One of the best wagers for the informed gambler is the NFL second half wager. Oddsmakers only have a limited amount of time to set the odds for NFL second halves and that means gamblers can have the edge. Most casual NFL bettors only look at the full game NFL pointspread or total, but informed NFL bettors look at everything on the board at the online sportsbook and that includes NFL second half betting odds.
NFL Second Half Betting
An NFL second half bet is simply a halftime bet where a gambler is betting on the outcome of the second half of a game. The odds are set quickly by the oddsmaker when the game goes to the half and the normal side and total wagers are available. For example, let’s say the New England Patriots are playing the Miami Dolphins and the Patriots are leading 14-7 at the half. The Patriots were 10-point favorites for the game. The oddsmakers will likely put out a number somewhere around a touchdown despite the fact the Patriots were only 10-point favorites for the game. To win the second half bet, the Patriots would need to win the game by more than 14 points.
Let’s look at another example. Let’s say the Minnesota Vikings are playing the Green Bay Packers and are leading 13-10, but in this case the Packers were favored to win the game. Oddsmakers would favor the Packers in this case for the second half line and it might be as many as 4 or 4.5 points.
Did you know that unlike full game spreads there is a limited amount of time for oddsmakers to set halftime odds? And keep in mind that it is not just one halftime line that is being set, but multiple halftime lines. With a limited amount of time to prepare there is a greater chance that the oddsmaker will make a mistake. Also remember that fewer people bet halftime odds so the oddsmaker does not have a big pool of bettors to balance his action.
Big Second Half NFL Underdogs
You may not realize that one of the best second half bets to make is on the big underdog. In the last decade or so, underdogs in the second half of at least 7 points are hitting at nearly 60% against the spread. Many of those underdogs were teams that were underdogs for the full game that were winning at the half. The public almost always believes that the favored team is going to rally in the second half and while that does happen sometimes, it is harder for that favored team to cover the spread.
The public almost always will gravitate to the favored team that is losing at the half. For example, if the Patriots were a 10-point favorite before the game and are then losing at the half, the public wants to jump on the Patriots and lay the smaller number at halftime. That strategy doesn’t work as often as you might think, as the Patriots are now being asked to cover a larger spread for the game even though the second half number is reasonable.
Big Second Half Favorites
What is a team that was favored is winning big at the half? Does the public come in and back the underdog? The answer is not very often. The public doesn’t want anything to do with an underdog that is already losing. Casual bettors don’t want to throw money behind a team that is already losing and they don’t want to go against a team that looked good in the first half. The recent bias is a huge factor when it comes to second half NFL betting, as people remember what they saw last.
The bottom line with NFL second half betting is that great opportunities exist for bettors at the online sportsbook. The lack of time for the oddsmaker to make the line and the fact that the many people overreact to what happened in the first half can give you excellent value against the NFL betting odds.
Check out the latest NFL second half betting odds at the online sportsbook.
