How to Bet on NFL Games Online

How to Bet on NFL Games Online

betJACK Training Camp
3 years ago
9 min read
How to Bet on NFL Games Online

Betting on football is something that sports fans love doing to enhance their enjoyment of a game. And with Ohio represented by the Browns and the Bengals, you have plenty of opportunities to back your team by betting on various markets. 

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But in recognition of the fact that betting on football might seem a little complex for beginners, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide on how to bet on NFL games online, so you can get started with a sportsbook without getting confused.

Use the four steps and tips below to develop your NFL sports betting strategy, and we hope you find it helpful.

How to bet on the NFL: Our Step-by-Step Guide to Betting on Football

Step No. 1: Research upcoming matchups and form 

Your first job is to research the upcoming NFL matchups for potential opportunities. You can begin with a hunch and take your research from there.

Next, dive into the stats to unearth information that will help you understand which team is likely to perform well and whether the game has got high or low-scoring points potential. There are many resources online for this, and you’ll find it helpful to find out the following:

• The current form of both teams

• Last match results

• Previous meetings between the two teams

• Win % of each team in the current season

• Score prediction from various media experts

It’s always better to bet with your head than it is to bet with your heart. After all, if you back a team that hasn’t won all season just because you like them, you’re unlikely to see a return on your wage.

The more you can equip yourself with current and relevant statistics, the more likely you are to win your bet. And when you’ve found out as much information as you can about the upcoming NFL fixtures, it’s time to decide upon the type of bet you want to place.

Step No. 2: Understand the premise of NFL betting lines 

This is where things get interesting. You have so much choice when it comes to betting on the NFL, and you need to familiarize yourself with each of the bet types so you can build the wager that you want. And while there are countless ways to bet on the NFL, here are some of the things you need to understand about betting on the NFL before building your bets:

• NFL odds are represented as a number (usually three digits) alongside a plus (+) or a negative (-). The higher the number next to the (-), the more confident the sportsbook is that the outcome will occur.

• Conversely, the higher the number listed next to the (+), the less likely the sportsbook thinks the given outcome will happen.

• The number listed informs you how much you stand to win if you place a wager on the outcome. Let’s look at a simple example:

Detroit Lions (-125)

Cleveland Browns (+105)

The Detroit Lions are favorites to beat the Cleveland Browns in this example. If you agree with the sportsbook line and think the Lions will win, you will need to bet $125 on them to make a $100 profit – a total return of $225.

If you fancy the Browns, you will win $105 in profit from a $100 bet, getting $205 back (your $100 stake plus the $105 profit.)

So, the easiest way to think about NFL bets is that the favorites are represented with a minus, and the underdogs with a plus. The minus figure is how much you must bet to make a $100 profit; the plus figure is how much you will profit from a $100 bet. Of course, you don’t have to bet $100; you can bet a smaller or larger amount, and the returns will be proportional. 

Now that you’re clear on the fundamentals of how to bet on the NFL, it’s time to consider the various bet types that you can place.

Step No. 3: Decide upon your NFL bet type 

You’re now ready to decide upon your NFL bet type, which is often referred to as a market. There are so many bet variations to consider, so we run through the most popular types here, with examples to help you understand the differences between each of them.

NFL Moneyline Bets

Let’s begin with the easiest type of NFL bet to understand – the moneyline. When you bet on a moneyline, you’re wagering your money on who you think will win a matchup. The only thing that matters in a moneyline is the final result, so you don’t need to worry about points or anything else to place your bet. You will see a moneyline represented in the following way:

Cleveland Browns (-140)

Cincinnati Bengals (+110) 

Here, the Browns are favorites to beat the Bengals in our moneyline, as represented by the (-). Because there are only two markets available in a moneyline, we recommend starting with this NFL bet type so you’re able to understand the premise of sports betting before moving on to more complex bets.

NFL Over/Under Totals Betting

Totals betting is a fun way of keeping things interesting throughout a matchup. Instead of simply betting on the team you think will win, you place a wager on how many points you think will be scored in the game.  

The sportsbook predetermines the points line, and you can then bet on whether you think more or fewer points will be scored. For instance, if the bookmaker sets the points total for a matchup at 46.5 and you think the combined number of points will be 47 or higher, you would place an overs bet. Here’s an example:

Cleveland Browns @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Over 46.5 (-110)

Under 46.5 (-110)

It doesn’t matter which team scores the points in a standard totals bet. So, you would win your overs bet if the Browns win 47-0, or if the final result between the two is 27-20 in favor of the Buccs.

But that being said, you can make a totals bet more interesting by betting on who you think will score the points in a matchup. In this instance, the odds would be represented in the following way:

Cleveland Browns Total Points 31.5

Under (-110)

Over (-110)

Instead of betting on all of the points in a matchup, you can choose to bet on how you think the Browns alone will score.

NFL Spread Betting

To improve your odds when you bet on the NFL, you could look at placing a spread bet. This is where the sportsbook introduces a handicap system, whereby the underdog is handed a particular number of points as a head start.

