How to bet on the NFL: Guide for everything you need to know

From money-line wagers to prop bets, we'll dive into the key terms and strategies before you enter into the world of NFL betting

The country's most popular sports league is unsurprisingly the biggest driver of sports betting in the United States. There was a record $35 billion wagered in NFL betting during the 2024-25 season, which includes a record $1.4 billion on the Super Bowl.

With legal sports betting more accessible than ever through sports betting apps and NFL betting only becoming more popular, SportsLine has created this NFL betting guide to explain how to bet on the sport. We'll go over everything from the definition of a point spread to NFL betting tips.

What are the NFL betting basics? 

Here, we'll dive into the basics you need to know when it comes to NFL betting. 

How to read NFL odds

Sportsbooks almost exclusively use the American odds format for NFL games, which is either a plus or minus sign to represent potential payouts and implied probability.

When there are just two sides of a bet—like when two football teams play—the favorite generally is designated by the minus sign, and the underdog is generally designated by the plus sign. For example, let's say in a game between the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Chargers, the Packers are listed at -190 to win the contest while the Chargers are +155. That means that Green Bay is the favorite, and anyone betting on the Packers would have to wager $190 to win $100 (or $1.90 for every $1 for smaller bets). Meanwhile, Los Angeles is the underdog, and anyone betting on the Chargers would win $155 on a $100 bet (or $1.55 for every $1 for smaller bets).

To understand how payouts work in the American odds format, check out SportsLine's betting odds guide.

There are some instances in which both teams are designated by the minus sign. This occurs in games between teams deemed by the sportsbook as relatively evenly matched. For example, in Super Bowl 59 odds between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, FanDuel closed with the Chiefs at -118 and the Eagles at -108. Even though Philadelphia was the underdog in the game according to the sportsbook's NFL odds, an Eagles bettor needed to bet $108 to win $100.

Money line odds

As explained above, American odds are also known as money line odds. Money line bets can be offered when there are only two sides (Green Bay Packers -190 vs. Los Angeles Chargers +155). With the money line, you are choosing the side that is the outright winner.  

Point spread odds

For point spread bets, one team will generally be favored by a certain number of points over the opponent. In this case, the betting odds will refer to the chances of the favorite winning by more than the point spread, or the underdog losing by less than the point spread or even winning outright. There are also sometimes point spreads where neither team is favored or the underdog, which is referred to as a "pick 'em."

For example, let's say the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers play in a game, and the sportsbook's NFL odds have the Bengals at -6.5 (-112) and the Buccaneers at +6.5 (-108). If a person places a $100 bet on Cincinnati to cover, that bettor needs the Bengals to win by seven or more points. On the other hand, a Tampa Bay backer who places $100 on the Buccaneers to cover needs them either to win outright or lose by six or fewer points.

There's also what's known as a "push," which is effectively a tie. For instance, if the Bengals were 10-point favorites and win 27-17, that would be a push and bettors on each side would get their stakes back.

Over/under (total)

Over/under or "total" bets is a wager on the total number of points scored in a game. And like with point spreads, the total can end in a push or tie as well for Over and Under bettors.

Let's imagine that the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks are scheduled to play a game, and the sportsbook has posted the total on the game as the following: Over 54.5 (-112) and Under 54.5 (-108). If a person places a $100 bet on the Over, that bettor needs the teams to combine for 55 points or more. On the other hand, an Under backer who places $100 on the Under needs 54 or fewer points scored.

What is NFL prop betting?

A prop bet—short for proposition bet—is a wager that looks to predict a specific outcome for a player or team within a game. An NFL prop bet can be similar to an over/under of total points in a game, except applied to an individual team or player. The growing popularity of NFL prop betting is largely attributed to its appeal to a broad spectrum of sportsbook customers, as well as the prevalence of fantasy sports.

Player props

Player props remain the most popular form of NFL prop betting at sportsbooks. As mentioned above, this involves wagering on a specific player milestone within a game. For the NFL, this might mean a player's total yards from scrimmage, a quarterback throwing an interception or a player scoring a touchdown (more on the latter below). Here's an example of a player prop from the Super Bowl between the Eagles and Chiefs: Saquon Barkley Total Rushing Yards 114.5 (-110). You can bet the Over or the Under on 114.5 Barkley rushing yards, with each side of the wager coming with -110 juice (so bet $110 to win $100). 

Team props

Team props involve prop bet odds that apply to the outcome of team-specific results within a game. For instance, instead of betting on whether the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans will go Over or Under the total of 44.5 points, a bettor could wager on whether the Texans specifically will go Over or Under their posted team total of 20.5.

