American Football Betting – Legal Sport Sites to bet on American Football

Legal American Football Betting

American football, also known as ‘gridiron’ or ‘gridiron football’, is a team sport that is played by two teams consisting of 11 players on either side.

The game takes place on a rectangular field with goalposts located on either end of the field.

The offense, the team who has control of the oval-shaped football, will attempt to advance by passing the ball and running with it down the field, while the defense, the team without any control over the oval-shaped football, will aim to take control of the football for themselves and stop the advance of the offense.

The offence is required to advance at least 10 yards in 4 plays, or downs, or the football is turned over to the defence.

Should the offence succeed in advancing 10 yards, they will be given a new set of 4 plays, or downs. Points are scored by either advancing the ball into the end zone of the opposing team to score a touchdown or by kicking the football through the goalposts of the opposing team to score a field goal. The football team that accumulates the most points by the end of the game is declared the winner.

American FootballIn my article, I will look at some of the most popular events on the football calendar to look forward to every year. I also will provide information on a wide variety of American football bets you will come across at any legal online sportsbook, and offer some insight towards valuable American football betting tips and strategies. In addition, I will walk you through the legality of American football betting, provide frequently asked questions surrounding American football, and tell you why I consider American football to be a great sport to place a bet on.

If you consider yourself to be a self-proclaimed American football betting expert already, and merely want to find a legal sports betting site to place a American football wager, you can select any of my recommended sportsbooks provided below:

List of Sports Betting sites accepting players from the USA:

Rank Rooms Expert Score Signup Bonus Licensed Features Play Now
BetOnline

108 user ratings
Read Review

Deposit $25, Get up to $2500

(T&Cs apply, 18+)

mga  
  • Very high betting limits offered to customers
  • All major sporting events covered
  • Betting markets go live very early
Get Bonus!
Everygame

93 user ratings
Read Review

50% up to $200

(T&Cs apply, 18+)

kgc  
  • Strong promotions available
  • Well-designed website
  • Mobile compatible
Get Bonus!
3

SportsandCasino.com

30 user ratings
Read Review

300% Casino Match / 50% Sports Match

(T&Cs apply, 18+)

mga  
  • Good choice of games
  • Quick withdrawal process
  • Plenty of assistance for newcomers
Get Bonus!
Bovada

108 user ratings
Read Review

50% up to $250+$100 Welcome Bet

(T&Cs apply, 18+)

kgc  
  • Full audit trail of all bets placed and settled
  • Three different language option settings
  • One of the most popular US Sportsbooks
Get Bonus!
5

GTBets

109 user ratings
Read Review

100% up to $500

(T&Cs apply, 18+)

curacao  
  • Long experience in the industry
  • Cool promotions for major sports
  • Quality customer support
Get Bonus!

Show More

Popular American Football Events

American Football is the most watched sport in the United States and Canada, and bettors can look forward to an incredible variety of American football events throughout the year that provides plenty of excitement and many winning possibilities. I include the most popular American football events below and added a short description on each:

The NFL Regular Season

The NFL Regular Season

The regular season of the NFL is played annually from September through to December. The games are scheduled for Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays, and draw large audiences, both at the stadium as well as on television.

There are 32 NFL teams that are divided into two conferences, with those being the National Football Conference (NFC) and the the American Football Conference (AFL). Each conference is divided into four divisions, each containing four teams. Every team will play twice against another team in each division. Teams also need to play a further ten games against chosen NFL teams based on statistical information and other division teams.

The NFL Playoffs

The NFL Playoffs

The play-offs occur every year during January. The teams are invited based on their success during the regular NFL season. The six teams from each conference automatically qualify and compete play elimination games until two teams remain.  The best two teams from the AFC compete for the Lamar Hunt Trophy in the AFC Championship game, while the best two teams from the NFC compete for the prestigious George Halas Trophy.

The Super Bowl

The Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is an annual event held in the beginning of February and is the final of the NFL. The NFC and AFC champions go head-to-head to claim the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

NCAA College Football

NCAA College Football

The NCAA regular season consists of college teams from across the country, held from August through to December. There are loads of college football events to look forward to, including The South-East Conference, The Pacific Ten, The Big Ten, The Ivy League, The Big Twelve, The Big East, and The Atlantic Coast Conference. The NCAA is the most exciting during post-season, which provides the popular Bowl Championship Series.

Canadian Football League

Canadian Football League

The CFL, or Canadian Football League, is a professional football league in Canada. This is considered the highest level of competition when it comes to Canadian football. There is a total of nine teams that make up the West Division and East Division. The league usually starts in late June and ends in early November. After the regular season, six teams compete in the playoffs for the Grey Cup.

