How to Bet on Football in the US – The OddsIndex Guide

Football is the country’s most beloved sport (calm down baseball fans...), and I’m sure you know how easy it is to catch an NFL game either on the field or on TV. You can’t beat having friends over for Thanksgiving then following it all up by catching the game. But have you tried betting on the sport before? Staking on the games can make even the most boring of contests feel like the Superbowl final. But, not all Americans know how to do it.

Fear not! I’ve pulled together this handy guide for you so that you can become the MVP of football betting. After this, you’ll be devising bets with more tactical astuteness than Tom Brady presiding over a match-winning play.

Football is by Far the Most Popular Sport in the Country

You know that football’s popular in the US, but do you know just how big it is? A whopping 70 percent of adults in the country watch the sport, and it’s more than twice as popular as its nearest competitor, baseball. The industry is huge, and the NFL alone rakes in more than $12.2 billion per year. Yes, you read that correctly – the money here is out of this world. It shouldn’t surprise you to learn then, that the betting industry around football in the US is huge.

Viewing Figures Backed up by Betting

It's taken a while for the US to move towards allowing people to gamble more easily, but the figures show how rapidly it's spreading now. In 2021, 45 million Americans said they planned to bet on NFL games. That’s an increase of 36 percent from last year. This could be thanks to the $6.2 billion responsible betting program launched by the NFL, which has helped to promote gambling in a safe and enjoyable way.

With so many people turning to NFL betting, the US market has become a ripe field for online betting providers. It means that there has been a massive increase in the number of betting sites marketing themselves to players in the country. And you know what that leads to, don’t you? It brings about great offers and promotions, as they all try to win your custom.

The Super Bowl is one of the Biggest Events in the World

Betting may have only recently become a big thing over here, but you might be interested to read that the Super Bowl is one of the world’s biggest single events for wagering. 23.2 million Americans bet on the main event of the NFL season, and it also attracts loads of bettors from overseas – most of which don’t even watch football on a regular basis.

Why Should you Bet on Football?

So, I guess you’re wondering what all the fuss is about? If you already enjoy watching NFL games, is there any need to stake on them? The answer to that question is, only if you want to. Of course, there’s no need to bet on NFL if you don’t want to risk your money. But, seeing as you’re reading this article, I’m assuming you’re keen to find out how to bet on it.

Betting on football can give you a chance to put your knowledge to the test and see if your predictions come to fruition. As it’s a game that relies on various factors that can be quantified to an extent, if you do enough research, you can put yourself at an advantage. Some of the best sources online to help you with football betting include the official NFL site and Pro Football Reference. Here, you’ll find absolutely every statistic imaginable, from kick and punt returns to rushing offense and conversions.

Is Betting Online the Best Option?

In the past, it was difficult to find a place to bet on NFL in some states. Nowadays though, the internet has made it possible for anyone to stake from virtually anywhere. That's why many people prefer to do their gambling online rather than in person these days, and if you read on, I’ll explain why.

Offers and Boosts

The fierce competition online has led to a jaw-dropping number of welcome offers and boosts, as sites try to wrestle customers from one another. Here are some of the top ones I’ve found, just to give you an idea of what’s out there.

When you’re ready to bet, you can explore the numerous options and see which one is for you. By the way, I should point out that it’s extremely important to read the small print first. The offers have many stipulations that you need to be aware of, and they aren’t always as good as they seem.

Unibet has 20% boosts on Sunday NFL parlays and NBA bets, while DraftKings has a bonus up to $1000, but there are 25x wagering requirements. You could choose one site to play at, or you could opt to join a few and make use of all the offers.

Loads of Options for Football

Another positive that I appreciate about online betting sites is the sheer number of markets available. Operators try to win players over by offering something different, such as specials that their rivals don’t have. Literally any type of bet you can think of is available somewhere online. Read on to the next section to find out more about some of these ways to wager.

What are the Different Markets?

Now that I’ve managed to get you excited about betting on football, it's time to take you through some of the options you have when placing bets. There are so many ways to stake on the games, and different betting sites will have diverse options as well.

• Moneyline bets are quite basic as you just back a winner for the match, although bear in mind that the teams with negative odds are the favorites and you’ll cash in more if you back an underdog (everyone loves an underdog...).
• Spread betting is a way to even up the odds as the NFL has a number of franchises that dominate the sport and usually come up trumps against the minnows, so the favorite is listed with a projected winning margin, and if you stake on them and they win by more than this, you cash in your bet.
• Prop bets are on individual factors/players and the numbers they post in a match, so you can make predictions based on statistical evidence from previous games. For example, you could stake on a certain number of touchdowns, a quarterback’s passing yards, or bet on a certain running back to score.
• Over/under bets allow you to stake on whether a game will finish over or under a certain value, which is determined by the bookmaker, although you can also bet on other areas as well using the same system. For example, you could predict that the two teams will score over ten touchdowns between them.
• You don’t have to stake on every single game if you don’t want to. Instead, you could place a few outright bets (also known as specials) at the start of the season such as who will be the Super Bowl finalists, or you could speculate on who will be the NFL’s MVP for the campaign.
• Live betting is starting to become mainstream at online bookmakers, and this is good news for you as you can put your predictions to the test in real-time. If you’ve got a hunch about which team will score next, you can get updated odds and stake on it while watching the match unfold.

Does it go Beyond the NFL?

The NFL is the main competition for betting on football, and world sport doesn’t get much bigger than this. If you want to stake elsewhere, though, you do have a few other options. For example, you could bet on matches in the American Football Conference or Canadian Football League, among others.

Are you Ready to Start Staking?

Well, that’s all from me. I hope I’ve given you enough information there to get started with football betting. The most important thing to remember is to always gamble responsibly and have fun. Use statistics and various sources to help you place your bets and give yourself a limit. Now, go and put your newfound know-how to the test!