When it comes to sports betting in the U.S. market, the NFL reigns as king of all sports. Estimates are that approximately $30 billion was wagered on the NFL during the 2025 season. That total takes into account the preseason, regular-season, and playoff wagering. Over $1.4 billion of that amount was bet on the Super Bowl. The total handle wagered showed an 8.5% increase over the 2024 season.
You’ll want to grasp how to bet on NFL games, so this is the spot to gather that data.
If you have ever wondered how to bet on NFL action the right way, you are in the right place. By the time you finish perusing our handy how-to bet on the NFL football guide, you will have a clear understanding of the fundamentals and an outline for a structured approach you can apply every week of the football season.
This is your complete guide for how to bet on NFL games. There are several reasons why the NFL is the North American king of sports betting.
For starters, the structure of the sport makes it easier to track and plan out a sound betting strategy. Football is a one-game-per-week sport. There’s none of the three-games-in-four-nights scenarios like you see in the NHL, or the lengthy road trips of the NBA. And you’ll never have to factor in a day game following a night game, as MLB bettors must do.
That being said, it would be wrong to assume that successful betting on the NFL is going to be easier to master than other sports. Numerous factors come into play as you adapt a sound strategy for how to bet on NFL games online. The weather forecast can impact your betting approach. Staying up to date on the latest NFL injury reports is another key element to success.
Learning how to bet on NFL games is far less complicated than it first appears. Many new bettors are intimidated by odds formats, different bet types, and strategy talk, but most of that complexity is perceived rather than real. Once you understand how lines work, what the main markets are, and how to think about risk versus reward, the game slows down.
How do NFL odds work?
There are three types of odds that you may come across while betting on NFL games. If you have a preferred choice, you’ll find that many sportsbooks offering NFL odds will offer a device on their web page that lets you select which type of odds you want for your NFL betting lines. Let’s look at how you read each of them.
American odds
American odds are the most common format for NFL betting in the United States. They use a plus or minus sign to show both the favorite and the potential payout. It’s all based upon a hypothetical $100 wager.
A minus sign indicates the favorite. A plus sign marks the underdog. The larger the minus number, the stronger the favorite, and the larger the plus number, the bigger the underdog and potential return.
Decimal odds
While a few sportsbooks in the U.S. market will employ decimal odds, they are widely used outside the United States, they present the total return you receive for every one unit wagered, including your original stake.
Many in the betting world believe that decimal odds are the easiest to comprehend, since the calculation of the wager includes both the stake and the profit. To calculate your payout, you simply multiply your bet by the decimal number listed.
So if the Houston Texans were set with 2.20 odds and you bet $5 on them to win, your total return of stake plus profit would add up to $11 (2.20 x $5 = $11).
Lower decimal numbers indicate favorites, while higher numbers signal underdogs.
Fractional odds
If you’ve ever bet on horse racing, then you are quite familiar with fractional odds. You might see 2/1 or 5/2 odds on a favored horse, and perhaps as much as 99/1 on a longshot underdog.
In sports betting, fractional odds are commonly seen in the United Kingdom. They express the profit you would earn relative to your stake. The fraction shows how much you win compared to the amount wagered, making it easy to see the ratio of risk to reward. Smaller fractions indicate favorites, while larger fractions represent underdogs.
Types of NFL bets
Not only does the NFL get more money wagered on it than any other American sport, it also offers the most betting lines and betting markets of any sport. There are several ways to bet on the NFL. Let’s break down how each of these betting elements operates.
Moneyline betting
Moneyline betting is the most straightforward way to wager on the NFL. You just pick which team will win the game outright. It’s that simple.
Moneyline bets are always factored on hypothetical $100 wagers. A minus sign indicates the favorite. Suppose the Seattle Seahawks are listed at -140. That means the Seahawks are favored to win the game. If you bet $140 on the Seahawks and they win the game, your profit on this wager would be $100.
Example: The Kansas City Chiefs are listed at -150 against the Denver Broncos. A $150 bet on Kansas City would return $250 total ($100 profit plus your original stake) if the Chiefs win.
A plus sign marks the underdog. Let’s say the New England Patriots are set with a betting line of +120. That shows you the Patriots are the underdogs. If you were to bet $100 on New England and the underdog Pats won the game, you would realize a $120 profit margin on your bet.
Point spread betting
Point spreads are the most popular NFL betting format. A spread acts as a handicap, requiring the favorite to win by more than a specified number of points, while the underdog can lose by fewer than that number or win outright to cash.
