NFL Teams Against the Spread
Standings for all 32 teams

NFL Picks Against the Spread

A bet against the spread is a type of wager that requires bettors to correctly guess the margin of victory in a football game rather than simply selecting the outright winner.

Let’s say there’s a game between the underdog Patriots (+7.5) and favorite Bills (-7.5). If you wager on the Bills against the spread, they have to win by at least eight points. The other option is to bet on the Patriots, who would have to either win or lose by seven points or less. 

If an NFL game ends as the exact margin of victory as the point spread, it’s considered a push. This means you get your bet refunded and you don’t incur any winnings or losses. 

NFL Standings Against the Spread

Monitoring team performance against the spread is a great way to make more educated NFL bets throughout the year. Identifying trends for specific teams can enable you to know when to pick, or to avoid, a particular spread bet based on in-season data. 

The table above shows each team’s record against the spread for the 2024-25 regular season. Filter by league, conference, or division to get an in-depth look at each team. You can also sort the data by clicking on the table headers.

How to Understand the NFL ATS Standings

Understanding the ATS standings is a key component of NFL betting. The ATS standings displays three categories of records for all 32 NFL teams: straight up, ATS, and over/under.  

Straight up is a team’s actual record (wins/losses/ties) in the NFL standings. These are the records that determine division standings and playoff seeding in each conference. Within this category, the home and away records are also available. 

The ATS standings show each team’s home and away mark against the spread during the season. The over/under category of the standings pertains to each team’s record for totals. 

Top NFL Teams for ATS Standings in Last Five Years

While rosters are constantly in flux, knowing the best NFL teams for the ATS standings over the last half decade can help inform your decision making.

The Ravens are atop the list since 2019. In that span, the Ravens are 48-33-2 against the spread. Rounding out the top five records are the Packers (49-34), Dolphins (48-34-1), Lions (47-35-1), and both the 49ers and Cowboys are 47-36. 

Within the top 5, the Lions and Dolphins each have better ATS marks than their actual records. The Lions have 15 less wins in their actual record (32-49-2). Meanwhile, the Dolphins have four fewer victories in their actual record (44-39). 

Largest and Smallest Spreads in Super Bowl History

The Super Bowl is by far the most prominent sporting event in the United States. As such, betting ATS is an extremely popular form of wagering on the NFL’s championship contest. 

The largest spread in Super Bowl history occurred in 1995. The 49ers were massive 18.5 point favorites against the then-San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. Anchored by Super Bowl MVP quarterback Steve Young, the 49ers managed to cover the spread with a 49-26 win. 

On the other end, the smallest Super Bowl spread happened exactly two decades later in 2015. 

Super Bowl XLIX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks didn’t have a spread and was a pick’em. This means that bettors were able to merely select which team would outright win. 

The game proved to be as tight as expected. The Patriots edged the Seahawks 28-24 thanks to Malcolm Butler’s interception at the 1-yard line within seconds remaining. 

Check out who is favored to win this year’s Super Bowl by viewing our NFL futures page!

Variables That Can Alter NFL ATS Betting

NFL ATS betting can often fluctuate for a variety of reasons. 

Injuries are one of the main factors. For example, whenever an NFL team’s star quarterback is listed out for a certain game, the spread will move. This is since sportsbooks are going to alter the NFL odds to reflect the team’s new potential to cover the spread in light of the news. 

Another thing that makes a difference for ATS betting is the weather. Unlike in baseball, football games are played in extreme weather conditions. The best sportsbooks will often take into account weather situations such as snow, rain, and wind when setting the spread for NFL games. 

Also, if a team is getting a large amount of money bet on them, that can impact the line. Sportsbooks could alter the spread to promote more betting on the other team so that they lessen their potential risk. 

Pros and Cons of NFL ATS Betting

Similar to other forms of sports betting, there’s positives and negatives for wagering against the spread. 

Here’s some of the pros and cons to weigh: 

Pros

Potential for larger payouts: Betting against the spread can be more rewarding than merely wagering on the moneyline. This is especially the case when betting on underdogs who cover the spread or favorites that win in blowout fashion. 

Evened out odds: The point spread is geared towards balancing the playing field to create more evened odds juxtaposed against the favorite and underdog. This caters to those who are seeking to discover value on each side of the wager. 

Chances to use strategy: ATS betting allows you the opportunity to do some homework to spot any noticeable trends or patterns that can be advantageous. Being as informed as possible is highly beneficial. 

Cons

High variance: Compared to the moneyline, it’s much harder to win an ATS bet. Having to rely on a team to win or lose by a certain amount of points is more arduous, especially when backdoor covers occur. These are when a team covers right before a game ends. 

Susceptibility to line movement: Expert bettors and the overall betting volume can influence the movement of the line. This can make the spread less desirable prior to placing a bet on a particular team. 

Want more NFL tools? 

Check out our other resources, such as NFL props, including NFL props picks,  touchdown props, and NFL picks!