Legal NFL betting is available in roughly three dozen states and counting. In most locales, fans have their choice of NFL betting sites and retail sportsbooks. However, every state has a unique sports betting landscape resulting from a confusing patchwork of laws and availability.

On this page, BettingUSA breaks it down in simple terms so fans in every state can bet on the NFL online or in person safely and legally. In addition, this page lists the best NFL betting sites and mobile betting apps, explains common football betting promotions, and compares NFL betting odds across different sportsbooks.

Best NFL Betting Sites

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DraftKings SportsbookNo Sweat Bet up to $1,000DraftKings Promo Code: Not Needed Get Bonus
FanDuel SportsbookBet $5 Get $150FanDuel Promo Code: Not Needed Get Bonus
BetRivers SportsbookSecond Chance Bet Up To $500BetRivers Bonus Code: BUSA Get Bonus
Caesars Sportsbook$1000 Bonus BetCaesars Sportsbook Promo Code: BUSA1000 Get Bonus
Bet365 SportsbookBet $5 Get $150Bet365 Bonus Code: Not RequiredGet BonusGambling problem? Call 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-GAMBLER (AZ/CO/IN/LA/NC/NJ/OH/VA) 21), (KY) 18+. New Customer Offer Bet $5 and Get $150 in Bonus Bets at bet365. Deposit required. Bonus Bets winnings are added to Bonus Bets balance. Bonus Bet wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.

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Live NFL Betting Odds

States With Legal NFL Betting

The following map provides a brief overview of where NFL betting is legal. In each highlighted state, fans can bet on the NFL online or in person at licensed sportsbooks. Hover or tap on any highlighted state for more information.

States with Legal Sports Betting Placeholder
States with Legal Sports Betting

Map Key

  • Blue: NFL betting online is legal: (apps/mobile/desktop)
  • Green: Land-based sportsbooks only (no online betting sites)
  • Red: NFL betting coming soon; legislation fully passed but waiting for implementation

Readers can visit our state-specific pages for lists of sportsbooks in each state.

For readers in states without legal NFL betting, daily fantasy sports sites serve as the next best alternative. Fantasy football is not quite the same as online sports betting, but the experience is quite similar and acts as a good primer.

Daily fantasy football sites such as FanDuel and DraftKings provide a standard daily fantasy experience, complete with massive prize pools topping out at over $10 million. Fans can also try skill-based NFL DFS sites such as Prize Picks that involve making projections regarding what will happen on the field for an experience similar to NFL wagering.

What To Look For In NFL Betting Apps

Finding the right NFL betting sites begins with understanding which online sportsbooks are legal and where they’re available. After that, it’s a matter of narrowing it down based on a number of secondary factors and your personal desires.

Bet On the NFL With Licensed Online Sportsbooks

The best NFL betting apps provide users with an experience that is safe and fair. These qualities are found in all legal online sportsbooks, which are all held to the highest standards due to strict licensing requirements and regulatory regimes.

Each state regulates sports betting independently from the others and therefore features a unique lineup of NFL betting websites.

Note: Some states grant a single operator a monopoly over sports betting. In those states, finding the best NFL sportsbook is a moot point. However, most states operate as competitive markets with multiple providers competing for customers.

In most states with legal online sports betting, the agency in charge of approving sportsbooks maintains a public list of licensed operators. Bettors can verify any sportsbook’s licensing status in their state to ensure it is legal, regulated, and safe. For example, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) provides a list of legal online sportsbooks. Likewise, Indiana provides a similar list, and Illinois does the same.

NFL bettors can also look for their state regulator’s seal of approval on any online sportsbook’s website for further confirmation. For example, the New Jersey seal of approval looks like this:

njdge logo

The main takeaway is bettors should always confirm any online sportsbook they are dealing with holds a valid license in the USA. Many offshore sportsbooks claim to be legal but operate contrary to US law.

Offshore sportsbooks present significant risks because they are unregulated and operate under questionable security standards. Additionally, customers of offshore sportsbooks have no legal recourse should something go wrong. If such a provider refuses to pay a customer’s winnings, there is little chance the customer will ever recover their money.

Note: BettingUSA.com only recommends licensed online sportsbooks and NFL betting apps. Readers can rest assured that NFL betting sites recommended anywhere on this website are legal, licensed, and well-regulated.

