NFL Accumulators Explained
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Accumulators are a type of NFL bet you can make. They are essentially a combination of two or more bets and are sometimes referred to as parlay bets or multiplier bets. The selections are combined and treated as a single wager rather than being placed individually. Accumulators offer several advantages, but there are disadvantages as well.
NFL bettors and accumulators go hand in hand, so we have made sure to cover them thoroughly in our extensive NFL betting guide. Below, you will find everything you need to know about accumulators. We will explain how to build an accumulator and understand its odds and potential payout.
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What Are Accumulator Bets
Accumulator bets can be any combination of two or more bets. A winning accumulator can offer a better payout than the combined returns of its individual selections. Additionally, you can place an accumulator as a single wager instead of placing the same bets separately.
However, every selection in a standard accumulator must be successful for the wager to win. If you get one of the bets wrong, you lose the entire accumulator. It is not a risk-free bet, but some accumulator variations can reduce the risk involved.
Variations
In most cases, accumulators differ only in the number of bets they contain, but that is not always the case. There are a few variations available online, and we will go over the most common ones.
Open accumulators are one such variation. If you choose to make this type of bet, you may be able to add more selections to the accumulator after placing it. For instance, if you place an accumulator on two NFL games and both selections win, you can add more bets to the accumulator afterward.
There are also so-called progressive accumulators. If you pick this variation, you may receive a payout even if not all of your bets are successful. There is a minimum number of successful picks you must reach to get paid, and you usually need at least three winning selections. Keep in mind that you will not receive the same payout as you would from a regular accumulator because the risk is significantly reduced. Still, the more bets you get right, the larger the payout becomes.
Another variation is the multi-chance accumulator. This is similar to the progressive accumulator because you can still get paid even if not all of your bets are successful. However, the key difference is that you will not be paid more if you exceed the preset threshold. This limits your winnings, but it also limits your losses. You can meet the minimum number of correct selections and still win the full payout offered for this wager.
Special Cases
Sometimes, a bet might push, so you need to know exactly how a sportsbook handles that situation. In some cases, you might lose your entire accumulator because of a single push. We highly recommend checking the sportsbook’s rules or contacting its support team. A common practice is to exclude that selection and settle the wager as if the accumulator contained one fewer pick.
Another issue with accumulators is that the quoted odds can differ significantly from the true odds. You can try to address this by picking bets with different odds, including some that are higher than the true odds you have calculated. This increases the accumulator’s overall odds and can bring them closer to the true odds. This is referred to as forcing true odds.
Advantages and Disadvantages
As we already mentioned, the main advantage of accumulators is that they offer the potential for larger payouts. Some successful accumulator bets have allowed bettors to win substantial amounts of money.
Placing an accumulator means risking a relatively small amount compared with the potential profit from a win. As with any other bet, you could lose, but the potential return can be considerably larger than the initial stake.
Despite their appeal, accumulators are high-risk wagers. You can lose the entire stake if just one pick is wrong. Along with the higher potential profit comes greater risk. This is why you need to be careful when placing accumulator bets and include only wagers on events you have analyzed carefully.
Accumulators have another flaw: the more bets you add, the further the quoted odds may drift from the true odds. This means you could be betting at lower odds than you should be. This can be addressed using a method we will discuss shortly, but the flaw remains.
When to Use Accumulators
Experienced bettors know to use accumulators carefully and selectively. Unless you can force the true odds or are confident about the outcome of every game, this is a highly risky bet. You can place an accumulator with a very small stake, but if you are a high roller, you may want to wager less on accumulators.
The right time to use accumulators depends on each individual’s betting style and strategy. Later, we will discuss this in more detail. For beginners, we recommend starting with smaller accumulators and gradually adding more selections as you gain experience.
Calculating Profits
The easiest way to calculate the potential profit from a winning accumulator is to enter the wager online. Most online sportsbooks will show you the potential return before you finish placing your bet. You can use this displayed figure to review the potential payout before confirming the wager.
If you still want to calculate it yourself, several equations can help. However, keep in mind that many of them use what are considered the true odds, which means your result may differ slightly from the sportsbook’s quoted payout.
To calculate the payout yourself, first multiply all the odds together. Then, multiply that figure by your stake. This is easiest to do with decimal odds. We previously covered how to convert moneyline odds into decimal odds.
Once again, using an online sportsbook is much easier and faster. You will immediately see how much you could potentially win, both with and without your original stake included.
Conclusion
Placing an accumulator bet can be tempting, and there are several ways to approach it. If you understand the risks and choose your selections carefully, this type of wager could prove profitable. One of the most important considerations is making sure the odds offer suitable value. As mentioned above, always make sure you know how the sportsbook handles a push. Finally, remember to bet responsibly and for entertainment.