The NFL is the biggest gridiron show on the planet. Thursday, Sunday and Monday night action is an American viewing and betting staple and the NFL is the most popular sports gambling league in the US.
With so much on offer, it’s easy to get lost in the maelstrom of betting markets and everything that the best NY sportsbooks have on offer. So, take the time to understand how to bet on the NFL to maximize your chances of a profitable payout.
Fans are spoiled for choice when it comes to NFL betting with some of the best sportsbooks in the entire nation competing for your dollars. Each of the biggest books delivers its unique take on football betting and it pays to shop the lines in the hunt for wagering value.
DraftKings is at the pinnacle of sports betting options with a massive selection of NFL betting markets. Live NFL wagering is a supreme experience at DraftKings. All DraftKings in-play bets use official NFL stats that ensure the live lines are sharp.
Be sure to look out for DraftKings’ Flash Bet functionality with instantaneous in-play bets popping up on game events such as who will score the next touchdown or field goal. NFL Prop and niche markets are also well served at DraftKings. DraftKings also has one of the widest range of early cash-out options for live NFL matches. The live fun continues at the del Lago resort with DraftKings’ retail betting lounge at the casino property; a luxurious must-visit for sports fans.
With the NFL seemingly becoming ever more volatile and unpredictable, backing the underdog can be lucrative. Game days can be a stressful experience for favorites with the less fancied team typically covering the spread as high as 60% of the time. That makes FanDuel a must-download for underdog betting with the big blue book having some of the best odds around when wagering against the favorite. FanDuel’s DFS legacy makes for a book bursting with action that’s integrated with its fantasy sports offering.
FanDuel has masses of NFL betting markets with more than most and its new customer offer is easy to access with a low initial deposit requirement. FanDuel is often first to market for NFL odds so its neat betting apps are a must for anyone comparing the markets in advance of the biggest game days. Keep an eye out for healthy NFL odds boosts that drop regularly and FanDuel’s stats features are some of the most insightful there is for analyzing matchups. If you follow horse racing at Tioga Downs then be sure to check the FanDuel sports lounge at the track with multiple big screens and cash-at-the-counter betting options.
In analysis, the Emperor just edges its rivals for the lowest juice on NFL odds. Standard overround in sports betting tends to stand at 4.55% on spreads and totals with Caesars typically offering odds with a few percentage points shaved off. Caesars sportsbook is one of the cleanest and most intuitive to use of all the best NY sports betting sites too.
Caesars also run a host of NFL betting offers all season long with a tasty welcome bonus to boot. If in-person wagering is your thing, head for one of Caesars’ three retail sportsbooks in New York State. The Point Place, Turning Stone and Yellow Brick Road casinos each have big-screen sports broadcasts alongside teller windows and self-serve kiosks for taking wagers.
BetMGM is one of the most comprehensive sportsbooks operating in NY and lots of other US states. Moneyline and spread favorites are often found at the best prices at BetMGM. That makes the famous black and gold brand the pick of the bunch for betting on the likeliest winners on big NFL weekends and combining them into parlays. Same game parlay insurance is regularly on offer at BetMGM for constructing combos of four legs and more to avoid a favorite blowing an entire wager.
The super easy-to-navigate BetMGM wagering platforms make building parlays easy with neat tools for quickly adding selections. BetMGM’s Lion Boosts deliver an uptick on odds which makes backing a favorite better value. At present, a BetMGM retail sportsbook in the state of New York remains billed as ‘coming soon’ with the Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway the most likely location.
Of the top NFL sportsbooks, live streaming is currently only available from Caesars and Fanatics. That’s been made possible both operators’ partnership with Genius Sports, the exclusive rights holder to streamed NFL content. Great app performance makes Fanatics a must for anyone who watches and bets on football on a handheld device as it’s one of the fastest around.
The augmented NFL in-game experience from Fanatics makes for a superior betting experience. It’s a ‘watch and bet’ product where you can view the game while browsing available live betting markets. Placing and tracking wagers while taking in the action is super easy with the integrated bet slip. You only need to have a Fanatics account and bet just 10 cents on the game you want to view.
