Disadvantage
In pro football, teams fight all year for the right to host their playoff games at home and to enjoy the fabled "home field advantage." Home field, however, is no advantage against the football betting odds. In fact, the more of a home field advantage a team has straight up, the more of a disadvantage that it can be on the football betting odds.
There is no better example of football betting odds home field disadvantage than the 2005 Indianapolis Colts, a juggernaut for most of the season that threatened to go undefeated. The Colts went 7-1 straight up at home, often winning in dominating fashion. When they were rolling along undefeated and touted as the next best thing to the 1972 Dolphins, you had to get out of the way of the stampede of gamblers wanting to get down on Indy, particularly at home. And yet the Colts finished 3-5 against the football betting lines at home during the regular season. Worse yet, in their playoff game against Pittsburgh, as a ten-point chalk, Indianapolis lost straight up 18-21 to make for a total of six losses in nine home games against the football betting odds.
The story of Pittsburgh, in fact, proves that in pro football gambling, home field advantage is often nothing more than a myth, particularly against the football betting odds.
Pittsburgh was faced with the seemingly impossible task of having to play all of their playoff games on the road. This meant that in order for the Steelers to make the Super Bowl they had to win three consecutive games at the home field of a division champion. They had to beat football's best teams away from home. Yeah, it sounded impossible, but it wasn't.
The Steelers first went to Cincinnati, where a crazed crowd of Bengal fans packed the park in overflow numbers, thrilled with the teams' first playoff berth in 13 years. Yet Pittsburgh won and covered as a 3-point dog. They next went to number one seeded Indianapolis and scored that aforementioned upset win over the Colts. They then had to play at Denver, never an easy task, for the AFC title as 3-point dogs where they prevailed to make the Super Bowl. It was sweet justice for Pittsburgh, who lost the AFC championship game at home the previous season to New England in another example of the home field disadvantage vs. the football betting odds.
Advantages -
In pro football, teams fight all year for the right to host their playoff games at home and to enjoy the fabled "home field advantage." Home field, however, is no advantage against the football betting odds. In fact, the more of a home field advantage a team has straight up, the more of a disadvantage that it can be on the football betting odds.
There is no better example of football betting odds home field disadvantage than the 2005 Indianapolis Colts, a juggernaut for most of the season that threatened to go undefeated. The Colts went 7-1 straight up at home, often winning in dominating fashion. When they were rolling along undefeated and touted as the next best thing to the 1972 Dolphins, you had to get out of the way of the stampede of gamblers wanting to get down on Indy, particularly at home. And yet the Colts finished 3-5 against the football betting lines at home during the regular season. Worse yet, in their playoff game against Pittsburgh, as a ten-point chalk, Indianapolis lost straight up 18-21 to make for a total of six losses in nine home games against the football betting odds.
The story of Pittsburgh, in fact, proves that in pro football gambling, home field advantage is often nothing more than a myth, particularly against the football betting odds.
Pittsburgh was faced with the seemingly impossible task of having to play all of their playoff games on the road. This meant that in order for the Steelers to make the Super Bowl they had to win three consecutive games at the home field of a division champion. They had to beat football's best teams away from home. Yeah, it sounded impossible, but it wasn't.
The Steelers first went to Cincinnati, where a crazed crowd of Bengal fans packed the park in overflow numbers, thrilled with the teams' first playoff berth in 13 years. Yet Pittsburgh won and covered as a 3-point dog. They next went to number one seeded Indianapolis and scored that aforementioned upset win over the Colts. They then had to play at Denver, never an easy task, for the AFC title as 3-point dogs where they prevailed to make the Super Bowl. It was sweet justice for Pittsburgh, who lost the AFC championship game at home the previous season to New England in another example of the home field disadvantage vs. the football betting odds.
Advantages -
great exercise (even makes you lift/stay in shape in offseason), allows you to earn respect, teambuilding/leadership skills, can make you "popular," teaches you to push yourself, teaches concentration, gives a healthy outlet for aggression, boosts self esteem and confidence, and of course, it is a lot of fun.
