What Is Quarter Line Betting

Quarter line betting lets the bettor wager on each of the four quarters individually. This is not exclusive to football, as basketball offers the option as well. However, it’s more popular in the NFL.

Quarter lines are usually made available at the end of the previous quarter. Yes, it’s some sort of mix between live betting and a usual bet we discuss in our NFL betting strategies piece.

Quarter Line Betting Rules

As in most of the bets you place, there are some rules to follow or that you should know before placing your wager.

Let’s go through them.

Quarter line bets are calculated just like straight bets unless it’s otherwise indicated by the sportsbook.

The game must go the full quarter for the bet to have action. For instance, a first-quarter bet will have action until the first quarter is played in full.

Overtime is often not included as part of the fourth quarter, so if you place a fourth-quarter wager, it ends there, and not in the overtime period.

Parlays, teaser bets, and buying points are not allowed on quarter bets.

Quarter Wagering Tips

We are here to help. Hence, it’s our duty to serve you with some nice tips that will help you with quarter wagering.

Say you like a big underdog in an NFL game. You can get better than a +7 spread in all four quarters. Sharp bettors will often look to get a 7.5 or better.

They hope the underdog covers a one-touchdown deficit margin more often than not during a usual game. Remember, this is about winning and losing. You need to win over 52.38% of your bets to be profitable during the season.

A large NFL favorite is not known to cover consistently. Since most games are decided between three and seven points, that is something you have to consider.

The first quarter is a great spot to bet for a team that gets going fast. Some teams are slow starters, others come out guns blazing.

The oddsmakers know who does and who doesn’t come out swinging and it reflects on the line. Having said that, if you look at different options, you may find some value bets.

NFL Full Game Odds Vs. NFL Quarter Odds

As you know, there are tens of hundreds of different betting options in every single NFL game. Quarter and halftime betting odds belong to the prop betting department.

Because of this, their payout is offered in a moneyline, total, or point spread format.

Both options -quarter and halftime odds- are posted in competitions that play themselves over four periods of play. The NBA and the NFL are these teams.

As for half-betting, it is also available in sports that are played over two periods, like soccer and hockey.

These bets can be placed before the match or in a live-betting format, where the action plays out.

Common Quarter Betting Sports

The NFL reigns atop of the quarter betting, and the NBA also has its fair share of quarter wagering action. Before each quarter starts, bettors can find reduced game total odds.

Additionally, you can see which side wins each part with reduced point spreads, or even moneylines.

Bettors have to remind themselves that quarter odds are usually not one-quarter of the full game betting odds.

Using an example in the NFC North, the Packers vs. Vikings contest shows how the first quarter odds look compared to full game odds.

NFL Full Game Odds

• Point Spread: Green Bay -12 vs. Minnesota +12
• Moneyline: Green Bay -545 vs. Minnesota +450
• Game Total: Over/Under 42 points

NFL First Quarter Odds

• Point Spread: Green Bay -4 vs. Minnesota +4
• Moneyline: Green Bay -250 vs. Minnesota +200
• Game Total: Over/Under 10 points

Common Halftime Betting Sports

The NFL is once again a juggernaut in this department. Alongside it, basketball, college football, soccer, hockey, and college basketball also gather action.

While the first half is played, and during the intermission, the oddsmakers post live odds based on second-half outcomes only.

As said before, moneylines, totals, and point spreads are the wager options.

Time period betting is also available on sports like baseball. Bettors can play on which team wins each period and on goal total odds in sports like hockey.

Baseball games move slower, so bettors use live betting to bet on which team wins every inning.

Quarter and halftime betting is best used when research tells the teams to start fast. When they come firing at all cylinders. Also, it allows bettors to have a quick response to their bet, instead of sweating the full game.

Betting Strategy For Each Quarter Betting

First Quarter Betting Strategy

In the first quarter, betting on the home team is having an edge. The home side averages nearly one more point per outing in the first quarter of the games.

When it’s a game with a home team of a -6 or a lesser point spread, it usually makes them a -1 or -2 favorite in the first quarter. Needless to say, that is a sweet spot to bet on that first quarter.

Second Quarter Betting Strategy

The first part of this tactic is to watch the game, because if not, you may be in a world of trouble. If the team favored starts bad, this is a sign that they come with a rebound in the second quarter.

The second quarter is one of the highest-scoring periods in a game. This is due to a lot of factors. One of the most important factors is field positioning.

When the second quarter ends, a team can be lurking into the red zone already, which means they are in field goal position from the start of the quarter. Of course, the touchdown is always more likely to happen.

The second quarter is the time to go for the over as there are lots of “free” score opportunities if they put points early in the period. In this case, you get almost 12 to 14 minutes to get the rest of the over.

Third Quarter Strategy

This is one of the lowest scoring quarters of NFL games. Having said that, don’t take them for granted. The sportsbooks know that and therefore, they rate it accordingly. This gives you a chance to make some profit here.

Look for the favorites that underperformed in the first half of the game. If they are receiving the ball in the second half, even better.

A bad call or a clumsy interception could cost them, and after adjusting at halftime, the good teams will come out aggressive on the third.

Fourth Quarter Strategy

The final quarter of the game is tricky on the results. Why? If a team is blowing out the other, they may step down on the gas, and the other team may score garbage time points, winning them the quarter.

Or it can be a total shootout and you come into a coin toss. In the fourth quarter, look for the totals.

The offenses tend to play at a higher pace—the is more urgency. For example, if a team is down 10-14 points and has a good offense, they will go all in. The overs usually are a great bet to make on the final, decisive quarters in the NFL.

However, take into consideration what each team has done in the previous three quarters. Don’t go betting blindly on a team just based on their roster without considering how the game has developed.

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