Betting on NFL games has become popular since the introduction of online betting. Betting on football on the app or web makes it easier than ever to place a bet, and adds to the excitement of watching your favorite team play.
NFL Regular Season Betting
The DraftKings Sportsbook app makes betting on football games incredibly easy. The platform provides a virtual betting slip, and all you have to do is add the game you want to bet on. Once you’ve selected a bet, the platform will show you all the different types of bets you can make on your selection, the odds, and the betting spread for the NFL game. Once you’ve made your selection and decided how much you want to bet, you can confirm your bet by pressing the convenient “Place Bet” button.
When it comes to sports betting on NFL games, people typically bet on the outcome of the upcoming game, i.e. who will win and who will lose. However, beyond winners and losers, you can also bet on outcomes such as rushing yards or which team will have the most sacks. We’ll share the basics here, but for a more in-depth explanation, check out our guide on how to bet on football.
Bet Types
When betting on NFL games, moneylines, totals (over/under), and spreads are the most popular ways to bet on football games.
Spread betting
A spread looks similar to this:
Team
Spread
Moneyline
New England
-14.5
-120
Kansas City
+14.5
+150
The negative number in the spread column indicates how many points a given team must win for the bet to pay out. In this example, New England must win by 15 points to win the bet. If the opposing team (Kansas City in this case) loses by less than 15 points or wins the game, the bet pays out. The decimal point is there to prevent a push from occurring on the bet. If the spread is -15/+15, then if New England wins by 15 points, the bet is a tie and the bookmaker must refund all bets.
The moneyline indicates the bet payout. In the case of New England, a negative number indicates how much you have to wager to win $100. A positive number indicates how much you would win if you bet $100 on that team and they win. If you bet on New England, you would have to wager $120 to win $100. You also get your initial $120 bet back, for a total of $220.
To bet on Kansas City at +150, you would have to wager $100. If they win, you win $150. You also get your initial $100 bet back, for a total of $250.
The smaller the bet, the easier it is for the moneyline to expand. A $12 bet on New England would win $10, while a $10 bet on KC would win $15.
NFL Betting Lines
NFL line bets (also known as moneyline bets) simply take the spread out of the picture. In this case, the bookmaker adjusts the payout to account for the lack of a point spread. A moneyline sheet might look something like this:
Team
Spread
Moneyline
New England @ Kansas City
New England
-200/+200
The moneyline column works the same as a spread bet. In this case, if you bet on New England, you would have to bet $200 to win $100. If you bet on Kansas City to win, you would bet $100 to win $200.
Totals Betting
Totals (or over/under) betting is probably the simplest way to bet. The oddsmaker posts a total score, and you place a bet on whether the total number of points scored by both teams during the game will be over or under the posted score.
Prop Betting
You’re not just betting on the outcome of the game. There are a variety of outcomes you can bet on. NFL betting trends include prop bets (also known as side bets). These side bets include who will be the MVP of a particular matchup, how many points a particular player will score, which team will rush for the most yards, and a host of other side bets that can be placed to make the game even more exciting.
Live Betting
You can place multiple bets in real time once the game starts. Many bookmakers allow you to bet on specific quarters, halves, or individual drives while the game is in progress. Many of the side bets that you can place before the game are also available during the game, but the odds will constantly change as the game progresses.
Keep in mind that when you place a live bet, the odds are fixed at the time of the bet. If you increase or decrease the odds, it will not affect the payout of any bets you have already placed.
Futures Betting
Futures betting goes beyond the most recent game result. Common futures bets include which two teams will make the Super Bowl, a player or team’s season scoring statistics, or even which team will win the championship game that year.
When you place a futures bet, you lock in the odds that were in effect at the time of the bet. The percentages for NFL game bets change from week to week depending on which team wins or loses, and the odds increase or decrease throughout the season. The changing numbers make futures betting exciting for everyone who places a bet. Especially if you bet long-term early in the season and perform well throughout the year, you have a better chance of winning your bet.
History of the NFL
The NFL was founded in 1920 in Canton, Ohio, as the American Professional Football Association (AFPA). The organization changed its name to the National Football League in 1922. Today, we simply refer to it as the NFL. As a new organization with only 18 teams at the time, the league went through a period of adjustment and chose an annual champion based on the team with the best record that year. This continued until the league adopted official rules establishing an annual championship game in 1933.
