When you go to 5dimes or other outlets to place a bet on football, you don't have to be an expert in the realm of pigskin. You can save your foremost points of sports knowledge and expertise for horse betting and baseball betting, but you do need to be educated about a few basic football betting principles in order to have some sense of what you're about to do.

When you consider a football bet, you need to realize that injuries are a core part of the sport. If you look at two teams and think that you're sure about the nature of the matchup, be sure to check the injury reports first. This might not necessarily be needed if you're betting straight up and on the money line, but if you're betting against the spread, it's a downright necessity to know if players are injured.

Second, you need to know if a team is coming off a bye week or a physically punishing game. Football is a brutal and demanding sport, so if a team gets a week off, that means it not only gets an extra week to prepare for the next opponent, but it gets a chance to heal any of its injuries. Early in the season, when teams are still relatively fresh, this is not a huge concern. In November, when teams are worn down, an off week can carry a great deal of significance for a team and provide it with an appreciable advantage.

When you lay down a bet on a football game, you have to look beyond the raw talent and the pedigrees of the competing teams. Outside details matter.