The National Football League (NFL) is the best football league in the world and really the only professional football league of note. Every Sunday football fans across the continent relax and tune in all day long to watch whether their NFL bets payout and hope that their NFL fantasy football team pulls out a victory. Online sportsbooks and betting apps are now the most popular way to bet on NFL games.
Where Can Americans Bet On The NFL?
Your options depend on where you live. Here are the main ways to bet on NFL games in the United States.
Licensed Sportsbooks
Sports betting is legal in more than 35 states plus Washington, D.C., where licensed sportsbooks such as DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM offer odds on NFL games. You must be 21 or older in most states and physically located in a state where the sportsbook is licensed.
Prediction Markets
Prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket let you buy and sell contracts on the outcome of NFL games. Instead of betting against a sportsbook, you trade with other users, and the price of a contract reflects the market’s view of how likely an outcome is. These platforms operate under federal oversight from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) rather than state gambling law, which is why they are available in most states, including states without legal sports betting.
Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) apps such as PrizePicks and Underdog offer player stat contests in most states. Rather than betting on who wins, you pick whether players will go over or under a statistical projection.
Offshore Sportsbooks
Offshore sportsbooks are licensed outside the United States and accept bets from across the country. They are not licensed or regulated by any US state, which means Americans who use them have no state regulator to turn to if there is a dispute over a bet or a withdrawal.
Outside the US
In Canada, Ontario has a regulated market of licensed online sportsbooks, and the other provinces offer online betting through their provincial lottery sites. In the UK, use operators licensed by the Gambling Commission. Elsewhere, check the rules in your country before signing up with any betting site.
NFL Betting Options
Point Spread
The most popular NFL betting option is betting the spread. The sportsbook determines the spread, which is the number of points that the favourite must win by in order for a spread bet on the favourite to payout. An NFL spread bet on the underdog pays out if the underdog either wins or beats the spread by losing by fewer points than the spread.
Money Line
Moneyline betting is also popular in the NFL and it simply involves wagering on which team will win the game flat out. The moneyline odds indicate the payouts associated with either outcome, with the favourites obviously paying out less on the same bet than the underdogs.
Over/Under (Total)
Over/under, also known as totals, betting is another common bet on NFL games. The sportsbook indicates a total number of points and you can bet on whether you think there will be more or fewer than that many points scored in the game.
Here is an example screenshot of these three bets for the 2021 NFC Championship game:
There are also a wide variety of prop bets you can make on NFL games, especially in the Super Bowl. Speaking of the Super Bowl you can place NFL futures wagers on which team will win the Super Bowl. You can bet on the Super Bowl any time during the season.
How To Bet On The NFL Online – Step By Step
Whichever option you choose, the process of getting started is similar. Here’s a general guide.
Step 1. Choose Your Option
Decide which type of platform fits how you want to bet. Licensed sportsbooks offer the full range of bets where they are available, prediction markets let you trade contracts on the outcome, and DFS apps are built around player stats. Review the options above before signing up.
Step 2. Check The Age and Location Rules
Every platform has its own eligibility requirements. Most prediction markets and DFS apps require you to be at least 18, while licensed sportsbooks require you to be 21 in most states and physically located in the state where they are licensed.
Step 3. Create and Verify Your Account
Sign up with your legal name, date of birth and address. Regulated platforms are required to verify your identity, so you may be asked for the last four digits of your Social Security number or a photo of your ID.
Step 4. Fund Your Account
Deposit using one of the platform’s payment methods, which commonly include debit cards and bank transfers. Check how withdrawals work, and how long they take, before you deposit.
Step 5. Find The Market and Place Your Bet
Navigate to the NFL section, select the market you’re interested in, and choose your position. Before confirming, check the price or odds and how much you stand to win, using the bet types explained above as a guide.
Step 6. Set Limits
Decide on a budget before kickoff and stick to it. Most regulated platforms let you set deposit and time limits in your account settings. If betting stops being fun, help is available 24/7 by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.
NFL Betting Tips
- Bet Underdogs – This is especially true for spread betting in the NFL. The general public usually likes a favorite and the casual bettor is more likely to bet on the favorite covering a spread than the underdog team keeping the game close.
- Find the Best Lines – It is important to find the best lines when betting on NFL games. If you can get an extra point in spread betting that can be the difference between winning or losing your bet. Finding the best lines should be a regular part of your NFL betting research.
- Check Injury Reports – If an important player is injured on either the offense or defense it can spell disaster for a football team. The quarterback is a prime example of this, with teams who have elite quarterbacks become subpar teams if that QB goes down with injury. I suggest checking the ESPN injury report before placing any NFL bets.
There are plenty of general betting tips that should also be applied when wagering on the NFL.
To find live NFL scores and news check out the official NFL website. It is the most complete NFL resource available online.