If you want to learn how to bet on the NFL, our NFL betting guide will set you up for success. The NFL is projected to bring in $24 billion in betting, and you should want to get in on the action. Here, we’ll offer a slew of betting resources that you can refer to year-round. You’ll find expert NFL betting advice, analysis, tips and picks.
We’ll break down the types of bets you can make, what odds you’ll see, and tips for live betting, weekly NFL betting and the Super Bowl. We’ll also point you to the best NFL sportsbooks on the market, so you can get started right away.
Best NFL Betting Sites
NFL Betting Guides and Resources
NFL betting season is an exciting time, and you should absorb as much expert information as possible for a more profitable betting experience. We deliver some of the best NFL sports betting advice, from where to find the best sportsbooks online, to the latest news, analysis and everything in between:
Latest NFL News
Follow the NFL throughout the season with the most up-to-date news. Whether it’s player injuries, fired coaches, or an unexpected hot streak of wins, we’ll cover it all and more.
Free Expert NFL Picks
In need of weekly NFL game picks from the experts? Look no further. We offer free picks at The Sports Geek on our NFL picks page. Our AI picks have proven to be wildly successful for winners on the moneyline, spread and over/under. Let us help you figure out who to bet on in the NFL.
Best NFL Bets
NFL Advice and Analysis
Our blog provides readers with a wealth of NFL betting advice and analysis. Throughout the season, you’ll find weekly odds/prediction articles, underdog picks, NFL futures, props and more. You’ll also find tips on how to win your survivor pool, and where you can play them. It doesn’t stop there as our writers keep an eye on the NFL throughout the offseason too, and give their analysis on the draft and any major moves on the horizon.
How to Bet on the NFL: NFL Bets and Odds Explained
Learning to understand odds and bet types is some of the best NFL betting advice you can get. When researching how to bet on sports, there are a few common wagers you’ll run into. We’ll start with the easiest and most popular, moneylines. But we will also introduce you to spread betting, over/unders, props, futures, parlays and teasers.
Here is a brief explanation on the types of bets you’ll see at your favorite NFL sportsbooks. If you’d like more info, check out our video introducing how NFL betting odds work:
NFL Moneylines
Moneyline betting is the safest NFL bet you can make, especially if you are just starting out. The moneyline is a bet on the winning side. Let’s take an example of Dallas at home against Philadelphia. The moneyline odds might have Dallas as the favorite at -120. Favorites will always be shown with a negative sign. This means you would bet $120 to win $100 on Dallas. Philadelphia would be the underdog with a positive sign, and their odds might be +110. Here, you would need to bet $100 to win $110 on the Eagles.
NFL Spread Betting
NFL spread betting in a bet on which team is favored to win by a certain number of points. Keeping with Philadelphia at Dallas, the Cowboys might be favored at -2.5, so Dallas would have to win by 2.5 points or more for the bet to come through. In this example, Philadelphia is the underdog at +2.5, so they would need to lose by 2.5 points or less, or win outright, to win their side of the bet. Most spreads are set by a half-point to avoid a push. A push means the outcome lands on that number, and the bettor just wins their wager amount back.
NFL Over/Under Bets
Over/under betting is also referred to as totals betting. Here, you are betting on what you think the total amount of points will be at the end of the game. The total for Dallas/Philadelphia might be 49.5. In this type of bet, you would wager on whether the final score will be over or under a certain total. If the final score if 30-27, it adds up to 57 points and would score as an over to a 49.5 bet.
NFL Prop Bets
NFL prop bets are bets that don’t deal with an outcome of the game. Rather, they attempt to predict certain events that might happen to a player or a team within the game.
Player Props
An example of a player prop in the NFL might be, ‘Patrick Mahomes passing yards 299.5. You would bet on the over/under on that number for Mahomes’ passing yards.
Team Props
An example of a team prop might be, ‘Will the Packers score on their first drive?’ You would bet a simple yes/no answer for this. Do your research on this prop because you might find out that the Packers are a fast-starting team.
NFL Futures Bets
Futures betting is when you wager on long-term outcomes for a season. For example, betting on Super Bowl winners can be a futures bet. Odds for Super Bowl winners are usually released as soon as the season ends, so you can bet on the outcome long before the season even starts. Other examples of NFL futures are NFL MVP, Rookie of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and NFC/AFC Conference Champions.
