Touchdown in the World of NFL Betting in 2025

In the world of betting, you must first understand that there's not just one way of doing it. Betting is a wide spectrum of decisions that come with different tactics and underlying qualifications. Here is a helpful guide to assist you in putting money down on your favourite teams, and in different ways.

Spread Bets / Point Spreading

Point spreading occurs when the bookmaker in charge of the betting artificially changes the odds to make the underdog team seem more attractive to bet on as the favourite would be. As an example:

• Team Red is the overall favourite to win.
• For Team Blue to bridge the gap of 4.5 points, then they must win by at least 5 points in total.
• If you were to place a bet on Team Red, they would need to win by 5 points too, in order to match the points spread.

The payment of a spread bet is determined by the moneyline (explained below) – however, the odds given in a spread bet's moneyline, unless otherwise noted.

Money Line / Line Betting

Line betting is where the bookmaker decides on an artificial margin to handicap a team's odds of winning. This is usually done to make a game equal, or appear as such.

This margin is called a “line”, and is only used in the case of win-or-lose outcomes. For example:

• If the bookmaker believes that Team Red is better than Team Blue by a 4 point difference, they can decide to handicap Team Red by 4 points to make them equal.
• In this circumstance, the line bet is for Team Red to win by more than 4 points over Team Blue, or for Team Blue to get within 4 points of Team Red. This makes both outcomes come to relatively equal odds.

The negative number in the moneyline (for example, -110) shows how much money you are set to win from wagering $100, while the positive number (+110) shows how much you'd win on top of a return of your $100 bet.

In this example, a winning $100 bet on the +110 moneyline would result in a payout of $210, while the same on -110 would only pay out $110.

Prop Bets

A proposition bet, or a prop bet, is a side bet that can be gambled on, on top of the main bet. A prop bet is more of a novelty bet than most others, meaning that it tends to be on odds that don't affect the outcome of the game in any way. In the NFL, it could be based on how many times a non-offensive player will score, or even something more fun and specific such as whether or not a player will do his famous victory dance in the game.

For example, a prop might be the longest rush in the NFL season, and you're presented with two options – Mark Smith, who has a -150 payout, and John Ball who has a +120. A winning $100 bet on Smith would pay out $150, while a winning bet on Ball would come to $120 on top of the $100 stake.

Parlay Bets

A parlay bet is a single bet made up of between two and twelve individual wagers, with the bet being won when all wagers coming to fruition.

If a single wager of the parlay does not win, then the rest of it also fails. Adding more wagers increases the parlay's payout by huge amounts, with more reward for the risk. It isn't necessary for all of the wagers to be in the same sport - for example, a parlay can mix-and-match bets in NFL, NBA and NHL matches all at once (so long as they all occur around the same time).

A common two-team parlay tends to hold a payout of 2:6:1 if both picks are correct. For example, a total bet of $100 on Team Red (+110) in one game and Team Blue (-110) in another would yield a payout of $300.91 if both picks win.

Teaser Bet

A teaser bet is very similar to a parlay bet. However, the difference being that a teaser is the same bet applied to more than one game and/or sport, meaning that a margin for winning is higher while the potential payout is much lower. For example, if you made two picks in a teaser bet with an overall 10:11 payout, your expected return would only be 0.46% of your stake.

Know the Game

It definitely helps your bet if you know what you're stepping into. Because of artificial points spreading on the part of the bookkeeper, the odds may not be indicative of the team you're betting on. Make sure to keep up to date on recent games before you start betting; if you're already a fan, you're two steps ahead.

Don't bet More than you can Afford to Lose

Even if you're certain that it's a shoe-in that the result you're betting on will come through, there's always the glaring spectre of misfortune. In which case, don't expect to win big money or betting all your savings on one game. It's about the thrill, not a destiny of richness.

Spread out Your Bet

If you've ever heard the phrase “don't put all of your eggs in one basket”, then you might know not to rely on a single bet. If not, spreading out your bet into different areas increases the chance of winning. Pepper your main bet with a few propositional bets to make it more interesting.

The National Football League, or NFL, began life in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA), before changing its name to the NFL for the launch of the 1923 edition. Then, there was only 14 franchises, while today there are 32 teams to support and bet on.

Canada has never had an NFL team to call its own, despite frequent campaigns to make it happen, as well as Toronto being cited as the natural landing spot for a franchise. Unfortunately, this hasn't happened to date - though that doesn't mean it couldn't be a possibility in the future.

Canada has hosted games featuring NFL teams, however; between 1959 and 1961, four interleague games between the Canadian NFL and the American NFL were played here. In addition, six preseason NFL games have been played in Canada, along with seven regular season NFL games:

• New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Wildcats, 1926
• Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills, 2008
• New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills, 2009
• Chicago Bears vs. Buffalo Bills, 2010
• Washington Redskins vs. Buffalo Bills, 2011
• Seattle Seahawks vs. Buffalo Bills, 2011
• Atlanta Falcons vs. Buffalo Bills, 2013

With the internet being fit to burst with online gambling sites, it might be hard to find where to start on sports betting. It helps to have a few things in mind to look for when starting your betting odyssey, and we have a few helpful things to keep your eyes peeled for:

Competitive Odds - If all odds were the same everywhere, there would be no point in choosing different places to bet. However, the miracle of marketing competition means that gambling sites will try to outdo their competition on odds – look out for sites that will offer you more of a payout on the bet you were planning.

Free Bets - It's always worrying committing real money to something when you don't know whether or not it'll be worth it. Fortunately, some online sports betting sites will offer you a few free bets on sporting events – you'll be about to try before you buy, and stick around if they've impressed you with their service.

Variety of Sports - You might be fixed in place on betting only on the NFL, or you might want to spread your wings and experience as many sports as possible. To keep your options open, make sure you find a site that offers a wide variety of sporting events for you to try out.

Regularly Updated Stats - You don't want to waste your time on a site that's had the same odds since 2013 – times change, and odds and payouts change with it. Ensure you're not investing your time and money into a stagnant site by going with those that update regularly.

Compatible Apps - In a new age of smartphones, you might be surprised to find out that not everything is compatible with your device and there are specifically-made applications for specifically-made operating systems.

Canadian Dollars Accepted - As we're Canadian gamblers playing in Canada, it makes sense to want to be able to bet in Canadian dollars. Always check that you can deposit in your native currency before signing up to an online casino.

Most importantly, it's not just about the aforementioned criteria that should help you choose a betting site. There are always exceptions, and a lot of it lies in finding a site that truly clicks with your interests. Try out as many betting sites as you can – preferably with free bet promotions, so you can do it without committing much money alongside your time. Your perfect sports betting site is out there somewhere, and the trick is in finding where it's hiding.

For those who enjoy real cash sports betting, NFL offers some great markets to explore. You can keep it simple with bets on the winners of games, or get adventurous by betting on such things as the spread of points multiplied by jersey numbers of the players who score them.

NFL betting is a great option for those who like crunching numbers and studying form. The more analysis you do, the better your chances of success with a wager. And the great thing is that you can watch every game unfold on live television.

If you're confident in putting your money down on the ball, then go for it! Just ensure you've found a site that works for you and values having you as a patron, and you will both be able to help each other. NFL is a team game, after all!