Sports fans bet more on the NFL than any other sport. After the Chiefs beat the 49ers for their third Super Bowl title in five years, NFL betting action includes the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft and next season's futures odds.
Below, we explain how to bet on the NFL online, find the best NFL lines and futures odds, and make bets with the best NFL betting sites.
Top online sportsbooks for NFL betting
There are our favorite sports betting sites and sportsbook apps to bet on the NFL.
How to open an account and bet on the NFL online
Betting on the NFL online is a simple three-step process for anyone of legal age inside a legal sports betting state. All you need to do is:
- Sign up for an account with a legal online sportsbook.
- Make a deposit.
- Fill out a bet slip.
How to sign up for an NFL betting account
You can’t make NFL bets with a top sports betting site until you sign up for an account. The good news is that it’s fast and easy to do. Just follow these five steps:
- Click any of the links on this page to visit a legal online sportsbook.
- Fill out the registration forms with your personal and account information, including your name, email, date of birth, and last four digits of your SSN.
- Enter the exclusive promo code listed above in the space provided to ensure you get the best football betting bonus available.
- Check the boxes accepting the terms and conditions and submit the registration forms.
- Allow the online sportsbook to verify your age, identity, and location.
How to make a deposit
Most betting sites offer sportsbook bonuses and promotions to get you started, but if you need funds to bet with, you can choose from various deposit methods.
These often include credit and debit cards, online payment processors like PayPal, and cash at retail locations, including affiliated casinos, racetracks, and sportsbooks. Follow these steps to make a deposit online:
- Click the ‘Cashier’ tab on the sportsbook homepage or app.
- Choose the most convenient method of deposit.
- Enter the amount you want to deposit and follow the prompts.
- Confirm the deposit and the funds should be available almost immediately.
How to fill out a bet slip
Filling out a bet slip is the final step.
- Log into your account.
- Browse through this week's NFL betting lines and odds.
- Click on a bet.
- Check the bet information and odds on the instantly created bet slip.
- Add more individual bets or create parlays.
- Enter the amount you want to bet on each bet or parlay.
- Check the potential payout.
- Click the ‘Place Bet’ tab to confirm your bet.
Bet the NFL, even in the offseason
With the 2023-24 season in the books, check out the latest odds for the 2025 Super Bowl, as well as 2024 NFL Draft odds.
How to bet on NFL games
Before you can bet smartly on Sundays, you need a plan. That means researching this week's NFL matchups, shopping for the best NFL lines, and digging around for the NFL betting markets with the softest odds.
It all starts with a fundamental understanding of NFL odds and how they’re set.
For every NFL game, oddsmakers label one team the favorite and the other the underdog. In theory, the favorite is deemed more likely to win and attract public betting.
Oddsmakers set NFL spreads, moneylines, and totals with that in mind. NFL lines and odds are designed to attract equal betting to each side. That way, the sportsbook can realize the profit built into the odds without worrying about the bet’s actual outcome.
For example, here’s a look at the game lines and odds for the 2024 Super Bowl.
| Spread | Moneyline | Total (Over/Under) | |
| San Francisco 49ers | -2 (-110) | -130 | Over 46.5 (-110) |
| Kansas City Chiefs | +2 (-110) | +110 | Under 46.5 (-110) |
NFL point spread betting
Oddsmakers set a point spread for NFL games that even the betting odds.
The points are deducted from the favorite or added to the underdog to determine which side wins the bet. The spread removes the financial risk associated with betting on the moneyline favorite and gives bets on the underdog a better chance to win.
That’s why both sides of a spread bet usually pay the same odds.
The point spread can also be considered a projected winning margin for the favorite and a projected losing margin for the underdog. Favorites cover when they win by more than the spread. Underdogs cover when they lose by less than the spread (or win outright).
In the example above, a bet on the Chiefs cashed because they won the game, 25-22. Even if they had lost by one point, they would have covered the 2-point spread.
The -110 means a $110 wager earned a $100 in profit if the Chiefs cover.
Conversely, a bet on 49ers -2 was a loser. San Francisco had to win by three points or more to cover the spread. Had the 49ers won by exactly two points, a bet on either team would be a "push", and all spread wagers would be refunded by the sportsbook.
A bet to win $100 on the 49ers would have cost the bettor $110.
NFL moneyline betting
All you have to do with a moneyline bet is pick the winner. The final score doesn't matter. There’s no handicap for either side. You pick either the favorite or the underdog; if they win, you win.
