The National Football League is back in action and we don’t want you to miss a second of it. That’s why we’ve crafted this in-depth football betting guide so you can learn how to bet on NFL games this season.
We cover all the bases when it comes to learning how to bet on football for beginners, such as how to read NFL betting odds, how to understand betting trends plus understanding winning strategies. Don’t wait! Do up your chin strap and get ready to hit paydirt on your next bet with our easy-to-understand guide that has all-things-NFL-betting explained.
At a Glance: How to Bet on NFL Games in Canada
There’s no shortage of amazing betting options to wager on during the NFL season, so here’s some football betting basics to help you bet on NFL games:
- Signup with an NFL Sportsbook. Sign up with one of the top NFL betting sites available in your region. Be sure to check which is the best fit for your betting needs such as odds value, features, customer support, and banking options.
- Understand NFL betting markets. From a straight bet to a future, each of the markets attached to the latest NFL betting lines hold their own unique winning criteria.
- Learn how to read betting odds. Understand who the favourite is vs the underdog so that you can make informed wagers.
- Research betting trends and injury reports. Stay up-to-date on factors that can affect your bets.
- Learn betting strategies. Find out which strategies are right for you and bet for success!
Matt’s Take: NFL Betting Tips
As an avid NFL bettor myself, I can’t stress enough the importance of keeping your betting habits fun. In the world of sports betting, only a select few ever walkaway profitable and while we provide sensational expert picks weekly, a win is never guaranteed.
Previously published in Sports Betting Dime, The Hockey Writers, Prospects by Sports Illustrated, and FanSided, Matt has expert knowledge of all major North American sports as well as the best ways to bet on them.
In order to keep your NFL betting experience positive, make sure to bet on the NFL in whatever manner works best for you. Don’t overcomplicate things or wager on markets you don’t fully understand as this is going to cause nothing but unnecessary headaches and stress.
If you keep track of your betting habits, hone in on select betting markets that you feel comfortable wagering on, and place bets on the NFL with the purpose of entertainment rather than profit, than you are sure to have a positive experience while placing bets on this year’s NFL season.
NFL Bets Explained
The NFL is easy to bet on when it comes to basic betting options, but it can become more complex as you expand your sports betting repertoire. Don’t worry! We explain the most common types of NFL bets below.
NFL Moneyline Explained
The moneyline is the easiest NFL betting market to get involved in and it never goes out of style. You simply pick who you think will win the game! A moneyline makes NFL betting a breeze and it’s great for both single-game wagers as well as through a parlay bet.
Football Moneyline Example
Let’s say that the Kansas City Chiefs are slated to take on the New York Giants in this week’s NFL schedule. In this case the Chiefs are listed as -200 favourites, while the Giants are +180 underdogs.
In sports betting, this odds display is called “American odds”. These odds represent how much is needed to be wagered on a favourite in order for you to win $100, or how much you would profit by betting $100 on an underdog.
For example, if you were to wager $200 on the Chiefs moneyline odds, you would win a total of $300, with $100 being a profit, and $200 being your original stake returned. Inversely, if you wanted to back the underdog G-Men to win the game, a $100 wager would score you a $280 payday, with $180 as profit and the rest being your original stake.
In this betting market you’ll need to develop an NFL moneyline betting strategy by understanding both teams strengths and weaknesses, as well as how they matchup based on their team personnel.
NFL Point Spread
The point spread is a figure set by oddsmakers to determine the number of points a team is favoured to win by. By that definition, it’s also applied to the underdog in that the “spread” is how much experts think they’ll lose by.
Point spread bets exist as the great equalizer to the favourite/underdog conundrum. Betting on a favourite is obvious, but yields little in the form of payout. Betting on an underdog may have a great potential return, but is rarely successful. Point spread betting provides us football fans an intriguing alternative to straight moneyline wagers.
Football Point Spread Example
Reading a point spread in the NFL and gaining insight from spread movements throughout the week is much easier than you might imagine. For example, say you’re considering placing a bet on a matchup between the Green Bay Packers VS Philadelphia Eagles.