Game props

Game props are wagers centered around whether a certain occurrence does or doesn't happen in a game. For instance, an NFL game prop might give bettors the option of wagering on which team will be the first to score 10 points or whether the game will reach overtime.

Special props

Specials are unique NFL props that some sportsbooks will have for each game, such as Christian McCaffrey and Bijan Robinson to both have at least 20 rushing yards in each half in a 49ers vs. Falcons game (+250) or the Las Vegas Raiders and Buffalo Bills to both score at least one touchdown in each half (-115).

NFL touchdown scorer prop

This particular NFL prop bet, which places odds on a player's chances to score one or multiple touchdowns, has become so popular that it requires its own section.

Anytime touchdown scorer

This is pretty self-explanatory. A person who bets that a player will score an anytime touchdown will win if that player scores a touchdown in a given game. It should be noted, though, that this does not include passing touchdowns – only rushing, receiving, defensive or special teams touchdowns. For the Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, here were the anytime touchdown scorer odds for some offensive skill position players.

First touchdown scorer/last touchdown scorer

These are variations of the anytime touchdown scorer prop. As the name suggests, the first touchdown scorer prop is a bet on the player who will score the game's first touchdown, and the last touchdown scorer prop is a bet on the player who will score the final one of the contest. Because there can be only one first touchdown scorer and only one last touchdown scorer, the odds for this prop will feature longer odds and bigger potential payouts than those for the anytime touchdown scorer prop. Here were the first touchdown scorer odds for some of the offensive skill position players in the Super Bowl between the Chiefs and Eagles.

Two-plus touchdown scorer

This is another variation of the anytime touchdown scorer prop. In this case, the prop is a wager on a player to score at least two touchdowns. Since the likelihood of that happening is less than that of an anytime touchdown, the odds for the two-plus touchdown scorer prop will be more generous than those for the anytime touchdown scorer prop.

How do NFL futures work? 

A futures wager is a bet on a long-term outcome, such as placing a wager on an NFL team to win the Super Bowl or on a specific player to win the NFL's Most Valuable Player Award weeks or even months in advance. Futures bets are broken up mainly into two categories: team-based futures and player-based futures. For example, odds to win the regular season MVP award: Lamar Jackson +550, Josh Allen +550, Joe Burrow +650, Patrick Mahomes +750 and so on. 

Team-based futures

Some common team-based NFL futures options include betting on the next Super Bowl winner, the next AFC or NFC Champion and the next winner of a division, say, the NFC East.

Another popular team-based futures option is betting on a team's win total for the season. For example, a sportsbook may set the Chicago Bears' win total for the upcoming season at Over 8.5 (-120), Under 8.5 (-110). A bettor wagering $100 on the Over would need the Bears to win nine games, while a $100 bettor taking the Under would need them to win eight games or fewer.

Player-based futures

Bettors can also wager on players to win certain end-of-season awards, such as regular season MVP, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year. 

Other player-based wagers have more of a Fantasy football feel. For example, a sportsbook may set Texans receiver Nico Collins' receiving yardage total for the upcoming season at Over 999.5 yards (-120) and Under 999.5 yards (-110). A bettor wagering on the Over would need Collins to have at least 1,000 receiving yards, while a bettor taking the Under would need him to have 999 yards or fewer.

Finally, sportsbooks also offer player-based futures on the end-of-season statistical leaders, such as who will lead the league in passing yards, rushing yards and receiving yards. 

NFL parlay betting 

Betting on the NFL goes well beyond simple points spread bets, player props and futures bets. Some of the more advanced NFL betting options include parlays, teasers and round robins.

Parlays

A parlay is a single bet that links together two or more individual wagers, which are also known as legs. For the parlay to win, all of the individual legs need to win. Parlay betting is quickly becoming the most popular bet among recreational bettors. This bet is alluring because, in theory, it allows the bettor to wager a little and potentially win a lot.

However, parlay bets usually do not offer odds proportional to the expected value, and bettors are more likely to lose in parlay betting than win because of this and since the odds of winning every leg in a parlay is low.

Micah Roberts -- who has worked in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry for 20-plus years, including a 13-year run as the sportsbook director for Station Casinos -- says that there is one strategy that a person should adhere to when betting a parlay: stick to a two-team parlay at the most. A two-team parlay generally pays +260 (or 13-5 odds). Even though that is not equivalent to the true odds (+300 or 3-1), the house edge is not as large as it is for parlays of three, four or more teams.

