The National Football League is the most popular sport in the United States, and that goes for betting as well. Betting on the NFL is huge, and the industry continues to grow each year.
Even though the NFL season lasts less than half the year, sportsbooks still see more betting action on the NFL than they do on other sports. There are many great ways to bet on the NFL, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to win big.
The NFL features a 17-week regular season, with each team playing 16 games. Six teams from each conference make the NFL Playoffs, and the champions of each conference meet up in the Super Bowl.
The Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event of the year, but bettors make plenty of bets throughout the regular season as well. This guide will briefly explain some of the top ways to bet on the NFL, as well as where to place the bets.
Betting on the game
The most popular way to bet on the NFL is to bet on games throughout the regular season. Sportsbooks will offer a long list of betting options for each game, but here are the most common betting options you will see:
Spread Betting
Spread betting is the most common form of betting on NFL games, and it’s sometimes referred to as betting against the spread. Sportsbooks set the odds for each game, and the bettor must choose how close the final score will be. Here is an example of this type of bet:
New England Patriots -6.5
Green Bay Packers +6.5In this bet, the Patriots are the favorites, as indicated by the (-) sign in front of their lines. The Packers are the underdogs as they have a (+) in front of their lines.
What this means is that the New England Patriots have to win the game by at least seven points for them to be the correct pick. The Green Bay Packers can lose the game but still win the bet as long as they keep the final score within six points.
Totals Betting
Totals betting is the second most common betting type found on NFL games. A total bet is sometimes also referred to as an over/under bet.
This type of bet is unique because it doesn’t matter what teams win or lose the game. The bettor is simply making a bet on the total number of points that are scored in the game.
Here is what this bet might look like:
New York Jets vs. New York Giants
Over 43.5 Points -110
Under 43.5 Points -110Most of the time, the odds are the same for each side of this type of wager, which takes some of the decision making out of the process. Bettors can simply focus on the point total when making a wager.
If the two teams combine to score at least 44 points, then the “Over” bet hits. If the teams fail to score at least 43 points, then the under hits.
Player Props
Prop betting is extremely popular in the NFL, but most people associate it with the Super Bowl. Sportsbooks have expanded their prop betting options, and they are now offered for each game of the regular season and playoffs.
Player prop betting focuses on just one single player, and sportsbooks will set odds based on one statistical category. Here are a few player prop bettings you might see:
Tom Brady:O/U 299.5 Passing Yards
Ezekiel Elliott:O/U 105.5 Rushing Yards
Jared Goff:O/U 2.5 Passing Touchdowns
Team Props
Team prop betting odds will also be available throughout the NFL season, and these bets are very similar to player prop bets. Instead of focusing on an individual player, the better will instead focus on one team in the matchup.
Here are some examples of team prop bets:
- Chicago Bears O/U 2.5 Turnovers
- New England Patriots O/U 379.5 total offensive yards
Betting the event
Betting on the entire season as a whole is another popular way to bet on the NFL. Here are some of the most common ways to bet on the season as a whole.
Prop Betting
We already discussed prop betting on each game of the NFL season, but prop bets are also offered for the entire season as a whole. It’s hard to predict what prop bets will be available each year, but there is likely to be a long list.
Here are some potential prop bets that might be available:
- Will any team go undefeated?
- Will any team go winless?
- Number of games that end in a tie: O/U 2.5
NFL Win Totals
Sportsbooks also set over/under on potential win totals for each team in the league. These bets must be placed before the start of the regular season, although some sportsbooks sometimes offer these as “in-play” bets throughout the season as well.
Divisional Betting
A divisional bet is a form of a Future bet, and it’s a popular way to bet on the NFL before the season begins. This type of bet is simply picking the eventual winner of each division in the NFL.
These bets remain open throughout the season, but the odds are constantly changing. Normally the best chance to win big money is by placing a bet before the season begins.
Conference Betting
Conference betting works in the same way as divisional betting, but it is a bet that is placed on the eventual winner of each conference. There are two conferences in the NFL, the American Football Conference, and the National Football Conference.
Just like with divisional betting, conference betting remains open throughout the season, but the odds get adjusted.
Where to Bet the Game
In the United States, there are two main ways to bet on sports. Online sportsbooks have become extremely popular, and betting is still available at several casinos throughout the country.
The state of New Jersey has emerged as a true leader in the sports betting industry, and the state has both online sportsbooks and casino sportsbooks available.
Online Sportsbooks
The state of New Jersey has been able to attract some of the biggest names in the industry, and there are great betting options for fans. New sportsbooks are being added all of the time, but these sportsbooks continue to lead the way:
| Rank | Sportsbook | Bonus | Rating | Visit |
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| 1 |
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| 2 |
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| 5 |
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2ND CHANCE 2 FREE BETS UP TO $2,000 | VisitReview |
USA Casinos
The state of New Jersey also allows the casinos to offer sports betting, and all of the casinos in NJ are located in Atlantic City. Here is a list of some of the top casinos with a sportsbook in Atlantic City:
| AV SPORTSBOOKS | TRIPADVISOR RATING | DIRECTIONS |
|---|---|---|
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GET DIRECTIONS |
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NFL Season Betting Guide Summary
The NFL regular season is only 17 weeks long, but there is plenty of betting that is crammed into those weeks. Things really start to heat up when the NFL Playoffs begin, and it all culminates with the Super Bowl.
The NFL is now starting to align with the sports betting industry, and that will only continue to grow the brand. Betting on the NFL is already the top sport to bet on, but the numbers will just continue to grow.
If you are someone that is interested in sports betting, it’s almost a must that you find a way to bet on the NFL. With so many options, betting on the league will make each week of the football season more exciting for you.
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