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NFL Legal Online Betting Guide For USA Players In 2024

The National Football League is far and away the most popular betting sport in the United States. It is estimated that Americans wager over $8 billion on just the Super Bowl each year, capping off a full season of pro football betting each February.

If you are interested in betting on football in the United States, read on to learn how it's done for regular-season and playoff games each year. Buckle up that chinstrap because we want to plow through and stiff-arm the sketchy betting sites by providing you with only the best legal online sportsbooks available to gamblers in the USA.

Table Of Contents

    Bovada Sportsbook - Top Rated NFL Sports Betting Site For 2024

    Top Rated BadgeBovada Sportsbook offers a robust pro football betting section that spans a wide range of game lines, props, futures, playoff odds, Super Bowl betting, and more.

    Bovada accepts cryptocurrency deposits and offers fast and reliable payouts the same day making account funding extremely simple for USA-based National Football League gamblers.

    New players who make their first real money deposit to the site can take advantage of an exclusive 50% bonus up to $1,000.

    Best US Online Sportsbooks To Bet On NFL Games In 2024

    Site NameCurrent BonusRating /5U.S.Visit Site
    1Bovada Logo50% Max $1,0004.9USA AcceptedVisit Site Review
    2MyBookie Logo50% Max $1,0004.5USA AcceptedVisit Site Review
    3Betonline Logo50% Max $1,0004.3USA AcceptedVisit Site Review
    4BetUS Logo100% Max $2,5004.2USA AcceptedVisit Site Review
    5Bookmaker Logo50% Max $5004.2USA AcceptedVisit Site Review
    6xbet logo50% Max $5004.2USA AcceptedVisit Site Review
    7Sportsbetting.ag Logo50% Max $1,0004.1USA AcceptedVisit Site Review

    Where Can I Bet On NFL Games Legally As A Player Living In The United States As Of 2024?

    Legal Certificate IconThere are no federal laws in the United States that prevent residents from placing online bets on pro football games through reputable offshore sportsbooks that are operating legally from within a regulated international gaming jurisdiction.

    This creates a situation where betting on games with an international sportsbook does not break any rules and will not get USA-based bettors into any trouble. The sites featured in our list of USA online sportsbook reviews fall under the offshore category.

    Furthermore, some states have legalized domestic sportsbooks that offer mobile, in-person, and online NFL betting within their respective regions. If you don't live in or near one of those states, then an offshore sportsbook site is the best option.

    How To Bet On NFL Games Online

    NFL Betting Infograph

    Betting on professional football in the United States is safe and easy to do. Just follow our walkthrough in this step-by-step guide, and you’ll be betting real money on games in no time with one of the USA's best sportsbook sites. The infographic above will take you through all the steps to get started, including:

    Step 1 - Sign Up: Visit any of the betting sites we recommend and check out the odds and lines on games to see which you prefer. Once you have decided on a sportsbook, just look for the join button to enter all the required information to verify who you are on the sign-up page.

    Step 2 - Claim Bonus By Entering Sportsbook Promo Code: All of the sportsbooks we recommend offer a welcome bonus.  Be sure to read the terms and conditions before you make your deposit to ensure you understand how to claim the bonus. Many premium sportsbooks also offer reload bonuses as well.

    Step 3 - Deposit: Determine how much you’d like to deposit and the method you’d like to use whether it be via credit/debit card, money transfer, or cryptocurrency, which is the most popular method to bet online by far.

    Step 4 - View Odds, Props, And Betting Lines: The sites we recommend offer numerous games and sports to wager money on, but for this guide, go to the sports section and then click on the football tab to see all the current NFL betting lines available and the odds displayed for each line. We do recommend that you sign up for an account at multiple sportsbooks so that you can easily shop for the best odds for any game.

    Step 5 - Place Your Bets: Once you see the NFL Vegas odds that you like, then choose the type of bet you’d like to make and look at the odds to see how much you need to wager for your desired outcome.

    Step 6 - Request A Sportsbook Withdrawal: When you win, you have two options: You can keep betting to increase your bankroll or request a withdrawal. To withdraw funds, go to your account and select the withdraw option relevant to you. Allow the sportsbooks some time to process the transaction (typically 1-3 days for non-cryptocurrency transactions depending on the site) to receive your winnings.

    Mobile NFL Betting Apps Available In 2024

    Mobile Apple IconBetting on the go can be made easy by simply clicking on one of the sportsbook links we've provided in this guide using a current browser on a modern iPad, iPhone, or Android device.

    Your smartphone or tablet can place wagers using touch-button control that functions just like a downloadable app, but only an up-to-date mobile browser like Opera, Safari, Google, Firefox, or Chrome.