In 1950, the NFL absorbed the rival league, the All-America Football Conference. It expanded further in 1960 when the NFL merged with the American Football League, expanding to 32 teams that year.
In 1960, the NFL called its championship game the “Super Bowl,” and it quickly became the most anticipated sporting event in the United States and the most-watched annual event on television.
As football’s popularity grew, it was only natural that betting would become more widespread. Sports betting, other than horse racing, was illegal throughout the United States until Nevada legalized gambling in 1931, with the strictest regulations and a significant gambling tax. In 1970, Congress lowered the gambling tax from 10% to 2%, and more states began to legalize sports betting. In 1992, Congress passed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which prohibited sports betting in all but a few states. The Supreme Court overturned this law in 2018, allowing states to legalize the practice.
Some of the verified legal online betting venues, such as DraftKings, operate under US legal guidelines and only offer the ability to place bets in states where sports betting is legal.
NFL Teams
American Football Conference
AFC East
Buffalo
BillsBuffalo
Bills
Miami
DolphinsMiami
Dolphins
New England
PatriotsNew England
Patriots
New York
JetsNew York
Jets
AFC North
Baltimore
RavensBaltimore
Ravens
Cincinnati
BengalsCincinnati
Bengals
Cleveland
BrownsCleveland
Browns
Pittsburgh
SteelersPittsburgh
Steelers
AFC South
Houston
TexansHouston
Texans
Indianapolis
ColtsIndianapolis
Colts
Jacksonville
JaguarsJacksonville
Jaguars
Tennessee
TitansTennessee
Titans
AFC West
Denver
BroncosDenver
Broncos
Kansas City
ChiefsKansas City
Chiefs
Las Vegas
RaidersLas Vegas
Raiders
Los Angeles
ChargersLos Angeles
Chargers
National Football Conference
NFC East
Dallas
CowboysDallas
Cowboys
New York
GiantsNew York
Giants
Philadelphia
EaglesPhiladelphia
Eagles
Washington
CommandersWashington
Commanders
NFC North
Chicago
BearsChicago
Bears
Detroit
LionsDetroit
Lions
Green Bay
PackersGreen Bay
Packers
Minnesota
VikingsMinnesota
Vikings
NFC South
Atlanta
FalconsAtlanta
Falcons
Carolina
PanthersCarolina
Panthers
New Orleans
SaintsNew Orleans
Saints
Tampa Bay
BuccaneersTampa Bay
Buccaneers
NFC West
Arizona
CardinalsArizona
Cardinals
Los Angeles
RamsLos Angeles
Rams
San Francisco
49ersSan Francisco
49ers
Seattle
SeahawksSeattle
Seahawks
NFL Betting FAQs
When does the NFL betting season start?
Bookmakers set their odds and open betting for the upcoming season as soon as the NFL schedule is released. This is the ideal time to look into futures betting, as you can bet on every scheduled game. As the season progresses, the odds for upcoming games change, adding to the excitement throughout the week.
When is the NFL Draft?
The NFL Draft is a three-day event held each spring. Player selections always begin on a Thursday, with the final selections made on the Saturday. The league plays Round 1 on Thursdays alone, when coaches select their most promising players. The draft will be conducted over the next two days with all subsequent rounds of selections.
When are NFL Draft odds available?
Draft odds are available as soon as the first player signs up for the draft, and are updated for each new player who signs up. As one player becomes a strong candidate, the odds for the other players will increase. In the fall before the draft, bookmakers will offer a number of names to bet on and the odds of who will be selected in the first round. You can also bet on who will be the first player selected overall.
Can I bet during the preseason?
You can bet on preseason games just as easily as you can on regular season games. Sportsbooks post odds a few weeks before preseason games, and you can place moneyline bets, spread bets, or totals just like you would for a regular game.
How many NFL teams are there?
The NFL consists of 32 teams, divided into two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference is divided into four divisions, divided by region: North, South, East, and West.
How many teams make the NFL playoffs?
Seven teams from each conference play in a single-elimination playoff game. The competition continues until the NFL playoff champion from each conference advances to the Super Bowl.
What is the biggest NFL betting event of the year?
The Super Bowl is the biggest NFL betting event of the year. The Super Bowl determines the NFL Grand Champion of the year, and each member of each participating team receives a designer ring that is only available at that year’s tournament to signify their participation.
