Best American Sports Betting Sites

Being an American affords you the freedom to be yourself and do what you want. One area where we’ve seen extensive growth when it comes to freedom is with online sports betting. Many states and jurisdictions have passed favorable laws paving the way for the best US sportsbooks to offer real money action to US citizens and guests all across this beautiful country.

Bovada Sportsbook - Safest Online Sportsbook for Americans. The name “Bovada” is synonymous with sports betting, period. It is perhaps the most popular betting site on the web, and for many reasons.

1. The key is selecting a US betting site that offers excellent security, easy banking options, and a highly enjoyable sportsbook experience with a wide variety of betting options. Here are Sports Betting Dime’s top 10 US betting sites for sports wagering in the United States.
2. The US sports betting market is at a peak with plenty of reputable sports betting websites that are offering betting services to the USA. The 3 biggest US online sportsbooks are Bovada, BetOnline and Bookmaker. The “Big 3” online sports books are known for providing sports betting services to most areas in the United States.
3. American Betting Sites. A list of the top online sportsbooks available to US customers as of February 2021. The list also includes their review score, deposit methods, payout time, and signup bonuses. Check out each American betting site.
4. With the best American Football betting sites, there will always be a variation in the.

Rank	Gambling Site	Deposit Bonus	Get Started
#1	BetUS	100% Up To $2,500	Visit Site
#2	50% Up To $1,000	Visit Site
#3	BetNow	100% Up To $1,000	Visit Site
#4	50% Up To $250	Visit Site
#5	BetOnline Sports	50% Up To $1,000	Visit Site

If you live in the red, white, and blue and are ready to bet on sports online, you’ve come to the right spot. In this guide, we list a few top-rated US sports betting sites and apps for you to enjoy. And our team of expert sports bettors and industry insiders outlines everything you need to know to start making real money sports bets right from the comfort of your own home.

You’re just minutes away from the action.

Top US Online Sportsbooks

• MyBookie – Widest variety of sports betting options online.
• Bovada – Most trusted brand in United States sports betting.
• BetNow – Lucrative bonus opportunities for US sports bettors.
• SportsBetting.ag – Real money betting offered in all 50 states in the USA.
• BetOnline – Extensive selection of payment options with fast payouts.

If you’re here searching for the best online sports betting sites that services customers in the United States, you’ve found the motherlode. While each of these USA betting sites offers a slightly different experience, they each have one thing in common—trustworthiness. Each of these sites for real money online betting in the United States has proven its worth in the industry by providing exemplary service to sports bettors for years. If you want to bet where we bet, pick one of these US betting sites.

What Criteria Do These US Sports Betting Sites Meet?

Best American Sports Betting Sites Bovada

Betting Options

To get on our list of the best US sports gambling sites, we conduct thorough reviews. And our reviews start with offering a superior product. One area we’re particular sticklers for are the number of betting options offered. Whether that’s USA sports betting options or international betting options, we want to see the ability to bet on major sports in the US, major sports internationally, special events around the world, and all of the smaller sports that unique fans love. Additionally, we like to see mobile US betting apps and online sportsbooks that offer more than just a few bets for every game, race, or match.

Lucrative Bonuses Opportunities

In the early days of real money online sports betting, the question was whether or not you could get a bonus from a site. Today, the question is not if, but how big of a bonus you can get. When we’re racking and stacking the top sports betting sites in the US, we want to see big bonuses and the sites that we have recommended have some of the best sports gambling bonuses online.

Not only that, but we also want to see bonuses that have fair terms, benefit the player, and are easy to clear. Plenty of online US sports betting apps slap a huge number on the homepage yet make it impossible to get. Our team digs under the hood to make sure that you’re getting what you think you’re getting.

Banking Options and Accepted Currencies

Not everyone uses the same bank or is comfortable using the same method of moving money around online. Because of this, we want to see real money online sportsbooks in the United States that offer several different banking options. Additionally, we like seeing that they accept multiple currencies. While this might not matter to most bettors in the US, it certainly does if you ever travel abroad.

But what is most important in all of this is whether or not the money moves quickly and safely. In the early days of real money sports betting online in the US, we were okay with options that were a little slower on the draw. Today, you’re only going to see fast payout betting sites on our recommended lists.

User Interface

Betting on sports is already challenging enough when it comes to picking winners. Why on Earth would you ever want to bet with a sportsbook that complicates that process? You wouldn’t, and neither would we! For that reason, we only recommend United States sports betting apps and sites that have great user interfaces that are intuitive, laid out well, and constantly being upgraded.

