How We Review the Best NFL Betting Sites

We scoured the web for the top NFL betting sites to help you have a safe, enjoyable, trustworthy experience placing bets on the Seattle Seahawks or Philadelphia Eagles. Our seasoned team members closely reviewed the following criteria for dozens of NFL betting sites, allowing us to narrow the countless options across the web to the reliable, top-quality selections on our list.

License

Online sports betting platforms must obtain a license from a legitimate governing body to operate legally. As a result, we ensured that every platform we considered for our list had a valid casino license as a bare minimum requirement. Anything less than that wouldn’t even be worth our time — or yours.

Many offshore sportsbooks obtain licensure through the island of Curaçao, as these licenses are relatively inexpensive. Finding that an online sportsbook has a license through the Curaçao Gaming Control Board generally means you can trust its business practices.

If you decide to pursue an online gambling platform outside our list, check its license status before creating an account.

Payment Methods

Not all online NFL betting sites accept the same payment methods. We included betting platforms with a variety of payment methods to ensure that they are accessible to the majority of our readers.

NFL betting platforms generally accept cryptocurrency as a payment method. Most take the basics, like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether, while some accept more obscure coins like the Wall Street Memes coin or Binance.

If you’re not interested in depositing with crypto, look for a site that accepts traditional payment methods like credit cards, debit cards, and bank transfers. Some even accept PayPal and other eWallets.

Bonuses

The best NFL betting sites offer generous welcome bonuses and other promotions that stretch your initial deposit further. We looked for sites with excellent match bonuses for new users, meaning they’ll match your deposit by a certain percentage up to a certain limit. For example, a platform might offer a 200% match on your first deposit up to $1,000, significantly increasing your funds and enabling you to place more bets essentially for free.

A high-quality NFL betting site shouldn’t only offer bonuses for new users, however. We also chose sites with ongoing promotions and deposit bonuses anyone can take advantage of. These help you make the most of your deposit money as long as you’re a user.

Customer Support

One downside of online NFL betting compared to retail sports betting locations is that it can feel a bit impersonal. Attentive customer support makes up for that.

The NFL betting platforms on our list have customer support professionals available practically around the clock. Many of these sites have online chat features that let you receive near-instant answers to your questions. You can also speak with a support agent over the phone for real-time assistance.

Security

When you place a parlay bet or bet on the moneyline for your favorite NFL team, you shouldn’t have to worry that your sports betting platform will steal your money — or your identity. Online betting scams abound, so we did our due diligence to find betting platforms that are extremely secure and trustworthy.

These betting sites use multiple methods to safeguard your experience, from encrypting data to verifying users’ identities before allowing them to join. If you want an even more trustworthy NFL betting experience, consider using crypto instead of traditional payment methods, as all such transactions use blockchain technology to ward off outside attacks.

Top Bonuses at NFL Betting Sites and Betting Promos

The top NFL betting sites offer high-value bonuses and promotions that let you place more bets and potentially help you win more money. Here are some of the most popular bonuses you’ll find on NFL betting platforms and what they mean for your sports betting experience.

Bonus bet NFL betting promos: Bonus bets essentially give you extra money to place more bets. For instance, you may see a promo like “Bet $5, Get $200.” If your first $5 bet wins, the platform will give you $200 in bonus bets.
NFL bet credit offers: Bet credits are additional funds credited to your NFL sports betting account. You’ll need to specify that you want to use your bet credits when placing a bet. Any winnings will be returned to you as cash; if you lose, you won’t forfeit any money.
Deposit match bonuses: Many online sports betting platforms offer to match your initial deposit by a certain percentage, such as 100% or 200%. You often need to meet wagering requirements before you receive this deposit match. For example, you may need to wager the deposit amount 20 times before triggering the bonus.
No-deposit bonuses: While rare, some NFL betting sites offer no-deposit bonuses to new users. This is free money you can use to place bets without needing to make any deposits.
NFL odds boost bonuses: An odds boost promotion increases betting odds for a prop or game bet on specific wagering opportunities. The sportsbook gives up some of its vig or house edge to move the NFL odds in the bettor’s favor. When you see these promotions, consider taking advantage of them if you think the bet makes sense, as they could increase your payout.
NFL Super Bowl bonus: Sportsbooks often offer special promotions and bonuses during the Super Bowl. During these times, it may be wise to shop around for the best promotions and consider placing a bet through a platform you haven’t previously used.
First bet insurance: Some NFL betting sites offer a safety net up to a certain limit (e.g., $1,000) on your first bet. If your initial wager loses, you’ll receive that money back.

