Ah, yes, we're all looking for a great promotion — especially when it comes to America's most-bet on sport, football. It looks even better when we put three words together: football betting promotions!
Whether you're a first-time bettor or an experienced one, this guide is here to lend you a hand. We're going over the best sportsbooks, bettor-friendly bonuses, what time period to get the best deal, and the essentials about betting on football games.
Football betting is the same for the NFL, CFL, NCAAF, Italian Football League, Japanese Football League, etc. At the end of the day, professional football betting is the same, no matter the country.
Best Football Football Betting Sites
Of course, best football betting site is highly subjective. As bettors, we're all looking for something a little different — whether that be a large wagering selection, in-play betting capability, trustworthiness, etc. That's why we pulled several online bookies that can meet each of those needs. Here are our recommendations for top online football betting sites:
Bovada: A Decades Worth Of Trust
Whether it's fair or not, online betting doesn't always get the best wrap. Many newbie bettors worry if their money is in good hands with offshore bookmakers. At Bovada, it definitely is.
Since its founding in 2011, Bovada has become a go-to choice among thousands upon thousands of American bettors. That certainly wouldn't be the case if it wasn't reputable.
Beyond being trustworthy, its sportsbook also has good football bets left and right. Bovada's clean user interface also makes finding and placing a bet on football easy as can be.
BetOnline: Bets On Top Of Bets
What immediately stands out about BetOnline is its deep betting catalog, which is especially apparent if you bet football. The NFL, NCAA football, and even the CFL are covered at length by BetOnline.
Of course, BetOnline carries game lines for just about every single game. However, you can get extra mileage out of the bookie thanks to its prop and futures selection. If those terms are unfamiliar with you, we'll cover serious football betting types later in this guide. But to drive the point home about BetOnline, you'll be more hard-pressed to find a football wager that the site does NOT carry than ones it does.
BetDSI: Earn Rewards While You Bet
Another solid bookie for sports betting football is none other than BetDSI. Really, its the platform's loyalty program that gives bettors a lot of bang for their buck.
Every bet made on BetDSI, whether on football or another sport, will earn you BetPoints. These points can be exchanged for cashback and other rewards. Gamble enough over a long football season and you'll really rack up the goodies.
MyBookie: Jack of All Trades
It's hard to find much if any, faults with MyBookie. The platform checks a lot of the boxes — reputable, huge betting selection, good welcome bonus, etc.
Those with an insatiable desire for online betting football will have their needs met by MyBookie. The full gamut of odds is readily available for the NFL and college ball.
Last but not least, we have to mention the bonuses available at each of these. You can earn these simply by registering for the site and funding your account. Deals include:
- Bovada — 50-percent match up to $250
- BetOnline — 50-percent match up to $1,000
- BetDSI — 100 percent match up to $500
- MyBookie — 50-percent match up to $1,000
If you're looking for more details about the best online football betting sites, then look no further than below. You'll hand sportsbook reviews, bonus details, plus more about these football betting websites:
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6Play Now50% bonus up to $250
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13Play Now50% Sign-Up Bonus Up to $500
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3Play Now100% bonus up to $1000
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4Play Now125% up to $2,500
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2Play Now100% up to $1000
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9Play Now100% bonus up to $1000
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11Play Now50% up to $1000
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5Play Now100% up to $300
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8Play Now100% up to $500
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7Play Now$500 Sign Up Bonus
Get The Most Bang For Your Buck
While sportsbooks offer sign-up bonuses year-round, you can find even better deals around certain time periods. Not coincidentally, these killer promotions are right when interest in football is at a fever pitch — when the season begins (late August to early September) and during the Super Bowl (end of January to early February).
During both peak moments, bettors — both casual and hardcore — are rushing to sportsbooks with cash-in-hand. In an effort to get those dollars, online sportsbooks roll out their best deals to entice bettors to pick them over the hundred other options that players have. It is a highly competitive industry, after all.
Bettors can capitalize on this by racking up hefty bonus awards at these given times. "Hefty" is the keyword. It's not uncommon for online bookies to one-up each other by skyrocketing the match percentage and free play from its deals.