Trustworthiness and Reputation

While we love to joke around and have a good time, there’s one thing that we take very seriously when it comes to United States sports betting sites, and that’s the safety of our readers. We’re never going to recommend any US sportsbooks that we haven’t fully researched and vetted for trust, reputation, and reliability. If you can’t that trust your online betting experience is going to be safe, then there’s no point. Again, it’s hard enough to pick winners without the added stress of worrying about the safety of your money. You won’t have to worry about that here.

Customer Service

It’s incredible how many US sports betting websites can’t seem to get the customer service piece right. For us, that’s a non-starter. If you can’t provide top-notch customer service to your customers, then we’re not interested in sending you any business. Here’s what we’re looking for:

• 24/7/365 service
• Agents who are fluent in English
• Extensive FAQ guides to help with common questions
• Customer service teams that are equipped with the resources needed to help
• Short or nonexistent wait times
• The ability to contact a live person via chat or the phone

What USA Betting Sites Can I Use in My State?

Even though these are the best US sports betting sites, some sites are restricted in certain states. We’ve included the information below to help you find an online sportsbook no matter what state you are in.

• Nevada
• New Jersey
• New York
• Pennsylvania

• Delaware
• Maryland
• Nevada
• New Jersey

• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Nevada
• New Jersey
• New York
• Pennsylvania

• Allowed in All 50 States

• Allowed in All 50 States

However, it’s always a good idea to get as specific as possible to get the best product available for you. Keeping with this idea, we’ve included links to dedicated guides below for all 50 states. Click on the state you’re in to see the best sports gambling sites for US players that are specific to the jurisdiction.

United States Gambling Laws

A popular area of discussion around betting on sports in America is the legality. For the most part, most areas of the country allow at least some form of legal gambling, including USA sports betting sites. Additionally, we see more and more states and jurisdictions add favorable legislation to help advance gambling and sports betting even further.

Let’s look at some of the more historic pieces of gambling legislation that have affected USA sports betting and US sports betting apps and sites. While not all of these apply today, it’s always nice to have a good idea of where we’ve come from to see where we’re going.

Wire Act of 1961

Also known as the Interstate Wire Act, this law sets out some guidance for the operation of different types of wagering businesses in the US Originally, the law was put in place to stop certain forms of brick and mortar gambling and the transfer of money and information through wire communications. Currently, there hasn’t been a ruling on whether or not the Wire Act of 1961 applies to online gambling or not.

Interstate Transportation of Wagering Paraphernalia Act

This law deals with the transportation of certain gambling materials across state lines. In other words, it targets bookies that might be transporting supplies across state lines in order to run an illegal gambling operation.

Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act

Probably the most famous law concerning real money gambling on the internet was the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIEGA). This law specifically targeted online banking transactions within the betting business, leading many US sports betting sites and US betting apps to stop servicing the United States for an extended period of time and serving international customers instead.

What’s interesting about the law is that it doesn’t apply to “skill games,” which spurred a lot of debate in the horse racing community, online poker world, and with sports bettors.

The arguments began that all of these were games of skill, as they required skill to win, and players could gain an edge. The bottom line with the UIEGA is it’s heavily open to interpretation. You can still visit many US sports betting sites today.

Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) set out to define the legal landscape for real money online sports betting in the US. In short, the law outlawed sports betting in most areas of the US with a few exceptions. This caused the rise in offshore sportsbooks that worked to operate outside the control of PASPA.

What’s most important to note, though, is that in 2018, PASPA was overturned, paving the way for states to begin regulating sports betting in the ways they saw fit. The interesting debate that followed the overturning was whether states needed to rule in order for sports betting to become fully legal again.

Some states jumped on the opportunity to bring in more tax revenue and quickly laid out favorable legislation. Some of them have state-regulated US online betting sites available to local residents and visitors. But a few states went the other way and laid out legislation continuing the intent of PASPA. But the biggest debate came in states that did absolutely nothing. Is sports gambling now legal, or is a new law required to lay out the framework? Depending on the lawyer you ask, you’ll get a different answer.

Illegal Gambling Business Act

Rolled out in 1955, this law makes it illegal to own or operate an illegal gambling business in the US The law is an interesting one because it effectively says that it’s “illegal to do something illegal.” Profound. What the law does do is attach some additional outline to what is and what is not illegal. Still, this law was written in the 1950s, well before online gambling was a thing. How it pertains or is applicable today is completely up to interpretation. Additionally, it only deals with businesses running the operations and not the players participating.

