Football is arguably the most popular sport in North America, and the NFL is the pinnacle of the game. On this page, we're going to let you know everything you need to know about one of the most exciting aspects of football - betting on the action! You'll discover everything from where the best football betting sites are found, through to the types of football bets you can make.
On this page about online betting on football in 2024, you'll find out:
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While the NFL might be an American competition, it’s still extremely popular in Canada, and is far more popular than the Canadian Football League. This is quite simply because the NFL showcases the best of the best, and other football leagues can’t compete with the financial clout the big teams in the NFL have. College football is also really popular in Canada, although not as popular as it is in the USA.
Canadian gamblers have a huge range of different options open to them when they place bets on the NFL, from single bets on which team will win, through to complex parlay bets involving multiple match-ups. Don’t forget about live betting as well - the regular breaks mean that this is a sport that’s perfect for in-play betting.
Not sure how everything works in the NFL? Well, here’s a quick rundown of the competition set-up. The first thing to know is that there are two conferences: the NFC and the AFC. Each of these conferences is split into four divisions - north, south, east and west. Those winning their divisions will go onto the playoffs, as will the top two teams in each conference with the next best records.
In the playoffs, teams play each other in a tournament format, until each conference has two teams left standing, and these teams will play off for the title of conference champion. The two conference champions then head into the showpiece event of the NFL season - as well as the biggest sporting event on the planet - the Super Bowl. Win the Super Bowl, and the team’s name goes down in history.
There are a massive range of different NFL bets you can make, however the most popular is simply to bet on which team will win the Super Bowl. Many also like to bet on individual match-ups, such as the New England Patriots vs the New York Giants, while others enjoy handicap bets, where one team is given a handicap in order to balance the two sides up.
Football also has a large number of prop bets, which are bets on things that don’t directly affect the overall outcome of the game. So you could bet on a defensive player scoring the first TD, for example, or on how many yards a running back will manage to make. Live betting is also common in football, and this allows you to bet on the game in real time. Finally, NFL future bets are also popular - you’ll have to wait a while to see whether you’ve won, however the payoffs can be more than worth the wait!
The Super Bowl is the highlight of the season, and it’s also the sporting event that receives the most bets every year. It’s no wonder so many bets are made, as it really helps to ramp up the excitement of an already hugely thrilling game! Remember to shop around for NFL Super Bowl odds, as sites can really vary in how generous they want to be.
Most online real money sports betting sites will make a big thing out of the Super Bowl, with whole sections devoted to the one match. You’ll also find that live betting goes into overdrive on Super Bowl Sunday, and you’ll be able to bet live on an astonishing number of different NFL betting lines. Don’t forget to also look for bonuses and promotions surrounding Super Bowl, as there are generally loads for you to choose from.
We love to bet on sports, which is one of the reasons why you can trust us to only ever recommend the best NFL betting sites.
We can also be trusted for a very important reason - we’re not owned by an online gambling company, and instead retain fierce independence. This means that we’ll never be pressured into writing a good or bad review, and you can be assured that what you read is exactly what we feel.
We also have a large number of readers, and many of these come back time and time again, looking to find out where the best NFL and college football betting sites are. Would these people keep on returning if we couldn’t be completely trusted to provide the top reviews around?
The NFL has a long history, but we’ll do our best to make it brief! It began in 1920, when the American Professional Football Association was formed, with ten teams from just four different states. In 1922, it changed its name to the National Football League. Only two franchises still remain from the original teams – the Chicago Bears (originally the Decatur Staleys) and the Arizona Cardinals (originally the Chicago Cardinals).
There was competition along the way for the NFL, but eventually the NFL would swallow up these rivals, which only added to the number of teams in the competition. The Super Bowl didn’t arrive until 1960 though, with the Green Bay Packers winning the first two titles. Since then, more and more teams have been added to the roster, and most of them have had at least one taste of Super Bowl success.
The NFL really is one of the most exciting places to be when it comes to real money sports betting, offering a whole array of different markets to enhance your betting experience. So why not read our detailed reviews of our recommended online sportsbooks and deposit a few dollars at the one you like best? You’ll then only be minutes away from enjoying exciting NFL game betting, just like millions of others in Canada and the USA.
We understand that you might have a few questions about betting on the NFL and college football, especially if you're new to the online betting world. This is why we've created the list of FAQs below, which answer some of the more commonly asked questions.
The spread is also sometimes referred to as the handicap, and it's a way to level the playing field by adding or subtracting points from a team. For example, the Miami Dolphins might have +8 added to them when playing the New England Patriots, which means Miami would start with an eight point advantage.
This really depends on what the most important aspects of a site are to you. You'll find a huge number of fantastic sites when you read through our list of recommended sportsbooks though. Remember, there's no need to sign-up with just one site!
Prop bets are bets on things that don't directly affect the overall result. They could be a bet on which player will get the most rushing yards, or how many sacks a player might get. Many people think that prop bets are the most interesting bets around, and they're certainly great to mix with the more typical bets on offer.
Absolutely! The Super Bowl is already one of the most exciting shows on earth, but placing one or more bets on the result ramps up the excitement even further. It's also a great way to add excitement if your team isn't playing, as you'll have a reason to cheer for one of the teams.
This is an argument that will roll on forever! Many believe that soccer is actually 'real football' for a couple of reasons. Firstly because soccer players use their feet much more than American football players, and secondly because soccer has been around longer, and laid claim to the name first.