NFL Straight Up Picks

You know it’s going to be a good day when you open up the NFL odds page at Bodog Sportsbook. There’s always something for you to bet on, no matter what time of year it is. But did you know there’s more to NFL betting than just the point spread? There are many different ways you can bet on the most popular pro sports league in North America, including the oldest of them all: straight-up picks.

If you’re not familiar with straight-up betting, fear not: You’ve come to the right place. We’ll show you how this classic bet works. By the time you’re done with the quick and easy guide, you’ll be able to bet on the NFL with confidence. Let’s start at the beginning with a look at the basic ins and outs of making straight-up NFL picks here at Bodog.

How do Straight Up Picks work in NFL bets

Chances are you’re familiar with the point spread – it’s become part of our everyday language beyond football. But the spread was only invented in the 1940s; the NFL itself was born in 1920, and NFL betting has been around just as long. Bettors were making straight-up picks in the early days, choosing simply whether Team A or Team B would win the game.

Betting on NFL games straight-up didn’t stop when the point spread took over. You can place these same bets today, and millions of people do, especially when the Super Bowl rolls around. Sometimes it’s easier to just pick your favourite team to win, and get paid when they do.

Take Super Bowl LIV for example. If you were a fan of the Los Angeles Rams heading into their matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, you could have bet on Los Angeles at –3.5 on the point spread, or you could have bet on the Rams to win straight-up. If you made that second wager, you got paid when the Rams beat Cincinnati 23-20; the first bet would have been a loss, as Cincinnati came up short by only three points.

Straight ups and NFL moneyline betting

So how do you place a straight-up bet at Bodog Sportsbook? When you open our NFL odds page at any point during the season (including preseason and playoffs), you’ll see all of the available games on the schedule, with odds attached for each game. Early odds for the Week 1 games are usually made available well in advance, as soon as the NFL schedule is released.

These odds include all three of the classic “straight” or “single” wagers in sports betting: the point spread, the moneyline, and the total. The moneyline is where you make your straight-up picks; this betting line shows you the odds to win for each of the two teams involved.

Here’s an example from Week 1 of the 2022 regular season, featuring two familiar AFC East rivals:

New England Patriots +140

Miami Dolphins –165

Miami is listed at the bottom, as is customary for the home side. The numbers to the right of the team names are the moneyline odds for each team to win, shown in the American odds format. The Dolphins are the –165 favourites, meaning they’ll pay out $100 for every $165 wagered (smaller and larger bets are allowed), while the Patriots are +140 underdogs, paying out $140 for every $100 wagered.

As it turned out, the Dolphins won this game 20-7, so if you bet Miami straight-up in this contest, you won as well. What could be easier?

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FAQ

What is the difference between straight-up and against the spread?

A straight-up pick is when you bet on either Team A or Team B to win a game. When you bet against the spread, the favourite has to win by at least the given number of points in order to “cover” the spread and pay out.

Why are straight-up picks important for moneyline bets?

These two go hand-in-hand; anytime you place a moneyline bet, you’re making a straight-up pick between the two teams involved.