Other Considerations For NFL Betting Apps

The NFL is an immensely popular betting market, forcing even the smallest sportsbooks to offer a highly competitive product. Thus, the gap between elite and merely “decent” legal NFL betting apps is narrower than it is for other sports like soccer.

Yet, while the quality levels run fairly close together, each sportsbook takes a somewhat different approach to its product, and some definitely excel in places where others falter.

In short, there are still enough differences between apps that bettors will want to closely scrutinize their available options before placing NFL wagers.

Here are a few variables to consider:

Depositing Options & Withdrawal Speed

One of the most notable benefits of legal online sportsbooks is that they’re able to offer far more depositing and payout options than offshore books.

At a bare minimum, operators offer bank, eWallet, and cash deposits. Most go a step further and allow bettors to deposit using prepaid debit cards, credit cards, Venmo, and wire transfers.

Legal NFL betting sites are mandated to keep player funds separate from operating accounts and must offer a number of viable withdrawal options. Thus, players can expect swift, reliable payouts. The best of the bunch will now process withdrawal requests from trusted customers instantaneously.

Betting Markets

It’s simply not enough for an NFL betting app to take action on moneylines, spreads, and totals. Most major apps expand their NFL menus each year to include more props, a greater array of futures, and dozens of team specials.

Exotic bets that were once reserved for the Super Bowl are showing up in regular season betting menus, and even preseason markets have expanded. In-play markets are becoming as diverse as their pregame counterparts, with some operators even taking instant bets on the result of each snap.

Finally, some online sportsbooks are more willing than others to post early lines, to the degree that bettors can scour Week 18 point spreads and totals in August. Finding ways to trim the house edge on NFL markets is extremely hard, but having access to early lines makes it that much easier.

Betting Odds

Admittedly, bettors won’t find much variation in NFL betting lines from site to site. This is partially because NFL lines are extremely efficient, but also because bettors have become wise enough to simply avoid sportsbooks that juice up their lines. It doesn’t take long for even the most casual bettor to realize that they shouldn’t be betting into -115/-115 point spreads.

However, disparities still exist, especially in prop, derivative, and futures markets. Also, some sportsbooks are more willing to take positions than others. These books are worth special consideration since they’re not simply copying the same Pinnacle line as everyone else.

Even the most common moneyline and in-play prices vary slightly, with a few books charging up to 1% less vigorish on featured bets. Over the course of an NFL season, those pennies add up.

Promotions, Bonuses & Loyalty Programs

The easiest way for bettors to offset the NFL house edge is to take advantage of promotions and welcome bonuses.

Promotional offers come in many forms like free bets, deposit bonuses, and odds boosts, with some apps even offering a variety of NFL-focused promos. The very best NFL betting apps allow casual bettors to play on a level playing field with the house each NFL Sunday, up to a certain amount wagered.

Bettors can further increase their longevity by investing in sportsbooks that have adapted loyalty programs. A generous, well-conceived rewards structure can cut a player’s expected losses by 30-40%. Sure, some sportsbooks forgo player rewards in favor of better odds, but more often than not, sites that support multi-faceted loyalty programs simply provide better value.

The Best NFL Betting Apps Ranked

With the above considerations in mind, BettingUSA has analyzed every major legal NFL betting app and can firmly recommend the following sites to bettors looking to start their journey.

DraftKings NFL Betting

DraftKings SportsbookNo Sweat Bet up to $1,000DraftKings Promo Code: Not NeededGet Bonus
  • Standout features: Early lines, low moneyline vigorish, extensive betting menu, Dynasty Rewards, sports betting pools

DraftKings Sportsbook is an exemplary model of what an NFL betting app should look like. It takes the crown for providing bettors with a nearly flawless experience.

Whereas most sportsbooks either offer lots of betting markets or competitive odds, DraftKings does both. NFL lines are posted well in advance, with DraftKings accepting spread and moneyline wagers on every single regular season game well before the season starts. Point spreads are listed at standard -110 odds, but the house edge on moneylines is a consistently low 4%.

