2018 NFL: How to Handicap the 1st Half of the Season

The new season is when hope springs eternal for every team and every NFL betting enthusiast, but the reality is that not every team or person who wagers on games is going to do well. Smart betting is all about money management and only playing the games that you are supremely confident about. With so many options every week, it’s easy to want to get in on as much action as possible, but you can win more money by skipping some games as opposed to betting on them all. Things are particularly tough when trying to handicap the first half of the NFL season, so let’s take a look at some tips you can follow to help you improve your chances of winning.

2018 NFL Betting: How to Handicap the 1st Half of the Season

Keep an eye on injuries and suspensions

The NFL preseason doesn’t really tell us much about any team and what they are likely to do in the regular season. Some bettors simply gloss over those games before betting on Week 1, but that can potentially be a mistake. Injuries are a major part of preseason football and they can negatively impact a team’s chances once the real action begins. The same is true of suspensions to key players. For example, we all know that Julian Edelman is one of the Tom Brady’s favorite targets, but since Edelman is suspended for the opening 4 games of the season, how effective are the Patriots going to be without him?

Start out small when wagering

We all know that the start of a new football season can be exciting, but the harsh reality is that most bettors have a designated bankroll to carry them through the season. If you start betting big on every game right from the off, you are probably going to be lucky to make it to the midway point of the season with that bankroll intact. Take time to study every single game on the schedule and only wager on those where you feel as though you have a clear feeling on the outcome.

Don’t buy into early season hype

Training camps have not even opened their doors yet, but a lot of football fans are already talking about how good the San Francisco 49ers are going to be this season with Jimmy G under center.

Jimmy Garoppolo and the Niners are looking like a really good NFL Betting pick for the 2018 Season.

Yes, Garoppolo and the 49ers were a great story in the last few weeks of the season in 2017, but that does not necessarily mean that the magic is going to continue into this season. The hype may prove to be true, but don’t go throwing big money at a team based on hype and what they did months ago.

Pay attention to developing trends

While historical data can be helpful in handicapping football games, it’s worth remembering that team personnel can change a lot over the course of a year or two. What a team did over the last 3 seasons may not be relevant this year, especially when you have a new coach and system in play. Trends will quickly start to develop over the opening few weeks of the season, so keep an eye on those to improve your chances of winning. Point totals, spreads, and performances home and away are all things that you should be keeping an eye on throughout the season, not just the opening few weeks.