NFL Parlays
NFL parlay bets are when you combine two or more bets into one large bet. You can do this with moneylines, spreads, props, totals and futures. Let’s stick with moneylines for this example. Say that Dallas is favored at -120, but you want to parlay that with Miami, who are -150 against New England, and Seattle is a +140 underdog at San Francisco. Those odds would be calculated at +633, which means you would win $633 on a $100 bet. However, ALL THREE LEGS of the parlay have to win, or you lose the entire bet. It’s one of the more high-risk NFL bets to make, so make sure you do your research.
NFL Teasers
NFL teaser bets are similar to parlays, but they’re used for spreads. Let’s take the above three teams and say that Dallas is favored at -2.5, Miami is favored at -4.5 and Seattle is a +3.5 underdog. You can tease the lines to make it more tenable for you. If it’s a four-point teaser bet, you can make it Dallas -6.5, Miami at -8.5 and Seattle +7.5. The odds’ price change would vary, but you would receive less of a payout since you are buying points. Also, similar to parlays, all three legs of your teaser have to win in order to get paid out.
If you would like a better idea of how to calculate NFL odds, check out our odds calculator.
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Guide to Live Betting on Football
Live betting is growing in popularity each year as at online sportsbook technology improves. Live betting allows players to bet on the ever-changing odds during a game.
For example, an NFL matchup between Kansas City and Denver might start out as Kansas City -7.5. This means Kansas City is favored by 7.5 points at kickoff. However, Denver is playing well and leads the game going into the fourth quarter. The live betting odds for this game might have Denver’s spread at -1.5 at the start of the final quarter. This means Denver is favored by 1.5 points. If you had bet on Kansas City at the beginning of the game, you might want to bet on Denver at this point to hedge your bet and attempt to come out even. Moneylines and totals can also be adjusted by live betting odds.
Tips for Live Betting on the NFL
You should always be prepared when it comes to NFL live betting, as the odds change quickly. If you aren’t, you might make snap decisions that lead to losing wagers. Here are a few tips to get you started on live betting:
Does a team have a tendency to start slow, but make big comebacks? If they do, you know that a juicy post-halftime live bet might be sitting there waiting for you. Some teams might jump out to a huge lead, but then put in their backups for some reps. You might want to look at the opposing team’s odds to win the fourth quarter if they decide to keep their starters in.
An injury, especially to an important player like a quarterback, can absolutely affect how live betting odds can change. If Buffalo loses Josh Allen in the first quarter and were -6.5 to win the game, that line is definitely going to go down if they have to turn to a backup QB.
The weather can play a role in giving sports bettors an edge, especially in over/under bets. Adverse weather conditions usually result in lower totals. So if it was meant to be a sunny day but there’s a sudden change in weather, it might be a good time to jump on the under and hedge your bets.
Tips for NFL Betting
Everyone requires some betting advice on NFL games, whether you’re a newbie or you’ve been wagering on the NFL for a decade. Here are our top five tips for helping you become a successful and profitable NFL bettor:
Before you begin placing bets, make sure you have funds set aside that you are comfortable losing if a game doesn’t go your way. A good money-saving tip is to only bet 2-5% of your bankroll per game to ensure your money lasts as long as possible. Solid sports betting bankroll management can go a long way.
It’s always good to shop around for the best odds to see where you can get the most value. For example, you might see New Orleans at -200 to beat Carolina at BetUS, but they’re -160 at BetOnline. The latter line offers more value for you. Most sportsbooks have similar lines, but you can always find one that has the most value.
Don’t bet on a team because their quarterback went to your favorite college, or the team was good 2-3 years ago. Use the statistical analysis and trends found in our resources above to guide your NFL betting decisions.
A serious injury to a player can not only damage a team’s hopes that week, but it might impact future success. Keep an eye on injury reports up until kickoff (and even during games).
Parlays are very enticing as payouts increase as you add more games. However, they’re also riskier as you need all of the games to hit to win. Stick with moneylines, especially as you’re just starting out. The payouts aren’t as high, but you’re only depending on one outcome to get paid out.
Guides to Betting on the Super Bowl
In 2023, the Super Bowl was expected to bring in a record $16 billion in wagers. If you’re excited about betting on the next one, we have you covered all the way up to the big game. Click the links below to access our expert Super Bowl betting guides with access to the latest news, updated blogs and picks: