Welcome to the exhilarating world of NFL betting, where every catch, pass, punt, and point matters. At Hard Rock Bet we’re here to guide you through the dynamic landscape of NFL betting, providing the background knowledge on how to do it in addition to providing the best NFL odds and markets in the business.
The National Football League (NFL) stands as the premier professional American football league in the United States, captivating millions with a blend of strategic depth and athletic spectacle.
It’s not just the largest sport in the country by viewership and revenue; it’s a cultural phenomenon that transforms every game into a national event. This immense popularity makes the NFL the most sought-after league for sports betting. Betting on the NFL can amplify the excitement of every season, game, or even each specific play. Whether you’re a seasoned NFL bettor or new to the scene, understanding NFL odds is crucial. Below we cover the basics of NFL betting and reading NFL odds.
What makes the NFL so popular to bet on?
NFL football is the most popular sport in the United States, and as such, the most popular sport to bet on. But what makes betting on football so popular, and the NFL specifically? There are a combination of elements that ensure that betting on the NFL remains one of the most engaging and enjoyable experiences for sports enthusiasts.
Short Season creates high stakes
The NFL’s regular season is concise—only 18 weeks—meaning each game is crucial. This scarcity not only creates a competitive environment on the field, but also limits the number of opportunities that bettors have to place wagers. Every game matters, which creates for an entertaining environment for betting.
Media coverage
No sport in America is covered as extensively as the NFL. From pre-game analyses and player profiles, to post-game breakdowns, to individual NFL game odds and props – the media dissects every aspect of every game. This degree of coverage creates unprecedented interest in the league, and ultimately in betting on the NFL.
NFL games are perfect for live betting
NFL games are perfect for live betting due to their dynamic nature and rapid changes in momentum. As situations change on the field, so do the betting odds, offering attentive bettors the chance to leverage their knowledge of the game through real time betting. Each snap creates a new opportunity, and the pace of play offers ample time to act.
Betting markets galore
The NFL is not limited to standard Winner bets. Hard Rock Bet offers a multitude of NFL odds and betting options that cater to every type of bettor—from moneyline bets to totals, spreads, and even intricate Player Props and Futures.
The variety not only keeps betting exciting but also allows bettors to utilize their knowledge in specific areas, whether they are predicting overall game outcomes or individual player performances.
Playoff excitement
Both the regular season and the playoffs are vital for NFL betting. The intensity of the playoffs brings even higher stakes and deeper analysis, culminating in the Super Bowl, the biggest annual betting event in American sports. There is no bigger sports betting event than the Super Bowl, and Super Bowl odds are analyzed and dissected around the clock during the build up to the game.
Popular NFL bets
The allure of NFL betting lies not just in the thrill of the game but also in the diversity of betting options available to enthusiasts. Hard Rock Bet offers NFL odds on an enormous variety of betting markets. Understanding how NFL bets work is pivotal.
In this section, we’ll explore the most common NFL betting markets. From the straightforward Winner bets to the complexities of NFL spread betting and the strategic depths of futures and props, we provide all the necessary details to help you make informed decisions. Let’s delve into each of these popular bets to understand how they work and how you can leverage them to enhance your betting experience at Hard Rock Bet.
NFL Winner Bets
NFL moneyline bets, commonly referred to as NFL winner bets on the Hard Rock Bet platform, are a popular choice for their straightforward nature. Bettors simply select which NFL team they believe will win the game… and then cheer for them to win the game.
There are no unnecessary complications, NFL moneylines offer a clear and direct way to bet on the NFL. This simplicity makes it an ideal starting point for newcomers, while still providing value for experienced bettors who have a strong grasp on team strengths and matchup dynamics.
Reading NFL moneyline odds
While the concept of an NFL moneyline is simple, pick the winner, understanding how to read odds is essential. After all, it’s rare that two NFL teams are assessed as true equals… a 50/50 coin flip from a betting perspective. Generally speaking one side is usually ruled to be the favorite, and the other, the underdog. Therefore, understandably, you won’t get the same odds betting on both sides.
When reading NFL moneyline odds teams will be listed with a number that is preceded by either a + or – sign. If the number is positive it means you would stand to profit that amount of money on a $100 bet. In the example below, a $100 bet on the Jaguars to beat the Dolphins at +140 would return $240 total if it were to win… the original $100 bet plus $140 in profit. This math also scales up and down, too. A $10 bet a +140 would return $24 if successful, etc.
On the other side of things, if the NFL moneyline odds are negative, it means you would need to wager that amount in order to return $100 on your wager. Referring to the Jaguars vs Dolphins matchup below, the Dolphins are offered with Winner odds of -210. A $210 bet would stand to return $310 ($210 stake plus $100 profit).
