Popular NFL Bets a Bettor Can Place

One of the most common mistakes new bettors can sometimes make is limiting themselves to just moneyline and point spreads. 

There are hundreds of NFL betting markets for online sports bettors to choose from.

There’s a time and a place for NFL spreads, but it’s important to keep in mind that specific betting scenarios may call for specific betting markets.

Here are some of the most common markets to consider for those looking to expand their betting pallet:

Popular NFL Bets

Below are nine of the most popular NFL betting lines at the BetMGM online sportsbook.

Spread

Betting a point spread is one level higher than betting a game outcome. Instead, you’re betting on whether or not a single team can win (or lose) by a predetermined margin.

For example: If the Kansas City Chiefs enter a contest as 6.5-point favorites, they’ll need to win by seven points or more to “cover” the spread. 

Conversely, if the Chiefs’ opponent loses by six points or fewer – or if they win the game by any margin – the Chiefs will have failed to cover the spread.

Moneyline

Sometimes, you want to bet simple winners and losers. That’s where the moneyline comes in.

Here, you can bet favorites to win at a reduced payout, and the payout scales down at a rate commensurate with how big a favorite your team is. If the Chiefs are -200 favorites, you’ll need to bet $200 of principal to earn $100 in winnings..

Conversely, a moneyline underdog will pay out much more lucrative returns. If the Chiefs win as a +240 underdog, a $100 bet will earn you $240 in winnings. 

Parlay

A parlay is a sequence of bets strung together to create one high-risk, high-reward betting opportunity. 

For instance, you might like four different favorites to win but are unhappy with the low payout of each individual bet. 

It’s possible to parlay these four teams together for a significantly higher payout but beware: If any single leg of your parlay loses, the entire bet will be graded as a loss.

Over/Under Total

Total bets, which are sometimes called Over/Under bets, don’t let you wager on the actual winner or loser of a game. Instead, they are bets on the offensive volume of a particular game.

In football, you might bet on whether both teams will combine to score over or under 49 points. In basketball, you can bet on how many total points will be scored in the game. In baseball, you can bet on how many total runs will be scored.

Regular

These premade sportsbook offerings allow bettors to get fun combinations from the same game at good odds.

For example, you might bet whether the Chiefs will beat the Broncos and Patrick Mahomes will throw at least three touchdown passes.

1st TD Scorer

Bettors in this prop market can bet which player in a particular game will score the first touchdown.

Because only one player can score the first touchdown, these markets often provide very lucrative NFL odds.

Anytime TD Scorer

Also known as ATTD, this prop market lets bettors back individual players to find the end zone in a specific NFL game. 

Player Prop: Total Receiving Yards

Betting on player stats for specific games has become very popular in the last few years, and totals for receiving yards are arguably the most popular. For instance, bettors might bet whether they think Travis Kelce will finish a particular game with over or under 72 receiving yards. 

Winning Margin

Bettors with strong feelings about what a final score might look like can capitalize on great NFL betting lines by betting the winning margin market.

For example, if you feel the Chiefs will beat the Broncos in a close game, you might bet the Chiefs to win by 1-6 points at +225.

1st Half Spread

Much like the full-game spread market, sportsbooks also offer point spreads for just the opening 30 minutes of a football game.

The market works the exact same way, but the bets are graded at halftime instead of the end of the game.