    All of the functions available in the full version of the online betting site can be accessed on these mobile sportsbooks, and all that is needed is a solid connection and a few dollars to risk.

    How To Read NFL Odds

    If you’re experienced with betting, then you’re probably familiar with all the different types of NFL bets you can make, but if you’re a beginner, it’s important to know what you’re betting on before placing real money on betting lines.

    Here are three examples of the most common football betting lines you’ll see at an online sportsbook and the ones we recommend wagering on to consistently increase your bankroll.

    NFL Point Spread Betting

    New England Patriots -8
    New York Jets +8

    The bottom team in a betting line is always the home team. Negative numbers are assigned to the favorite and positive numbers are given to the underdog in spread betting. In this example, to win the NFL point spread bet on the Patriots, they must win by 9 or more points. To win a bet on the Jets, they can either with the game by any margin or lose by no more than 7 points.

    NFL Moneyline Odds

    New England Patriots -400
    New York Jets +300

    The money line is a bet solely on which team will win the game. Only the odds are displayed, and the team with the negative number is the favorite while the team with the positive number is the underdog. $4 of risk is required to net a $1 gain with a successful Patriots bet on their -400 moneyline because they are favored to win. The Jets are the underdog, and positive moneylines deliver more reward than the amount wagered - a $1 bet on the Jets at +300 will net $3 if they win the game.

    NFL Over/Under Betting

    New England Patriots @ New York Jets - Over/Under: 47.0

    For an over/under bet, a set number of points is given by the sportsbook, and a bet must be placed on whether the total points scored by both teams at the end of a game will go over or under the set number. In this example, to win a bet on the Over, the total points scored by both teams must be 48 points or more. To win a bet on the Under, the total points scored by both teams must be 46 points or fewer.

    NFL Live Odds For Betting During The Game

    Traditionally, when you bet on a football game, your wagers must be submitted before the start of the contest in question. Live in-game betting on NFL games lets gamblers immerse themselves in the action by betting on moneylines, spreads, over/unders, and props throughout the game as they shift in real-time.

    The live pro football odds will differ from book to book, but each one will feature in-play betting on game lines as soon as the kickoff occurs. From the first quarter through the fourth, the live Vegas odds NFL games produce exciting action for most of the contest - just don't wait too long because they're usually removed late in the game.

    Benefits Of Live Betting On NFL Games

    • Get HUNDREDS of extra bets per game – Live betting adds hundreds of wagers to each game’s docket. Because lines refresh every few minutes to reflect the action on the field, you’ll never run out of opportunities to maximize your bankroll.
    • Hedge your bets – If you place a pre-game bet and your favored team comes out looking flatter than you’d like, you can hedge that bet by picking the other side on a live line. Sure, your original pick might still win, but a guaranteed wash is sometimes the right play.
    • Recoup early losses – For countless reasons, sometimes it becomes clear early in a matchup that your pre-game pick isn’t going to win. Live betting lets you put money on the other team so you can recoup some or all of your expected losses.
    • Recover from injuries – A “sure thing” might turn into a major fiasco if a key player is injured in a game. Live betting lets you make new bets on lines and odds that reflect that injury. It’s like a trip to the sideline medical tent for your bankroll!
    • Get bigger payouts on favorites – If a pre-game favorite is -135 straight up and finds itself in an early 14-0 hole, their line might move to +165 or so. If you think they’re still likely to win, you can make a lot more money betting on that outcome in-game at much longer odds.
    • Double down on locks – Live betting allows you to double down on good pre-game picks. If your team is favored at -3.5 and scores three unanswered TDs in the first quarter, you might decide that you should have risked more than you did at the outset. With live betting, you can!
    • Play the middle – Playing the middle is an advanced tactic that in-game football betting facilitates. Before a given game, let’s say you bet on Team A at -7 to win, and they start racking up the points. Team B’s odds might shift from +7 to +12.5. You can now bet on Team B to cover, and if Team A wins by 10 points, you’d win both sides of the bet!

    Other NFL Bet Types

    NFL Prop Bets:

    Team and player stats, NFL MVP odds, and the color of the drink poured on the winning coach's head are just a few examples of prop bets that are offered for the regular season and playoffs. Anything that is trackable on the field or off is fair game for proposition odds to be created.

    NFL Preseason Betting:

    Betting lines for each preseason game will be offered at online USA sportsbook sites. There will also be preseason futures odds on the boards all year long that take action on Division, Conference, and Super Bowl winners.

    Betting On The NFL Playoffs:

    When the 17-game regular season is over, NFL Playoff betting begins with game lines and props that take action through the AFC and NFC Championship Games. Futures betting allows for betting on each franchise's playoff potential at any time of year.

