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Whether you’re a seasoned expert or just working out how to bet on football, there is always excitement for sports fans. Nothing makes a weekend more thrilling than winning big by betting on the teams you love or against the ones you love to hate.
If that sounds appealing, but you don’t know how to get in on the action, we have put together this helpful guide to betting on football just for you.
Quick Facts for Players
- Football betting includes different types of bets, such as moneyline, point spread, and totals, each with its own odds and strategies.
- Properly managing your bankroll and avoiding personal bias when placing bets is key to long-term success in football betting.
- Opening accounts with multiple sportsbooks can help you find the best odds and access more betting options.
- Staying updated on player injuries, weather conditions, and other factors can help you make more informed betting decisions.
- Besides the NFL and college football, you can also bet on leagues like the CFL and UFL for additional opportunities.
How Does Football Betting Work?
Everyone wants to win big, but the first step is learning the rules of the game. Knowledge is power, and it will help you make better, more educated decisions about what to wager and when to target a specific matchup.
Plus, there are hundreds of betting markets for fans to wager on each week, and it can be intimidating to see all those available bets when you aren’t 100 percent confident what each means.
Luckily, even if you’ve never watched a game, football is rather simple to grasp, so you can pick up the ropes pretty fast to get started sooner rather than later.
How to Bet on Football Games
Before you get started, let’s look at your possibilities and learn how to bet on football online.
Football betting possibilities are plentiful at all the NFL sportsbooks, so it’s critical to understand which bets suit your betting style the best.
Moneyline Bets
Bookmakers will take into account the pros and cons of both sides before releasing moneyline odds on which team they think will win the contest.
The team with a minus in front of its number is generally the favorite, and the number listed is the amount needed to wager to win $100 in profit.
The underdog will be the team with + in front of its number, and the number is the profit a bettor will win if he/she puts $100 on the result.
For example:
If BetOnline is giving the Baltimore Ravens +132 odds to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL season opener and the Chiefs’ odds are -152.
That means a $152 wager on the Chiefs would be required to win $100 in profit or about $0.57 profit per dollar bet.
Conversely, if a bettor placed $100 on the Ravens, and they defeat the Chiefs at Arrowhead, you would claim your initial stake ($100) plus $155 in profit based on the odds.
If you wagered $10, you’d get $15.50 in profit plus your initial stake.
Points Spread
Point spread betting is especially prevalent in football but is available to bettors across the sports-betting landscape.
Point spread betting may seem confusing at first to new or novice bettors, but it is self-explanatory once you get the hang of it.
When all things are considered equal in an NFL game, the home team will be favored, or “lay,” three points. Spreads can vary based on how lopsided the games appear on paper, but in NFL games, the spreads typically sit in the 1-point to 14-point range.
Here, the bettor must decide if the favorite will win by a certain number of points or if the underdog will beat the spread.
For instance:
Kansas City is listed as a three-point favorite in the above-referenced Chiefs vs. Ravens game.
If the Chiefs won by four points, they would cover; if the Ravens lost by two or fewer, they would beat the spread.
If exactly three points decided the game, the wager would push, and players would get their initial betting stake back.
First-Half/Halftime Bets
This could apply to either a moneyline bet or a point spread bet but is applicable only to points or the score in the first half or second half of the game you’re betting.
Totals (Over/Under)
A totals bet is a wager on how many points will be scored in a game.
If you think the Ravens and Chiefs will combine to score at least 47 points, you might wager on over 46.5.
If the total will be fewer than 47 points, you could take the under 46.5.
Some sportsbooks also offer alternative totals with over/under numbers below and beyond the predetermined total – with varying odds.
Additionally, you may place an over/under wager on the total points scored in a half or quarter, just as you can place straight bets and point spreads.
Parlays
Parlay bets are combinations of two or more outcomes in a single wager.
They are useful bets at getting better odds on favorites winning.
The more outcomes you have in a parlay, the more your risk increases, though, as a parlay only wins when every selection hits.
Your overall profit increases because the prizes from each accurate selection, or “leg,” carry over to the following pick.
Single Game Parlays & Same Game Parlays (SGPs)
As the name implies, this bet allows players to add multiple outcomes from the same game.
For example, you could bet on player props combined with a points spread or a moneyline bet on the same game.
The odds will be longer because it is harder to combine multiple outcomes in a single wager.
Prop Bets
Prop bets are any wagers that aren’t tied to the final outcome of a game.
There are two types of prop bets: game props and player props. The latter is one of the most popular, especially SGPs.
In prop wagers, a bettor may put his/her money on an individual like Lamar Jackson to surpass a given rushing yards or passing yards number against the Chiefs.
If Jackson passes for 230 yards, and his passing prop line is 222.5 yards, over bettors will hit.
Under bettors will only hit if he had 222 yards or fewer.
There are game props, too, like for a specific team scoring over or under a predetermined total number of points or for that team to produce over or under touchdowns in a game.
Live Betting
Live betting begins as soon as the game starts and is a unique element to online betting.
Online sportsbooks update the odds on markets, including the moneyline, over/under, point spread, alternate lines, and props, to reflect the game flow based on the market’s starting position.
Sometimes, you place more bets on these markets until the end of regulation time or overtime.
Futures
A futures wager is made before the start of the football season and continues throughout. In this type of bet, you’re betting on which team will win the championship, division, or conference.
You can also bet on season-long player awards like the NFL MVP or college football’s Heisman Trophy.
As sportsbooks continue to pop up throughout the country, there are more options than ever, with a wide array of varying prices.
Tips for Betting on Football
When betting on football, there are several factors to consider.