ESPN BET is unmatched in New York when it comes to blending sports media with betting. Leveraging the power of ESPN’s iconic brand, it provides users with an immersive betting experience that integrates live odds, personalized insights, and promotions directly linked to ESPN’s broadcasts.
This cross-platform integration gives bettors the unique advantage of getting real-time expert analysis, odds boosts, and tailored offers tied to ESPN’s vast sports coverage, making it a top choice for avid sports fans looking for a comprehensive sports and betting experience
BetRivers is consistently in the middle of the market for NFL points spread odds. That means it’s always worth taking a look at the alternate lines to wring more value out of any NFL wager. BetRivers does alternate lines well on both point spreads and totals with extensive listings. Clicking on ‘more bets’ on the straightforward BetRivers platforms delivers all that are available. That produces better odds for anyone who thinks a game will be higher scoring than the sportsbook expects, for example.
BetRivers has an appealing welcome offer for casual bettors, delivering bonus bets matched to the value of an initial deposit to be used in smaller increments. Because of that, it’s worth signing up to BetRivers to explore ways of moving the lines for a higher payout with little risk. The Rivers Casino & Resort at Schenectady has a sports lounge for watching live events and placing bets and the property is one of the biggest by gambling revenue in the whole of New York state.
For those not yet acquainted with lightning bets, they’re short-term, quick in-play wagers that are usually player or game props. In their purest form, lightning bets are frowned upon by some gambling regulators, but variants are permitted and Resorts World Bet are one of the best for offering them. Resorts World Bet’s tie-in with Odds Factory via its Points Bet-supplied proprietary platforms enables such speedy wagers.
Typical lightning bets you’ll find at Resorts World Bet include wagers on what will happen in the next few passages of play such as which team or player will score next. For NFL games, few other sportsbooks can match the variety of fast live bets that Resorts World Bet features. If you’re watching a game as it happens at the retail sportsbook at World Resorts Casino Catskills that makes live betting that bit more exciting.
If your primary betting interest lies with the NFL then Bally Bet is a great choice for rewarding those who place regular bets. As the last NY legal sportsbook to launch, Bally Bet’s offers continue to refresh and unfold but there’s already been plenty of promos that deliver bonus bets for placing a certain number of NFL wagers.
BallyBet’s mobile apps are easy to use and rarely display anything that won’t be of interest to most NFL bettors. BallyBet also has one of the best social offerings among the NY sportsbooks should earning bragging rights be a sideshow of yours for big fixtures. You can even place wagers together with a bunch of buddies to pool your resources.
The betting app that becomes your favorite will often come down to personal preference and the one you find easiest and most enjoyable to use. When you’re browsing the options for finding the best sports betting app consider the following factors:
Assure yourself it’s a legal sportsbook operator. This will ensure your betting experience is safe and your details secure. You can break the law by betting with an unlicensed operator.
Check out a handful of reviews both from betting experts and regular customers to find the best user experience, the top sportsbook for your favorite sports and the betting sites with the best odds.
Take a look at the banking options so that the one you’ll be using regularly is accepted by a sportsbook.
Consider all of the welcome offers and promos available at different sportsbooks and pick those that appeal to you most and best reward how you’ll be betting and the events you’ll be wagering on.
A lot of the best NFL sportsbooks welcome new customers with bonuses on signing up and there’s also an assortment of promos specific to NFL betting.
First bet offers usually work by awarding users with bonus funds if their first wager is a losing one. The value of the bonus bet gained is normally equivalent to the amount of the initial wager. Whether you’re backing a favorite team when the season is in full swing or going big with a Super Bowl bet, check out these first bet offers:
NY Sportsbook | First Bet NFL Offers |
Caesars | 🎁 First bet offers up to $1,500 on the NFL for new customers |
FanDuel | 🎁 $150 in bonus bets when you bet $5 |
BetMGM | 🎁 First bet offers up to $1,500 |
Deposit match offers work exactly as they sound. The sportsbook will match the value of your first deposit with bonus funds or do so up to a certain percentage. All of the following promos will credit your account to place NFL bets:
NY Sportsbook | Deposit Match NFL Bonus |
DraftKings | 🎁 20% deposit bonus up to a maximum of $1,000. |
Bet Rivers | 🎁 Up to $250 in bonus bets matched to the value of a first deposit |
You don’t have to be a new customer to take advantage of sportsbook promos for betting on the NFL. Check back regularly for the latest offers as they change regularly but here are a few to be going on with:
NY Sportsbook | Existing Customer NFL Bonus |
DraftKings | 🎁 Get $200 in bonus funds when you place a $5 bet on any NFL game |
Bally Bet | 🎁 Bet $200 on Sunday night football and receive a $15 bonus bet |
Football is by far the most popular sport to bet on in the US with the NFL the showpiece league and the Super Bowl the biggest sporting event of the year. You’ll find a host of NFL bet types at the biggest sportsbooks - some mainstays that attract millions of bettors and a few niche ones that can be lots of fun.