In addition, DraftKings offers a nearly overwhelming number of futures, ranging from traditional bets on who will win the Super Bowl to extremely funneled-down wagers like how many regular season passing yards Patrick Mahomes will have against the Las Vegas Raiders. It’s not an exaggeration to say there are literally thousands of futures markets on teams, individual players, league leaders, and award winners. Also, the vigorish on these normally highly taxed wagers is significantly lower than industry standards.

Pregame and in-play markets are equally vast, with the number of available bets soaring well into the hundreds, and spanning props, upward of 50 alternative lines and totals, and live bets as granular as the result of the next snap. Most Over/Under props are offered at -110/-110 odds, although the pricing on multiway props is less ideal. Two-team six-point teasers are priced at -120 which is about the best players will find anywhere.

On top of all of this, DK supplements its NFL betting markets with Survivor and Pick’em Pools, with maximum prize pools climbing into the seven-figure range.

DraftKings does an admirable job with its NFL interface, although the sheer number of betting categories may overwhelm new bettors. However, if DK didn’t implement this deep categorical system, the NFL menu would be a complete mess.

DraftKings reserves its best promotions for the NFL season, offering plenty of odds boosts, bet & get’s, and profit boosts. The promos are a little too focused around Same Game Parlays for BettingUSA’s taste, but that’s a minor complaint. In addition, all bettors will be able to reap the benefits of DK’s stellar Dynasty Rewards loyalty program.

BetMGM NFL Betting

BetMGM Sportsbook$1500 Second Chance BetBetMGM Bonus Code: BUSABONUSGet Bonus
  • Standout features: Low vigorish on two-way bets, strong interface, quick parlay tool, MGM Rewards integration

BetMGM Sportsbook is arguably the best NFL betting app for casual bettors, but it also holds appeals to seasoned veterans.

The main betting interface is quite brilliant, as it allows bettors to seamlessly swap between full-game and derivative (1st half, 1st quarters, etc.) displays. In addition, spreads, totals, and props are all neatly categorized, with the entire betting menu accessible via a couple of taps.

Bettors who dig a bit deeper will notice that the pregame and in-play moneyline vigorish is lower than on most other major sportsbooks. It’s not uncommon to find pregame moneylines with a house edge of merely 3.8% or less. That’s simply outstanding.

The futures menu is nearly as expansive as DraftKings’, but much more focused on team accolades and creative over/under bets. Remarkably, over/under futures are priced the same as pregame point spreads, averaging -110 odds on each side. However, the house edge on multi-option futures, like the AFC Championship winner, runs higher than average.

BetMGM has integrated a swatch of new bettor-friendly tools like its “Easy Parlay” builder. This interface is so easily digestible that bettors should be able to string together wagers in seconds.

Although BetMGM offers its fair share of regular promos like parlay boosts and bet insurance, the real prize are its frequent spot bonuses. Bettors who regularly place wagers on the app will notice that their inbox almost always contains some sort of generous offer, usually in the form of a bonus bet or a deposit match. Even those who take months-long breaks will receive the occasional bonus.

Finally, all customers are automatically enrolled in BetMGM Rewards, which is a crossover loyalty program tied to MGM’s award-winning land-based rewards program. This perk is especially lucrative for customers who already frequent retail MGM casinos.

Caesars Sportsbook NFL Betting

Caesars Sportsbook$1000 Bonus BetCaesars Sportsbook Promo Code: BUSA1000Get Bonus
  • Standout features: Early lines, strong promotional schedule, willingness to take action, hidden value, live streaming, Caesars Rewards

The revamped Caesars Sportsbook may be a few years younger than its fiercest competitors, but it’s quickly making up ground.

Caesars excels in areas that many NFL betting apps neglect. For instance, Caesars Sportsbook hangs its NFL point spreads for the entire regular season prior to Week 1. This will appeal to serious bettors that prefer placing wagers before lines are hammered into efficiency.

It also offers dozens of over/under and yes/no futures, which in and of itself is not that exciting, but the pricing on these markets is stellar. The house edge on team bets like “To Make The Playoffs” or “Win Totals” is typically under 4%, and sometimes dips below 3.5%. There’s a lot of hidden value to be found for bettors who seek it.

Admittedly, Caesars is hesitant to post early prop and derivative lines, but when it finally delivers, it goes big. There are hundreds of creative wagers available for each and every game, and that figure swells dramatically with each passing season. Pricing on these wagers is generally better than average.