NFL spreads
NFL point spread betting introduces a fascinating layer of complexity as you no longer simply need to pick who wins, but you more importantly have to determine who wins and by how much. NFL spreads incorporate a handicap that the favored team must overcome for bets placed on them to win.
Betting NFL spreads isn’t solely about picking winners and losers; it’s about how well teams perform against market expectations.
It effectively levels the playing field, transforming even seemingly mismatched games into nail-biting encounters. Whether your NFL team overcomes their point spread or not can be the difference between a payout and a miss, making every yard gained and every point scored thrillingly significant.
Understanding NFL spread odds
Let’s look at an example of how to read NFL spread odds. If an NFL team is favored to win by 3.5 points, like the Dolphins in the example below, (this would be listed as -3.5 on Hard Rock Bet), they must win by more than 3.5 points (4 points, in essence) for a bet on them to pay.
Conversely, if you bet on the underdog Jaguars at (-3.5) and they either win or lose by fewer than 3.5 points, you win your bet. This mechanism not only adds depth to matches where the teams are unevenly matched but also ensures that every game remains enticing to watch, regardless of the teams’ standings.
NFL totals with Hard Rock Bet
No discussion of NFL odds and bets would be complete without covering totals. The total for an NFL bet refers to the total number of points that will be scored by both teams and the task for bettors is selecting whether the game will have more points, or less points than the set total.
In the below example between the Jaguars and the Dolphins, Hard Rock Bet set the total at 48.5 points. This means if both teams combine to score 49 or more points, the over bettors will win. If they score 48 or fewer the victory goes to the under.
NFL totals odds are offered not just on full games, but for halves, quarters, individual teams, etc.
Pricing still matters
When betting NFL totals its important to keep an eye not just on the actual points line, but also the pricing of the wager. In the Dolphins/Jags example the over is offered at -115, meaning a $115 bet would return $100 in profit ($215 total). However, if you’re interested in going under the price is slightly better. At -105, just a $105 wager would be required to return the same $100 profit ($205 total).
NFL futures
NFL futures betting offers a long-term wagering perspective, focusing on outcomes that will be decided in the future, such as the winner of the Super Bowl, division champions, or individual award recipients.
This type of bet at Hard Rock Bet allows enthusiasts to predict and place bets on the season’s ultimate outcomes, often months in advance.
The appeal of NFL futures markets lies in their ability to offer potentially high payouts, as predicting far-off results comes with greater uncertainty and risk. Bettors must consider an array of factors including team performance, potential injuries, and even trades throughout the season, which could all influence the outcome of their bet.
Whether you’re backing a favorite to dominate the league or a dark horse to exceed expectations, Futures betting keeps you engaged throughout the entire NFL season, adding an extra layer of excitement and anticipation. NFL futures offer a long, entertaining sweat.
NFL futures markets will be listed with standard Winner / moneyline odds. There will be a number, with a positive or negative symbol next to it that indicates the current price for that market. The higher the positive number, the less likely the outcome is to happen. The larger the negative number, the more likely it is to happen.
For some NFL futures betting markets, like Super Bowl odds, Hard Rock Bet is accepting action all year. In fact, initial odds for a new season are often posted before the winning team has finished celebrating. Looking at the snapshot below, the Kansas City Chiefs are the current favorite at +550. This means a $100 bet on the Chiefs, if it were to win, would return $650 ($100 stake + $550 profit). Odds are available on every team and will fluctuate throughout the year based on a variety of factors. The challenge becomes not only picking the right bet, but also picking the right time to place it to get the best odds.
NFL player props
Betting NFL player props is a uniquely engaging aspect of the NFL betting market, allowing participants to focus on the individual achievements of players during games as opposed to the overall outcome. Hard Rock Bet offers markets on all kinds of NFL props including player yardage totals, anytime touchdown scorer, over/unders on catches or carries, and so many more.
This form of betting not only adds a personal dimension to the action but also caters to those who possess in-depth knowledge of players’ abilities and week-to-week conditions.
Whether you’re predicting if a star player will surpass a yardage threshold or score a certain number of touchdowns, Player Props offer a direct and thrilling involvement with each play. It’s a dynamic way to bet on the NFL, turning every snap into a potential victory on your bet slip.
NFL parlays
Parlays are one of the most popular ways to engage with the NFL in the modern era of online sports betting. With an NFL parlay you’re combining multiple bets on to one ticket where the success or failure of the bet depends on the result of every leg. You either hit them all or the parlay loses. For example, you take a look at the NFL Week 1 schedule and decide that you like four teams on the moneyline so you decide to add them to a parlay ticket:
By parlaying these NFL bets you stand to win more, with the odds combining to +840, meaning a $10 bet will return nearly $84 in profit. However, the Giants, Bears, Bills, and Commanders all need to win in order for the bet to cash.