One of the most popular NFL bet types, a point spread wager sees the sportsbook set a number of points that the favorite is expected to win by. The bet is whether the favorite can cover the point spread or if the underdog can either win the game outright or lose by a margin less than the given number of points. For example, the NY Giants were -5.5 favorites at the Bengals in preseason meaning they would have to win by 6 points to cover the spread. Standard odds of -110 applied to this wager.
Moneyline bets are the most straightforward way to bet on NFL games. A moneyline wager is a bet on which team will win a match. For instance, in their annual preseason tussle, the Jets were -125 favorites against the Giants at +100 in 2021. Betting $120 on the Jets as the winning side returned a $100 profit.
Sportsbooks that offer live betting on NFL games display odds as the action unfolds. You’ll usually find in-game wagering opportunities on the moneyline, the spread, totals and props. When the Eagles staged one of the biggest comebacks of recent years in the game that became known as the ‘Miracle at New Meadowlands’, late in the tie their probability of a win was rated at around 1 in 250. Placing an in-play wager at that point would have made a big profit.
A parlay ties together two or more wagers for increased odds but all the legs must win for the bet to pay out. For NFL fans that could mean placing a parlay with the Jets, Giants and Bills all to win their games. If they were all rated as favorites with standard odds of -110, should all three be victorious a $100 wager would pay out just shy of $265. Betting on them all with three individual moneylines at those odds with a total of $100 would return just a little over $90 profit.
Who will be crowned Super Bowl champions is the biggest bet in the sporting calendar. You can either wager on the Super Bowl winner months ahead of the occasion, in the immediate build-up or even live once the game is underway. For example, in the fourth of their consecutive run of Super Bowl finals between 1991 and 1994, the Buffalo Bills were +1000 to win the contest ahead of the season while by the time the final rolled they were +10.5 underdogs on the spread.
A bet on the total field goals to be scored in a game is exactly as it reads. As an example, a wager on Bengals rookie kicker Evan McPherson to hit over 1.5 field goals at Super Bowl LVI was one of the most popular prop bets ahead of the game at odds of -130.
One of the most popular types of player bets during the NFL season is who will win the MVP award. Handed to the ‘most valuable player’ following completion of all league games, ahead of the 2022-23 campaign Bills star Josh Allan was installed as favorite with odds of +700.
A bet on the number of points scored in a game is known as a total or over/under wager. The oddsmakers at a sportsbook will pick a total for every NFL game and accept bets on whether the final score will be higher or lower. One of the highest ever in Super Bowl history was for edition XLII when the NY Giants were expected to lose big time to the Patriots with a total set at 55 points. Ultimately, in one of the finest Super Bowls of all time, the Giants won by 17-14 which was a big margin under the total point predicted.
A bet on the number of touchdowns to be scored in a game could be the total number or how many an individual player will get. You’ll also find bets advertised for how many touchdowns a player will score in an entire season and for passing touchdowns made by a quarterback. Ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, you’d get odds of +5,000 for Daniel Jones of the NY Giants to achieve the highest number of passing touchdowns, for example.
As well as wagering on who will win the Super Bowl, there’s an astonishing array of bet types ahead of each year’s contest. As well as the moneyline, total and point spread, there will be bets available for all manner of events that happen in the game. You can bet on who will be the Super Bowl’s MVP, how many passing yards each quarterback will throw, which players will score a touchdown and even the result of the pregame coin toss.