Types of Bets You Can Place at US Online Sportsbooks

Something you’re really going to like when betting on sports in the US is the options. The top US betting sites offer a wide variety of different types of wagers. These options allow you to maximize your potential winnings by taking advantage of every unique prediction, hot tip, and lock you come across.

Here’s a look at the six most popular bet types you’ll see available on games, matches, and races.

Moneyline

All US sports betting apps and sites offer moneyline wagers. A moneyline wager is a bet on which team, person, or car is going to win a scheduled event. All you need to happen to win your bet is the person you chose to win to come out victorious. That’s it! Keep in mind that moneyline bets don’t always pay out the same amount of money, depending on who you bet on. The bigger the favorite, the less you stand to win. Big underdogs can bring a big payday, though.

Here’s an example of a moneyline bet. Let’s say the Bengals are playing the Browns on Thursday Night Football. The moneyline odds could look like this:

To win this bet at US sports gambling sites, you just have to pick which team is going to get the job done. But because the Browns are favored in this example, a bet on them won’t net the same profit as a bet on the underdog Bengals. Here’s what you’d earn with a $20 wager on each team.

• Bengals $20 to win pays a profit of $42
• Browns $20 to win pays a profit of $7.40

Point Spread

In the prior example, you can see where a bet on the Browns might not be that enticing. But what are you to do if you think the Browns are going to have a great game but don’t want to risk an arm and a leg to get a real return? You’d have to bet $114 with a moneyline bet to get the same return as a bet on the Bengals.

This is where point spread wagers come in. The best sports betting sites in the US will determine how many points they believe the favorite in a game is going to win by. In this example, the sportsbook believes the favorites the Browns are going to win by 6 points. A point spread bet is a wager on whether a team is going to outperform that expectation or not.

Here’s what the bet would look like in the sportsbook.

With most point spread bets, either side of the wager pays the same amount. In some sports with lower score totals like soccer and hockey, though, that’s not always the case. In this example, each side pays out at -110. So, a $20 wager on either side pays a profit of $18.18

At most US sports betting sites, all you need to win your point spread bet is for the team you wager on to outperform the expectations. In this example, the Bengals are expected to lose by 6 points. All they have to do for you to win your bet is lose by fewer than 6 points. They don’t even have to win the game. As long as they lose by 5 or fewer points, you win your bet.

The same is true on the other side. The Browns are expected to win by 6 points. To win a bet here, the Browns must outperform that expectation and win by more than 6 points. In other words, they must win by at least 7 points.

If the game results in exactly a 6-point victory for the Browns, it’s a push, and all bets are returned.

Totals

Another popular bet you’ll see at many of the best US sports betting sites is a totals bet. This wager is based on the total points or goals scored in a game. The sportsbook sets the line of how many total points or goals they believe will be scored by both teams. From there, you have two options—bet the over or bet the under.

If you bet the under, the total points scored must be under the line set by the sportsbook. If you bet the over, the total points must be higher. If the number is exactly on the line, it’s a push, and all bets are returned.

Here’s an example using our previous football example.

As you can see, both sides of this bet pay out the same amount, just like the point spread wager. This can change in some sports, though.

While it does say a team name on each bet, it doesn’t actually matter which team wins the game or how the points are scored. The only part of the bet you’re looking at is “Over 44” or “Under 44.”

If you bet the over on your US betting app and the final score is Browns – 45, Bengals – 0, you win because the total points scored is over 44. If the final score is Browns – 24, Bengals – 30, you win because the total points scored is 54 and is higher than 44.

Futures

A futures wager is a bet on something that takes more than one game, race, or match to decide. A common example found at US sports betting sites might be a wager on who will win an upcoming tournament or which team will win the end of season championship. Generally, futures bets can be made way in advance and are available throughout the duration of the event.

That being said, the odds on futures bets change as the likelihood of a person or team winning goes up or down. For example, if a team is winning every game, makes the playoffs, and there are only a few teams left—expect a lower payout on a futures bet. If you see a team that’s struggling but still has a shot to win, you might see some incredible odds on a futures bet.

Props

Many of the top US online sportsbooks and US betting apps offer what are called prop bets. Sometimes, these bets are available on every game, and sometimes, they’re just available on higher-profile events. By definition, a prop bet is a wager on whether or not something will happen during the course of a game, race, or match. When you bet on props at the best sports betting sites in the United States, you either wager on “Yes” or “No” or an exact prediction.

