-110)Over/Under: 75.5 (O: -110 U: -110)

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National Championship betting: Money line (ML)

The money line simply asks for which team will win the game and includes the possibility of overtime.

Favored Alabama has an implied win probability of 75% with -300 money line odds. Those odds can also be expressed as a fraction of 1/3 or a decimal of 1.33. It would take a $300 bet for a profit of $100 with a win by the Crimson Tide.

Underdog Ohio State’s +240 money line odds represent an implied win probability of 29.41%. The fractional odds are 12/5 with 3.40 decimal odds. A $100 bet would return a profit of $240 with an upset win.

National Championship betting: Against the spread (ATS)

The spread of 8.5 points carries equal -110 odds for both teams ($110 bet for $100 profit). Alabama will need to win by at least 9 points. Ohio State can cover its side of the spread by winning outright or staying within 8 points in a loss.

Alternate spreads exist for each half or exclusively the first quarter. The spread can be altered from 10.5 to 21.5 to make the result more or less likely for either team. The higher the probability, the lower the odds will be for a potential payout.

Increasing the degree of difficulty with a spread of -10 for Alabama to win by at least 11 points comes with more profitable odds of +100 or even-money. An Alabama win by exactly 10 points would result in a push and all bets on either side would be refunded in full.

National Championship betting: Over/Under (O/U)

The Over/Under of 75.5 asks whether the final score of the game would combine to be higher or lower than 75.5 points. Any combined score of 76 or more points (i.e., 40-36) would be a win for Over bettors. A combined score of 75 or fewer points (i.e., 38-37) would be a win for Under bettors.

Just like the spread, alternate lines are available and each team’s individual point total can be bet separately.

National Championship betting: Prop bets

Props are available in the form of Yes/No questions such as “Will there be a safety in the game?” or “Will the game go into overtime?”

These can offer much higher odds on one side or the other, but remember, the more profitable the odds, the lower the probability of that result.

How To Bet The Line In Football Draft

National Championship betting: Live betting

BetMGM has an excellent mobile sports betting app which allows users to place bets once the game is underway. Following along and placing a bet after a big play or an injury can offer great value when disagreeing with the sportsbook’s lines.

A pregame favorite such as Alabama can suddenly come with more profitable odds if Ohio State happens to jump out to the early lead.

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