Understanding how to read the odds and lines is important for betting on the NFL. Even if you’ve never bet on a football game before it doesn’t take long to get a handle on what the numbers mean.
The most common odds and lines you’ll find at a sportsbook will refer to the moneyline, the over/under total and the point spread. Let’s take an example of how each looks for the game between the NY Jets and the Giants in preseason 2021:
Moneyline - Jets at -145, Giants at +125. This tells us the Jets are favorites as denoted by the minus (-) sign ahead of the odds and the Giants the underdog. You’d have to bet $145 on the Jets to gain $100 profit and a bet of $100 on the Giant would put you up by $125.
Point spread - Jets as -2.5 favorites. This means the Jets would need to win by 3 points or more for a spread bet on them to win. Alternatively, if the Giants lost by less than 3 points a wager on them at +2.5 would hit.
Over/under - this was set at 33.5 points. The game finished with the score at 12-7 in favor of the Jets so winning bets were those that went for the under.
When the season schedule is published and the game set, sportsbooks will begin posting odds for the opening games. Odds and lines are then usually released week by week once each game day is completed.
NFL odds and lines move regularly once they’re published. There are several factors directly related to a game that can influence. This might include news emerging of an injury to a key player or a media story about team morale or a coach’s comments on how they see the game playing out.
As well as this, odds are manipulated by sportsbooks to balance out the amount of money placed on both sides of a bet. If a book considers that too many wagers are being placed on the favorite or the underdog, or one side of the point spread and the over/under, then it might boost the odds on the opposite outcome to encourage more money to be bet on it.
New York has three NFL franchises in the NY Jets, NY Giants and Buffalo Bills. Who is the most popular football team in New York is subject to much debate. The Jets and the Giants actually play their home games in New Jersey despite having New York in their names, while the Bills are resident in the Buffalo metropolitan area of NY state.
The New York Giants are the oldest of the state’s pro football teams having been formed in 1925. The Giants play in the NFL Eastern Conference and have won the Super Bowl on four occasions, the most recent being in 2011. In recent seasons, the Giants have hovered around the top four of the east league but the wait for honors goes on with the team seemingly in a transitional phase for a while now.
The wait goes on for the Buffalo Bills as the NFL team alongside the Minnesota Vikings with the most Super Bowl appearances to have never won the cherished Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Bills have found consistency in recent seasons, winning the AFC East in 2020 and 2021. With the basis of a strong team currently, the Bills are many people’s tip for a Super Bowl win sooner rather than later.
In existence for over 60 years, the New York Jets haven’t made the Playoffs in over a decade now and have gained just a solo Super Bowl title in their history way back in 1968. Tentative optimism has spread among Jets fans lately with a host of new recruits and the Gang Green outfit could yet spring a surprise assault on the AFC East Division title.
While betting on the NFL is a fun way to add interest to watching games, most bettors also have an eye on making a profit. With that in mind, consider the following NFL betting tips:
Not all lines are created equal and while sportsbooks will keep an eye on the odds their competitors are offering, they largely act independently which means comparing prices for better value can pay off, especially over the course of a season.
The NFL draft system is set up to level the playing field and balance out each league. Each season there will typically be half a dozen strong teams and a similar number of weak ones. The sides in the middle typically win a decent number of games but can be underrated in the betting markets which provides an opportunity to find value bets.
there are a handful of stats that play a key role in determining NFL odds and should be used to inform your selections. You’ll find that most point spreads are set in three and seven-point increments as they’re the number awarded for a field goal and a touchdown with the extra kick converted. Also, teams that have a higher number of pass yards per attempt tend to score more. Likewise, turnovers play an important role with poor teams consistently posting a high amount of giveaways and strong ones a healthy amount of takeaways.
Keep up to date with the latest NFL news to help guide your betting decisions.
The Giants, the Jets and the Buffalo Bills dominate the football action in New York and so too the stadiums in which they play.
