How to Bet on NFL Football
NFL Betting Guide: Tips, Terms, and Top Sportsbooks
How to Bet on NFL Football
There's no question that the NFL is the biggest sport in the United States. It is also popular in countries around the globe. Football can be a complicated sport to understand, especially with all the penalties and rules that seem confusing at first.
But what's even more important than knowing how the game works? How to bet on it. Use the information below to get a grasp of the game and how to effectively bet on football.
Jump Ahead: NFL Betting 101 | Best Sportsbooks to Bet the NFL | NFL Futures Odds | NFL Betting Tools | NFL Team Odds | FAQs
NFL Betting 101: Football Betting Basics
There are three different answers you may want when trying to figure out how to bet on football:
- “I see Eagles -180 and Commanders +160. What on earth does that mean?
- “I know how to bet and what all those numbers mean, but I don’t know where to bet.”
- “I know how to bet, but I want to sharpen my handicapping skills and become a more gainful football bettor.”
Let’s start with the basics.
How Do Moneyline Odds Work?
A popular bet in football is the moneyline, which requires you to pick the winner of the game. But it’s not a 50-50 proposition in most cases – you won’t get paid the same for taking the Chiefs to beat the Browns in Kansas City as you would for taking the Chiefs to beat the Bills in Buffalo, given the ability of each team.
So each team is assigned moneyline odds by the sportsbook based on their ability, and bettors have to pay a corresponding price. Here’s how they work:
- Rams -300
- Giants +250
American odds like these are centered around $100. So if you bet $300 on the Rams at -300, you’d win $100 if Los Angeles wins. If you bet $100 on the Giants at +250 and they win, you’d win $250.
You don’t have to bet $100, of course. If you bet $3 on Los Angeles, you’d win $1. Bet $1 on the Giants, win $2.50.
Are There Point Spreads in Football?
In football and basketball, the most popular betting option is the point spread – it’s a bet on the margin of victory in that game.
Let’s use that same example from above.
- Rams -13.5 (-110)
- Giants +13.5 (-110)
Because Los Angeles is so much better than New York, sportsbooks are saying it’s about a 50-50 chance that they win by 14 points or more.
What About Over/Unders?
Another popular betting option in football is wagering on the total (aka the over/under).
You’re betting on the total points scored by both teams going over or under the number set by sportsbooks.
With NFL scoring on the rise over the last two decades, most totals are set at about 41 points, with each team expected to score at least 20 points every game.
The total for the 49ers-Chiefs Super Bowl ended up at 47.5. Kansas City ended up winning 25-22 in OT. That means anyone who took the under cashed their bet because 47 points were scored.
But depending on the teams and situation, you may have to risk a different amount on the over or under. Let's use that game as an example.
49ers vs. Chiefs
- Total: 47.5
- Over odds: -115
- Under odds: -105
Like the moneyline example above, you have to pay more for betting the over than the under. Sportsbooks and bettors have determined the game going over 47.5 is more likely than it going under.
For every $1.15 risked, you’d win $1. For every $1.05 risked on the under, you’d win $1. Here's another example.
One thing to note is that, of course, there are no half-points in the NFL. Sportsbooks often set half-point lines (47.5 instead of 47, for example) in order to eliminate ties. If the line was at 47, all over/under bets would have been refunded. The sportsbooks dodged a huge bullet by moving the line to 47.5.
Here is another example:
Jets vs. Patriots
- Total: 48
- Over odds: -105
- Under odds: -115
Sportsbooks believe the game is more likely to go under than over, so you have to pay a bit more to take the under.
Totals are not just limited to the full game. You can bet the first quarter over/under, alternate totals, and more.
NFL Betting Tips
With the shortest season of all professional sports, there's little room for error when it comes to NFL betting. Here are some tips to help you get started if you are a beginner or to take your betting to the next level.
For additional information, you can explore the articles below.
Best Sportsbooks for NFL Football Betting
Different sportsbooks provide different odds when it comes to games lines, player props, futures and more. Take a look at our options and picks on where to go for your different NFL bets to find those best odds, so you can make the most of your experience.
NFL Futures Betting Odds
Futures betting lets you select champions, awards and more across different parts of NFL ahead of time, meaning you'll get huge odds and the potential to claim a prize at a smaller risk margin. Futures can be bet on at nearly any point in a season, but you'll find the best odds during the preseason -- which also makes predicting things like who will win the Super Bowl or be named an MVP even more fun when you make the call before the season's even started.
