Irrespective of whether you are betting the line or you are betting against the spread, bettor's usually pick the favorite. There is a belief among all regular bettor's that picking the favorite team will almost always result in a win. It is only the professional bettor who will be able to understand the difference between having a good player in one position and having the best player in the position. But this always leaves room for a chance that even the worse team has a good day & manages an upset.
But when you are betting against the spread, you'll not even need the other team to be the underdog in order for them to cause an upset. The main reason is since the point spread is something which is supposed to neutralize the professional advantage one team has on the other. For example, one team may be better than another but whether they are going to be able to win by a margin of 3 points or more makes the choice a little more difficult doesn't it?
So you see, this basically means that you placing sports bets isn't just about choosing the better team. There is a lot more to it than just that. But if you want to be successful more than 50 % of the times then betting the spread is the perfect way to go. The underdog will eventually pull off a win, but this is not a common occurrence and therefore, you don't have too much to worry about.
There is one important thing for you to keep in mind when it comes to placing sports bets though. Just because a team has won a few games in a row doesn't mean that they will keep winning. There aren't too many winning streaks in NFL football. So don't use that as a factor when deciding which team to choose.
Don't make any rash decisions when it comes to NFL picks against the spread. It's about coming out on top at the end of the season. Don't just look at your immediate profit.