Popular Payment Methods at the Best NFL Betting Sites

How do you want to fund your NFL sports betting account? The best sports betting sites typically accept all of the most popular payment methods:

Cryptocurrencies: Crypto transactions offer a layer of anonymity and security that traditional payment methods can’t touch. NFL betting sites usually accept Bitcoin, Tether, and Ethereum, while some accept dozens of other tokens. Depositing with crypto often qualifies you for better bonuses.
eWallets: Some platforms accept payments through digital wallets like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal. Many bettors feel more comfortable making transactions through these secure platforms than adding their bank account number to an NFL betting site.
Traditional methods: If you prefer to make deposits the old-fashioned way, you’ll find plenty of NFL betting sitesthat accept debit and credit cards, wire transfers, and cashier’s checks.

How To Bet on the NFL

Are you new to NFL betting markets? Terms like “parlays” and “moneyline” may initially overwhelm you. In reality, these concepts are pretty easy to understand, even for brand-new sports bettors. Let’s break down how to bet on the NFL with some of the most popular bets you can make.

NFL Moneyline Betting

Moneyline betting is one of the most straightforward ways to bet on the NFL. When betting on a moneyline, you’re wagering on a team to win the game.

Sportsbooks indicate the favored team with “-” odds and the underdog with “+” odds. This helps inform your moneyline bet and affects how much you serve to gain if your chosen team wins.

For example, let’s say the Cincinnati Bengals are playing the Cleveland Browns. The Bengals have -170 odds, while the Browns have +150 odds. This tells you a few things:

The Bengals are expected to win.
If you bet on the Bengals and they win, you’d have to risk $170 to win $100 on top of your bet.
If you bet on the Browns and they win, you’d have to bet $100 to win $150.

Once you understand the basics, moneyline betting is easy and doesn’t require much NFL expertise. The most important step is finding a sportsbook with the best NFL odds so you can potentially maximize your payout should your chosen team win.

NFL Spread Betting

Spread betting accounts for the expected difference in points between two teams in an NFL game. When you “bet against the spread,” you bet your chosen team to win or lose by more than the number of points indicated on the NFL odds slip. This gives teams an artificial handicap to attempt to even out the matchup.

For example, let’s say the Arizona Cardinals are facing the Seattle Seahawks in a game with a 4.5-point spread in favor of the Cardinals. Betting against the spread means you expect the Cardinals to win by at least five points or the Seahawks to lose by less than four points, depending on how you make your bet.

Spread betting typically features 0.5 NFL odds to prevent the bet from ending in a tie. Since teams can’t score half a point in the NFL, one of these outcomes will almost always turn out to be true. Most NFL betting sites will return your initial bet in the rare event of a tie.

NFL Over/Under Betting (Points Total)

If you’d rather not choose a specific team to win or lose an NFL game, consider over/under betting. In this case, you’d bet on the combined number of points scored by both teams. This type of betting is also called “NFL totals.”

Let’s say the NFL odds makers set the total for a game between the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos at 46.5 points.

Betting “over” means you expect the total combined score to be 47 or higher.
Betting “under” means you expect the total combined score to be 46 or lower.

Let’s say the Bills end up scoring 13 and the Broncos 17, totaling 30 points. In this instance, an “under” bet would win.

When placing an over/under bet on NFL betting sites, you’ll see the betting odds indicated with + and - signs depending on whether NFL odds makers predict the total score will be over or under. Imagine odds of -120 OV and +100 UN in this bet.