Different American Football Betting Selections

There are plenty of exciting and profitable betting types available when it comes to betting on American football. You will need to learn and understand each of them before placing a bet on football. Therefore, I provided the most common betting types you’ll find at legal sportsbooks and included a brief explanation on each:

Point Spread

Point spread betting is the most popular bet in American football wagering. This type of bet provides a head start for the underdog team that essentially levels out the playing field against a favourite. The odds will either feature a plus or minus sign in front of the numbered value. The underdog will always have a plus sign, while the favourite will always have a minus sign. For instance:

Philadelphia Eagles -3

New Orleans Saints +3

The Eagles are the favourites, and the Saints are the underdogs. The Eagles are three-point favourites over the Saints. The Eagles will need to win the game by three points for you to win your bet, while the Saints will need to lose by less than three points for you to win your bet.

Moneyline

This is the most straightforward bet in the American football. The goal here is to predict who will win the game outright. Moneyline bets will have odds listed for the underdog and the favourite. An example of this would be:

Philadelphia Eagles -180

New Orleans Saints +150

You will be required to bet $180 on the Eagles to win $100, while you only need to bet $100 on the Saints to win $150.

Game Totals

Game totals is a set number of total points that bookmakers expect to be scored in a game. Bookmakers will set a total for the combined score of both American football teams, and you can either bet that the total will be under or over the predetermined total. For instance:

Philadelphia Eagles 48.5

New Orleans Saints 48.5

The game total has been set to 48.5, and you will need to bet whether the total score by both teams combined will be under or over this number. Should the Eagles defeat the Saints with a score of 30-24, the combined total will be 54, which means the game went over the combined total.

Parlay

A parlay bet is a single wager that will combine two or more bets, and you will need to get all selection correct for your parlay bet to be successful. The more bets you include on a parlay wager, the larger your payout will be. Those available include Team Totals, Moneyline wagers, and Point Spreads on a single parlay bet.

Prop Bet

A prop bet is any bet that is not directly linked to the outcome of the game. The most popular prop bets are based on an individual player and team performances. For instance, you can make a bet on the number of throws a specific player will have in a game, or you can bet on the number of sacks the Saints will have in a game.

Futures

A future bet is based an outcome that will be only be decided in the distant future. For instance, you can bet on which team will win the Superbowl before the regular American football season gets underway. Future betting provides very attractive odds, especially if you make a bet before the start of the season.

American Football Betting Tips and Strategies

There are hundreds of betting strategies in existence, and it’s impossible to list all of them in my article. However, I included what I believe are the most valuable to improve your chances of making a winning bet on any American football game below:

American Football Betting Tips and Strategies

Early Season American Football Betting

At the beginning of each season, its advisable to trust teams that feature veterans in their line-up because proven players have the experience of winning and know the importance of starting the season with a winning momentum. You can also look for up-surging American football teams that had solid offseason improvements along with newly-employed coaches. New coaches will usually be pressured to prove their worth, and this makes their team worthy in early-season picks.

Bounce-back Theory

Most American Football teams will usually have the motivation and psychological advantage after experiencing a horrible defeat in their previous game. These teams will normally come back to prove their worth by beating the next team outright or at least try to cover the spread to make up for the bad loss. This is especially true with above-average teams.

Handicap American Football Turnovers

Usually, inexperienced quarterbacks find it difficult to transition from college football to professional football, leading to turnovers and interceptions. The same can be said for receivers and running backs that are just starting out, as they tend to fumble the ball. Teams featuring newly appointed players rarely win, and if they do, they struggle to cover the point spread. This makes them fade candidates when it comes to American football betting boards.

Bet After Bye Weeks

Bye weeks ensure teams get enough rest after playing back-to-back weeks in a American football tournament. This also provides a solid opportunity for teams to play well after a bye week and increases the possibility for you to make a profit when betting on their next game. This might not be valid for all American football teams but does provide an additional edge for most of them.

Legality of American Football Betting

American Football betting is extremely popular in both Canada and the United States. Most bettors that wish to wager on American football reside in the U.S, and therefore the question on everyone’s mind is if American football betting is legal? The answer is yes, American football betting is legal in all states.

State law surrounding American football betting is almost non-existent apart from a few states, as the federal law in the country has supremacy and essentially supersedes it. The federal law only deals with sportsbook operations and not the act of placing a wager. Bettors residing in the U.S can also place a wager at any offshore sports betting site as they are tightly regulated and fully licensed by gaming authorities in their countries. Therefore, they are legal, reputable, and extremely reliable.

Conclusion

American Football is considered one of the most popular sports to bet on in the world of online sports betting, offering plenty of additional advantages to educated bettors thanks to the wide range of betting types. The road to their success lies in locating an ideal sportsbook, providing both superior service and competitive odds, as well as transforming statistical information into the ultimate betting strategy for long-term profits.

American Football FAQ Section

How did American football evolve into a sport?

When was the first American football game ever played?

How does the scoring system work in American football?

Why I Would Recommend American Football Betting

David Nugent Editor

First off, I want to say hi and wish a warm welcome to all gambling aficionados out there! My name is David Nugent and I am editor-in-chief of LegitGambling.com. I have always enjoyed various sports, primarily soccer, as I am a die-hard Everton fan.

Over time, I learned more about sports betting and discovered the fascinating online gambling industry. Eventually,...

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments