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Betting Guide
The first quarter of an NFL game can sometimes decide the game, but it more closely resembles the first round of a chess match with each team setting things up and testing their opponent.
Some things that you see in the first quarter of an NFL game can pay off later in the game with teams testing the defense, but back pocketing it until later. It can be very interesting and teams trends in the first quarter tend to hold up over a season. This makes it a great thing to bet on.
This article is going to take you through first quarter NFL betting. How to do it, where to do it and our strategy for betting on it. Let’s get right into it.
Where To Bet NFL 1st Quarters:
America: One of the best sites for betting football in the US is Bovada and they have you covered for 1st quarter plays as well. You will be able to bet on a variety of first quarter betting here such as the 1st quarter point spread, the over/under on points for the first quarter and who will win the first quarter. They will also offer a variety of first quarter bets.
Canada: You can find NFL 1st quarters and all sorts of other NFL bets at Sports Interaction. They offer point spread betting, over/under betting and who will win all tied to the 1st quarter of every NFL game. There is also additional 1st quarter prop bets that change game to to game.
Everywhere Else: 888 has you covered for all the NFL quarters. They offer a variety of quarter betting for all quarters and for the 1st quarter specifically, you can bet on the point spread for the first quarter, the total point scored in that quarter and the money line.
What is NFL First Quarter Betting?
This is a spread or betting line made specifically for the first quarter of the game. The rest of the action does not matter. With the first quarter bets you can bet on the moneyline, point spread or over/under.
Depending on the sportsbook, there will be a variety of additional prop bets too. Here are just an example of the 1st quarter prop bets available at some sportsbooks:
- Race to X Points (With “Neither” being an option)
- 1st Quarter Winning Margin
- 1st Quarter total to be odd or even
- A 1st Quarter / Half Time Result Parlay
- 1st Quarter Team Points Over/Under
- 1st Quarter bets on the amount of field goals or touchdowns scored
- 1st Quarter will a specific team score in that quarter
- Will a team win the 1st quarter to nil
And so much more. Cool seeing the variety of 1st quarter bets available out there.
To go into more detail about a few of these:
Race to X Points: You will get to bet on who will race to a certain point number first. So you can say that the Patriots will be the first team to 10 points. As long as in the 1st quarter they get to 10 points and it’s before their opponent, you would win the bet.
If neither team gets to 10 points or if the opponent gets to 10 points first, you would lose your bet.
1st Quarter Winning Margin: Where you get to predict the exact winning margin for a team in the 1st quarter. It varies but may be “between 1-4 points” and “between 5-7” etc.
Will a team win the 1st quarter to nil? A team has to win the first quarter, while not giving up any points. For this one, you generally want teams who have long, slow drives and who will take up a lot of time in that quarter.
Common NFL 1st Quarter Questions:
Which team typically wins the first quarter?
In a study at BoydsBets, it was found that the home team scores nearly a point more in the first quarter than the away team.
There are a lot of factors at play here, but I think it boils down to the home team comes out swinging.
How To Bet NFL First Quarters:
When you go to your sportsbook, there will be a list of the sports offered. At Bovada it’s up top while at Sports Interaction it’s on the left sidebar. 888 puts theirs in a Sports A-Z tab. Head to the football section (or American Football section) and find the game you are interested in. From there, click the “+” sign with the number beside it to see the list of props including first quarter bets.
NFL First Quarter Betting Strategy:
It’s all about the home team when it comes to first quarter betting. As we laid out above, the home team averages nearly one more point per game in the first quarter.
I like to look for a game with a home team with a -6 or less point spread on the game. That would make them a -1 or -2 favorite in the first quarter which is right in the sweet spot of where you want to bet.
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