In a spread bet, if you’re betting on the favorite to win, they need to beat the underdog by the designated margin of points for your bet to come in. Conversely, if you bet on the underdog, you will win your bet if they lose by fewer points than the head start that the bookmaker has given them. Here’s an example of what an NFL spread bet might look like:

Cincinnati Bengals +6.5 @ (-120)

Green Bay Packers – 6.5 @ (-120)

Here, if you’re betting on the Packers to cover the spread, they will need to win by at least seven points to win your bet. Equally, if you fancy the Bengals, you will win your bet as long as they lose by six points or fewer. The amount you win is determined by the line – set in our example at -120, meaning you must bet $120 to make a $100 profit.

NFL Parlay Betting

If you like the idea of betting on more than one game at a time, you can put together an NFL parlay bet. Some people know parlay bets as accumulators, meaning that all of the outcomes need to happen for you to win your bet. Here’s what an NFL parlay might look like:

Browns, Bengals, and Cowboys all to win at (+560)

In this instance, if the Browns and Bengals win and the Cowboys lose, you would lose your bet. 

When you look at placing a parlay bet, it’s essential to consider the odds. The higher the odds the sportsbook offers, the less likely your parlay bet will come in.

Some sportsbooks allow you to put together your own parlay bet, while others offer predetermined parlays that you can place pre-season or before a game week. When you bet online, the sportsbook software will work out the odds for you as you add more bets to your parlay.

NFL Prop Betting (Players/Games)

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NFL prop betting is a great way to break the game down and to place a wager on various outcomes that aren’t tied to the final result or points scored. There are two types of NFL prop bets, and we introduce them both below.

NFL Player Prop Bets

Player prop bets are a fun way of keeping tabs on your favorite player throughout a game. For example, when watching the Browns, you might fancy betting on Baker Mayfield completing a p articular amount of passing yards, or you may think Nick Chubb will add to his total touchdowns.

There are various markets you can bet on when it comes to an NFL prop bet, including:

• Total passing yards

• Total rushing yards

• Number of touchdowns

• Completed passes

• Tackles made

Remember, with player prop bets, you’re betting on how an individual player will perform, so it’s a good idea to research their current form before committing to a wager.

NFL Game Prop Bets

If you’re not overly confident about the performance of one of the players on your favorite team, you can bet on prop bets that consider the entire game. Game prop bets are concerned with outcomes within the matchup that aren’t necessarily related to the final score or points scored. Here are examples of what you can bet on:

• First and second-half points scored

• Who will score the most touchdowns?

• Which team will score first?

• Will the match go to overtime?

• Total flags

You can view game prop bets as bet builders, as they’re an ideal way to increase your odds for a certain matchup while keeping things interesting until the final whistle.

In-Play NFL Betting

Most online sportsbooks offer an in-play betting feature on the NFL, which lets you place bets while the action is underway. In-play betting is useful when you’re not sure about where to place your money, as you can see how the action starts before placing your bet.

For example, if the Browns are -150 to beat the Saints before a ball is kicked, but the Saints are 15 points ahead at the break, you can back the Browns to make a comeback at odds that are much higher than those offered at the start of the game.

You can also bet on other live markets, including who will score next and how many points you think a team will accumulate in a particular quarter.

NFL Futures Bet

As the name suggests, an NFL futures bet is one that allows you to place a wager on an outcome sometime in the distant future. They’re ideal because you can place a bet at the start of the season when a team’s odds are more favorable. While you have lots of choices when it comes to futures bets, some of the most popular include:

• Super Bowl winner

• Conference winner

• MVP

• Team with most seasonal wins

• Top touchdown scorer

• State of winning team

Placing a few futures bets at the start of the season is a great way to keep things interesting as the season progresses, and it increases your chances of landing a big win as it closes.

Step No. 4: Find the best odds available & place your bet

Now you know about the different types of NFL bets you can place, you’re ready to explore the best odds available. You will find plenty of resources online for the best NFL odds, or simply look for all the latest information right here at betJACK .

While you can begin with one account, you might consider opening accounts with several bookmakers, as you can maximize promotions, bonuses, and sign-up offers, which all contribute to securing better odds for your wager.

Five Tips for Betting on the NFL

Now that we’ve run through our step-by-step guide on how to bet on the NFL, we want to leave you with five NFL betting tips that will help you get started:

• Do your research and bet with your head, not your heart.

• Keep things simple at the start and increase the complexity of your bets slowly.

• Start with low-value bets as you work out your NFL betting strategy.

• Know your limits and bet within them – sports betting should be fun and should not place you under financial strain.

• In addition to the NFL, research the available markets in the NCAA. As well as betting on the Browns and the Bengals, you can also bet on the Buckeyes and increase your chances of winning.

So, you’re now all set to get started with NFL betting. You will have lots of fun while backing the Bengals and the Browns, and we hope you use this guide to help you learn how to bet on NFL games online.

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