Here are a few sample prop bets that should clear up any confusion.

Parlays

A parlay is a bet that strings multiple individual bets together. In order for you to win, you must win every single bet included. As this is much harder to do, you are paid handsomely for hitting a parlay. Parlays found at most US sports betting sites can have as few as two bets up to as many as the sportsbooks choose to allow. If you’re looking for a way to turn a small amount of money into a big win, take a look at these bets.

How to Start Real Money Betting on Sports in the US

1. Choose the right US sports betting sites for you. Take a few minutes and test out some of the options we’ve recommended here. Most of these real money sportsbooks let you see anything and everything without creating an account! The only thing you won’t be able to do is to make an actual bet until you sign up.
2. Join the USA sportsbook of your choice. Once you’ve tested out a few US betting sites, make your final selection(s). Fill out the basic account information, and create your account. If you’re looking to join multiple United States sports gambling sites to shop lines, you can take care of that now or after you make your first bet.
3. Make a deposit. You’ll need to fund your account to make your first bet. Luckily, this only takes a few minutes, and you’ll have instant access to the cash. Head over to the banking page and select the deposit option you want to use. From there, follow the on-screen prompts and make your deposit.
4. Start betting online! Real money US online sportsbooks are designed to be convenient. Part of that convenience is the ability to get into the action quickly. Once you’ve made it to this step, all that’s left for you to do is to start picking winners!

US Sports Betting FAQ

Is Online Sports Betting Legal in the United States?

Sports gambling is legal in most parts of the United States. With that being said, there are some areas of the country that have specific rules and laws for their jurisdiction. While you should be good to go in most areas, it’s always smart to do a little research before diving into any USA sports betting sites. Additionally, it’s worth noting that many of the areas with legal hang-ups in years past have recently passed legislation in favor of online sports gambling in the United States!

Can You Bet on Sports Online in the US?

Yes! There are hundreds of online sportsbooks in the US offering action to residents and guests. If you’re looking to bet on sports in the US, you’re in luck. Our list of the best US sports betting sites can be found at the top of the page.

Where in the United States Can I Bet on Sports?

When it comes to where to bet on sports in the US, you’ve got two main options. First, you can drive to the closest casino or sportsbook to place your wagers. If that doesn’t work for you, your second option is to bet online with real money US sports betting sites or through USA sports betting apps on your smartphone. Both options provide the chance to make real money bets on all types of sports.

What Betting Sites Can I Use in the USA?

This page is designed to provide you with the top US sportsbooks online, but these aren’t the only betting sites accepting US customers. If you would like to check out other US betting sites, head on over to our reviews page where you have the option to select reviews based on US and non-US betting sites. Click the button below to check out of our complete collection of online gambling site reviews.

What Are the Best US Betting Sites?

Chances are the reason you’re here is that you already know that not all betting apps or sports betting sites in the US are high quality. So, how do you go about finding the best sports betting sites in the USA? That’s where we come in. At the top of this guide, you’ll find a list of the best US sports betting sites. If you want a high-quality, safe, and trusted online betting experience, look no further than the table above.

What Are the Most Popular Sports to Bet on in the United States?

What’s great about sports bettors in the US is that they have eclectic tastes when it comes to betting on sports. That being said, the four most popular sports bet on include baseball (MLB), basketball (NBA), football (NFL), and hockey (NHL). College sports, NASCAR, and combat sports (UFC and boxing) are not far behind and may very well pass some of the big four in years to come.

Can I Bet Real Money on Sports Online in the USA?

Absolutely! You can bet real money on sports online in the USA, and you can WIN real money betting on these sports. US online sportsbooks offer the same opportunities as land-based books and often more.

Are There Apps for United States Sports Betting?

If you’re looking for a dedicated phone app to bet on sports in the USA, you have some options. Check out our list of the best betting apps for US customers now to get started. Keep in mind that many of the options in this guide do have US betting apps or do work as mobile-responsive websites. In other words, if you don’t want to download a dedicated app, you don’t have to.

American football is by far the most popular sport in the US, both in terms of viewership and real-money betting. The popularity of this American sport has transferred to other countries as well, most notably — Canada.

Even though Canadians prefer betting on sports like ice hockey, lacrosse, basketball, and soccer, the interest in American football betting in Canada has been on the rise over the last several years.

