Best NFL Betting Sites in the US (2023)

States in the US With Legal NFL Betting

Football is, unarguably, America’s favorite sport, and its high number of bettors mean that it is the highest sport being wagered on. NFL events hold every week, creating an opportunity for bettors to make real money.  

NFL betting is legal in some US states, as it is one of the most regulated games. The odds are continually reassessed and adjusted with the sportsbook operators who offer these products to Americans. The regulation is to maintain safe practices and only offer fair games where the bettors can win their stakes.

The NFL is top three leagues in the US gaming space. But not all states have legalized sports betting. Some states either have a House Bill in the legislature waiting for it to be passed into law or have it outrightly banned. 

Here are some of the states where it is legal to bet on the NFL:

Colorado

Colorado has the highest number of legal betting sportsbooks in the US. Close to 30 casinos are licensed to serve residents gambling products. There are over 20 sportsbook mobile apps in Colorado’s gambling space. 

Among the premium sports being wagered on, NFL tops the list as more than half of bets placed on the sportsbooks every weekend are on the NFL.

Analysts project that the bets placed will only increase with new sportsbooks being welcomed every month. 

Illinois

Illinois legalized sports betting in 2019 and has the NFL among the top sports leagues being staked on. Although players must register at a retail casino for their signup properly, NFL betting is in full swing with the current season in motion and can be played online and offline at a casino. 

The Chicago Bears are the most popular team in the State and are probably the most wagered on.

Indiana

Indiana legalized sports betting in 2019 and followed with the legalization and regulation of online sportsbooks a month later. It currently has 13 casino locations, with only two not offering sports betting yet. The online sportsbook apps operating legally in the State also cater to the State’s rampant gambling population.

A good reason for Indiana’s swift signing of the sports bill into law was the revenue generated, especially with sports like the NFL. The State was not ready to miss out on the juice. At the moment, Indiana is still one of the top states to offer NFL betting odds to players.  

Iowa

Iowa currently boasts of close to 12 sportsbook apps and lots of its retail casinos offering sportsbooks too. Since 2019 when it signed the sports betting bill into law, the State has offered premium sports, including the NFL.

Initially, the State required all bettors to register at a retail casino before accessing online sportsbook services. This requirement is now void, and players can complete registration and start placing bets online.

The NFL has become popular in Iowa, with no special team as a favorite. However, different areas have the preferred teams they bet on. For instance, the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears have always been the top team being wagered on by residents in the South, and the north has always favored the Minnesota Vikings. 

However, 2020 Super Bowl champions, Kansas City Chiefs, are now becoming the top team for the northerners. 

Michigan

Michigan is one of the largest states in the US that allows sports betting with no obstruction. Ten million residents can now enjoy placing wagers through the many sportsbook apps currently operating in the State.

The NFL was a deciding factor that led to the legalization so residents and visitors to the State could enjoy staking on their preferred teams while enjoying the opening event.

The Detroit Lions are the favored team in the State, with its popularity coming from winning the NFL championship four times.

New Jersey 

Sports betting was live in 2018 in New Jersey and has become one of the best markets to gamble on. Sports betting is offered online and at retail casinos, with mobile sportsbook apps available for tech-savvy players. Some analysts claim NJ is currently the capital of sports betting in the US, as no other state receives as much wager as the Garden State does.

Currently, NJ residents have more stakes on the NFL, having many odds available with various outcomes to bet on.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is the biggest online gambling state and one of the US's deciding states for sports betting. Currently, it is still at the top spot of states presently offering sports betting.

As a result of its large market, the State slammed a $10 million fee for licensing and mandates all sportsbook operators to remit 36% as gross revenue taxes. 

The NFL is one of the top sports being wagered on in PA. However, only the NFL sporting events are legal, while the drafts and elections are outrightly banned from being wagered on. The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers pro football teams are the top teams from the State and play each other once in four years. 

A good thing about betting on the NFL in this State is that bettors have many betting options to explore and get good cash prizes. 

