1. What is a Handicap in American Football Betting?
A handicap (or point spread) is used to level the playing field between two teams — the favorite and the underdog. Instead of betting just on who wins, you bet on the adjusted score after adding or subtracting points.
- +4.5 handicap: The team you bet on is given a virtual advantage of 4.5 points.
- -4.5 handicap: The team you bet against must win by more than 4.5 points for you to lose.
In other words:
- Team A +4.5 wins the bet if:
- They win the game outright, or
- They lose by 4 points or fewer (because +4.5 covers that gap).
- Team A +4.5 loses the bet if they lose by 5 points or more.
2. Including Overtime
If your bet is “incl. overtime”, it counts all points scored during the game, including any points in overtime. This is different from bets that only count regulation time, where OT points are ignored.
3. Example With a Team
Let’s take Dallas Cowboys +4.5 (incl. overtime) against Philadelphia Eagles:
- Scenario 1 – Cowboys win outright
- Final score: Cowboys 27 – Eagles 24
- Bet result: Win (Cowboys won, so +4.5 is obviously covered)
- Scenario 2 – Cowboys lose by 4 or fewer
- Final score: Cowboys 24 – Eagles 27 (3-point loss)
- Bet result: Win (Cowboys +4.5 points → 24 + 4.5 = 28.5 > 27)
- Scenario 3 – Cowboys lose by 5 or more
- Final score: Cowboys 21 – Eagles 27 (6-point loss)
- Bet result: Lose (21 + 4.5 = 25.5 < 27)
4. When to Bet +4.5
You generally bet +4.5 on an underdog when:
- They are likely to keep the game close.
- The favorite has inconsistent performance.
- Weather, injuries, or home advantage might limit the favorite’s scoring.
5. Betting Tips
- Research team stats: Look at recent games where the team played as an underdog. How often do they lose by <5 points?
- Check injuries: If the favorite is missing key players, +4.5 becomes safer.
- Home vs Away: Home underdogs often perform better than away ones.
- Consider momentum: Teams coming off big wins or losses may over/underperform.
- Avoid huge mismatches: +4.5 is good for close games, not blowouts.
- +4.5 handicap gives your team 4.5 points.
- Counted including overtime.
- You win if your team wins outright or loses by ≤4 points.