Ways to Identify the Best NFL Betting Site

The NFL is the most popular sports league in the United States. Every season, millions of fans watch and cheer their favorite teams each week, occasionally placing a wager on a game to make things more interesting. Betting on the NFL has become one of the biggest betting attractions since the US Supreme Court legalized sports betting in 2018.

Now that there are several legal US betting sites – along with multiple sportsbooks serving customers in Europe, Australia, Canada and beyond – it’s more important than ever to identify the best NFL betting site that matches your needs. Not all are created equal. This can be especially confusing given the varying odds, bonuses, and endless promotions a sports betting site offers its customers every NFL season. As a result, discerning which site is best becomes paramount.

This guide gives the fundamentals selecting a reputable sports betting site, and offers some basic NFL betting advice for those placing their first bets online.


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What Makes an NFL Betting Site Stand Out?

First and foremost, any legal online betting site should meet the following minimum standards:

  • The site is licensed in its jurisdiction by the relevant state gaming agency.
    • USA: State Gaming Agencies/Boards/Commissions
    • UK: UKGC
    • Europe: Malta Gaming Authority
  • Payment methods are secured by industry standard encryption and are subject to applicable financial regulations and policies.
  • The site’s NFL category has a number of different bets: game, futures, props, parlays, totals, etc.
  • The NFL section includes stats, game results, standings, and a game tracker related to evaluating in-game prop betting opportunities.
  • A responsive design that allows for fast and reliable navigation on mobile devices, such as phones and tablets.
  • Quick and reliable payouts, allowing for bankroll fluctuations before and after each week’s action.
  • Responsive and helpful customer service

NFL betting platforms – unlike online casino apps – are expected to provide uniformity in the movement of odds. This is of particular importance when dealing with NFL betting on Sunday mornings, which is subject to fast-moving lines.

A site possessing these basics makes it possible for novice bettors to register a new account, deposit and begin wagering with confidence.

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Key Questions and Considerations

Here are a few questions and things to consider when differentiating between two different sports betting sites. Often, the differences can be found in the details, particularly how they relate to your own personal preferences and tastes.

  1. Can I make deposits and withdrawals using the available payment methods and instruments? Do I need to need to join any 3rd party service, like VIP Preferred eCheck?
  2. Does my state have any restrictions or limitations on my favorite NFL bets, like parlays, props or in-game wagering?
  3. Is customer service prompt, resourceful and able to assist me with my questions and concerns?
  4. Can I place futures bets, teasers and other exotics with some flexibility?
  5. Are the odds competitive in comparison to other sites?
  6. Do the NFL stats update live as the game progresses, or must I wait until the game has concluded?
  7. Does the sportsbook’s loyalty program include benefits for NFL Bettors?

The answers to these questions may vary from state to state, and from country to country depending on your location and legal jurisdiction. For example a UK sports betting site will be subject to the UKGC and will only offer payment methods for UK residents, and may have a smaller selection of NFL bets in comparison to the more popular English Premier League.

Contrast that to a US sportsbook, where the number of NFL bets will far exceed any offering for a European football league.

The Sunday Betting Rush

There is a rhythm to NFL betting during the regular season. Lines are published early in the week, but most bettors hold off until game day in order to assess the latest injury news and the weather forecasts.

Popular game bets – like totals and spreads – can shift a little due to a small quarterback injury, lineup change, or chance of bad weather over an outdoor stadium. All of this means you’ll need to keep tabs on all the relevant data leading up to each game’s kickoff.

The best NFL betting sites are a one-stop-shop offering the latest lines, injury reports, stats and standings.

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Maximizing Bonuses and Matched Betting

To acquire customers, several sports betting sites offer risk-free bonuses, free bets, and match play bets. Make sure you read each promotion’s terms and conditions in advance. Many come with a minimum deposit, play-through requirements, and exclusions limiting you from certain wagers.