You go to your favourite sportsbook and see that the spread currently sits at +2.5 for the Cheese Heads and -2.5 for Eagles. The minus symbol denotes that the Eagles are the favourites, meaning they would need to win by three points or more in order to “cover” the spread. If the Packers are to successfully cover the point spread, they would need to win outright, or lose within two points.
Finally you may be asking yourself “why the half point“? There aren’t half points in football, so the half point in spreads is designed to avoid what’s called a “push” whenever possible. Let’s say the line settles at 3, if The Eagles wins by exactly 3 or the Packers lose by exactly 3, a PUSH would occur and your original point spread wager would be refunded.
NFL Point Totals Explained
Instead of focusing on the winners and losers of your NFL bets, with NFL point totals, you can put your focus on how many touchdowns, field goals and other scoring plays will occur during a game.
For NFL point totals, you’ll need to wager on either the final score to be Over or Under the projected lines set by oddsmakers. This betting market can be extremely beneficial when two high-scoring or low-scoring teams face off against each other, as you can safely assume the final outcome will go one way or another.
If you don’t have a great feeling on who will be the winner of a game but still want to wager on the matchup, NFL over/under betting can be a terrific option for you.
Football Totals Example
Let’s say that the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams are set to square off and the point total is listed at 50.5 total points. This means that in order for the Over to hit, both teams would need to combine for 51 total points or greater. For the Under to hit, only 50 points or less can be scored.
For example, if the Lions win the game 30-24, the Over would be the winning wager for this bet as the final combined score would be 54 total points.
NFL Props Explained
Allowing bettors to wager on the specific events of any game, prop bets (short for proposition bets) are a thrilling experience. Prop bets can encompass a wide variety of milestones or events from within a matchup both in terms of the game or for players.
Popular game props include: which team will score first, race to X amount of points, and whether the game will go to overtime.
Player prop bets have exploded in popularity in recent years, allowing you to hone in on all your favourite NFL stars. Bettors can wager on players to score a touchdown, or bet an over/under wager on their passing, rushing, or receiving yard totals within their next matchup.
Football Prop Bets Example
A great example of one of the best NFL prop bets is a race to X points. This game prop allows you to wager on which team within a game will reach a target score first. Bettors can also fade either side of this matchup by picking neither team to reach a certain point total in this prop bet.
When looking at player prop bets, anytime touchdown scorers are one of the best ways to bet on all NFL games. Simply bet on a player who you think will find their way into the end zone, and if they hit paydirt at any point of the game, you would win your wager.
NFL Live Betting Explained
Live betting has never been easier thanks to the top NFL betting sites and their in-game live betting libraries.
NFL live betting grants you the ability to place bets on any NFL game as it’s unfolding, allowing bettors to capitalize on a swing in momentum in real-time. From game lines to prop bets, you can watch as the odds & lines shift as the game progresses, waiting to strike once you find a juicy wager to take advantage of.
Live betting can is an extremely useful market for sharp bettors, as it allows you to find opportune moments to strike, netting you increased potential payouts when compared to pre-match odds.
Football Live Bets Example
Generally, live betting odds will come in the form of game lines such as moneyline odds, point spreads, or point totals.
For example, let’s say the New York Jets are -120 favourites against the +100 underdog Cincinnati Bengals pre-game. Once the game kickoff, the Bengals get out to a hot start and put up two unanswered touchdowns bringing the score to 14-0 Cincinnati.
This will then shift the odds as the Bengals now appear poised to pull off the upset. In this scenario the Bengals may hold odds around -220, while the Jets are now considerable underdogs at +200.
Bettors can now either back the Bengals who have established a lead for safer odds, or can bet on the previously favoured Jets to rally back, scoring them a plus-money win if they are successful.
NFL Parlays Explained
NFL parlays can provide you with the best bang for your buck of any NFL bet type. Parlays are usually a favourite among casual sports bettors.
NFL parlays allow bettors to combine multiple bets into a single bet slip for increased odds with each added bet selection which can result in massive potential payouts.
While bettors receive increased odds for every wager added to their parlay, they have no room for error in this betting market. In order to win your parlay bet, each pick included must hit; if even a single selection comes up short, the entire parlay results in a loss.
