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Wisconsin Football: Sports betting basics

By Tanner Nestle

EVANSTON, IL - NOVEMBER 05: Head coach Paul Chryst of the Wisconsin Bagers waits with his team to enter the field before a game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on November 5, 2016 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
EVANSTON, IL - NOVEMBER 05: Head coach Paul Chryst of the Wisconsin Bagers waits with his team to enter the field before a game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on November 5, 2016 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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Wisconsin Football - D'Cota Dixon
MADISON, WI – OCTOBER 15: D’Cota Dixon (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Another Wisconsin Football season is upon us. Time to freshen up on our sports betting terminology.

Sports betting is becoming more and more popular with every passing football season. This year, I’ll be keeping track of my best bets on Wisconsin football, and may offer up some other knowledge on things like Jonathan Taylor’s Heisman odds, or Wisconsin’s odds to win the Big Ten or National Championship.

Before we get there, it’s important to break down all of the concepts that we’ll be discussing when talking about these bets. There are a few major things to get to, some more common than the others. The spread and total are probably things even fans with no interest in sports betting see and reference all the time. But money lines are a bit more complicated. I’ll reference Wisconsin’s current numbers against Western Kentucky in these examples. Those numbers can be found at Oddsshark.

There is a lot to cover and everything explained here may not apply to every week’s picks. Likewise, there may be more to break down if a certain opportunity presents itself. Just consider this a crash course in the basic fundamentals of sports betting. With the knowledge presented here, you can follow along with my picks the rest of the season and understand why I fall on the sides I do.

Please remember to always play responsibly. Do not wager any money you do not have and do not take anything I say here or in the future as fact. No bet is guaranteed. I do not personally gamble on sports, I only entertain the concept as an additional way to enjoy and discuss sports. I do not encourage gambling.