Of course, the odds are different for the favorite and underdog. When you bet on a favorite, the moneyline represents the amount you’d need to risk to win $100.
Betting the Chiefs +110 here means risking $100 to win $110 in profit.
A bet on the 49ers to win $100 would have cost $130.
NFL totals betting (over/unders)
Betting on totals (over/unders) is about picking whether the total combined score in a game will be over or under a line set by oddsmakers. Oddsmakers set the lines with nearly even odds on both sides.
In the example above, a bet on Over 46.5 would have won, since the game ended with a final score of 25-22. A bet on the under would have lost.
The total, like any betting line, can be adjusted during wagering. In the case of the Super Bowl, the total was as high as 47.5, and many bettors got 47. Both over and under 47 bets pushed (bets refunded), because that was the exact total of the game. Against the 47.5, over bets lost, and under bets won.
NFL prop betting
NFL prop betting reaches beyond standard game-line betting. Licensed online sportsbooks offer a menu full of NFL player, game, and team props, mostly surrounding statistical milestones.
Most NFL props are either over/under props (which ask you to bet against lines set by sportsbooks at odds close to even) or yes/no props (which ask you to bet on yes or no questions based on probability).
You can also expect to find a massively expanded menu of Super Bowl prop bets for the Big Game.
NFL player props
Most NFL player props surround the statistical achievements of a particular player in a game.
- Touchdown scorer (First/last, anytime)
- Yards (passing/rushing/receiving)
- Pass attempts, completions, receptions
NFL game and team props
Another key style of NFL prop surrounds the statistical achievements of a team or the likelihood of an in-game occurrence.
- Alternate spreads and totals
- Total field goals/touchdowns
- Safety, kick/punt return TDs
- Winning margin
- Team totals
- ‘First to’ betting
See more: What is a prop bet?
How to make NFL parlays
Parlay betting lets you combine two or more of the game line or prop bets above into one. You’ll get paid at better odds than you would on the bets individually, but you have to win them all.
Correlated parlays that combine bets from the same NFL game into a parlay are known as same-game NFL parlays. Once again, you’ll get paid better odds than you would on the bets individually, but the correlated nature of the bets means same-game NFL parlays pay less than traditional multi-game parlays.
The NFL schedule, chock-full of games every Sunday, lends itself to parlay betting. But while NFL fans are often lured in by the big potential payday on multi-leg NFL parlays, these bets are extremely hard to win.
Take three typical NFL point spread bets, put them together in a parlay, and you’ll get better odds.
Say, the Chiefs -6.5, the Panthers +3.5, and the Bengals -2.5 each pay -110 individually. However, the three-leg parlay pays +596.
A $10 bet would get you a $59.57 profit. You would earn only a $27 profit when betting $10 on each game individually, and you’d be risking $30 total. But the difference is you wouldn’t have to win every bet. Parlays are all or nothing.
Bet on the NFL live in-game
Live NFL betting occurs on games that have already started. The best sports betting apps give you access to live lines and odds that change with the action on the field.
Moneylines, spreads, totals, and props are available from the opening kickoff to the final whistle.
NFL futures betting
NFL futures bets hinge on the season-long prospects of teams and players. Pick a team or player to achieve a certain goal, then book the bet at the currently posted odds.
The odds change throughout the year based on a team or player’s chances of accomplishing this achievement, but you’re locked in at the odds as posted when you bet.
Popular NFL futures include:
- Super Bowl winner odds
- NFL team win totals over/under
- Odds to win the division
- Odds to win AFC of NFC championship
- Most Valuable Player (MVP) odds
- Regular season leaders (passing, rushing, sacks, TDs, interceptions, tackles)
How to bet on the NFL FAQ
Can I legally bet on NFL games online?
Sign up for an account with a legal online sportsbook, and if you’re inside the state where that sportsbook is licensed, you can legally place bets on the NFL.
See above for a fundamental understanding of basic NFL game lines, how NFL lines and odds are set, and the nuts and bolts of betting on the NFL online.
Is it legal to bet on NFL games in every state?
No, only states with licensed online sportsbooks can legally offer NFL betting. Plus, you need to be inside state lines to place bets. That means you'll have to travel to a legal jurisdiction if you’re in a state that doesn't allow online sportsbooks.
What's the best NFL betting site?
Our list of the top NFL betting sites (at the top of this page) should give you a good headstart. We recommend signing up for multiple online sportsbooks, taking advantage of their welcome bonuses, and determining the best site for NFL betting based on your criteria. See here for a list of the best new betting sites in legal betting sites.