Let’s suppose that the Dallas Cowboys are playing the New York Giants. The Cowboys are listed at -6. That means they are favored to win the game. In betting jargon, this is known as laying points. If you place a point spread on Dallas, the Cowboys must win by at least seven points for you to win your bet.
The underdog Giants would be listed in the point spread at +6. If you play the spread on the Giants, if they win outright, or lose by less than six points, your bet is a winner.
Point spread bets don’t pay out as well as some moneyline bets. The most common line on a spread bet is usually -110.
Total (over/under) betting
The beauty of total or over/under betting is that it doesn’t matter which team wins the game. That is immaterial to your bet. With a total wager, you are betting on the total number of points both teams will combine for in an NFL game.
If the Las Vegas Raiders are playing the Los Angeles Chargers and the total is set at 53.5, you have two options with an over/under wager on this game. You can bet that the two teams will combine to go over that total, or that they will fall short of the total and go under.
Betting lines on totals tend to most often be set at -110. Occasionally you’ll see -105 or -115. And the reason why there’s often a half point added to the total is to assure there won’t be a tie, what’s known in betting circles as a push. When there’s a push on a wager, the sportsbooks must refund the stake on all bets.
Live/in-play betting
Live betting is one of the newer ways to bet on the NFL. This involves wagering on minute outcomes during the game. You can bet on whether the next play will be a run or a pass, or perhaps on which team will score the next touchdown or commit the next turnover.
You have to be fast on your feet because in-play wagering opportunities come and go in rapid fashion.
Prop betting
Prop bets are wagers on outcomes within the game and are a hugely popular NFL bet. There are game, team, and player props.
For instance, suppose you are betting on a Philadelphia Eagles game. You play a prop on passing yardage by QB Jalen Hurts, or rushing yardage by Saquon Barkley.
The sportsbook sets a total for each category, and you choose whether the player will go over or under that number.
Futures betting
A great way to realize a significant profit on a small outlay is by playing an NFL futures bet. There are several futures markets involving the NFL.
These will include projecting the winners of the Super Bowl, the AFC, or the NFC, and the divisional champions. Sports betting sites will also project season win totals for teams, and offer odds on whether or not a team will make the playoffs.
For players, there are seasonal statistical projections, and awards like the MVP. Another popular futures bet is picking which NFL coach will be the first to be fired during the season.
Parlay betting
Like futures, parlays can also deliver a solid payday for a minimal stake. With a parlay bet, you are packaging several outcomes into one wager, such as combining a moneyline play, spread bet, and total play on three different NFL games. Some betting sites will enable the opportunity to combine as many as 20 wagers into one parlay.
While the return can be significant, the odds of a parlay hitting are slim. You need every element of the play to come in for the bet to be a winner.
Same-game parlay betting
Amping up the parlay play, a same-game parlay offers the potential for the same significant payday from a small stake. The difference is, as the name suggests, that all elements of the parlay come from the same game. Perhaps you combine a moneyline play with a spread wager, and a prop bet on a player’s reception yardage.
Sportsbooks will make it easier for you by providing pre-arranged same-game parlays. Many online betting sites also offer an easy-to-use parlay calculator. This device enables you to lay out a potential same-game parlay play. You’ll get a breakdown of the combined odds and potential payout. It will also inform you which bets are ineligible to be included in a same-game parlay.
Teaser betting
Teasers, also known as alternate lines, allow you to adjust the point spread or total in your favor. In exchange for moving the line, the overall payout is reduced compared to a traditional spread bet. You will find that some online sportsbooks offer multiple versions of alternate lines on every NFL game.
Teasers can be useful in tightly-lined games where a few points make a meaningful difference. Understanding how line movement affects probability will help determine whether a teaser offers genuine value.
NFL bankroll management tips
One of the biggest mistakes beginner bettors make is risking too much on a single game. Many experienced bettors use a unit system, where each wager represents a small percentage of their bankroll, often between 1% and 3%. This helps limit losses during cold streaks and prevents emotional betting decisions.
How do I bet on the NFL?
If you have made it this far, you already understand the fundamentals. Before placing your first wager, take a moment to revisit the key building blocks: how odds formats work, how to read American, decimal, or fractional pricing, and how different betting markets function, from moneylines and spreads to props and futures. The more comfortable you are with these concepts, the more confident and disciplined your decisions will be.
Once you are comfortable with the basics, the next step is choosing a sportsbook that fits your preferences. NFL betting markets typically include preseason games, regular-season matchups, playoffs, futures, props, and live betting options. Before placing bets, compare sportsbooks based on factors like odds, available markets, payout methods, user experience, and betting limits.
