NFL betting is continuing to gain ground, and it’s a market that has been significantly helped by the seismic changes that have occurred across the US and have transformed the sports betting landscape since 2018.
It would be naive for us to suggest that this market hasn’t been attracting millions of American sports betting fans ever since the internet started to affect society, but the legitimacy of the industry has meant that there’s now a whole new range of sports betting platforms that are offering markets on the number one US sport.
Using promotions and bonuses, and basic terminology
If you’ve registered for a betting website in the past or have googled sports betting, your search algorithm will no doubt have delivered many sports betting promotions and welcome bonuses. If you’re a beginner in this market and you’re not sure where to begin, it’s crucial to grasp the basics – and this is before you’ve even looked at NFL betting markets.
Due to the rise of the US sports betting market and the fact it’s now a 10-figure industry, there has been a wave of new subsidiaries that have been able to corner their own chunk of the market. We’d be here all day if we were to describe them all, but from a promotions and bonuses perspective, the most appealing and promising is the rise of review sites.
Understanding the different review site standards is essential in understanding this subdivision of online gambling. Highly rated review sites are those that approach their reviews objectively, using the facts and criteria to ascertain which bonuses are a cut above the rest. WSN has scoured the web to find some of the market-leading NFL promotions before the start of the new season in September, but if you’re doing some personal research, ensure you understand these key terms:
Expiry date
The amount of time you have to use a bonus before it expires – the top providers usually average an expiry date of around seven days for the main bonuses and promotions.
Playthrough requirements
The amount you need to bet with your bonus credits before you can cash out. This is a figure sometimes given as a fixed amount or as a percentage.
Max cashout
A monetary limit that you can withdraw in real funds once you have honored the playthrough requirements of the NFL betting bonus.
These are just a few to remember, but be sure to do your research if you encounter anything in the terms and conditions you are unsure of.
Popular NFL betting markets
The 2024 Super Bowl was one of the most exciting in recent memory. The TV ratings exceeded expectations, with over 115 million people in the US tuning in. As with any huge sporting event that’s able to smash the ratings, it also meant that it was the most significant individual event for the sportsbooks in the US – by a considerable margin.
NFL betting encompasses a broad range of markets, including individual in-play betting, with a growing, cutting-edge tech culture that allows placing bets within milliseconds.
However, there’s also a range of outright markets for those looking to find more traditional markets, such as simply betting on a team to win or which player will win the MVP award.
There are thousands of markets you could find at any given time, but as we move into the new season, here are some of the most popular:
- Outright – betting on an outright result at the end of the season. The most obvious market is the Super Bowl winner, which is the outright NFL betting market that sees the most activity.
- Handicap betting – betting on a team and the amount of points they will win or lose by, usually in multiples of 5.
- Over/under points – a bet on whether or not a team will score a specific amount of points.
- Prop bets – specific, individual player bets, such as receiving yards, points scored in one quarter etc.
- Parlay – a combination of teams and games; this can be on the same game week or across several weeks.
- Against the spread – betting against the predicted points difference between the two teams.
Responsible gambling
While it can be easy to get lost in these markets, especially with the selection on offer, it is imperative that you only gamble within your financial means with money you can afford to lose, and do not see gambling as a source of income.
Chasing your losses or playing beyond time limits you have set yourself are two of the most obvious signs of problem gambling. In this event, seek help from charities like Gamblers Anonymous, which can guide you to help or support you in your area.
Conclusion
Betting on the NFL is one of the biggest sports betting markets in the world and it’s only set to grow, given the plethora of states that have now legislated and legalized sports betting on a mass scale.
Understanding the basic terms, how the market works and how imperative responsible gambling is to your overall enjoyment will give you the foundation to explore the NFL betting markets and their offerings.
