Having a decent special teams unit (or not as the case may be) can affect a game in many ways. It can also affect your bets.
Special teams players aren't spotlight players but their role is nevertheless important. If you are looking at
a game for the purposes of football betting - it can pay to look at the special teams for each side - especially if the opponents are evenly matched.
The basic make up of special teams are as follows:
1) Kick-off (and kick return).
2) Punting (and punt return).
3) Field goals.
Intertwined with these factors are considerations such as:
Positioning on the field - of player and of ball.
Accurate kickers or pressure kickers can turn and win games. For example you would exclude Adam Vinatieri from your analysis at your peril in many big games.
Look at the 'return men' the guys who power up the field 20, 40, 60 or more yards and occasionally go all the way.
Similarly the opposing teams need to have the players to snuff out any threat with fast cover and effective tackling.
You might also consider more abstract factors such as players with fearsome reputations or those who have a real intelligence and understanding of the game.
One of the biggest problems sometimes is actually finding out about these lesser known players - some research is needed. But the web provides all that information
if you spend a bit of time on research. Just search on their names and see what pops up. You might remember a few of them from their college football days.
A good special teams unit can keep an underdog in a game or help a favorite stomp on the opposition. These types of
observation can help in your analysis of the posted points spread or line and ultimately your football bet or pick.
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