Tennessee

Tennesse allows sports betting online only. All the top sportsbook mobile operators, including FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM, are present and cater to the population in Tennessee. The State continues to sway the sports betting market, despite the bumpy start in the first year of the legalization. 

The NFL is the most popular sports event in the State, with a wide margin between it and the second most popular, basketball. The Tennessee Titans are the anointed team for this State and are currently competing in the championships. 

Virginia

Virginia is currently the State with lots of successful stories regarding the legalization of sports betting in April 2020, thanks to the influence of the NFL. It has ten sportsbooks offering betting options to the residents, with many offers expected to be received in the future. Only three states in the US provide such an online sports betting format because of the lack of a retail casino.

The NFL is one of the top sports being wagered on in the State, with the Super Bowl seeing many bets, increasing the State’s revenue. The Washington Football Team, Charlotte Panthers, and the Baltimore Ravens currently ply their trade in the state championship leagues.

West Virginia

West Virginia offers both retail and online sportsbook betting to its residents. Since the legalization of sports betting in 2018, five retail casinos are currently available, with six mobile sportsbooks operating legally in the State. 

The State granted licenses to FanDuel and Draftkings, two of the most popular sportsbook operators in the country, before the beginning of the 2019 NFL season so bettors can bet on their favorite Football teams. 

Wyoming

Wyoming is another state that only offers online sports betting activities together with Virginia. The only retail casinos available in the form are owned and run by the two Native American tribes. Among the online operators offering sports betting to the residents, only Draftkings and BetMGM are active. 

There are no professional football teams for the State, so there are favorites for the residents to wager on. 

Other States that have legalized NFL sports betting include:

• Washington, DC
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• Oregon
• Rhode Islands

How we Choose the Best NFL Betting Sites

There are many sportsbooks in the US struggling for your attention, which can cause lots of confusion concerning how the players can choose the one that has their best interests. This challenge is why we have curated this section to show our readers how we select the best NFL betting sites. 

Licensing

Before you begin selecting where to place bets, consider the legality of the sportsbook and which gaming authority is in charge of their regulation. Any NFL betting site that does not publicly display which gambling authority regulates them is probably not legal and should not be considered.

A regulated NFL betting site has a body that has oversight on its operations. They ensure they operate within accepted practices, not making it extremely impossible for users to win. Also, players betting at a licensed site can direct their grievances to the regulatory body if the site’s customer support does not resolve their complaints amicably. 

High Odds

The best NFL sites offer the best odds you can get. We’re not just talking about the special promotional packages like Odds Boost, but the regular odds you can get without any reward program. You’ll want the best odds for your real money deposited, and high odds are a sure means of getting those high cash prizes. 

You should consider going only to the popular betting sites because many players trust them already. You can also go through our concise list of the top betting sites to place sports bets on. You can also search to see what odds other sportsbooks are offering to decide for yourself. 

Mobile Betting

Over the years, sports betting has become more convenient for gamblers. Now, you can place bets on your favorite NFL team on the go. Mobile sportsbook apps have changed a lot. Every sportsbook should have a mobile app or a highly optimized mobile site for mobile browsers. 

Even though a majority of the US sports betting sites have a mobile betting app, some of them still have issues due to the level of upgrades and features associated with the app. An excellent mobile sportsbook app should have a dedicated section for live streaming, so you can enjoy your favorite NFL match if you’re not able to sit in front of a TV.

Payment Methods

A good feature of using the best NFL betting site should be the ease of depositing and withdrawing real money. Withdrawals are most important; you don’t want to wait for too long before your cash wins hit your account. 

A reliable NFL betting site should provide different payment options to choose from. Ideally, the most common and secured payment gateways that should be available for players to choose from include:

• In-person
• Bank transfer
• E-wallets (PayPal, Neteller, Skrill)
• Debit cards (Mastercard, Visa)
• Online transfer 
• Cryptocurrency

Having different payment options is not just about the ease of making payments but also showing how dependable the betting site is. 