NFL Team Odds
The NFL continues to be the biggest sports league in the United States, with large, passionate fan bases and sky-high television ratings. Football dominates Sundays (and Thursdays, and Mondays, and sometimes Saturdays) from September through January. Come February, the Super Bowl is the most watched TV broadcast of the year every year. Put simply, the NFL is a juggernaut.
There are 32 teams across two conferences and eight divisions, so the battle to raise the Lombardi Trophy isn't an easy one -- especially in such a physical sport. See all the divisions and team odds here (along with some NFL predictions) as we head into the 2024 season.
AFC Champion Odds
AFC East Division Betting
The AFC East is now a two-team competition between the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins. This is not new information, but it's still surprising to see how far the New England Patriots have fallen since Tom Brady left the team. New Patriots coach Jerod Mayo is up to the tall task of turning the franchise around, but it certainly appears that any playoff appearances will come after the 2024 season, which is lining up to be a year of rebuilding.
No such rebuilding is necessary for Buffalo and Miami, with both teams ready to compete for a championship this season. Led by star QB Josh Allen, the Bills look ready to continue their run of success. The Dolphins just signed their star QB Tua Tagovailoa to a long-term deal, so he is happy and ready to have another stellar season throwing to one of the best WR groups in the league. The New York Jets are still the Jets, but they do finally have a healthy Aaron Rodgers at QB, so they could make some noise in the division.
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AFC North Division Betting
The AFC North is all about the Quarterback. It seems that whichever QB in the division stays healthy the longest ends up leading their team to the division title. In 2023, NFL MVP Lamar Jackson stayed healthy all season, which led to a tremendous regular season for the Baltimore Ravens. Cincinnati Bengals star QB Joe Burrow was hurt in game 10 of the season, and the Bengals never recovered. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been unsettled at QB but still got 10 wins and a playoff berth last season, which is a testament to the outstanding coaching of Mike Tomlin. The Cleveland Browns has a lot of talent, but with QB Deshaun Watson continuing to disappoint, they only made the playoffs due to the miracle comeback of veteran QB Joe Flacco.
This year, each AFC North team has a healthy QB, and all four teams are legit contenders for the division title. It's going to be a great year to be a fan of the AFC North, but the players might be pretty sore by the end of the season due to the bruising divisional matchups. With Jackson at QB, Baltimore is still the team to beat, but as long as everyone remains healthy, the division is wide open for the first time in a while.
| AFC North Teams |
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AFC South Division Betting
The AFC South has always been an afterthought when considering which teams have the best chance (and the best odds) to win the championship. But this might be the most interesting division in the league. Who predicted the Houston Texans would win the division last year with rookie QB CJ Stroud leading the way? No one, that's who. Who predicted the mercurial Gardner Minchew would lead the Indianapolis Colts to a winning record and nearly to a playoff berth? No one, that's who. Ok, many people predicted the Tennessee Titans would be bad, and they were, but still. This forgotten division has a lot going for it, and while the Texans are still the team to beat, it's not going to be easy for them. The Colts might be sneaky good, the Jacksonville Jaguars could easily return to form and have a great regular season, and the Titans, well, they will probably finish in last place, but they are definitely capable of pulling off a few upsets.
| AFC South Teams |
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AFC West Division Betting
The AFC West has become a one-team show over the past few years, as the Kansas City Chiefs continue their dynastic reign atop the division and the entire NFL. The Chiefs unsurprisingly won the AFC West by 3 games in 2023 and are the prohibitive favorites to win the division again in 2024. As long as Patrick Mahomes is their QB, they will always be the team to beat. Will the other teams get closer this year? The answer is likely no, but not for lack of trying.
The Denver Broncos quickly moved on from the Russell Wilson disaster, but the expected starter is rookie Bo Nix, which does not inspire much confidence. The Las Vegas Raiders have a new head coach and GM, and they do have star WR Davante Adams and star DE Maxx Crosby, but they need a QB and much more to overtake the Chiefs. The Los Angeles Chargers were awful last year, but they are working to improve, most notably by prying new head coach Jim Harbaugh away from Michigan to see if he can replicate the magic he had there last season. It's going to be a heavy lift, because the Chargers are lacking in pretty much every department aside from QB and LB.