As with anything, you’re putting your hard-earned funds on what you think will hit, which is a tricky proposition. Even the best-prepared bettors sometimes lose when wagering on football, though the more homework you do, the more likely you are to succeed.
Here are some useful tips:
I’m a hardcore Pittsburgh Steelers fan, which makes me biased toward the team I want to win the game.
Seeing your favorite football team go undefeated and leave the other teams in the dust would be the best way to end any year.
This is seldom the case, though, making it a not-so-smart idea to start football betting only to count on your favorite team to bring in some additional cash.
Don’t get us wrong. There’s nothing improper about placing a wager on your preferred team. After all, betting on football for real money is a pleasant aspect. We simply advise that you don’t place all your bets on them in the hopes of getting a big return.
As much as we would like to, it’s just not possible to bet perfectly on every football game of the season.
The results of a game depend on an array of varying circumstances, including:
- Player injuries.
- Unfavorable weather conditions.
- Referee performance, and more.
Keeping up with these developments is the best strategy.
In the days and hours leading up to the game, you can read football news and local blogs, check the forecast, and follow team beat writers on X (formerly Twitter).
There is no better strategy than opening multiple accounts with various football-betting sportsbooks to have the best odds for your wagers.
Odds can vary slightly from one sportsbook to another, and every small edge makes a difference.
There are multiple benefits to opening several real money betting accounts, including:
- The capacity to locate the greatest payouts.
- Overall access to a larger selection of bet types.
- More opportunities to try different bets.
Keeping an eye on your budget will be crucial if you want to use this strategy.
Now that you have all the best football betting tips and are ready to start playing for real, having your budget set and managing your bankroll is more critical than ever.
It can make a big difference if you keep track of all your bets, noting how they finish so that you can adjust based on your track records on the fly.
With that in mind, when you deposit into your sportsbook of choice, ensure it’s an amount you can afford to lose.
Despite many calling for “monster” bets that are bigger than their normal-sized bet, it’s a good idea to make each bet a similar size.
Try to ignore the social media sports bettors who promote betting out of control. They often don’t even gamble themselves, and following blindly is a very risky strategy.
As with anything, when investing your time and money, it’s wise to have a plan.
You should have a motive for placing your bets, as there is a risk of losing real money.
Additionally, you’re not required to wager on football games simply because they’re on TV. Pick your spots with patience, and act only when you see value.
Difference Between College Football & NFL
There are numerous differences between the NFL and college football.
These differences also impact how one bets on football games. The key differences can be divided into three categories: pure league size, scoring, and information accessibility:
How to Bet on Football Online
In this guide, we’ll use BetOnline as an example, but players can place their bets at many other sportsbooks:
Sign up for an account
On the homepage, you will see a variety of welcome bonuses.
- To register, tap ‘Join‘ at the bottom of the page.
- Enter your email, preferred username, and password, then select ‘Create Account.’
- Accept the website’s rules and fill out the form.
Add funds to your account
- Head to the cashier and choose to make a deposit. You can also claim the welcome bonus at this time.
- Choose a payment method.
- Enter the promo code.
- Nominate your deposit amount and follow any prompts to complete the transaction.
Select your wager and amount
With money in your account, plus potentially some bonus funds, it’s time to go and find your first football bet.
- Navigate to the NCAAF or NFL tabs at the top of the page.
- Pick the game and bet type you wish to wager on.
Place bet
- With your bet placed in the bet slip, choose your amount to risk and lock in the wager.
- When you enter a value in the ‘Risk‘ box, the ‘To Win‘ box will populate based on the set odds. Similarly, if you enter a value in the ‘To Win‘ box, the ‘Risk’ box will automatically populate.
- Once you are set and ready, hit the green button at the bottom of the bet slip, and your bet will be on.
Note that similar steps can be taken on other platforms with minor alterations.
Types of Football Leagues
Now that you have some football betting strategies and tips on how to win a football bet, it’s time to get in on the action. And it’s not just the NFL that you can get involved with.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the leagues where you can apply your betting strategy.
National Football League (NFL)
Nothing compares to the volume of football bets the NFL receives each year. Featuring 32 teams with the best football talent in the world, the NFL begins its training camp in July, which is followed immediately by three preseason games.
The regular season kicks off right after Labor Day, running through the first week of January. From there, the postseason culminates with the Super Bowl on the second Sunday of February.
College Football
College football is the second most popular sport in the U.S., and its betting markets, due to their size, might generate even more activity.
There are 130-plus teams at the FBS level and nearly as many in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), which used to be known as 1-AA. This means there are hundreds of games at your disposal each week.
Plus, college football betting has exploded in recent years, particularly with the legalization of sports betting in many US states.
Canadian Football League (CFL)
As the name implies, the CFL is Canada’s professional football league. It typically comprises top Canadian and some of the best American players, a notch below the NFL.
It is worth noting that each CFL team can only feature a limited number of American players since the league focuses on developing its own homegrown talent.
As of March 2025, the CFL comprises just nine teams, four in its East Division and five in its West. Featuring a 21-week regular season, the schedule typically runs from early June to the Grey Cup in November.
UFL
The XFL and USFL merged in 2023 and began play as the UFL in spring 2024. The league is designed to help young and fledgling players gain more experience, helping them make NFL rosters when training camps start.
The UFL season runs from the week after the Super Bowl through mid-June, with the inaugural UFL Championship Game being held on June 16, 2024, in St. Louis.
The Bottom Line
Football betting offers many opportunities, but success requires a wise betting strategy, knowledge, and discipline. By understanding different bet types and how to manage your bankroll, you can make smarter decisions and improve your chances of winning. Bet responsibly by setting limits and avoiding emotional choices.
