The football betting public has been waiting seven long months to get back in on some action. And the NFL doesn't disappoint, with the opening Thursday game, a full slate of games on Sunday afternoon and evening and two Monday night games. But, if Thursday night's Packers/Bears snoozer is any indication of upcoming play for the first weekend, we urge football bettors NOT to dive in with both fists full of cash.

It's a Long Season

My good friend and handicapper JR O'Donnell of Pregame told me years ago these words that gamblers should live by when betting NFL football - "It's a marathon, not a sprint." That's some solid advice leading into the seventeen week long season.

All we have seen so far is the preseason and a handful of joint practices. Thinking that the preseason has any bearing on your decisions is nonsense. Starters have played less and less over the last few years as teams try to keep stars healthy for the real games. So, many of the games' top players have not seen any live game action! In this season's opener nothing could have been more evident. The Packers/Bears matchup featured 17 punts, 20 penalties and just 13 points scored. Sloppy play and missed opportunities were really the highlight of the night.

Handicapping this year’s team based on how they performed on the field last season, while guessing how new roster additions will fill in is certainly not a winning formula for betting either. But, with so many roster changes, let alone many key new starters involved, there are opportunities to potentially exploit if bettors are willing to dig deep enough. 

Even handicappers are a bit out of NFL shape to start the season. As evidence, many pundits were all about the Bears last night. 

Solid Advice

The marathon vs. sprint analogy holds very true for football bettors. The NFL season of 17 weeks can bust many a bankroll, early on. Often players try to make an early kill, betting on too many games and playing games that they can watch on television. Should players get in a hole, they often press too early, forgetting about bankroll management and firing exotic props, parlays and teasers just to get  back to even.

The best thing to do in the first two weeks of the NFL season? Pump da Brakes!! 

Bet a few games for minor dollars. Watch a bunch of games. Read recaps, study stats and make some predictions for Week 2. Once the season and teams start to unfold and some patterns are visible, then fire away on some games!

Sportsbooks Bringing Extra Value

As the sports betting landscape is changing with the addition of U.S land-based sportsbooks opening in various states, the online books are ramping things up with extra value and reasons to stay offshore.

Jazz Sports had been implementing the strategy of letting their customers have access to live games from all over the world. The concept behind it is if a customer is betting on a game, they might as well give them access to watch it right? The Live Streaming service now being offered, puts Jazz Sports right on top of the tech wave. They are calling it JAZZ SPORTS TV and players will be able to watch every televised event taking place around the world; from International Tennis, to European Soccer, MLB games, Rugby from Australia and more. Their live streaming pop-up will suit the size of any device and mobile-browser preferences. 

5Dimes now has FIVE live betting applications! In addition to the typical live betting platform, they offer live, in-play betting via Live Betting Extra, Live Betting Ultra, Sports Betting Plus and Sports Betting Prime. Betting on live action is a personal experience, so 5Dimes offers these options to see which fits your style. Players can use the different interfaces to switch from pregame to live betting with one click, bet on eSports and even get a rebate on in-play wagers.

Finally, don't forget about sportsbook contests that are run every year to entice players to sign-up. NFL Contests from MyBookie, BetOnline and nearly every sportsbook are available. We list most of them on our Sportsbook Contest page.

Enjoy the first full  weekend of football in many months, but remember to hold onto some of you money, do a little homework and fire away once the season truly get underway.

Check back every week for The Betting Scene as we will highlight new items of interest in the world of online sports betting.