NFL Gambling....Is it really worth It?

Let me start by saying that my plays are 100 dollars for each play made for myself and no more and no less.

For my 100th game being played by me I decided to make it my play of the year yesterday and lost Chargers-1 and another 100 bucks

With that being said my record stands at 54-46 and over ten thousand dollars trading places with money leaving my account due to loses and money received into my account for my wins.

$800.00 in winnings to the plus with my record of 54-46, right? But wait! out of that $800.00 to the plus the juice money on my loses were $598.00 so now subtract that $598 from my $800.00 to the plus and I am left with my current bankroll of $212.00 wait what!? $212.00 after 100 plays. Really? 

Okay I'm grateful that I'm up yes (The minute amount that it is) but after spending countless hours watching these games and spending countless hours handicapping these games and spending countless hours from spending time with my loved ones. 

I have to wonder is it all worth it week in and week out throughout the football season to continue wasting my time Gambling on this sport that appears virtually impossible to handicap and come out substantially profitable?

After fifty plus years of gambling on football this has been no doubt a period of time that is more difficult than ever to come out ahead in profits...real profits!

This forum has a lot to offer with some real astute handicappers and genuine ones at that, but it makes me wonder are any of you guys/girls having a successful year this year to honestly say that you are showing some good profits? Real Profits! I'm curious.

Thanks for hearing me out, Covers

Oh, and by the way.... I will have some plays to put out soon today for what it's worth and as of late.... not much 

bet more per play if your a long term winning bettor

Yes. Some people play golf, garden, bowling, whatever….. I love sports and it makes the game more entertaining…. can’t think of many other reasons to watch FIU/UTSA than to have a few bucks on it…. it brings someone more discomfort than fun then no but to me it’s been a fantastic hobby for 25+ years

@shakey12381

 bet more per play if your a long term winning bettor

I will do that and my plays will be doubled (come playoffs) because my starting bankroll in the beginning of the season is all accounted for and fully intact.

But even doubling or tripling my plays come playoff time still makes me wonder will I myself show some profits?......Real Profits!

Remains to be seen as I stated the sport is tough very tough to handicap and to show profits....real profits 

we don't gamble to win money. we gamble to win money so we can gamble some more.

If you're gambling for entertainment and staying within your means it is. 

Good luck if you're trying to make a living gambling on NFL games 

 Exactly

<1% can do it for a living...for the rest of us, it's entertainment

All of gambling is not worth it… you can’t win in the long run… so it becomes a addiction…dopamine high… only solution if you can’t stop is to bet very light

@justliketoplay

 I like to say for me that it’s something that I enjoy.

on another note I really have to laugh at the folks that fall for these guys who claim to be professional cappers and you pay them a fee and they are going to make you rich ( it’s a nice fantasy to believe) I won’t name them but I checked out their records and like the one website they post there records of last ten picks and 98% of them are 50% to 56% winners.

Then I just have to give them credit for making money to cover their losses on wager’s lol! 
Yes I was a victim of this fantasy, and I caught on quickly to their scam! 
I have even seen one on here recently trying to sell his cappers dream and his post didn’t last long.

Now let’s sit back and think why do we do this? Just be responsible and set your limit and don’t chase bets.

one or two games don’t go crazy and also remember the friendships that are made here.

Ty for letting me be apart of this family because I have no family. Well if you count my dogs!

@Coloneljim

If you're gambling for entertainment and staying within your means it is 

Good luck if you're trying to make a living gambling on NFL games 

Yes I like it for entertainment purposes and the challenge of an opportunity to beat the books but it has increasingly been tough to do so with the past couple years being extremely tough and I'm sure it has been tough for many a seasoned veterans like myself as well.

Entertainment yes substaionally profitable no so the question still remains is it all worth it?  

I'm waiting for the poster or posters to tell me in all honesty that this form of entertainment betting on football has become more than just entertainment and has genuinely made profits....real profits!

Because if in the unlikely event that there are several who are showing real profits I will praise and honor you as one of a few that are enjoying this sport more than just for entertainment because I'm sure we all like entertainment but I know we should all like money first and foremost and the point of this thread is about how tough it is for myself a controlled and disciplined handicapper to come out with some worth while profits outside of the entertainment aspect of it and in helping the younger generations of gamblers on this forum that are betting way more than I am for much more than just..... entertainment.

Simple answer

When you win YES

When you lose OH HELL NO 

Not sure why this thread from 2025 popped up but I will add my 2 cents. 

OP claims rightly that it is very difficult to make money betting sides in a -110 environment. Theres no disputing that. Even the best in the world arent going to come out very far ahead after vig. Thats why they bet 100s of thousands on a side they like. Thats the only way to make meaningful money on such a small edge. 

2 years ago I completely changed my approach and started winning REAL money. People that follow my threads will notice I have a lot of plus money plays and I dont bet many sides, mostly props and when i take a side its usually the dog on the ml. My typical week is usually over 50% plus money plays. 

When you are hitting +200 and higher plays you can actually win real money. 2 years ago I started this and never looked back. I make all my own lines also, and I rarely see more than 2 sides that have any appreciable edge on the spread compared to the books. 

Last week I posted ATL +150 and MIA +190. I also hit a huge ML dog parlay that was posted. Those arent gonna hit often and im not bragging, the point is that you need to be betting plus money. 

I also play plus money props frequently. Ladder those rec yds up and get yourself a real payout. I hit a lot of touchdowns too. Now there is a lot of randomness that goes into these things like anything, but i watch literally every minute of every game and I see where a guy was open on a certain play in the endzone and didnt connect. They will go back to it. You need to identify plus matchups where production DIDNT happen this week so its not reflected in the number, but it will happen next week. Theres no shortcut to watching hours of film for this. 

Hope this helps someone 

@Yanasaur

 Ha! I was wondering the same thing