Perhaps more importantly, Caesars Sportsbook has shown a greater willingness to take action from seasoned bettors than other books. It’s not exactly a sharp sportsbook, but its decades-long experience as a legitimate and respected bookmaker in Las Vegas carries through to its online presence.

Caesars is also the forerunner of NFL live-streaming integration. Thanks to an agreement with NFL data provider Genius Sports, Caesars began broadcasting live NFL games in December 2022, and plans on utilizing its low latency streams to elevate its in-play (Watch & Bet) experience.

Promotional opportunities at Caesars Sportsbook are frequent and lucrative. Odds boosts with generous $100 limits are offered nearly every week, 25-50% profit boosts are plentiful, and there’s usually some sort of sweepstakes running. In addition, Caesars supports one of the industry’s most valuable signup bonuses.

Speaking of which, all online players will earn Caesars Rewards status and rewards on their play. These points are combined with those accrued at retail Caesars outlets.

FanDuel NFL Betting

FanDuel SportsbookBet $5 Get $150FanDuel Promo Code: Not NeededGet Bonus
  • Standout features: Solid in-play pricing, expansive NFL betting markets, large geographical footprint

FanDuel Sportsbook is the industry’s market share leader and the go-to sportsbook for many NFL bettors. Yet, it hasn’t evolved quite as much as its competitors since claiming the #1 spot.

The main strength of FanDuel is its availability, as it already possesses licenses in most regulated states and should go live in nearly every new state that legalizes sports betting. This accessibility extends to its NFL betting markets, which are overflowing with alternative lines, derivatives, props, and futures. The futures menu is particularly impressive, encompassing 16 distinct categories ranging from seasonal awards, win/alternative win totals, and rookie stats.

FanDuel also posts compelling “Season Specials” which are essentially hand-picked season-long player and team props. The problem here is that the specials are one-way (Yes only) props, so it’s difficult to determine the house edge. In either case, give “props” to FanDuel’s creative team for combining two popular formats.

FanDuel also offers house specials on local teams. For instance, cusomters in New Jersey will see special bets on the Jets, Giants, and Eagles. These niche bets don’t always offer the best odds but are a nice nod to regional bettors.

Overall, the pricing on NFL markets is average, and maybe even a bit below. Most two-way pregame bets carry a 4.5% house edge, and multi-option futures are priced at slightly worse odds compared to other books. The in-play pricing is somewhat better, with FanDuel generally offering -114/-114 live bet spreads as opposed to the industry standard -115/-115.

Unfortunately, FanDuel Sportsbook is not hospitable to teaser bettors. Two-team 6-point teasers are listed at -134, and 7-pointers go off at -150. That’s just bad.

FanDuel has cut back its promotional spending and focuses most of what’s left on heavily taxed Same Game Parlays, a format that it pioneered. It still doesn’t have a concrete loyalty program, and the betting interface is starting to feel a touch dated.

Several years ago, FanDuel was setting the bar for other NFL betting apps to follow. Now that the major players have either caught up or surpassed FanDuel, a slight overhaul feels necessary.

Bet365 NFL Betting

Bet365 SportsbookBet $5 Get $150Bet365 Bonus Code: Not RequiredGet Bonus
  • Standout features: Lowest moneyline vigorish, early alternative lines/props, odds and parlay boosts

Despite being a dominant player in Europe for over a decade, Bet365 Sportsbook initially treated the US market with kid gloves. That appears to be changing.

Bet365 has a reputation as a no-nonsense book that posts early lines and fair odds across a wide variety of betting markets. Its pregame NFL moneylines are exceptional (3-3.5% house edge), and it’s one of the first sites to hang next week’s alternative lines. It also supports over 60 distinct futures markets, not including a variety of season-long specials.

Where Bet365 has really picked up its game is in areas that appeal to US bettors. It now offers early Same Game Parlay lines on all regular season games and has added dozens of highly engaging props. In addition, Bet365 no longer shies away from casual friendly promotions, evidenced by its regular bet boosts, parlay boosts, and a signup bonus that awards $200 in bonus bets to bettors that wager just $1.

Bet365 is also making a more concerted effort to improve its in-play product, and now provides live game trackers, game summaries, and most importantly, highly competitive in-play lines.