Same-game parlay

A same-game parlay, also known as a SGP, is exactly as it sounds: a parlay in which all of the legs are bets from a single game. Not every prop can be included in a same-game parlay, but spreads, totals, player props and game props are usually available.

Teaser parlay

Also known as a teaser, this is a parlay in which the bettor can adjust the point spread of a game. In return, the bettor must play two or more selections and will receive reduced odds.

Round-robin parlay

This parlay combines multiple parlays onto one ticket for the sake of efficiency. A bettor is making multiple wagers, but combining those on one bet slip to avoid placing each parlay separately. For example, let's say a bettor likes three NFL teams against the spread (Lions, Texans and 49ers), wants to tie these teams together in two- and three-team parlays and doesn't want to carry around multiple individual tickets. In this case, he can create a round-robin parlay, which would be four individual parlays.

• Lions and Texans to both cover the spread

• Lions and 49ers to both cover the spread

• Texans and 49ers to both cover the spread

• Lions, Texans and 49ers to all cover the spread

If any of the teams failed to cover, the bettor could still win one of the two-team parlays using this method.

Can you live bet on the NFL?

Also known as in-game betting, live betting is wagering on an event after the event has started. Usually, anything you can bet on prior to the game is also available in live betting, but with the odds and lines shifting quickly to take into account what has already happened in the game.

Let's say the Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts enter a game with the Bengals as 8.5-point favorites, and the Colts score a touchdown on the game's first possession. At that point, a sportsbook may adjust the live point spread line to Cincinnati -3.5, giving Bengals backers an opportunity to bet Cincinnati at a more advantageous number.

Live betting goes beyond traditional point spread, money line, total and prop bets. For example, in select NFL games, sportsbooks offer the ability to live bet on the outcome of the first play of the upcoming drive (rush for gain, completed pass, etc.). They will also offer the chance to live bet the outcome of the upcoming drive (offensive touchdown, field goal, punt, etc.)

Betting on the Super Bowl

The Super Bowl has always been an enormous betting event, but it has become even more so with the legalization of sports betting. The Super Bowl between the Eagles and Chiefs drew a record handle in legal wagers at $1.4 billion, according to the American Gaming Association. No single event draws more wagers annually than the Super Bowl.

The game's significance—serving as the winner-take-all championship game of the country's most popular sport and not a best-of-seven series—is the main reason the Super Bowl has become a sports betting goliath. But there are other factors that separate the game from just any other on the schedule. Those include:

• The endless list of player and team props and parlays, which aren't available during the regular season

• Props and parlays that incorporate teams and players from other leagues, such as this one from the Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl and NBA betting: Will Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes have more completions than Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has points? Sportsbooks sometimes offer similar props for big events in college football betting and baseball betting.  

• In select states, there are non-football betting opportunities, such as the length of the national anthem or the color of the Gatorade dumped on the winning coach

• Special promotions that sportsbooks offer in the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl

What are some NFL betting tips and strategies?

While no betting strategy will guarantee success, these betting tips can help bettors improve their odds and make sports betting more enjoyable.

Shop for the best lines

This is relatively simple in that it's in your best interest to search for the best combination of odds and value. For instance, if you're big on the Chargers in any given game, they may be -6.5 (-110) at one sportsbook and -7 (also at -110) at another. The bettor would be better off betting the -6.5 odds in this case. Additionally, the same line of Chargers -6.5 might be -108 at one sportsbook and -110 at another. Here, you'd be better served wagering at -108 odds. 

"Sportsbooks do not always think alike with setting odds," Mike Tierney, a SportsLine expert for both the NFL and college football, says. "Football spreads tend not to vary by more than a point, but the difference with a key threshold line (i.e., 6.5 and 7.5 or 2.5 and 3.5) can be significant, making shopping worthwhile in those instances. Basketball has more variance than football, so shopping is worth the trouble."

One way to shop for the best possible lines on any given game or event is to look at as many different sportsbooks as possible. SportsLine expert Larry Hartstein says this can be key for whether your wagers win or lose, especially if you're a high-volume bettor. 

"I'm fortunate to live in New Jersey, where there are 14 legal online sportsbooks," he says. "Over the course of a season, getting a half-point here and there, and paying less juice on the bets you like (-108 compared to -120) can make the difference between a profitable and losing year."

Track lookahead lines

Lookahead lines are posted more than a week in advance of a game and can give bettors a sense of how much the market has reacted -- or, more importantly, overreacted -- to the latest results, says R.J. White. White is a Fantasy and gambling editor for CBS Sports who has twice cashed in the world's most prestigious handicapping tournament, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest.

