The NFL season is here at last, and plenty of fans are wondering how to bet on football.
From preseason betting to the Super Bowl, the NFL offers a unique pace for football bettors, with teams playing just once a week. Odds come out on Sunday nights, and sportsbooks take betting action all week long, with the bulk of wagers arriving in the hours before kickoff.
If you’re looking to bet on NFL games for the first time this season, here’s a simple guide to kicking off your football betting.
NFL betting lines explained
The first step in betting on NFL football is how to understand NFL betting lines. While there are thousands of ways to wager on NFL odds, there are three standard betting methods: moneyline, point spread, and Over/Under totals.
- Moneyline
- Point Spread
- Over/Under
NFL moneyline odds ask bettors to pick the winner of the game. Based on the strength of the teams and other factors, oddsmakers calculate the implied probability of victory for both sides and set moneyline odds for each team.
NFL point spreads level the competition between two teams, with oddsmakers setting a handicap in points. One team is the point spread favorite – and has to win by more than the spread – while the other will be pegged as the point spread underdog – having to win outright or lose by less than the spread.
NFL Over/Under totals are the estimated total number of points scored by both teams in a game. Bettors wager on whether the final score will go Over or Under that expected tally.
Moneylines: Picking the winner of an NFL game
Moneyline bets are the most straightforward method of betting on NFL football. Moneylines are most often displayed in American odds (hundreds) and reflect each team’s implied probability of winning the game.
The stronger of the two teams is the moneyline favorite. Favorites have a negative value (-) next to their odds, such as -130. A -130 moneyline favorite has an implied probability of 56.5 percent to win the game, and because there is less risk in betting the favorite to win, you must risk more. A -130 moneyline will return $0.77 for every $1 wagered or $77 on a $100 bet. Many bettors, however, prefer to bet “to win” amounts. In this situation, a bettor would wager $130 to win $100.
| San Francisco 49ers | +110 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | -130 |
The weaker team is listed as the moneyline underdog and will have a positive value (+) with its odds, such as +110. A +110 moneyline underdog has an implied probability of 47.62 percent to win, and because there is more risk in betting the underdog to win, you can win more than you risk. This underdog bet will return $1.10 for every $1 wagered or $110 on a $100 bet.
Using Covers’ moneyline calculator lets you see how much you can win from other moneyline odds values, as well as implied probability.
Point spreads: Evening the odds
Point spread bets require teams to win by more or lose by less than a set number of points. Oddsmakers calculate the perceived difference on the scoreboard between two teams and put that number as the spread to handicap the competition.
The strong team is the point spread favorite. It is indicated by a negative value (-) next to its spread, such as -3.0. For the favorite to cover the spread, it will have to win the game by four or more points.
The weaker team is the point spread underdog, with a positive value (+) next to its spread, such as +3.0. For the underdog to cover the spread, it must win the game outright or lose by two points or fewer.
In the example below, if Kansas City wins by exactly three points, the bet is graded as a “push” and the original stake of the bet is refunded.
| San Francisco 49ers | +3.0 (-110) |
| Kansas City Chiefs | -3.0 (-110) |
The other key aspect when learning how to bet on NFL spreads is understanding vig or juice – the cost of the bet. Both sides of the point spread will have another set of odds attached, known as the vig or juice.
Vig will display next to the spreads: 7.5 (-110) / +7.5 (-110). Sportsbooks often use a flat -110 line for point spreads, which means you can win $1 for every $1.10 risked or wager $110 to win $100.
Over/Unders: Predict the total combined score
Over/Under total betting is a great alternative when you don’t have a strong opinion on either team, opting instead to wager on the combined number of points scored. Oddsmakers measure the teams’ offenses, defenses, and other factors – such as weather – and calculate an estimated point total.
If a game’s combined projected score is 53 points, bettors can either place a bet that the final score will go Over the 53-point number or stay Under that total.
| o53 (-110) | u53 (-110) |
Like point spread betting, there is vig assigned to either side of the total. Most bookmakers use a -110 line on Over/Under betting, meaning for every $1.10 risked, you would win $1 or bet $110 to win $100. It would display as Over 53 (-110) / Under 53 (-110).
