Football gambling odds and special teams

Football gambling odds are generally handicapped with a careful assessment of the strength of two opposing teams’ offenses and defenses.  However, special teams are often overlooked in gamblers’ analysis of football odds.  This disregard of special teams when examining football gambling odds is unfortunate, because special teams play an integral role in many games and therefore deserve special attention when one evaluates football odds.  Special teams are so vital to football gambling odds because special teams help a club gain good field position and many game-changing plays are made by special teams players.

Football gambling odds that are handicapped while only considering offenses and defenses, with no acknowledgement of special teams, will likely be handicapped poorly.  Veteran handicappers with lots of experience handicapping football odds know that field position is one of the most important aspects of the game, and special teams squads play a major role in the field position tug-of-war.  Simply put, teams with good special teams tend to enjoy good field position, while teams with bad special teams frequently must deal with bad field position.

Good and bad field position can sometimes be important enough to determine the outcome of a contest, meaning it must be factored into the football gambling odds.  For instance, an offense that frequently is able to begin drives around midfield will almost always score more points than an offense that frequently must begin drives from within its own 20 yard line.  Therefore, your handicapping of special teams should actually go hand in hand with your handicapping of offenses and the football gambling odds.

Special teams can also greatly impact football gambling odds because special teams players often make game-changing plays that can affect the outcome of the football gambling odds.  Chicago Bears kick returner Devin Hester is the epitome of such playmakers, as he is renowned for running back kicks for touchdowns, and he has consequently convinced many handicappers of football odds about the necessity of paying attention to special teams players.

When special teams players score touchdowns or make other huge plays, the momentum of a game can change in an instant.  Such plays are famous for sparking comebacks and demoralizing opponents, so they should not be ignored as you assess football gambling odds.  In fact, such plays can frequently determine which team wins a game and covers the football gambling odds.  Also, because so many gamblers do not pay much attention to special teams when they handicap football gambling odds, by acknowledging special teams you will actually enjoy a significant advantage over many of your peers as you analyze football gambling odds.