If you are one of the people interested in NFL betting, we are more than glad to help you out. On this page, you will see a list of the best Canadian-friendly sportsbooks that feature American football markets.

Additionally, we will talk about what makes these sportsbooks worthwhile, how you can start betting on American football, what types of NFL bets exist, which sports betting bonuses you can take advantage of, and more.

Our Top Recommended American Football Betting Sites for Canada

Whether you want to predict the next Superbowl winner or place bets on individual players, the sportsbooks listed below have everything that you’re looking for.

These betting sites represent some of the top brands in the industry, and, apart from American football, they offer betting on other sports as well, like ice hockey, tennis, basketball, winter sports and more.

CAD 250	5/5
2	CAD 200
CAD 200	4.9/5
4	CAD 500
CAD 2500	4.9/5
6	CAD 125
CAD 200	4.8/5
8	CAD 200
CAD 500	4/5
10	CAD 2500

Please carefully read through any terms and conditions which will be found on the respective betting sites website in regards to how to claim and use any free bet bonus, failure to adhere to any specific rule may void your winnings so do take some time checking the terms and conditions out.

The above bonus bets are subject to chance at any time, so once again please check out the respective betting sites website for further information on the amount of their current free bet bonus offer.

How We Rank American Football Betting Sites in Canada

The interest in American football betting goes past the US borders, which is why almost all online sports betting operators feature NLF markets on their sites. Most of these sites are available to Canadian bettors, but not all of them are recommended.

In order to come up with a list of truly best American football betting platforms, we had to establish some relevant criteria. All operators that want to get a spot on our list must show that they deserve it by having valid gambling licences, valuable bonuses, a wide range of markets and betting features, mobile compatibility, fast payment methods, and communicative customer support, among other things.

Licensing, Safety, and Trustworthiness

The only way to safely bet on American football online is to visit legit sports betting sites. What makes a given sportsbook legit is its licence, which has to be issued by a reputable online gambling jurisdiction.

You can be sure that all NFL betting sites shared on this page own proper licences and have been checked for safety by our team of experts.

Bonuses

If you want to get a good value on your first deposit, you should look for betting sites that offer rewarding bonuses to their first time players. These bonuses usually come in the form of bonus cash or free bets.

Being avid bettors ourselves, we understand how important lucrative bonuses are, which is why we made sure that all sportsbooks we listed have great welcome packages and other promotions that reward regular customers.

Betting Markets

If you’re only looking for moneyline bets, you’ll find them on every betting site. However, if you want to be more imaginative with your betting, you should look for a sportsbook that allows you to place half-time bets, totals, parlays, teasers, futures, props, and more.

It’s safe to say that the number of different NFL bets you can take on our recommended betting sites will make your head spin. We will talk about different types of American football bets later on, so stay tuned.

Odds

Getting a good value on your bets is one of the most important aspects of betting online. We wanted to save you the trouble of comparing and shopping for odds yourself, which is why we have selected American football betting sites that have the absolute best odds in the industry.

Moreover, you will likely run into some special offers from time to time, such as enhanced odds or accumulator bonuses.

User Experience

Betting on American football online is much easier if you can rely on a user-friendly interface. Unfortunately, you will find many online sportsbooks that don’t really pay attention to their website design, as they often look outdated and sometimes overly complicated.

We prefer betting sites that have a clean and simple design, which allows users to navigate through the website easily and find exactly what they want in a matter of a few clicks.

Mobile Betting

The most convenient way to bet these days is by using your mobile device. If you’re not at home or near a PC, you can simply log in to a betting site over your mobile browser of place bets using a mobile betting app.

All of our recommended operators are mobile-friendly. They all have well-designed mobile sites optimized for smaller screens, while a good portion of them also has apps that you can download and install on your Android, iPhone, or iPad.

Live Betting

Every sports betting site features in-play betting, which is especially popular for NFL games. As time goes by and the score changes, the odds will change accordingly.

Live betting is very convenient, and it works well in situations when you want to change your initial pre-match bet or when you have a better insight into the game now that it has already started.

Payment Methods

A quality online betting site should allow you to perform transactions using safe, quick, and convenient payment methods. When rating American football sportsbooks, we always give advantage to those operators that accept as many different payment methods as possible.

Of course, the sheer number of banking options is not the only thing that matters, which is why we also look at the things like minimum and maximum deposit and withdrawal limits, available currencies, potential bonus restrictions, withdrawal pending times, and fees.

