NFL Odds Screen

NFL markets are usually tougher than casual bettors think, but odds screens can be a useful tool. While odds screens are great for line shopping, sharp top-down bettors pay attention to which books move first and which books are still hanging a stale number. When a market-leading book moves from one side or total to another, that move usually means something. That's especially true around the time betting limits increase and sharper action is coming into the market. If slower books haven't adjusted yet, that might be an opportunity to find value.

There tend to be different market makers for each sport and league. With time and careful monitoring, you can learn which sportsbooks tend to finish closest to the closing line and treat those as market makers. This, in turn, helps you key into which line movements are signals and which ones are less important.

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The NFL is unique from other sports in that spreads of 3, 6, and 7 are key scoring margins. Each "cent" in the odds (e.g., -110, -111, -112) around those numbers is worth more than one cent around non-key numbers. Because each cent is worth more, you'll notice that sportsbooks will appear to align more with each other around key numbers, whereas a game with an average line of 5.5, for example, might have one book at 5, one at 5.5, and another at 6. To see how much line movement is worth around certain numbers and with different totals, experiment with the half point calculator​.

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Bettor Ed’s NFL odds screen also supports deeplinks, so you can click the relevant line and jump right to the sportsbook with your bet slip pre-filled. Speed is important when football prices are moving, and even just a few seconds can determine whether the number is still there or not.

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For further reading on market interpretation and the value of half points including key numbers, read the Secrets of Sports Betting book and take the Sports Betting for Serious Bettors online course.