Parlays: Bigger payouts, bigger risks
NFL parlay betting is very popular with recreational bettors looking to wager a small amount for the potential of a larger payout.
Parlay bets require two or more different bets to be tied together. The more bets added to the parlay, the higher the payout and the higher the risk. For the entire parlay bet to win, all the bets included must win. If one or more bets lose, the whole parlay loses.
Three separate wagers of $100 on three different point spread bets at a -110 flat rate have the potential to win about $273 with a total of $300 wagered. Each of those games carries an implied probability of 52.38 percent. Even if one bet loses and two are correct, the bettor wins almost $182 ($82 in profits, minus the $100 risked on the losing bet).
A bettor can take those same three spread bets at -110 and tie them together under one $100 wager in a parlay. That three-game parlay has odds of +600 or a potential payout of $600, but because all three bets included must win, the implied probability of winning the parlay is just 14.29 percent. Even if two of the bets are winners and one loses, the entire parlay is a loss.
| Kansas City Chiefs – Point Spread | -6.0 (-110) | |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Point Spread | -7.0 (-110) | |
| Green Bay Packers – Point Spread | -3.0 (-110) | |
| 3-Team Parlay | +600 | |
| Total Stake | $100 | |
| Total Profit | $600 | |
Using Covers’ parlay calculator, you can see how much you could win by combining different bets.
Teasers: Adjusting the spread and combining bets
NFL teaser betting allows you to move a spread or total a designated number of points but – much like a parlay – requires two or more bets to be tied together.
The most common teaser used in NFL betting is a six-point teaser, which allows you to move a spread or total by six points to your advantage. The more bets added to the teaser, the bigger the potential payout and the bigger the risk.
As an example, a three-game six-point teaser includes a seven-point favorite, a 10-point favorite, and a one-point underdog. Those spreads would be modified to -1, -4, and +7 with odds of +180 or a payout of $180 on a $100 wager. However, all of those modified bets have to win for the overall teaser to win.
Props: Betting on team and player performance and more
NFL prop betting is booming thanks to the popularity of fantasy football, DFS, and advanced statistics. Props – also known as proposition bets – used to be reserved for just big games. But just like Super Bowl props, bettors can now find prop markets for every regular-season NFL game.
Prop bets isolate certain aspects of the game, such as team performance, player output, or particular happenings and results throughout a contest. NFL player prop odds let you bet on the Over/Under passing yards for the star quarterback or the number of total field goals kicked in a game.
Prop bets come in various formats with their own unique odds sets, from Over/Under offering to Yes/No props and simply picking an option from a list of odds, such as players to score a touchdown during the game.
Derivatives: Bet on parts of the games
NFL derivative betting allows you to isolate segments of the game and wager on modified odds for those parts, such as first-half spreads or first-quarter Over/Under totals.
Derivative odds can also apply to team props, such as first-half team totals or the number of touchdowns scored in the third quarter.
Teams all have different tendencies and trends – slow starts or strong second halves – so recognizing those patterns is great for finding value in the NFL derivative odds markets.
Futures: Betting on the Super Bowl and more
NFL futures betting is rapidly growing among casual bettors. These are odds based around long-running results, such as odds to win the Super Bowl, rookie of the year odds, or season win totals.
Most futures odds open for betting before the season starts and run until a decision is graded as the winner, constantly adjusting to results, injuries, and betting action. You can bet on futures are any point in that span, and the odds you bet are the odds on which the wager will be graded.
For example, you bet $100 on a team’s odds to win the Super Bowl at +1,600 odds in the spring. That team could go on a run in the season, moving their odds to +800 and then make the playoffs, adjusting their odds to +300. They could even get to and win the Super Bowl at +125 odds. Because you bet them at +1,600 in the spring, those are the odds that grade your bet, producing a payout of $1,600.
Here are the current Super Bowl LIX odds:
The Super Bowl is the biggest single-game betting event of the year and billions of dollars are wagered on the annual NFL championship. Get ready for the big game by learning how to bet on the Super Bowl.