If you bet “under,” you’d turn a $100 profit, assuming you bet $100 per game. If you’d bet “over,” you’d lose your entire bet.

Strategic over/under betting benefits from knowledge of how various factors impact the number of points teams score in an NFL game. Is the weather favorable? Do the teams have running-based offenses? How many points have both teams scored in previous games this season? All of these questions should inform your bet.

NFL Parlay Bet

Parlay bets combine multiple bets into a single ticket. You’re not just betting on one team to win or beat the point spread. Instead, you’re betting on multiple teams or players to achieve targeted outcomes, making these bets harder to hit — and more profitable when you do.

Let’s say you make a parlay bet on two NFL moneylines. You bet the Miami Dolphins to beat the New York Jets at +150 odds and the Pittsburgh Steelers to beat the Las Vegas Raiders at -130 odds. Both of these events would have to come true for your bet to win.

NFL Props

Proposition or “prop” bets don’t depend on who wins the NFL game; instead, they bet on other small details, like receiving yards, passing yards, or first touchdowns. Some online NFL betting sites even offer prop bets on details like the color of the Gatorade a team drinks or who will win the coin toss.

These casual bets are fun additions to your bet sheet but often rely purely on chance.

NFL Betting Tips and Strategies

No bets are guaranteed to win — that’s why they call it gambling. But you can increase your chances of placing a winning bet by implementing a few American football betting tips and strategies:

Prioritize quality of bets over quantity: Don’t head into an NFL betting site with the intention of placing a certain number of bets. Instead, look for your best bets and prioritize those. Some weeks, that may mean placing 10 bets; others, one or two. Only bet on outcomes you feel confident in, and avoid getting caught up in the thrill of making new bets for the mere sake of it.
Shop around for NFL betting sites: Each NFL betting platform has its own set of odds makers, so it doesn’t hurt to shop around and find the best odds. For example, if you feel really confident in the Indianapolis Colts, look for a platform that gives higher odds to the Colts. This would increase your payout should you place a winning bet.
Bet early when possible: The closer to the game you wait to place your bet, the more information the NFL oddsmakers will have, meaning the more accurate the pricing will be. Place your odds early in the week to potentially get the best deal.
Correlate parlays: Parlays are inherently riskier than single bets, but when you do make parlays, you can strategically correlate them to improve your chances. For example, maybe you create a parlay with a spread bet and an over/under bet. You predict that the spread will be less than five points and the total will be over 30. Theoretically, if a game has a lower point spread, the teams are more evenly matched, which could indicate a greater point total overall. Of course, no outcomes are guaranteed, but thinking about parlays this way could improve your chances of winning.

NFL Betting Systems

You could also try following pre-established NFL betting systems to potentially boost your chances. Some NFL bettors swear by the following strategies, but they can be hit or miss:

Bet on underdogs after a significant loss: Underdogs are often in a position to come back strong after a serious hit.
Follow the 411 System: Allen Eastman’s 411 System assigns point values to different components and compares teams based on those weekly ratings. If you don’t want to do any research yourself, you could follow this system, but your results may vary.
Bet on underdogs when the predicted total is low: When the predicted total score is 42 or less, betting on the underdog could leave you with a win, according to historical data.

Major NFL Events To Bet On

NFL rules, betting odds, and prop bets change depending on what NFL event you’re betting on. Here are the major NFL events to be aware of as you place bets on the best NFL betting sites.

NFL Regular Season

In the regular season, the NFL consists of teams within the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference has 16 teams divided into north, south, east, and west.

Teams compete within their conference during the regular season to determine which team is best in each conference. Then, those two teams play head-to-head in the Super Bowl.

During the regular season, pay attention to how teams perform at home vs. away and note the weeks they aren’t scheduled to play. These factors can shape your betting strategy.

NFL Playoffs

The NFL playoffs are one of the most popular times to bet on NFL games. This single-elimination tournament consists of four rounds to determine the champion of each league.

