New trends in sports betting

Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015 | 2 a.m.

For the many handicappers who have spent the past few months tracking stats, monitoring the odds and making preseason wagers, the football season couldn’t come a moment sooner. Year after year, college and professional football continue to be the most popular sports to wager on, culminating with the Super Bowl in February. Whether you’ve had your futures bets lined up since the spring or you are waiting until the last minute, we can all breathe a collective sign of relief: It’s finally football season.

Betting on mobile apps and in person

While in pursuit of the best line, a trend among many sports bettors is placing bets on different mobile apps while simultaneously betting at the brick-and-mortar sports book. This allows bettors to monitor and play multiple lines at once and increases their opportunities to make live bets. In return, the casinos are beginning to allow more live betting at the windows as well, furthering the sense of urgency and general excitement during football season.

Promotions and incentives to sign up for the app are usually offered during the peak betting seasons, such as football pre-seasons and March Madness.

The rise of preseason betting

Betting during the preseason has always been a dicey topic for gamblers because exhibition games are hard to predict, coaches are still calibrating their lineups and auditioning players for roster spots who are eventually cut, and some teams simply aren’t concerned with preseason results. However, in recent years, preseason betting has been on the rise and is giving handicappers a chance to turn a profit. But with the regular season starting, be careful: Teams that thrived in the preseason likely won’t continue their solid play. Preseason hype can cloud your judgment when handicapping the regular season.

Whom to keep an eye on this season

• After two injury-filled seasons, the St. Louis Rams are finally starting to look healthy. With one of the best potential defensive lines in the league, the Rams may be poised for a prominent spot in the playoffs.

• While full consequences of Deflategate are still to be decided, the Patriots have signed receiver Reggie Wayne, cementing their rivalry with the Colts and guaranteeing an intense meeting Oct. 18.

• They haven’t won a playoff game since 1990, but after outperforming their expectations last season, the Cincinnati Bengals might finally be up to the task. They could again reach the postseason, but this time finally win a playoff game.

• Futures bets and season-win totals favoring the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers have been frequently wagered on, according to oddsmakers. But will they deliver? With Vikings center John Sullivan suffering a preseason back injury and the Packers losing top receiver Jordy Nelson to a knee injury, only time will tell how these teams will fare.