Glossary: F

The favorite is the team expected to win, usually shown with a negative spread (for example, "-4.5"). The bigger the number, the clearer the gap in level between the two teams is considered to be by the market.

Favorite status isn't a guarantee — it just reflects an estimate based on form, injuries, home-field advantage, and other factors available when the line was set. Upsets, where the underdog wins outright, are common enough to be part of the league's appeal.

The opposite of the favorite is the underdog — the team the market considers less likely to win.

The front seven is the collective name for the four (or three) defensive linemen plus the three (or four) linebackers — essentially the whole defense except the secondary. They're the players closest to the line of scrimmage, mainly responsible for stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback.

The exact split varies by scheme — a 4-3 defense uses four linemen and three linebackers, a 3-4 flips that ratio — but the total stays seven. A dominant front seven can make a defense look good even with an average secondary, since constant quarterback pressure disrupts any passing attack's rhythm.

A fumble happens when the player carrying the ball loses control of it — usually from a hard tackle — before the referee whistles the play dead. The ball is live on the field, and either team can recover it.

A defensive fumble recovery is one of the most valuable plays in the game, since it instantly flips possession without the offense finishing its set of downs. That's why players drill hard on securing the ball tightly against contact.

A fumble is different from an interception: an interception happens during a pass in the air, while a fumble occurs after the ball was already in a player's possession on the field.