The National Football League season is here, and punters in the UK will find the betting much the same in American football as in other team sports. Parlays, or accumulators as they are known in the UK, are when two or more wagers are packaged together for larger odds. The trick is you have to win every outcome in the parlay to win it. Let’s explore the types of wagers you can include in parlays when you see a few chances on the same NFL week that you think are certain.
Over/Unders
Over/unders or totals work the same as totals in other sports games. They reflect the total score of the two teams combined. Totals are a common part of parlays because they allow more than one wager on the same game. NFL punters like to parlay a winner and whether the total will go over or under in the same match.
Point Spreads
Point spreads are a way of evening the odds in higher-scoring sports like the NFL. For instance, the Rams may be favored over the Cardinals, and sportsbooks will convert that to points, listed as Rams -6.5 at Cardinals. You can pick the Rams to “cover” or win by 7 points or more. Or you can take the Cardinals (+6.5) to lose by 6 or less or to win outright. You can parlay point spreads in two or more games or sometimes mix point spreads and other types of wagers.
Teasers
Sportsbooks sometimes allow punters to adjust the point spreads for a parlay, and these are called teasers. You may move the spread in your favor by 3 points or more. For example, the Chiefs may be favored in a match by 7 points (-7), while the Giants are a 3-point underdog (+3) in another game. In your 6-point teaser parlay, you may get the Chiefs at -1 and the Giants at +9.
The advantage of teasers is that they make you more confident about more outcomes. The drawback is that the return on your parlay is much less than it would be on a standard parlay. The more points you take, the less favorable the odds.
Pleasers
Pleasers are when the bettor is willing to give up points to the house in a parlay. Why would you want to give points to the sportsbook? To get a better return on a winning parlay. For instance, you may think the Packers will annihilate the Bears as just a 3-point favorite. Meanwhile, you believe the Giants will stun the Cowboys as a 6-point underdog. So, you decide to give up a few points to make more on the parlay winner.
Moneyline
Premier League matches use moneylines to represent the favorite and underdog in a match, so this is more familiar ground to UK punters. Moneylines are indicated by plus figures like +220 for underdogs and minus numbers like -120 for favorites. No point spread is involved, so you are simply picking a winner. If you pick the Titans -120, you are essentially putting up 120 (pounds, Euros, or dollars) to win 100, or the equivalent according to the amount. If you choose the Colts +330, you stake 100 to win 330. In parlays, favored sides bring less return, while underdogs bring more. You can mix moneylines with point spreads on a parlay, but not in teasers or pleasers. And you can’t mix a moneyline and point spread in the same NFL game.
Calculating Your Parlay Payout
There is a formula for calculating parlay returns. Most online books figure parlays for you on your wagering ticket, and there are parlay calculators you can find online. But if you want to calculate for yourself, the first thing you need to remember is to use moneyline odds. Then:
- Convert the moneyline odds to decimal odds. When the moneyline price is positive, divide it by 100 and add 1. So, 300 ÷ 100 + 1 = 4.00. Or for example, 5000 ÷ 100 + 1 = 51.00. When the moneyline price is negative, take 100 and divide it by the moneyline amount (first removing the minus sign), and add 1. So for a -400 price it would be 100 ÷ 400 + 1 = 1.25.
- Multiply all the decimal odds together. Three-team parlay example: 1.91 x 2.20 x 1.44 = 6.05
- Multiply that result by your bet amount for your return. A return on a 50 bet on the above example would be 302.50 (6.05 x 50 = 302.50).
Can You Bet on Multiple Leagues, Across Sports, with Parlays?
When understanding NFL parlay betting, understand that you don’t have to parlay NFL games alone. At most sportsbooks, you can parlay a mixture of bets across different sports. Your four-outcome parlay may be two NFL games, a pro basketball game, and a Premier League match.
But this is tricky; many sportsbooks don’t allow mixing some sports into parlays, and a few don’t allow mixing at all. You should read the parlay rules of the site you are using to make sure how they handle mixed-sports parlays.
Final Word
Parlay wagering is a great way to add significant returns to your bankroll and excitement to the outcomes as the day progresses. But be careful about extending your parlay; one loss in the parlay blows the whole deal. And as experienced punters know, one “sure thing” is hard to come by, much less a series. Also, be sure to read and understand the parlay rules at your sportsbook.