| AFC West Teams |
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NFC Champion Odds
NFC East Division Betting
The NFC East is both one of the more successful divisions and one of the most disappointing. Last year was particularly rough, with both the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys getting blown out in their respective Wild Card playoff matchups after a great deal of regular season success. But it's a new season, and of course, all eyes will be on the most popular division in football. The Cowboys and Eagles are the teams to beat, but the Washington Commanders have a new coach (Dan Quinn) and a new QB (Jayden Daniels), so they could make some noise. The New York Giants have the same QB in Daniel Jones, but he finally has some new guys to pass to (rookies Malik Nabers and Theo Johnson), which is good because, without Saquon Barkley, the team will likely be more reliant on the pass than in previous seasons. Speaking of Saquon, he packed up and headed down I-95 to Philly, where he will lead the Eagles' running attack.
| NFC East Teams |
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NFC North Division Betting
As we make our way to the NFC North, we remember that the Detroit Lions were at one point leading the 49ers (by 17 points!) in the NFC Championship game and were thisclose to going to their first Super Bowl. Oh what could have been. The good news for the Lions, and the bad news for the rest of the division, is that the Lions should be just as good in 2024 as they were during their magical 2023 season. Coach Dan Campbell is still there, as is the core group of star players, including RB Jahmyr Gibbs, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, and DE Aidan Hutchinson. As for the three other teams in the division, well, they could be halfway decent, but most are expecting the Lions to run away with the division again. The Green Bay Packers should come closest to the Lions and might snag a Wild Card spot due to the terrific play of QB Jordan Love and its talented young defenders. The Chicago Bears will probably be pretty good in another year or two but are expected to struggle again this year. Lastly, with untested rookie QB JJ McCarthy expected to start but also with star WR Justin Jefferson happy after a new contract, it's anyone's guess how the Minnesota Vikings will do in 2024.
| NFC North Teams |
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NFC South Division Betting
The NFC South is going to be very interesting this year. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers surprised everyone last year when QB Baker Mayfield led the team to an unexpected playoff berth. Will he have the same success in 2024? His outstanding WR corps is still there, as is veteran DT Vita Vea, aka the human steamroller. The New Orleans Saints have struggled the past few years, but they still have Cameron Jordan and Marshon Lattimore anchoring a stellar defense. Can QB Derek Carr finally be as good as the Saints front office envisioned when they signed him to a massive free agent contract? If so, the Saints have a real chance to win the division. The Atlanta Falcons could surprise some people with free agent QB Kirk Cousins and RB Bijan Robinson leading the offense. The one thing we do know is that the Carolina Panthers remain moribund, with little to no hope for any success in 2024.
| NFC South Teams |
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NFC West Division Betting
The NFC West title once again goes through San Francisco, with the 49ers heavy favorites to win the division after making the Super Bowl last season. As long as QB Brock Purdy, RB Christian McCaffrey, TE George Kittle, and DE Nick Bosa remain healthy, the 49ers will continue to impress. Has the rest of the division caught up to them this year? It seems unlikely. The Arizona Cardinals appear to be a team on the rise with a healthy Kyler Murray back at QB, but they are still a ways away from claiming the NFC West crown from San Fran. The Los Angeles Rams will have to adjust to life without their all-world DE Aaron Donald, who retired after the 2023 season, which could mean a long season for them. And the Seattle Seahawks have a new head coach in Mike MacDonald, but don't have anywhere near the talent level needed to overtake the 49ers. Right now it's San Fran's division until proven otherwise.
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NFL Betting Tools
Betting Calculators
Figuring out the correct wager you want to place on a straight bet can be tough based on the odds, and gets even harder when you want to create one of your favorite 10-leg parlays. The Action Network's got you covered with out betting calculator that will do the math for you!
NFL Against The Spread
With football's scoring coming in increments of 1,2,3 and 6, figuring out spreads to bet on can be tough. Check out our standings for NFL team records against the spread to see which teams might be the best options to place bets on.
NFL Public Betting
It's always a good idea to check out what the public consensus is on a particular game you're thinking of betting on. The Action Network has you covered here as well. Side with the public or fade them to get an edge. Win or lose, make your choice.
NFL Picks
Sometimes, having experts share their insights on a game can help you take a side in a game you're undecided on. The Action Network has a panel of experts that share their takes and picks on every game being played on the field each day. Take a look at their records and history, and see who you'd like to follow or fade as the season moves forward.
NFL Odds
You want to get the best bang for your buck when betting on a game, but it's tough to tap through each sportsbook on your phone to find the best line. The Action Network's Odds page will show you all the lines available for the biggest sportsbooks out there, as well as the two best options on each side of a game.
NFL Injuries
Injuries are a part of any sport, and besides for the implications they have on the field, they can also effect betting lines and how you should wager on a game. Keeping track of injuries every day can be tough, so check out The Action Network's Injury Report each day to make sure you don't suffer a bad beat that could've been avoided.