"This allows me to look for spots to bet against overadjustments by the market when I don't think the size of the move was warranted based on one game of data," he says.

Target key numbers

We mentioned Roberts, a former Vegas sportsbook director, earlier in regards to parlays. He offers a suggestion when it comes to playing key numbers. Some of these include -2.5 if you like the favorite or +3.5 if you're leaning towards the underdog.

"In the NFL, 18% of the games land on 3," he says. "If you can lay -2.5 rather than -3, that gives you a small edge. Same thing with taking +3.5 instead of +3."

Watch late line movements

Roberts also says sportsbooks will sometimes move a line inside 15 minutes of kickoff in order to protect themselves from a potentially big loss. This late movement could work in a bettor's favor.

Key NFL betting terms to know

Here's a quick rundown of some important NFL betting terms that you should know about when placing wagers.

Action
A bet of any denomination on any sporting contest is considered having action on said event or contest. For example, "Jim Smith deposited $5 in his FanDuel Sportsbook account, and he used it to get some action on the Super Bowl." 

Bad beat
Though the term is open to subjective interpretation, a bad beat conceptually describes an unlikely event, usually late in a game or contest, that causes sports bettors to lose a wager that they believed had a high percentage of winning. 

Backdoor cover
The term used to describe when a betting underdog scores enough points late in the game to achieve an unlikely point-spread cover.

Buying points
A term used for when a sportsbook customer alters the point spread of a game by paying a higher vigorish to the sportsbook. For example, Cleveland was favored by 7 points against Tennessee, but Bob Smith bought the Titans to +7.5. In this instance, the bettor would likely pay -125 instead of the standard -110 in order to "buy" the half-point on Tennessee. 

Chalk
A commonly used synonym for betting on the favorite in a game or another sporting event. For example, the Ravens were 8.5-point chalk against the Browns. 

Cover
The term used to describe when a team or entity finishes as the correct side of the point spread. For example, the Commanders covered the 6-point spread in their 28-20 victory over the Cowboys. 

Even money
A bet that requires no vigorish or juice is considered even money. For example, Jim Smith bet $300 to win $300 on the Broncos at even-money odds (+100) against the Chargers. 

Favorite
The team, individual or entity that is assigned odds by sportsbooks and oddsmakers to delineate that they are mathematically favored to achieve the outcome.

Handle
The total amount wagered on a specific event or sport at a sportsbook. For example, the state of Nevada's legal sportsbooks reported a handle of $151.6 million on the Super Bowl last season.

Line
A commonly used synonym for the point spread in a given contest. For example, the line for the Super Bowl opened at Chiefs -1.5 against the Eagles. 

Push
A term used to describe when a sports wager is declared a tie due to the outcome of the game or event, resulting in a refund on such wagers. For example, the Texans beat the Cowboys, 31-28, as 3-point favorites, so all point-spread wagers on the game were graded a push and all bets were refunded.

Sharp 
A term used to describe the real or imagined advantage that a serious sports bettor has over both casual bettors and the sportsbook. It can also be used as a noun. Proper usage includes examples such as "Bob Smith found a sharp angle in the Chiefs vs. Eagles Super Bowl matchup and wagered accordingly" or "Bob Smith believes he is a sharp bettor, but the sportsbook supervisor where he plays does not agree." 

Underdog
The team, individual or entity that is assigned odds by sportsbooks and oddsmakers to delineate that they are the side that has the lesser chance of winning the game or event.

Vigorish/juice
The vigorish, or juice, is a tax sports bettors pay on every wager and serves as the primary source of the house edge in sports betting. For example, betting $110 to win $100 on a point-spread wager involves $10 of juice. If two sportsbook customers bet the opposite side of a game, the sportsbook will accept a total of $220 while paying out $210 to the winner, taking the $10 juice in profit.

FAQ

What is the difference between an NFL money line bet and a point spread bet?

In NFL money line bets, bettors win if they correctly wager on the winning side, regardless of the score. However, with point spread bets, the score matters, and bettors win if the team they wagered on covers the point spread.

Where can I bet on NFL games?

NFL betting is available at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks or via sportsbook apps in states in which sports betting is legal.

Is betting available on NFL preseason games?

Yes, but betting on preseason games is much different than betting on regular season games because teams typically play their second-, third-, and fourth-stringers more than their starters.

How much money was bet on the NFL in 2024?

A record $35 billion was legally wagered on the NFL during the 2024 season, which includes $1.4 billion on the Super Bowl.

Gene Menez

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