Promotions and Bonus Offers

The best NFL betting sites offer their new players the best welcome bonus offers. Whether a welcome offer or a sign-up bonus, they are similar and should be juicy enough. These offers could come in a free bet which is usually the top way offered on the first deposit. 

The promotions and rewards are designed for the existing players. Before we review a site, we check out if they have different promotions and reward programs for their regular players. An active welcome bonus doesn’t make sense but does not enjoy perks for playing regularly at a betting site.

Customer Support

A top NFL betting site must have an active customer support team available 24/7. They should have different modes of communications, not just being active, such as email, live chat, comprehensive FAQs section, phone lines, etcetera.

This pointer is necessary because there are days as a bettor when there is an issue with the betting site, and you will need your complaints heard and resolved. Customer support is an integral part of the betting site, and we always ensure that the place we recommend must have an active means of communication. 

Different Types of NFL Betting Markets

There are different types of betting markets that should be on the list of every NFL betting site. This section gives you an idea of how each of them works so you can get the best out of your bets. 

NFL Futures

These types of bets can help you place season-long bets for your favorite sporting events. Betting on NFL futures implies wagering on a future event. Here players can choose a football team, predict the outcome of all their games for that season, and stake real money. It is always exciting to predict winners so early. However, understand that your stake will be tied up, so ensure you don’t put every penny in. Popular NFL future bet is wagering on the winner of the Super Bowl, AFC, and NFC Championships and who takes the MVP award.

NFL Teasers

A teaser bet contains at least two games. This type of bet allows bettors to quickly buy a point spread, which means that you can adjust the average point spread of the games between 6-10 points in your favor. A middle teaser point rests on six points so that you can bet on the underdogs and the players’ favorite. Other main NFL teasers are 6, 6.5, and 7 points teasers.

This type of bet is usually placed on the home team since most bettors generally play the home team to win. You can remove six points from the home team and add it to the away team, teasing the home team that they’re your favorites to lose.

NFL Parlays

NFL parlays are very popular among bettors who stake on NFL games. Here, multiple selections are put into a single wager. All selections must go through or win for a bet to be successful. The difficulty of having a win lies in the number of selections made. However, the parlay odds only increase with the number of selections. Moneyline, spreads, or totals are mostly used markets in NFL parlays.

A good side of NFL parlays is users get to wager less and stand a chance to win more.

Moneyline Betting

Moneyline betting is a simple form of betting. Ideally, we can call it the simplest. Here, the bettor picks who would win the game. No twists, no turns, just the winner. As a negative number, the odds list the favorite in a game while the underdog is given a positive number.

The beauty of this form of betting is that there is never a tie. The odds range from -110 way up to -600. It is best to take advantage of the sportsbook welcome bonus for this. Usually, free bets, free money, and deposit bonus are offered to newbies.

Live Betting

Live betting is offered on all in-play NFL games. This is when bets are placed on ongoing NFL matches. Bettors get the chance to jump in on the game with live odds. Betting options include Moneyline, point spread, prop bet, and totals. It is best to predetermine your strategy, organize your bankroll, and forecast momentum swings.

Tips and Strategies for Betting on the NFL

The NFL is a top sport that requires understanding and a winning strategy to cash out regularly on the different games. Some of the top tips & NFL strategies you should consider before placing a bet include:

Home and Away Teams

For any NFL game, the home team is always favorites to win, at least 55-60% of the time. Some of the reasons why they are favorites include:

• The spectators are usually home fans who always show support to their home team. Also, the noise is usually to boo the away team and praise the home team, which could impact all groups concerned. 
• Away teams usually have to travel long distances and rest before their game. A luxury they do not have. 

NFL Underdogs 

In a typical NFL game, the game is usually decided by three points or less. It is usual for the entire bettor population to place their wagers on the favorite, which is why the betting odds for the underdogs are higher than the favorite.

A Moneyline bet for the underdog could be as high as +300 with a spread of 7. This game is usually decided by just one point. There’s no need to shy away from placing your wager on the underdog because anything could happen in a one-point decider.