Football Halftime Betting

An example of a halftime bet would look something like this:
The line for the Redskins vs. Cowboys game is the Skins as the 7-point favorite with a total of 42. The score at halftime of this game is Redskins 20 Cowboys 3. The second half line is posted and it has a total of 17.

You now have some options for a halftime bet. If you bet on the Redskins to win this game you can then:

• Bet on the Cowboys at the pick for the second half. If the Cowboys score more then the Redskins by fewer then 10 points you would then win both of the bets you made. If the Cowboys score more than the Redskins by more then 10 points you will win the halftime bet, but you will lose your primary bet. If the Cowboys have a great second half and outscore the Redskins you would lose both bets, halftime and primary.
• You know that the only way that the Redskins will not cover is if the Cowboys have a great second half by lighting up the scoreboard. Because of this you can bet the Over for the second half total. In this case if the Redskins get at least 3 points off a field goal then you cannot lose your primary bet and the second hand bet.
• Considering that the Redskins went into the half with a pretty big lead you might think that they will be careful with the ball and try to run out the clock. Because of this you may want to bet Under the second half total of 17.

You can also hedge your bet if you bet Under for the original total of 42. Considering that there was 20 points scored in the first half and the second half total is 17, you can make the Over bet and if the score of the game ends with a total of 38.39,40, or 41 you will win both bets while you risk the juice, as you will definitely win at least one of your bets.

Halftime bets do not have to be used simply to hedge a bet. If you want to check out the first half to get a feel for the game, you can do so and then make a halftime bet. This can give you some good chances to win if you wait it out and do not force your bets. Why is this? Well, many sportsbooks will post a second half line to make it unattractive for those bettors looking to hedge their original bet.

The main disadvantages of a halftime bet are that your there is not a lot of time to bet and you do not have much time to really study the bet.