Everyone knows that the NY Giants and the Jets share both a rivalry and a venue. The intra-city battle for supremacy only catches light once in a while with the pair playing in different conferences. The Metlife Stadium that both teams call home is the largest in the NFL. Admittedly, the Metlife has its detractors although that may be as much due to the lack of postseason success of its inhabitants as its lack of architectural appeal. Regardless, when 80,000 football fans are inside, the place rocks just as it does when doubling as a concert venue. The Metlife may mean a trip across to New Jersey but once there its incredible sight lines and fantastic facilities make for an excellent venue in which to watch football.
Home to the Buffalo Bills since 1973, the Highmark Stadium may be something of an aging relic in NFL venue terms but it’s the fans who make the place a spectacle on game days. The legendary Bills Mafia is as much a movement as it is a collection of football supporters. Their Highmark Stadium residence holds nearly 72,000 spectators and though it lacks the frills and fancy features of other top NFL locations, it’s a raucous place that’s filled with energy, particularly for Sunday showdowns.
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New York has some fantastic spots to watch the game. The city and the wider state have everything from rowdy beer halls with the football on big screens to low-key hangouts for enjoying a craft ale in relaxed surroundings while taking in the action.
Stout - Chelsea, NYC
133 W 33rd St, New York, NY 10001
+1 212-629-6191
One of ‘the’ places to be when the Jets, Giants and Bills are playing, Stout occupies a great location in midtown Manhattan and is just a stone’s throw away from Penn Station near Madison Square Garden. Stout has ample seating across three tiers for watching projected games. Stout also has a huge variety of beers and a fantastic food menu for refueling at halftime and it opens early (11 am) and closes at midnight on weekdays and 1 am on the weekend.
Tailgate - Brooklyn, NYC
86 N 11th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249
+1 646-956-3146
The Tailgate Outdoor Sports Bar is a relatively new addition to the scene and has brought an alfresco vibe to watching the big game. Heated for the chilly evenings, Tailgate has a plethora of picnic tables with personal TVs and shipping containers converted into outdoor bars and a grill. Tailgate even has astroturf laid out for an authentic sporting feel which might come in handy should you happen to have a ball to hand. Tailgate is open till 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Boxers, Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen
37 W 20th St, New York, NY 10011
+1 212-255-5082
New York’s premier place for members of the LGBTQ+ sporting community to meet and cheer on their favorite team, Boxers has a club-scene vibe for partying after a win and is open until 4 am. There’s plenty of space for chilling with a drink while watching multiple games and the extended two-for-one happy hour that runs up to 9 pm attracts plenty of punters.
Taproom No. 37, Kips Bay
307 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10010
+1 212-725-4766
This Murray Hill watering hole doubles as a sports bar and mecca for craft beer aficionados. Lots of long tables mean you can join fellow fans to cheer on the team you’re following and the equally long oak bar serves up 40 microbrewery ales that’ll keep you coming back to sample more all season long. Lots of screens beam sports to every corner of the rustic-themed space.
The NFL season traditionally starts following the first weekend in September (usually the Thursday after Labor Day) and ends at the end of December or early January.
Public betting is a term used to refer to where the majority of money is being wagered on an event. You can bet with the public by staking on the most popular side or against the public by taking the opposite wager.
To bet on NFL games you’ll need to open an account with a sportsbook and make a deposit. All of the legal sportsbooks in New York offer betting on the NFL. To make a bet, pick a selection and enter a stake amount. Then hit confirm and your bet will be placed.
Sports betting is legal in New York and therefore so is betting on NFL games.
When you bet on the moneyline, you’re wagering on the team or player that you think will win a game.
When you bet over/under, you’re wagering on the total number of points that will be scored in an NFL game. You can bet on the number being above or below a figure set by the sportsbook.
Betting the point spread in the NFL means placing a wager on the winning margin. The favorite is assigned a set spread level and if they win by more than that number, the bet will be successful. If you take the underdog, the bet will win if that side is victorious or loses by fewer points than the speed.
An NFL parlay bet combines two or more selections into one wager. Usually, for the parlay to hit, all legs must win
Football players are prohibited from placing bets on games by the NFL’s gambling policy. The rule is not limited to games in which a player is taking part. NFL players can bet on other sports, however.
Bettors in New York can’t bet on the NFL draft as the state’s gambling regulators do not consider it to be a sporting event.