During the playoffs, pay attention to how teams do as a whole and how individual players perform. Also, view historical data of how teams and players performed in the same matchups from years past.

NCAA Football

If you like betting on football, you’ll also want to bet on NCAA games, which is the highest division of college football in the U.S. The Football Bowl Division consists of 10 conferences and 134 schools.

Pro Bowl

The AFC-NFC Pro Bowl is an all-star game featuring the star players from each NFL league. It takes place a week before the Super Bowl and offers a fun opportunity to bet on your favorite players in a unique setting.

Super Bowl

Of course, the Super Bowl is the most exciting game in each NFL season. You can place a lot of specialized bets on many of the best NFL betting sites during the Super Bowl, such as who will score the first touchdown, the total number of points in the game, and which players will score the most points.

While team loyalty is strong during the Super Bowl, aim to bet on the team with the best chance of winning, not your favorite.

U.S. States Where You Can Legally Bet on the NFL

Is NFL betting legal online or in person in your state? Find out below.

	Is Online NFL Betting Legal?	Is Retail Sports Betting Legal?	Betting Age
Alabama	No	No	-
Alaska	No	No	-
Arizona	Yes	Yes	21
Arkansas	Yes	Yes	21
California	No	No	-
Colorado	Yes	Yes	21
Connecticut	Yes	Yes	21
Delaware	No	Yes	21
Florida	Yes	Yes	21
Georgia	No	No	-
Hawaii	No	No	-
Idaho	No	No	-
Illinois	Yes	Yes	21
Indiana	Yes	Yes	21
Iowa	Yes	Yes	21
Kansas	Yes	Yes	21
Kentucky	Yes	Yes	18
Louisiana	Yes	Yes	21
Maine	Yes	Coming Soon	21
Maryland	Yes	Yes	21
Massachusetts	Yes	Yes	21
Michigan	Yes	Yes	21
Minnesota	No	No	-
Mississippi	No	Yes	21
Missouri	No	No	-
Montana	No	Yes	18
Nebraska	No	Yes	21
Nevada	Yes	Yes	21
New Hampshire	Yes	Yes	18
New Jersey	Yes	Yes	21
New Mexico	No	Yes	21
New York	Yes	Yes	21
North Carolina	Yes	Yes	21
North Dakota	No	Yes	21
Ohio	Yes	Yes	21
Oklahoma	No	No	-
Oregon	Yes	Yes	21
Pennsylvania	Yes	Yes	21
Rhode Island	Yes	Yes	18
South Carolina	No	No	-
South Dakota	No	Yes	21
Tennessee	Yes	No	21
Texas	No	No	-
Utah	No	No	-
Vermont	Yes	No	21
Virginia	Yes	Yes	21
Washington	Yes	Yes	21
Washington, D.C.	Yes	Yes	18
West Virginia	Yes	Yes	21
Wisconsin	Yes	Yes	21
Wyoming	Yes	No	18

NFL Gambling Policy

The NFL has strict policies about whether players, refs, and other league personnel can bet on game outcomes. NFL players are prohibited from betting on any NFL games, but they can bet on other sports if desired. Meanwhile, other league personnel can’t bet on any sports as a precaution. Refs are also prohibited from betting on games. These policies are in place to prevent NFL personnel from rigging outcomes.

History of Betting on the NFL

People have been betting on the NFL for almost 100 years, since the 1930s. During this time, gambling had just become legal in Nevada, but sports betting hadn’t yet been legalized. Still, illegal sports gambling was common across the U.S., with moneyline wagers being the most popular.

The first Super Bowl in 1967 led to an explosion in NFL betting as more Americans learned about the concept. States began legalizing sports betting in select casinos.

But then, in 1992, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) banned sports betting on anything other than horse racing and dog racing, with few exceptions. Today, several states are still working on legalizing NFL betting markets.

Final Thoughts

The best NFL betting sites make betting on the moneyline or against the spread a piece of cake. They also give you great bonuses, ensuring a safe and trustworthy user experience.

Ready to start betting? Sign up for one of the best online NFL betting sites to see what all the hype is about.