Is betting on American football in Canada legal?

Online sports betting in Canada has been legalized and regulated in several provinces. However, Canadian-based sports betting sites are not exactly the cream of the crop when it comes to American football betting, especially because it is still illegal to place parlay bets in Canada.

That’s why a lot of Canadians prefer to bet on offshore betting sites. While offshore sportsbooks are technically not legal in Canada, they are not illegal either, as Canadians laws do not explicitly prohibit this type of action.

Top Betting Sports

How to Start Betting on American Football

Are you new to online American football betting? Don’t worry, as getting started is a piece of cake. Here’s everything that you need to do:

Signup To A Sportsbook With American football Markets

Pick a website from the list that we’ve provided.

Head over to that website and create an account.

Make A Deposit

Claim that you want to use the operator’s welcome offer.

Go to the cashier, select a deposit method, and enter the amount you want to deposit.

Once the transaction is completed, the money will show up on your account page.

Make A American football Bet

Browse the list of available sports and click on American football.

Start creating your betting slip. Good luck!

Canadian Betting: American Football

Canadians pay close attention to the NFL and support their favorite team’s right throughout the 17 week season. A number of Canadians also regularly place bets on the NFL teams they support and sometimes even on other teams if they believe they can win money off them.

A number of reputed sports betting websites such as Bet365, Paddy Power, William Hill, Betfair and 888 Sports offer betting on American football. These sports betting websites offer betting via their online website and also via a mobile app that is compatible with both Android and mobile platforms.

Some of the bets offered on American football include match betting, total match points, winning margin, tri-bet, handicap betting, alternate handicap, away team total points and home team total points.

Most NFL games run for a little more than an hour but with the amount of commercials and timeouts these games can run for well over two hours. Most sports betting websites offer in-play betting on American football games.

Top American Football Betting Events

It is probably the Super Bowl that most people associate with American Football, and whilst it is true to say that this one annual event does indeed have a huge amount placed and wagered on the outcome of the match, there are plenty of other ways to bet on American Football throughout the year.

In this section of the Betting.ca website we shall let you know not only which American Football events you can wager on but also what types of wagers you can place and of course present to you are range of our top rated online betting sites, all of which accept American Football bets and offer some of the best odds around.

National Football League (NFL)

The NFL is the biggest and most popular American football competition in the world. It consists of 32 teams divided into two conferences — the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference and features teams such as the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears and the Miami Dolphins.

The NFL season typically lasts for 17 weeks between September usually one week after Labor day and runs till December, with each team having to play one game a week. After the regular season’s conclusion, the top seven teams from each conference advance to the playoffs, which are played in a single-game elimination system.

The crown of the NFL season is the Super Bowl, which is one of the biggest single-game sporting events in the world. The Super Bowl usually takes place on the first Sunday of February.

Unlike the NBA, NHL, and MLB, the NFL does not feature any Canadian teams. Nevertheless, plenty of Canadians are die-hard fans of American football and love placing bets on NFL games.

Super Bowl

The biggest sporting event in regards to the American Football Calendar is of course the Super Bowl, however you can also place wagers through the season on many different American Football teams all of which are in the American Football Conference (AFC), the National Football Conference (NFC) which make up the National Football League (NFL).

The Super Bowl is broadcasted throughout North America and has a history of being one of the most watch events in every calendar year. The event also results in a massive amount of bets being made both in America and Canada.

The Super Bowl championship generally takes place the following year. This means that the NFL 2016 season will see the final championship take place only during the early part of 2017. The finals usually take place on a Sunday which is often referred to as Super Bowl Sunday.

Types of American Football Bets

The most basic American football betting types are the moneyline, the point spread, and the totals. These are the three types of bets that almost every sports betting site offers. Still, some of the more sophisticated sportsbooks will give you a chance to explore many other markets that will make your betting experience even more enjoyable.

Even if you’re not familiar with any of the betting types mentioned above, there’s no need to worry. We are about to explain them to you in the simplest way possible, while also using some examples.

Handicaps

Should it look like one of the teams playing cannot possibly lose, then the outright winning odds on that team will be restrictive, however thanks to Handicap Betting the opposing team is given a head start and as such the odds reflect their chances with this enhanced starting score.

Match Betting

This is probably the most popular type of wager on any American Football sporting fixture. Simply pick out the team you want to win, place you bets and if that team wins then so do you.