NFL parlays can be done in two ways, traditional multi-game parlays or through a same game parlay.
Football Parlay Bets Example
A great example of a multi-game parlay is by adding several NFL moneylines into a single bet slip. For instance, if you took the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, and Seattle Seahawks all to win their next game, you’d receive accumulated total odds based on all three teams implied winning probability.
If all three teams win their games, you’d win your parlay. If any of the three teams lose, so would your parlay.
Same game parlays work in the same vain, but instead focus on a single matchup. Making use of prop bets are crucial to crafting a juicy single-game parlay when it comes to NFL betting.
For example, if the Arizona Cardinals are playing the Philadelphia Eagles, you could bet the Eagles moneyline, Jalen Hurts as an anytime touchdown scorer, and Under 48.5 points as your same game parlay. If all three of these selections occur, you’ll win your wager, if any of them don’t, you lose.
NFL Futures Bets
Whether you utilize a magic 8-ball or rely on the inside of fortune cookies, the future can be hard to predict. But with NFL futures bets NFL bettors can get paid for calling their shot well in advance of a major milestone event during the season.
NFL futures allow bettors to wager on Super Bowl odds, division winners, NFL Awards, and other player milestones. You can score a massive payday if you can place your NFL futures bet well in advance.
Football Future Example
An easy way to get started with one of the best NFL futures bet is by wagering on the winner of the upcoming Super Bowl. For example, if you think that the Green Bay Packers are going to win Super Bowl 2025, you could place a future bet on the Packers to win the Super Bowl. If the Packers are successful, you would be paid out as a winner on your NFL future bet.
Depending on their record at the time your bets placed, the talent of the current squad, and the strength of their upcoming schedule, the odds will vary greatly from team-to-team.
Try your best to strike while the iron is hot with your NFL futures bets by swooping in when there is still plenty of value to redeem from the latest NFL odds and lines.
NFL Betting Tips & Strategies
In order to be effective in your betting journey, you’ll need to learn how to use some of the most popular NFL betting strategies. Below we provide several NFL betting tips that will help you understand how to bet on football games, as well as find reliable NFL betting trends to use to help develop your next bet.
Analyze Team Performance
Analyzing a team’s recent performances can help you decide where you want to lean heading into a matchup. This betting strategy is used by both casual bettors, as well as experienced handicappers.
Things to look for when analyzing team performance is their total win/loss ratio, home and away records, as well as their current winning/losing streak. By seeing how hot or cold a particular team is as they head into their next game, this can be an easy way to gain valuable insight that can influence your NFL betting strategy.
Not only should you analyze a team’s performance when it comes to wins and losses, but also how they’ve performed based on oddsmakers projections. By seeing how well a team has played against the spread, as well as their over/under percentages, or record as a favourite/underdog, this can be a great way to use betting lines to help decide where you want to lean.
Explore Prop Betting Opportunities
Exploring prop betting opportunities for NFL games can be an effective way to build up your bankroll. Finding trends within certain players recent statistical performances can help you find advantageous lines to make use of.
For example, if 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has rushed for Over 100 yards in his last four games and his total rushing yard line is set at 88.5, you can safely assume that CMC will eclipse this mark again.
However, be sure to check out trends on both sides of any prop bet before putting your money down. Using the same example as found above, if the 49ers are playing the Cleveland Browns who haven’t allowed a single rusher to break 85 rushing yards so far this season, there may be reason to doubt that McCaffrey will have his usual production.
Doing your homework is key to your success when it comes to placing prop bets, do your due diligence, and find the reliable trends to capitalize on this NFL season.
Pay Attention to Injuries and Roster Changes
Crucial to the success of any of your bets placed, staying in the know when it comes to injuries and roster changes on a team can make or break your next wager.
If a team’s top player is out due to injury, that can not only change the outcome of the game, but also dramatically shift the odds & lines around the matchup. If a player is listed as questionable, it’s best to err on the side of caution and wait until concrete evidence has been released on whether they will be suiting up for action or not.