There’s still work to be done. The betting interface is confusing and the app certainly won’t win any visual awards. Alternative line and futures pricing is mediocre, at best, and bettors aren’t rewarded for their loyalty. Yet, the potential for Bet365 to become a top-tier NFL betting app is there.

How To Bet On the NFL Online

Offshore sportsbooks lure customers with the promise of quick, easy signups and massive welcome bonuses. The truth is that these new player bonuses are often predatory, and the lack of Know Your Customer protocols leaves bettors exposed to identity theft.

It’s much better to sign up at legal online sportsbooks. Yes, the process takes a bit longer, but that’s only because regulations hold sportsbooks to stringent verification processes designed to keep customer identities and funds safe.

Here are six simple steps to help get you started:

  1. Select a sportsbook: In the vast majority of states with legal online sports betting, fans have multiple NFL betting apps to choose from. BettingUSA recommends starting with one of the sites listed on this page, as they’ve been thoroughly vetted for quality by our team. Once you’ve decided, either download the app to your mobile device or begin the signup process on your desktop. Don’t be shy about selecting multiple apps, as this will only benefit you when shopping NFL lines.
  2. Complete the registration process: Typically, sportsbooks ask you to provide your full name, address, phone number, email address, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security Number. Some online sportsbooks may ask you to upload a photo ID, but this isn’t common. Remember that all of this information is necessary for sportsbooks to verify and safeguard your identity and will never be sold to third parties.
  3. Claim a welcome bonus: Bettors who sign up through one of BettingUSA’s links will automatically be awarded the best possible new customer bonus. However, there are instances when a promo code is also required. If a code is necessary, it’ll be indicated on this page and our sportsbook reviews. Enter the code in the optional “Promo Code” field when registering.
  4. Read the bonus terms: It is imperative that customers carefully read the bonus terms before placing their initial deposit. Each of our sportsbook reviews carefully spells out how new player bonuses work, including any wagering requirements or other restrictions associated with the offer. Bettors will also learn the best strategies to maximize different bonus formats.
  5. Make an initial deposit: Once you’re ready, go to the app’s cashier and select your preferred banking method. At the bare minimum, customers can initiate deposits via credit/debit cards, bank accounts, PayPal, and cash. The first time you use a deposit method, you’ll of course have to enter or link your account information. Rest assured, that this information will be securely stored and that subsequent deposits will be quicker. Most payment methods used for deposits can also be used to process payouts.
  6. Place an NFL wager: During the regular season and playoff, the NFL betting market is featured prominently on every sportsbook’s homepage. Bettors can also navigate to the full NFL market either from a top navigational menu or sidebar. From there, they’ll be able to select moneyline, point spreads, or totals wagers, or they can tap into a game to see the full menu of alternative lines, props, derivatives, and futures. Once you’ve selected a wager, it’ll automatically appear in the Bet Slip. Either add more wagers or simply enter the amount you’d like to wager. Hit “Confirm” and hope for a winning outcome.

NFL Betting Bonuses and Promotions

BetMGM SportsbookUp to $1000 in NFL Bonus Bets Get Bonus
DraftKings SportsbookBet $5 Get $150 in NFL Bonus BetsGet Bonus
FanDuel SportsbookBet $2 Get $200 in NFL Bonus BetsGet Bonus
Caesars SportsbookBet $50 Get $250 In Football Bonus BetsGet Bonus
BetRivers SportsbookUp to $500 Second Chance NFL BetGet Bonus

Nearly all NFL betting sites offer welcome bonuses and ongoing promotions that fans can leverage to extract more value from their football wagers.

New customer NFL betting bonuses usually offer the most flexibility and greatest potential upside. In contrast, short-term promos for existing customers tend to provide pinpoint value on specific games, players, propositions, post-season contests, and the Super Bowl.