Away Team Total Points

For those of you are looking to get some of the best odds available on any American Football wager, then it is going to be the more exotic types of wagers that you should be placing, if you think you can predict the total points scored by the Away Team, then these types of wagers are renowned for their large payout odds, however they can be rather hard to predict, hence the large odds given!

First Team to call a Timeout

Another of the more unusual types of American Football betting opportunities is the first team to call a timeout wager, the bet is exactly as its name suggests, and you will find many online and mobile betting sites offering you the ability of placing such a wager

Total Points Betting

One final type of American Football betting opportunity that may or may not be of interest to you, but one that can offer some generous winning payout odds is the Total Points wager. This is your chance to correctly guess just how many points will be scored throughout any match, and if correct you will be rewarded with some rather large winning odds.

Moneylines

Two teams are playing against each other, and you need to pick who wins the game. That’s all there is to moneyline betting, which is why this type of bet is ideal for beginners.

The moneyline odds can be good if the two teams are evenly matched. However, if there’s a clear favourite, moneyline automatically becomes less interesting.

For example, the LA Rams are playing the New England Patriots. The odds for the Rams to win are 1.55, while the odds for the Patriots sit at 2.60. This means that the Rams are the favourites, but the game could go either way, and the Patriots winning can bring you a nice payout.

However, the Titans are a much bigger favourite than the Jaguars, and the bookie has given them the odds of 1.10 to win and 7.00 to lose. Therefore, th Titans are very likely to win, which is why you will only get a $1 profit if you decide to bet $10 on them.

Point Spreads

Point spreads are very similar to moneylines in the sense that you only need to pick the winner. However, instead of just picking the outright winner, you’ll be allowed to decide whether the team can win or lose by a certain number of points.

For example, if the spread is +6.5 on the Vikings and you take that bet, that means that the Vikings need to win or lose by 6 points or less. Alternatively, if the spread is -6.5, you should hope that the team you backed wins the game by 7 points or more.

Point spreads are a way for the bookie to level out the playing field and make things between two unevenly matched teams more interesting.

Totals (Over/Under)

If you are not certain on who will win an NFL game, but you have a good hunch regarding the overall score, you should explore the totals, which are also referred to as the over/under market.

Over/under is another market that only has two possible outcomes. The bookie will set a number, for example, 52.5. If you think there will be a total of 52 points or less in the game, you would bet on under. Alternatively, if you feel like the game might finish with 53 points or more, you should place your money on over.

Just like point spread, the totals are a 50/50 market, meaning that the odds for each outcome will usually be around 1.90.

Halftime and Quarter Bets

Moneyline, point spread, and totals can be wagered on for a full-time result, but they are also available for specific periods of the game. Most bookies will give bettors an opportunity to explore these markets for each of the quarters and halves.

Parlays

Parlays are multiple bets placed on a single betting slip. In order for a parlay to be successful, all bets on your betting slip must be successful as well. If you have a pretty good notion of how all the matches will finish during a Monday night time slot, you can combine them on a single slip and get very good odds.

Note that your parlay bet does not have to feature the same betting market for every game you plan to put on your betting slip. Instead, you can place a moneyline bet on the first game, a point spread on the second one, and an over/under bet on the third one.

Also, parlays can work across different sports, so you can combine your American football bets with basketball or ice hockey.

Futures

At any given moment during or before the NFL season, you can bet on which team you think will win the next Super Bowl. This can be a very hard bet to guess, but that’s exactly why the odds tend to be high.

Best Us Based Sports Betting Sites

Apart from guessing the outright winner of the competition, you can also bet on individual player rewards, such as the MVP, Rookie of the Year (both offence and defence), Defensive Players of the Year, and more.

Future bets also allow you to predict whether a certain team will make the playoffs or when they are going to be eliminated.

Proposition Bets (Props)

Props are the bets that include various scenarios during the game. For example, you can bet on which quarter you think will have the most points, how many touchdowns will be scored, the number of total passing yards recorded by a quarterback, which team scores first, which player scores the first touchdown, and others.

Different Types of American Football Betting Bonuses

Essentially, there are three types of sports betting bonuses that can be used on American football — cash bonuses, free bets, and money back promotions.

Cash Bonuses

Cash bonuses are usually given to players upon signup, but they can also come in the form of reload bonuses that are designed to be used after you’re finished with your welcome offer.