We suggest one of two strategies:

  1. Refuse The Bonus – The likelihood of coming out ahead, or “beating a bonus”, often isn’t worth the time, hassle or money. Sometimes it’s best to simply refuse the bonus altogether. That way, you won’t be subject to any particular restrictions or limitations.
  2. Comparison Shop – Review promotions from multiple sportsbooks before settling on one. Remember to read the fine print: the details of each promotion matter, even if the dollar value of the bonus is the same.

Maximizing Your NFL Betting Return

Remember to account for the differences between the NFL and other sports leagues. These nuances can impact the long-term success of your betting strategies, offering some noteworthy benefits and drawbacks:

  • A smaller number games increases the importance of each result. Unlike the NBA or NHL, where teams will play more than 80 regular season games per season, NFL teams only have 17 regular season games.
  • Marquee games such as Sunday Night Football, the Super Bowl and major playoff games often attract substantial betting interest, often moving lines and odds substantially before kickoff.
  • Injury reports, weather and coaching changes will frequently impact betting markets, as the final result will be different than the opening line suggested.

Because of this, a quality NFL betting site must offer easy line shopping, statistical analysis and live game updates. Additionally, the site should cater to both recreational and sharp bettors. The former requires attractive bonuses, fun prop bets and easy deposit options, while the latter are more interested in a robust platform with “sharp lines” that aren’t subject to any other limitations or restrictions.

Sharp bettors – as a whole – are less interested in bonuses and perks and care more about fast deposits and withdrawals, a trustworthy VIP host and consistent access to betting action around the clock.

NFL Betting Resources

  • How to Bet on the NFL – An in-depth look at how to place bets on the NFL, including common straight bets and exotics like parlays, teasers, and props.
  • NFL Betting Sites – Our list of the best NFL betting sites features licensed and legal US sportsbooks, just in time for the action on the gridiron.
  • NFL Betting Odds – Current NFL odds for upcoming matchups, including the preseason and postseason. Review futures odds, the greatest all-time teams, regular-season standings, and valuable handicapping strategies.
  • NFL Prop Bets – Prop bets from upcoming NFL matchups, including a complete NFL prop betting tutorial. Learn how to bet on NFL props.
  • NFL Futures Odds – Odds for popular NFL Futures, like the Super Bowl, AFC and NFC conference winners, each division winner, and offensive and defensive player awards. Learn how to bet on NFL futures in minutes.
  • NFL Win Total Odds – Review regular season win total lines and odds for each team. Remember to place you bet before each team’s first game of the regular season.
  • NFL Game to Overtime Prop Bet – See odds for upcoming games, then review overtime game counts from recent seasons.
  • NFL Safety to be Scored Prop Bet – Review odds of a safety happening in upcoming games, then bet “Yes” or “No”.
  • NFL First Team to Score Prop Bet – See odds for which team will score first, then learn how to bet on this prop.
  • Undefeated NFL Teams – See which teams are still undefeated in the current regular season.
  • NFL Shutouts this Season – Have a look at table containing this season’s shutouts and review how to bet on these games.
  • NFL Biggest Rivalries – Review the NFL’s biggest rivalries by division, catching up on each rivalry’s history and recent matchup results.
  • Super Bowl Betting – The latest Super Bowl odds for every NFL team, plus a great guide to how to bet on the Super Bowl. Review how to bet Super Bowl props and recent winning teams.
  • Super Bowl Betting Bonuses – See our curated list of betting bonuses just in time for this season’s big game.
  • Quarterback Props – Review each quarterback’s regular season performance props. Bet over or under the sportsbook’s line.
  • Running Back Props – See performance props for the league’s top running backs. Bet over or under the sportsbook’s line.
  • Receiver Props – Have a look at regular season performance lines for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, then bet over or under the sportsbook’s line.
  • How to Read NFL Odds – Great for beginners: learn what the numbers for each bet mean.
  • NFL Team Betting Odds – Betting odds and bonuses for each NFL team, including their Super Bowl, Conference, and Division futures, plus historical standings going back to before you were born.
Categories NFL