NFL Sports Betting Trends - Staying Sharp This Season

Sports betting is a serious game for millions of people around the world and in the United States, the NFL is top dog when it comes to action. Everyone seems to have an opinion when it comes to who is going they think is going to win but the best information you can get before laying down that hard earned cash comes from sports betting trends.

Some people love them and others can do without them, preferring to rely on their gut feeling. I’m from the school of thought that stats produce trends and those trends seem to follow specific patterns that increase your chances of placing a winning bet.

Even if you don’t like betting trends or stats, it never hurts to have as much ammunition in your betting arsenal as possible. They are bits of information that should at least be looked at and can be used to compliment an existing wager or perhaps keep you away from a possible bet.

As we countdown to the start of the 2009 NFL season this Thursday, it's time to look at some of the NFL betting trends that will come into play for the upcoming season. Going back eight years, here's a look at the best trends you may want to consider before placing a wager on an NFL game.

The majority of the trends fall into the category of being team specific, there are several which cover the league as a whole and can prove to be extremely valuable.

Trends for the 2009 NFL Season

Trends that are LOCKS

• Take New England when at the New York Jets (10-0-0)
• Take Arizona in the month of January (7-0-0)
• Take Pittsburgh on the road in January (5-0-0)
• Take New York Giants on the road in January (5-0-0)
• Play against Detroit as a road favorite (4-0-0)
• Take Buffalo as a favorite on grass (4-0-2)
• Take Cincinnati as a favorite against Baltimore (5-0-0)
• Take Jacksonville against New York Jets (4-0-0)
• Take Green Bay against San Francisco (4-0-0)
• Take Chicago against St. Louis (4-0-0)
• Take Seattle against Tampa Bay (4-0-0)
• Take San Diego against Tennessee (4-0-0)
• Take Cleveland against Oakland (4-0-0)

High Converting Trends

• Take Indianapolis as an away favorite on artificial surface (10-1-0)
• Take San Diego as a favorite against Oakland (9-1-0)
• Play against any team after they won five or more games in a row and then lost (16-2-0)
• Play against Washington as a favorite in November (8-1-1)
• Take Pittsburg as an underdog in October (8-1-1)
• Take Kansas City at Oakland (7-1-0)
• Take New York Jets at Miami (7-1-0)
• Take Carolina at New Orleans (7-1-0)
• Take the underdog when they failed to cover the spread by 10 or more points last week AND they face a team that covered the spread by 10 or more points last week (35-6-1)
• Take Philadelphia as an underdog against New York Giants (6-1-0)
• Take New York Giants as an underdog in January (6-1-0)
• Take New York Jets as a favorite against Miami (6-1-1)
• Take Philadelphia on the road in January (6-1-0)
• Play against St. Louis as a favorite in September (12-2-2)
• Take Dallas as an underdog versus Washington (5-1-0)

These stats are missing the actual line figures but they are irrelevant as they differed from each game, but the trends continued regardless. So next time you’re betting on an NFL game just remember, you can follow your gut or you can use the information that is out there to get better informed and make the smartest bet possible. That’s why they call smart bettors sharps, they collect all the data they can and make an educated decision based on facts, not a gut feeling.

Good luck this NFL betting season and be sure to stay tuned into the BetUS Locker Room for all the latest trends and stats to help you make it a green and prosperous winter.