NFL Welcome Bonuses

Typically, football betting sites welcome new customers with a bonus that takes one of the following formats:

  • NFL Second Chance Bets: Second chance bets invite fans to sign up for accounts and place their first wagers in exchange for promising to refund them with a bonus if it loses. For example, a sportsbook may promise to refund any customer’s first bet on an NFL game if it loses with up to $1,000 in bonus bets.
  • First Deposit Bonuses: Some NFL betting sites welcome new customers with percentage-based bonuses based on the size of their first deposit. For example, an online sportsbook may offer all new customers a 20% bonus on their first deposit, paid as site credit. In that case, depositing $500 would get the customer $100 in bonus funds to use for betting on NFL games online.
  • Bet & Get NFL Bonuses: “Bet and get” offers tend to be some of the most value-added NFL betting bonuses because they often require the least upfront risk but still provide excellent value. For example, a sportsbook that offers $200 in bonus bets to anyone who places a first wager of at least $20 provides an oversized benefit relative to the size of the initial deposit and first bet.

Deposit match NFL bonuses and “bet and get” offers are usually preferable over second chance bets because the former benefit all new customers, not just those who place losing wagers.

However, second chance bets (first wager refunds) can still provide significant value if bettors take the right approach because they provide the largest potential upside. In most cases, the best way to get the most value out of second chance NFL betting bonuses is to place high-variance wagers on underrated underdogs.

First, placing the initial wager on an NFL underdog is an excellent opportunity to take a shot on a bigger payout while knowing you’ll still receive a bonus bet as a consolation prize if it doesn’t pan out.

Second, using refunded bonus bets on underdogs is a higher-EV play. That’s because most second chance NFL betting promotions do not include the initial wager when paying winnings on bonus bets that win. See BettingUSA’s page about second chance bets for the mathematical explanation of why it is the most +EV play to use bonus bets on long-odds markets.

Short-Term NFL Betting Promos for Existing Customers

Short-term NFL betting promotions for existing can take even more forms:

  • NFL Bonus Bets: Sportsbooks issue bonus bets to existing customers fairly regularly for all sorts of reasons. Occasionally, online sportsbooks just drop bonus bets to existing customers’ accounts if it’s been a while since they’ve logged in. In most cases, NFL betting sites host short-term promotions that issue bonus bets to customers who take specific actions like betting on a particular game, making a deposit, and so on.
  • NFL Odds Boosts: Most football betting sites offer frequent odds boosts that temporarily enhance the payouts on specific markets. For example, a sportsbook may boost the odds on the New York Jets winning their next game from +110 to +140 for 24 hours
  • NFL Parlay Promotions: A typical NFL parlay promotion offers to refund customers’ parlays with bonus bets if their ticket loses by just a single leg.
  • Reduced Juice NFL Bets: Reduced juice NFL betting promotions temporarily reduce the house advantage on all football betting games. For example, a sportsbook may move all NFL point spread from -110 to -105 for a weekend.
  • Super Bowl Betting Promotions: The Super Bowl is the season’s highlight for fans who value NFL betting bonuses and promotions. Most sportsbooks significantly ramp up their football betting promos during the week of the Super Bowl with offers that provide substantial value to customers. Common Super Bowl betting promotions run the gamut from free prediction contests with cash prizes, Super Bowl squares, reload bonuses to super odds boosts on same game parlays, and much more.

Free NFL Betting Pools

Free NFL pools are some of the most fun and potentially lucrative football betting promotions.

The top few NFL betting sites host free pick’em, survivor, and prop pools every season, sometimes guaranteeing seven-figure prize pools. Fans can enter free pools from any state and choose from various formats:

  • Free NFL Pick’em Pools: Fans predict the winners of NFL games every week. At the end of the contest period, the players with the most correct picks win cash prizes. NFL pick ‘em contests can instruct players to submit picks for every game of the season, but most simply set a minimum number of picks entrants must submit each week. Contests can have entrants select games against the spread (ATS) or straight up (SU).
  • Free NFL Survivor Pools: Entrants choose one NFL game every week and select which team will win. If you get it right, you advance to next week’s round. If you get it wrong, you’re out. NFL survivor pools make things more interesting by only allowing fans to select a team once each season. For example, if you pick the Ravens to win their Week 1 game, you cannot pick them for the rest of the season.
  • Free NFL Prop Pools: Fans log in every week to answer prediction-style contests about upcoming games. Questions vary wildly, covering everything from which team will score first in a particular game to which of three upcoming games will end with the smallest margin of victory.

The leading national brands, particularly DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM, are the most reliable about offering free NFL pools with cash prizes each season. Bettors can check their sportsbooks’ promo tabs early each season to find the details on the next big NFL betting pool.

