NFL wagering is by far the most popular type of betting in the US. Millions of dollars are staked each month on NFL moneyline, spreads, and other wager types. It’s so popular because it’s fun, and it makes watching the sport even more exciting.
If you’re unfamiliar with sports betting, any vocabulary around sports wagers can sound like a foreign language. This can stop a lot of people from even trying to get involved. Luckily our experts are here to help. Below we will explain some of the most common wagers placed on the NFL and how to use them with your own NFL betting.
Legal US Sportsbook Bet Types
Moneyline
Moneyline betting is the most basic form of betting there is. You are betting on which team you think will win a game in the NFL. It can be an absolute demolition, or it can be a 1 point victory in the last second. It doesn’t matter. You will receive your payout as long as you back the correct team.
When looking at NFL moneyline bets, you will see one team is a favorite and shown with a (-) symbol next to its odds. The underdog will have a (+) symbol next to its odds. In combination with the odds, these symbols can be used to show how much your payout will be.
Spreads
Spread betting takes moneyline bets to the next level. There are a lot of games in the NFL where the victor can be easily predicted before the kick-off. The sportsbook will offer incredibly low moneyline odds as not to lose a lot of money on these games.
Sportsbooks will offer spread bets to counter this. This is where the points scored will also play a part in you winning your bet. The operator will set a spread line with a points threshold. If you are backing the favorite, that team has to win by a margin more than the spread for you to receive your payout. The underdog only has to cover that spread and lose by less than the point spread. If the underdog wins, your wager will also be good.
Parlays
Sometimes there are multiple NFL wagering markets in one week on which you want to bet. With parlay bets, you can combine bets into one single wager. Each market (leg) has to be a winner for this wager to come through. As more factors can go wrong, parlay bets have better odds than just betting on each leg individually. There are greater rewards and more significant risks as if even just one leg fails, the whole bet is over.
Totals
This type of betting disregards winners and losers and focuses entirely on the scoreline. The sportsbook will provide a total amount, and you have to guess whether both teams will score over or under that total. Suddenly you can find yourself rooting for a boring NFL game because you’ve back the under. It doesn’t matter which team scores the points, as long as that total matches what you predicted.
Placing Legal NFL Bets at US Sportsbooks
NFL Sundays in the US have become more exciting since online sports betting became legal in some states. That’s thanks to the US Supreme Court declaring the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) unconstitutional in 2018. There has been a swell of states legalizing online sports betting since.
If you are willing to visit one of those states, you can enjoy NFL wagers too. First, make sure you are of legal gambling age and download a sportsbook app. Then, start looking at NFL markets and place NFL bets today.
