Updated: April 2024

How To Bet On NFL Football

Professional football is the number one sport for attracting betting dollars, and the fascination has spread beyond the borders of the United States with most online platforms able to reach a global audience.

 

In the US, Nevada is currently the only state to offer traditional sportsbooks, with NFL betting making up to 40% of the revenue for the sports betting industry. The Super Bowl alone rakes in over 8 billion dollars in wagers every year.

 

NFL betting sites provide access to NFL wagering for bettors all over the world. You will need to choose a reputable sportsbook and one which is appropriate for your betting style, betting strategies, and your level of knowledge of the sport.

 

How to Bet on the NFL

 

All you need to get started with NFL betting is a little general knowledge about the sport of football and sportsbetting. You have a choice of several different types of betting strategies when putting wagers on NFL games. Of course, you don't have to indulge in all kinds of betting, but it's useful to know that they are available should you need some variety. Most types of bets can be used across many sports disciplines, but we will focus on NFL football specifically for the rest of this article.

 

Betting Options for NFL

 

You have access to three types of straight bets when betting on the NFL:

 

Totals

 

Totals football betting involves putting a wager on whether the score of a game will go over or under the total of what the oddsmakers think it will be, hence the name over/under.

 

The weather, expertise of the players, and injuries can all come into play to affect the final score.

As an example, if an oddsmaker puts down that the Ravens vs. Steelers will total 37.5, bettors putting a wager on the over will need the total score to be 38 or higher. Bettors choosing the under option will need the score to come in at 37 or less for the win.

 

Point Spread

 

The 50/50 chance of winning in the point spread is appealing to many bettors and most likely the reason the point spread is the most popular type of bet. A point spread covers from 3 to 10 points, with the underdog getting the advantage before the start of the game.

 

Oddsmakers determine the point spread by declaring one team as the favorite to win by a number of points. The favorites team then needs to win by more than the points declared by the oddsmaker (which is the spread), to cover the payout.

 

If the favorites team loses then the underdogs cover, but only when the winning margin isn't the same as the spread. If this occurs, the match is a push, and all bets are refunded.

 

Moneyline

 

Moneyline is a simpler alternative to point spread betting above, as a match win is all that is needed to score the payout. There are no restrictions on the final score as it is only the win which determines the outcome of the bet.

 

The trick to scoring big on a Moneyline bet is to predict an upset that changes the course of the match and gives the underdogs a chance to come out on top.

 

As an example, the Moneyline puts the Chargers at -150 and the Broncos at +170, with the Chargers as the favorites to win. To get $100 back on a bet to win you will need to wager $150. If you bet on the underdog to win on this bet, which in this case is the Broncos, your $100 bet will return $170.

 

Different Types of NFL Bets

 

Bigger payouts can be accomplished if you put some money down on the more complicated betting strategies outlined below.

 

Parlays

 

Parlays are a string of wagers linked together. So, instead of betting on the outcome of a single match, you string all the games together into a parlay for a chance to reap in massive profits if all your bets work in your favor. Of course, the payouts on parlays are enormous because the risk that one of your bets won't pan out is high, and one mistake will cost you your entire stake.

 

Teasers

 

Teasers are similar to parlays in that you string a series of bets together, but teasers give you the ability to change the point spread or totals line however you like to reduce your level of risk.

 

You can adjust each spread or total by a certain number of points which can make it a lot easier for each side to cover. Lowering the risk will reduce the payout, but you can string anywhere from two to ten wagers while teasing the lines by 6, 6.5 or 7. Payouts increase with the fewer points you tease.

 

Live Betting

 

Most people have an internet-enabled smartphone with them at all times, which has only served to increase the popularity of live betting. Live betting is play-by-play betting where you can place bets live on each drive. You can also win by correctly predicting the outcome of each play.

 

Props (Proposition Bets)

 

A prop bet is a wager that is not directly related to how the end of the game pans out. Props have a reputation as a fun type of bet which can be placed on almost anything to do with the game that isn't related to the outcome. Typical prop bets are team or player bets which can cover how many passing yards or touchbacks a quarterback will throw during the match, or whether or not a safety will be scored.

The Super Bowl is famous for prop bets, with hundreds of props on offer such as the outcome of the coin toss, and even how long the Anthem will be, to name a couple.

 

Futures

 

Futures are a wager on the outcome of a future event. A good example is betting on who will win the end of season MVP. Futures bets are year round with the possibility of scoring big when a dark-horse has a surprising turn of luck. The Super Bowl once again creates the most popular forum for futures bets, as is predicting the winner of the NBL Conference Finals.

 

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