Of these, DraftKings is by far the most consistent because it has an entire tab dedicated to free and paid betting pools. Fans can visit the “Pools” section in the DraftKings app on any given day to find several free-to-play contests on offer. Daily free-to-play contests feature prize pools worth a few thousand dollars, but DraftKings also hosts a few promotional pools every year with six or seven-figure prize pools.

NFL Betting Loyalty Programs

Sports betting rewards programs can significantly pad the bottom line by offering various benefits and bonuses to fans who bet on the NFL online frequently.

Additionally, sportsbook loyalty programs from major casino operators like MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment provide crossover rewards for customers who frequently visit land-based sportsbooks and casinos. For example, fans can bet on the NFL online with some rewards programs to earn discounted hotel stays, comped meals, VIP tickets to events, and more.

Fans should look for NFL betting loyalty programs that are straightforward, transparent, and provide useful perks. Too many sportsbook VIP programs are opaque regarding how customers earn loyalty points and their exchange rate for bonuses, which makes it difficult to plan accordingly and figure out how much value bettors are really receiving.

The following are BettingUSA’s most frequently recommended loyalty programs:

Types of NFL Bets And Wagers

Sportsbooks make NFL betting online relatively easy, especially with interactive betting slips that allow users to input any wager amount to view instantly how much they stand to win. However, a basic understanding of NFL odds and betting formats is paramount to achieving long-term sustainability.

The following list displays the most common NFL bets. For a more detailed explanation, see our comprehensive page on how to bet on the NFL, which explains NFL odds and covers nearly every wagering format.

Nearly all legal online sportsbooks offer every single one of these wagers, although the size and overall pricing of each NFL betting market will vary from book to book.

Betting On The Super Bowl

Betting on the Super Bowl certainly feels different than betting on any other regular-season game, but the mechanics are the same. One significant difference is mobile sportsbooks and betting sites tend to launch a barrage of promotions during the lead-up to the Super Bowl each year, giving bettors a lot of value to leverage.

The American Gaming Association (AGA) estimates Americans bet nearly $7 billion on the Super Bowl every year between licensed sportsbooks, mobile sports betting apps, and illegal offshore operators. As legal sports betting expands to additional states, competition for those dollars will only intensify, which is good news for bettors.

The most popular online sportsbooks run promotions targeted at the Super Bowl.

In-Play NFL Betting Sites

Whereas traditional sports betting markets close for action once a game begins, in-play betting keeps bettors in action from kickoff to the final whistle.

In-play betting changes things in a big way by providing new markets throughout the game, many of which settle even before the game ends. As a result, bettors can leverage in-play betting markets during an NFL game for a more intense and hands-on experience than placing standard pregame wagers and then watching passively from the sidelines.

In-play wagers are short-term in nature, lasting anywhere from a few seconds to as long as however much time remains on the play clock. Some of the options include extra short-term propositions such as the number of yards gained by the next play, what play the coach will call next, whether or not a field goal attempt will be good, and much more.

Live betting can also involve longer-lasting wagers such as the point total or game winner but with odds that are updated continuously in real-time based on what’s happening on the field. For instance, a bettor might choose to watch the first quarter to get a sense of the game’s momentum and then place a bet on who will win.

Likewise, bettors can use in-play betting to hedge their pregame wagers when it looks like the game might be turning against them.

In-play betting handle often exceeds that of pregame wagers. In some states, in-play NFL betting accounts for the majority of all betting handle.

Every indication is that in-play betting will only continue to increase in volume, especially as licensed sportsbooks strike licensing deals with sports leagues to offer live streaming sports feeds. For example, Caesars Sportsbook began offering live streaming NFL games in December 2022, making it the first US operator to broadcast NFL games online and through its mobile app.

NFL Stance On Sports Betting

The NFL’s stance on sports betting has evolved since the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in May 2018.

For years, the NFL viewed sports betting as a threat to the integrity of its games and actively opposed legalization. The NFL joined the NCAA and other major sports leagues in challenging New Jersey’s effort to legalize sports betting but came up short in front of the United States Supreme Court.

After the Supreme Court ended the federal sports betting prohibition, the NFL pivoted away from a position of outright opposition to one of acceptance and making the best of the situation.