Ultimately, it's on you to compare bonuses from site to site to see which is the best for you. Weigh the match percentage, max free play possible, rollover requirement, quality of football lines, plus more, to make this decision that can pay off handsomely when done right.
How To Bet on Football
There's not just one way to wager on football, there's actually several. Next up, we're going to cover exactly how to bet on football games:
Point Spread
Ah, yes, "the spread" is perhaps the most common football betting slips. This is a wager where a bookmaker pegs one team as the favorite (indicated with the - sign) and the other as the underdog (+ icon will be used). Moreover, there's a point-differential that separates the two.
This can best be illustrated through an example. Let's say the Patriots are facing the Ravens. New England has a "handicap" at -3.5 points. Therefore, they are the presumptive favorites. A wager on them hits only if they win by four points (round the 3.5 up) or more.
On the flip side, Baltimore is underdogs at +3.5 points. In order for them to "cover the spread," they either need to win outright or lose by three points or less.
Sportsbooks will set spreads for either the entire game, a half, or every quarter. A number of factors influence what the spread is — home or away, injuries, weather, talent level, divisional opponent, etc. Consider all these variables closely before betting spreads.
Moneyline
Wagering on the moneyline is far more simple than the spread. Instead of considering how much points a team will win or lose by, moneyline only cares about the outright victor.
Once again, minus and plus values will denote the favorite and underdog, respectively. Using the same Patriots-Ravens example from before, New England's moneyline could be set at -190, whereas Baltimore is +165.
Since the Pats are big favorites, you'll need to risk a lot of money to earn a solid return. At -190 odds, a risk of $190 will net you back $100. If you're betting on the Ravens to pull off the upset, a $100 wager toward them would return $165.
Point Totals — Over/Under
Another simple, but fun football gambling game: how much-combined points will be scored between both teams? Bookies will set a total figure — say 67 points — and bettors either wager below or over that tally.
In the event, that both teams finish exactly with 67 points, you'll "push" your bet and get back your stake, effectively tying the bookie. If the game goes into overtime, points scored in the extra quarter typically count toward the point total. Though, this is at the discretion of every sportsbook.
Live Wagering
Football, with its back-and-forth action, makes for a great in-play or live betting opportunity. With this, bookies will update its odds for a football game in real-time as it's unfolding.
In-play wagering takes some of the unpredictability out of bet on football games. Say you notice a team is playing sluggish in the first quarter. This would've been unbeknownst when making a pregame bet, but now, you can fade them knowing they (probably) didn't show up ready to play.
The three football betting games we just covered — spreads, moneylines, over/unders — can all have live odds. They'll shift play-by-play so you have to quick to lock in a line before it moves on you.
Futures
Futures are a lot different than the aforementioned betting methods. That's because these are more long-term wagers instead of game-by-game picks.
These futures are commonly placed on division, conference, and championship winners, as well as end-of-the-year accolades (MVP winner, rushing yards leader, etc.). But here's the catch: odds are set before a game is ever played (and they'll update once the season is underway).
Of course, predicting the Super Bowl victor among 32 teams in the preseason is a lot more difficult than a game's over/under point total. That's why these odds are usually more lopsided, which means higher risk, but higher reward.
Just don't go putting your entire bankroll on futures. No ticket can be cashed until the outcome is complete so there's a chance you're money stays in limbo for months at a time.
Propositions
Props are sort of similar to futures, but more immediate. With props, you're essentially betting on a specific player or event within a game.
Examples of props include betting which team will win the opening coin toss, over/under passing yards thrown by a quarterback, or which wide receiver will catch the first touchdown.
Offered props vary widely and it's this variation that you can make or break a sportsbook. Props are especially popular during the Super Bowl, where everything from the length of the national anthem to the color of the Gatorade juice can be bet on.
As you can see, your weekends from now on will be busy betting college ball (Saturday) and the NFL (Sunday). At least you know how to bet on football and win — so get to it!