Parlays are a great way to accomplish the sports betting dream of turning a little bet into a lot of cash.
NFL same game parlays
With Same Game Parlays players can add numerous bets from the same game on to a single ticket. SGPs are great for all games, but specifically the prime-time ‘island’ games where you only have one game to select bets for.
NFL Same Game Parlay legs run the full spectrum from player props, to total points, to whether the total number of points in the game ends up being odd or even. There’s a lot of variety here which can create some massively entertaining sweats.
In the above NFL Same Game Parlay all of the following circumstances would need to be met for the bet to win:
The Ravens are leading at half time.
The Chiefs ultimately come back and win the game by more than 3 points.
The total number of points for both teams in the game has to combine for 47 or more.
There needs to be at least four field goals made.
…and finally, the final score must add up to an even number of points.
Sure, that’s quite the specific set of circumstances but the likelihood of the outcome is also reflected in the price at +5000. A $10 wager could potentially return $500 in profit.
SGP Max for the NFL
Hard Rock Bet made waves in April 2024 by announcing a new feature, Same Game Parlay Max. SGP Max allows bettors to combine multiple Same Game Parlays on a single ticket. In total it’s possible to have up to 20 different bets spread across multiple games and even multiple sports.
SGP Max allows for more creativity in crafting not only NFL bets, but bets on all sports and markets.
NFL live betting
Live betting on the NFL, also known as in-play betting, transforms the way fans interact with each game by offering a thrilling, real-time betting experience. Hard Rock Bet offers a state-of-the-art live betting infrastructure that allows for real time wagering on a variety of markets.
The dynamic nature of live betting is suited perfectly to the NFL, where a single play can change the course of the game. Whether it’s a surprise touchdown, a critical turnover, or a key injury, each event can significantly affect the game’s outcome and, consequently, the betting odds.
Further, football can lend itself to lengthy breaks between plays. Timeouts, video reviews, media breaks, etc., all offer ample opportunity for bookmakers, and sports bettors, to re-evaluate the NFL odds and prices.
About the NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is more than just the most popular sports league in the United States; it’s an integral part of American culture.
Established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, the league changed its name to the National Football League in 1922. Initially a modest endeavor, the NFL has grown into a behemoth of professional sports, boasting 32 teams spread across the nation.
The NFL’s journey from its early, disorganized days to becoming a professional powerhouse mirrors the growth and passion for football in America. Throughout the decades, the league has seen a multitude of changes, not just in how the game is played but in how it is presented and consumed.
A new era
The introduction of the Super Bowl in 1967 marked a significant turning point, offering a yearly championship that has since become one of the largest single-day sports events globally. The NFL has been a pioneer in sports broadcasting, significantly influencing how football is viewed. It was among the first to adopt nationwide televised broadcasts, bringing the game into millions of homes and turning players and coaches into national icons. The league’s dedicated broadcasting strategy, including prime-time television slots and comprehensive digital coverage, has helped maintain its dominant presence in the sports industry.
The NFL embraces sports betting
In recent years, the NFL has embraced sports betting, a significant pivot from its previous stance. Since PASPA was overturned in 2018, which allowed states to legalize sports betting, the NFL has integrated betting into its operations, recognizing the potential to enhance fan engagement and expand its audience base further.
Today, the NFL remains a symbol of high-level competition and entertainment, reflecting the evolving tastes and values of its broad fan base while continually adapting to the changing landscape of professional sports.
NFL betting promotions
Hard Rock Bet offers an assortment of NFL betting promotions. First and foremost there is a new player welcome offer where new bettors can secure up to $100 back if their first bet doesn’t win. No Hard Rock Bet promo code is required to be eligible for this offer, it’s automatically available for all newcomers.
Once you’ve utilized the sign up offer Hard Rock Bet regularly offers excellent promotions for NFL betting markets including odds boosts, profit boosts, and other unique perks that bring value to your sports betting experience.
NFL odds FAQ
NFL betting can bring up a host of questions, from understanding different types of bets to knowing the latest odds. At Hard Rock Bet, we aim to clarify these queries with our NFL Odds FAQ.
This section is designed to provide you with detailed answers about common betting terms, strategies, and the legality of NFL betting. Whether you’re a first-time bettor or a seasoned enthusiast looking to refine your betting approach, our FAQ is here to guide you through the intricacies of NFL odds and help enhance your betting experience.
YES, it is legal to bet on the NFL. Since PASPA, the federal law that restricted sports betting in the United States, was repealed in 2018 betting on the NFL has been legal in specific states.
All you need is the Hard Rock Bet app, an account, and some funds to put in play. All of these steps can be accomplished in just a few minutes time. Available NFL odds and betting markets can be found directly on the Hard Rock Bet app and website under the ‘Football’ tab.
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