Additionally, trades can be a major part of any NFL team’s season and can make a major impact on their winning ability down the line. Remaining knowledgeable on who is playing where will serve you well when formulating how you think an NFL game may play out.
Fading the Public
A betting strategy fit for a pessimist, fading the public is when you bet against the popular side of any matchup.
For example, if you check out the latest public betting trends and see that 75% of bettors are taking the Houston Texans to cover the 9.5-point spread against the Carolina Panthers, you could fade the public and back the Panthers to cover in response.
This betting strategy can prove useful as when it comes down to it. If the majority of bettors were going to be right with their picks, we’d all be rich. Since this unfortunately isn’t the case, fading the public can at times be a useful betting strategy when crafting your upcoming NFL bet slip.
Implement Effective Bankroll Management
Managing your bankroll is extremely important when betting on the NFL. Your bankroll is the amount of money you have set aside to gamble with. It is crucial to your safety that you stay within your allotted bankroll and are tracking your spending habits to know how much you are winning and losing within your NFL bets.
By managing your bankroll effectively, this can keep you from overspending, losing track of losses, as well as help you breakdown how much you can safely wager on your next bet.
Buy the Hook
Buying the hook can be a useful betting strategy when placing a wager on point spreads. The “hook” in sports betting is the .5 used within most spread bets. By buying the hook, you are dropping the spread to give yourself some wiggle room in the form of a PUSH.
For example, if the Kansas City Chiefs are priced as -7.5 favourites in their upcoming game, you could buy the hook, bringing the total to -7 instead. This means that while a win by eight or more points still notches you a win, you wouldn’t lose your wager if they only won by seven.
By buying the hook you are giving up some of the value attached to your bet, but it could potentially be worth it as it provides you with some insurance to your wager.
Monitor Betting Lines
Oddsmakers are constantly adjusting betting lines ahead of any matchup. Betting lines can shift based on a number of factors such as a heavy influx of bets placed on one side of a game, injuries and other roster changes, or even the weather forecast for a clash.
By monitoring betting lines and comparing the latest odds to what they originally opened at, you can see which side of the matchup as grown or shrunk in favourability and use this to influence how you want to bet.
Choose a Secure and Reputable Sportsbook
Last but not least, it’s imperative to your NFL betting experience that you choose a secure and reputable sportsbook. While the sports betting scene continues to grow every day, there are still some shady oddsmakers out there that aren’t safe to bet with.
We’ve vetted and reviewed each of the best NFL betting sites in Canada so you can easily find a reliable sportsbook to take your action to. Check out our reviews of the top legal sportsbooks today, sign up using our direct links, and place your first NFL bets today.
Wrapping Up: How to Bet On Football
Now that you understand how to bet on football, it’s time to put your new knowledge into action.
So many factors can go into determining the final score of a football game, but that’s what makes football betting so darn interesting. You can listen to 100 experts (this author included) and still never know for sure. The fun is in the analyzing, in trying to demystify the unpredictable world of the game.
Point Spread betting is particularly compelling when done in numbers. If you’re looking for parlay opportunities on your favourite online sportsbook, you can do far worse than picking a handful of games against the spread or through moneyline odds. Office pools and pools among friend groups are also perfect ways to get into betting. The more games you pick, the more chaos may reign on your chosen results, which makes NFL betting an appealing gamble for football aficionados and casual observers alike.
NFL Betting FAQs
There’s never been a better time to bet on the NFL in Canada. Simply check out the top NFL betting sites, find the sportsbook that’s right for you, sign up, and place your first bet on football today.
A great starting place for new bettors are game lines such as moneylines, point spreads, and point total wagers. Player prop bets are another exciting betting market that is easy to get involved with.
The NFL is easy to bet on when it comes to the basic betting options available, but can become more complex as you expand your sports betting repertoire. The easiest NFL bets to place on the NFL is a moneyline, which is simply selecting which team you think will win the game.
In a point spread bet, +7 means the amount a team needs to be within in the final score of a matchup. For example, if Team A is a +7 underdog, they would need to finish the game within seven points of the lead or win the game outright in order to cover the spread. If the matchup concludes and Team A loses by exactly seven points, this results in a PUSH, which voids the point spread bet.
