How To Bet On The NFL During Christmas

The holiday season is a great time to be a NFL fan and bettor as the games mean so much more to many more teams late in the year and finding value on point spreads is a little easier to spot. Mainstream media loves to lay out all the different playoff scenarios for certain squads and knowing those can help bettors improve their bottom line. But it's critical to avoid, or at least be aware of those "must win" situations for some teams as pressure, and the lack of it, helps initiate numerous upsets in the NFL during Christmas time.

Christmas NFL Betting Tips

The first thing to be aware of when handicapping NFL games around Christmas is the situational spots each team finds themselves in. Often times Christmas lands around the Week 16 part of the schedule and that means teams with playoff aspirations only have two weeks remaining to punch their ticket into the playoff tournament. Yet, those same teams feel the enormous pressure to get the job done, and when they are matched up against teams that have long been out of the race, that pressure can cause strange things to happen. These are professionals after all, and even those on bad teams love to play the roll of spoiler - especially against division rivals. It's these types of games where you often see inflated point spreads on the playoff-hungry team, as everyone expects them to take care of business, and backing the underdog plus the points can be very profitable. 

Another thing to be aware of when betting the NFL at Christmas is the weather. Cold weather and snowy conditions can play a big part in how a particular game is played, but don't fall into the trap that cold and snow equals a low-scoring game (if you are looking to bet 'unders.') In fact, it's typically the opposite as snowy conditions make traction harder for the players and whereas offensive guys know where they are going on plays, defensive guys have to simply react and that's the much tougher thing to do. Points will be scored, and throw in cold temperatures when holding onto the ball is difficult, turnovers become an even bigger factor and if they come at the right time, quick scores can pile up in a hurry and make 'over' bettors ecstatic. 

When reading weather reports, it's the strength of the wind that is most concerning, especially for those 'under' plays as the wind causes more havoc then any cold temperatures or snow will. Windy conditions lead to errant passes, quick moving games with all the running, and FG attempts go arry. If you like taking 'unders,' blistering wind conditions are always something to look for. 

NFL Betting Tools During The Holidays

Overall, don't be afraid to go against the grain with your NFL bets around the holidays. If betting on games was as easy as many mainstream guys suggest given all their playoff breakdowns and who will take care of business in specific games, wouldn't everyone do it? 

Taking advantage of all the resources out there like checking betting percentages (like the image below) on all the games can help give you a starting point as to knowing where the action is, where it will be going, and what numbers on point spreads and totals to expect by kick-off. Being in the minority isn't necessarily a bad thing or something to avoid, because NFL betting is a bottom line business and tracking those betting percentages in these high pressure games is another tool to add to your handicapping toolbelt at Christmas time.

Category : Online Betting News

Tag : Christmas Betting , Football , nfl

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