The NFL responded to the Supreme Court’s ruling one week later with a statement that affirmed its commitment to integrity. In part, the statement read:

As it was for my predecessors, there is no greater priority for me as the Commissioner of the National Football League than protecting the integrity of our sport. Our fans, our players and our coaches deserve to know that we are doing everything possible to ensure no improper influences affect how the game is played on the field. This week’s ruling by the Supreme Court has no effect on that unwavering commitment.

We have spent considerable time planning for the potential of broadly legalized sports gambling and are prepared to address these changes in a thoughtful and comprehensive way, including substantial education and compliance trainings for our clubs, players, employees and partners. These efforts include supporting commonsense legislation that protects our players, coaches and fans and maintains public confidence in our games.

The NFL also implored Congress to introduce legislation at the federal level to provide uniformity and certain protections for the leagues. Since then, Congress has failed to act, and many states have legalized sports betting since then, leaving any hopes for Congressional action increasingly dim.

In the intervening years, the NFL has softened its stance on sports betting as it shifts its focus away from opposing the inevitable to taking advantage of the opportunities provided by legalization.

Shortly after the Supreme Court decision, the league changed its rules to permit NFL teams to enter sponsorship agreements with casinos that operate sportsbooks. In 2019, the NFL chose Caesars Entertainment as the league’s first-ever official casino partner.

The NFL further relaxed its rules in 2020 with changes to league policy allowing individual teams to partner directly with sportsbook operators and for stadiums to construct betting lounges.

The Denver Broncos were the first team to take advantage of the modified policy, partnering with FanDuel in June 2020 to make FanDuel an official sports betting and daily fantasy partner.

Additional teams have reached similar deals with sports betting operators since, and more are likely on the way as NFL betting picks up steam. As the American Gaming Association noted in 2018, the NFL stands to gain billions of dollars in additional revenue via increased viewership, sponsorship agreements, and data rights.

NFL Betting FAQ

Yes. Fans in nearly half of US states have access to legal betting apps and websites. And in most other states, fans can visit specialized daily fantasy sports sites like PrizePicks that host prediction contests that feel a lot like parlay betting.

In states with legal online sports betting, the minimum age to place a real-money wager is 21. NFL betting apps won’t even let users below this age create a sports betting account.

BetMGM, DraftKings, Caesars Sportsbook, and FanDuel are the best bets for fans in most states.

There’s always a degree of subjectivity in ranking “the best” of anything, but the most prominent brands tend to offer the greatest market depth, most features, best betting odds, and highest security standards. In addition, the biggest sportsbook operators provide the most frequent NFL promotions.

No single sportsbook has a lock on the best NFL odds. The mainstream operators recommended above offer the most competitive NFL betting lines in general, but bettors will always find differences between them for specific wagers.

The only way fans can get the best odds every time is to choose a bet and then compare the odds across each sportsbook for that selection. Readers can use the NFL odds comparison tool on this page to price shop the odds on each of the basic wagers sportsbooks offer for each game.

Same game parlays (SGP) work like traditional parlays, except every leg of the wager involves a single NFL game. For example, a basic same game NFL parlay might involve two legs: one on the OVER of the first half point total and one on the OVER of the full game total.

The above example would be considered a positively correlated SGP because if the first half goes OVER it strengthens the chances of the full game going OVER.

Traditionally, sportsbooks prohibited parlays that included more than one leg from the same game. However, online sportsbooks introduced same game parlays in 2020 in response to customer demand. Now, sportsbooks like BetMGM even offer parlay builder tools to help customers construct custom SGPs.

SGPs are screamingly popular, but as is the case with regular parlays, the house edge is high. This is especially true for 3+ leg SGPs. Additionally, SGP odds shift based on how correlated the legs are, and the impact of correlation is hidden from view. So, it’s difficult for bettors to determine the vigorish.

Readers can learn more about how to bet on NFL games online with BettingUSA’s sports wagering guide.

The over/under refers to the combined points total in an NFL game. For example, if two teams with strong offenses and mediocre defenses meet, the oddsmakers will publish a higher points total because they expect more than the average number of touchdowns.

Bettors can wager whether the final score will be OVER or UNDER the projected total for roughly even money.