    Super Bowl Betting:

    Betting on the Super Bowl can occur at any time of year because futures are created for the following season's champion as soon as this year's Lombardi Trophy is hoisted (if not before). During the final two weeks leading up to the big game, Super Bowl betting lines and prop bets will flood online sportsbooks with literally thousands of pro football odds.

    Betting On NFL Draft Odds:

    Prop bets for the draft allows for wagering on who the first pick will be, how many players will be selected from a given college or university, or anything else that oddsmakers can think up. Odds for betting on the NFL Draft tend to show up toward the end of college football season.

    Betting On The Pro Bowl:

    While intrigue for the pro football's All-Star game is tough to generate, Pro Bowl odds and betting lines do show up within a day or two of kickoff time but typically only consist of the line for the AFC vs. NFC.

    NFL Parlays, Teasers, And Pleasers:

    A parlay is when two or more wagers are combined into one. All bets involved must win in order for the parlay to payout. Each online sportsbook will differ in what they allow for parlay bets. Teaser and pleaser bets are also combination wagers like parlays, but the bettor or the book gets to adjust the odds to their liking for lower payouts.

    NFL Sports Betting Deposit Methods & Withdrawal Options

    Bag Of Bonus MoneyThe offshore betting sites that we recommend to our USA readers allow for cryptocurrency in addition to their robust selection of trusty US Dollar options for sportsbook deposits. Each sportsbook site differs in its portfolio of banking options, but they all accept Bitcoin – the most popular altcoin on the planet.

    The following benefits of betting with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are just a few reasons why gamblers should consider using it to fund sportsbook accounts:

    • BTC and other cryptocurrencies upload fast and securely using blockchain technology.
    • Sportsbook bonus offers typically offer much higher cash value than when depositing with USD.
    • The only option for a withdrawal to be secured within the same day it was requested is by opting for cryptocurrency. Winnings can be uploaded to crypto wallets in as soon as 15 minutes depending on which of our top football betting sites you do business with. The fastest paying sportsbooks always prefer crypto.

    Same Day Payouts - How To Collect Your NFL Winnings The Fastest

    Cryptocurrency withdrawals can be completed within 24 hours of them being requested, and in most cases, funds are transacted within 60 minutes. Each USA sportsbook site will differ in its payout delivery times depending on the type of crypto that is being used.

    Payout requests with cryptocurrency no longer require that the original deposit was made using altcoins, so feel free to withdraw with Bitcoin and other favorites no matter the original currency used.

    NFL Sportsbook Bonuses And Promo Codes

    When new members upload funds into their sports betting accounts, they are eligible to add a percentage of the deposit total to their bankrolls by selecting a sportsbook bonus. These offers differ depending on what online betting site you are at, and some even offer additional bonuses for future deposits.

    While we would never advise against accepting free cash, what we do suggest is that gamblers read the attached terms before opting for a betting bonus. As long as the conditions can be completed within readers' anticipated bet schedule, then accepting is a no-brainer. These sportsbook bonuses are optional and are not required to become a member.

    2023-2024 NFL Schedule

    • September 8, 2023 - Regular Season Begins
    • January 13-14, 2024 - Playoffs Begin With Wild Card Weekend
    • January 20-21, 2024 - Divisional Round of the Playoffs
    • January 28, 2024 - Conference Championship Games
    • February 4, 2024 - Pro Bowl
    • February 11, 2024 - Super Bowl LVIII (58)

    Super Bowl 57 Results

    • Kansas City Chiefs 38
    • Philadelhia Eagles 35

    Super Bowl LVII MVP Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback

    NFL Prop Bets, Regular Season Odds, and Super Bowl 58 Odds

    Additional Football Betting Resources

    2023-2024 NFL Season Preview – Want to see how this season is shaping up? Check out our preview of this season, where we predict how this season with turn out for all 32 teams.

    Thanksgiving Day Football Betting – Looking to place a bet on pro football while chowing down on some turkey? Check our Thanksgiving Day previews to see the games and betting lines available this year.

    Madden Football Sims Betting Guide - The one-stop shop for everything you need to know before betting on Madden simulations. Learn what factors affect the game and how to bet on the online action.

    NCAAF Football Betting Guide – Do you enjoy college football betting? Here we run down the betting differences from college to pro that you need to know before wagering on NCAA Division I Football this season.

    Betting on the USFL football league - Most of you are too young to remember, but the debunked American football league from the 1980s came back in 2022 and is still around in 2024 with more betting action, props, and payouts!

    Betting on the FCF football league - The FCF is back for another season, and while betting on the FCF football league is still new to seasoned bettors, it is a great time to lay some action on the new alternative football league.

    XFL Betting Guide - Even though the 2020 XFL season didn't really get a fair shake - the league will return in February of 2023!


    NFL Resources