In any case, cash bonuses are given as a certain percentage of your initial deposit. For example, if the sportsbook offers 150% up to $200, that means that if you deposit the maximum amount of $200, you will get another $300 in the form of a bonus.

Of course, you won’t be able to withdraw the bonus money right away, as it’s only meant for wagering. You can only cash out once you complete the wagering requirements.

Free Bets

Free bets are the most common type of online sports betting bonuses. They come in the form of bonus cash as well, but unlike regular cash bonuses, their size is the same regardless of your deposit amount. Also, some bookies might offer free bets immediately after you’ve signed up, without requiring a deposit.

To get a free bet, the bookie might ask you to place a qualifying bet that has a minimum odds requirement first. Once that bet has settled, you will get to claim your free bet credits. If your free bet is unsuccessful, it’s no biggie, as you got that bet for free anyway.

But if your free bet is a winning one, you get to keep the profit. Of course, before you are allowed to cash out your free bet winnings, you will have to meet the wagering requirements.

Money Back

Money back is an increasingly popular sports betting promotion as of late. It’s basically a win-win bet, but there’s a catch.

If you win a bet during the money back promotion period, you win as usual, but if you lose, the bookie will give you your stake back. However, the money that is given back to you won’t be withdrawable and instead will come in the form of a free bet that has its own set or requirements.

Tips and Strategies for Betting on American Football

Here are a few general American football betting tips that you should consider before creating your betting slip:

• Don’t be biased — Always bet with your head, not your heart. We understand that you might be a big fan of a certain football club, but don’t let your emotions get in the way.
• Follow the analysis — Keep up with stats to try and figure out certain trends, like how a certain team plays at home as opposed to away, head-to-head history between the teams, how a certain team performed in the last few weeks, etc.
• Pay close attention – to player transfers, new sign-ups, player suspensions and injuries both before and during the season
• Take the time to study – the past 3 seasons and see how the team you want to bet on has performed
• Check the injury reports — Only one player getting injured can mess up the entire team’s structure. See which players have missed practice over the last few weeks and whether they are likely to return for the next game.
• Make use of in-play betting to hedge your bets.
• Explore different kinds of bets — Try and diversify your wagers to see which bets sit with you the best.
• Gamble responsibly — Never bet with money that you shouldn’t spend. Establish a reasonable bankroll and stick to it.

Final Thoughts

We hope that this guide has been useful and that you’ve learned some things that you previously didn’t know about American football betting.

If you think that you are ready to start placing bets on the NFL, take another look at our list of the best American football sportsbooks in Canada and take your pick. Good luck!

American Football Betting FAQ

Online sportsbooks we’ve listed in this article are 100% safe. They are licensed and regulated, and they employ modern SSL technology that protects all transactions.

The easiest type of bet you can make is the moneyline, as it just lets you predict the winner of a given game. However, moneyline bets tend to have low odds on teams that are heavily favoured to win. In such cases, it’s best to bet on point spreads that give underdogs a certain number of handicap points, thus evening out the odds.

The easiest bet to make, especially for beginners, is the match bet. With this bet type, all you have to do is bet on a single team taking the win according to your best judgment. However, if you rely on match bets in the beginning, you should also consider whether your betting provider has the “push” rule, which states that you won’t actually win in the event of a draw.

Second to the match bet is the handicap bet, which is a more advanced bet to make and should be only done when you have basic understanding of how this works. With spread bets, if you bet on the winning team you’ll only win when the team scores over the minimum margin. On the other hand, if you bet on the weaker team, you’ll win both in the case of a win as well as when the win margin is lower.

The key things you have to look out for are the overtime rules that some betting sites apply. Unlike other sports where overtime is rarely counted, with American football match bets or “moneyline” bets have a “push” rule that gets your stake back after over time if the scores are even.

The same rule sometimes applies to spread bets, which if level (handicap applied) after the fourth quarter are still considered a “push”. Another rule to keep your eye on is that, in most cases,the bets stand as long as 55 minutes of gameplay has been realized, even if the game is later replayed.

Yes, all of our recommended sportsbooks have live betting features that allow you to place different kinds of bets while the game is on.

The yardage is one of the most basic methods Canada bettors use to estimate bets since it relies on the basic principle of team strength. The way yardage is applied is by looking at the offensive and defensive yard of each team, i.e. how many yards have been gained and how many defended.

The logic is that, naturally, the teams that gain more yards in the offensive are considered to be the likeliest winner. Of course, this isn’t a failsafe method, but it can often help you pick better.