NFL LINES, ODDS AND SCORES

Whether you are placing a bet on a football game for the first time or betting on your favorite team's next match, this article would provide you with valuable information as you navigate through a fascinating 2022-2023 season with its mix of high- and low-scoring games.

How to Bet On the NFL

The first step to betting on the NFL is opening an account with any of the available sportsbooks within your region. Opening multiple accounts is a good idea as it gives you the opportunity to compare NFL odds from different sportsbooks (sites like NFL Vegas Odds might prove very helpful in such situations)

After opening an account, the next thing you want to do is fund your account then you can proceed to place a bet on any of the sporting events.

There are three types of wagers a sports bettor can make on an NFL game: point spread, money line, and total. We will describe each one in the sections that follow.

Point Spread

A point spread in the NFL refers to a figure made by a sportsbook stating the favorite or underdog based on the expected margin of victory or defeat for a given NFL team. The favorite team would always be at a disadvantage as it would need to win the game by a certain number of points, while the underdog would be given an advantage to not lose the game by a given number of points or win outright.

An example of an NFL point spread would look like this:

1. New Orleans Saints -7
2. Atlanta Falcons +7

Bettors would need to decide whether they think the Saints (the favorites in this case) will win by more than seven points or if the Falcons (the underdogs) would cause an upset and win or keep the margin of their defeat within seven points.

Moneyline

The Moneyline market is a straightforward one that requires the bettor to wager on the winner of the game.

Totals

The points total market requires the bettor to wager on whether the game will go over or under a certain number of points.

NFL Odds and Betting 2022 Regular Season

The NFL regular season started on the 8th of September, 2022. The first game was between the defending Super Bowl LVI champions, Los Angeles Rams, and the Buffalo Bills at the SoFi Stadium. 

The game ended 31-10 in favor of the Bills. The line for this game opened at +1 but was later revised down to -2.5. 

This year has been full of surprises as many teams were expected to do well but they failed to live up to expectations. The playoffs for the 2022-2023 season will climax with the Super Bowl LVII at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on February 12th, 2023.

NFL Teams

The NFL is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams. The 32 teams in the NFL are split into two conferences which are the American Football Conference(AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference is further broken into 4 divisions which are the East, North, South, and West Conferences. Below are interesting facts about some of the NFL teams:

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills is a New York team that competes in the NFL as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC), East division. They won the AFL championship consecutively in 1964 and 1965.

The Miami Dolphins

In 1972, the Dolphins became the only team in history to go undefeated through the regular season and postseason. The Dolphins are based in the Miami Metropolitan Area. Like the Buffalo Bills, they also compete in the NFL as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC), East division.

New England Patriots

New England Patriots is an American professional football team based in Foxborough Massachusetts. They have 6 Super Bowl titles (2002, 2004, 2005  2005, 2015, 2017, 2019) to their name. 

Denver Broncos

The Broncos are one of the oldest football clubs. They were established on August 14, 1958. They currently compete in the NFL as a member of the NFL's American Football Conference, West division.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs were founded in 1959 by Lamar Hunt and joined the NFL as a result of the AFL and NFL merger in 1970. Before then, the Chiefs had won three AFL championships in 1962, 1966, and 1969. They became the second team in the AFL-NFL World championship to beat an NFL team after The New York Jets.

The Oakland Raiders

The Raiders were founded in 1960 as one of the eight original teams in the American Football League. The Raiders have three Super Bowl championships to their name (1977, 1981, and 1984). Their players have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame 28 times.

Baltimore Ravens

Edgar Allen Poe's poem The Raven is the inspiration behind their name. They won the Super Bowl XXXV against New York with a score of 34-7. Also, they defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in the Super Bowl XLVII. The Ravens have their headquarters in Owing Mills Maryland.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals joined the American Football League (AFL) in 1968, and in 1970, the AFL merged with NFL. To date, the Cincinnati Bengals haven't won a single Super Bowl. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American Football team based in Pittsburgh. They are the 7th oldest franchise in the NFL and the oldest franchise in the AFC.

The Steelers have six Super Bowl titles, the same as the England Patriots. They also have eight AFC championships and are tied with the Denver Broncos, but behind the Patriot's record eleven championships.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Interestingly, Tampa Bay Buccaneers share ownership with Manchester United football club in England. The Glazers announced they were purchasing Tampa Bay Buccaneers in September 2003, eight months after the Bucs had won their first Super Bowl. 

Established in 1974, Tampa Bay Buccaneers have their stadium in Florida. They have won two Super Bowl championships, two Conference championships, seven Division championships, and have featured in 12 playoffs.

New Orleans Saints 

The New Orleans Saints are one of the country's most-watched NFL teams and have been nicknamed " America's Team". The New Orleans Saints have one Super Bowl championship, one NFC conference championship, five NFC Division championships, and ten playoff appearances. They are currently based in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers is an American Professional Football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL) and have won two Conference championships in 2003 and 2015 respectively.

The Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons were established in June 1965. They won Division championships in 1980, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2012, and 2016. The Atlanta Falcons have never won a Super Bowl championship.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals are the oldest team in the National Football League (NFL) but surprisingly they are the least successful franchise in NFL history with just two NFL championships in 1925 and 1947.

San Francisco 49ers

Established June 4th, 1944, the San Francisco 49ers compete in the NFL as a member of the League National Football Conference (NFC), West Division. They have won five Super Bowl championships (1982, 1985, 1989, 1990, and 1995) and were recently ranked sixth among the most valuable teams in the NFL.

Dallas Cowboys

Interesting to note is the fact that the Dallas Cowboys do not play in Dallas. They play in Arlington, Texas. They are one of the NFL's most popular and successful teams. They have five Super Bowl championships to their name.

Popular types of NFL Odds

Point Spread Betting

Think of point spread as an estimated margin of victory. It goes beyond just picking a side that will win. Usually, a minus (-) sign means that a team is favored and a (+) means that a team is an underdog.

1. Las Vegas Raiders +3.5(+110)
2. Dallas Cowboys     -3.5 (-110)

In the above example, the Cowboys are -3.5 favorites over the Raiders and must cover the spread by four points such as 30-21.

Moneyline Betting

Moneyline betting is a straightforward bet. Bettors are to choose the team to win. Some Sportsbook apps offer draws as an option in a moneyline bet.

Total Betting (OVER/UNDER)

The OVER/UNDER in betting is a bet on the total number of points in a game. A bettor predicts whether or not the combined points scored by both teams will go over or under a set amount.

Parlay Betting

A Parlay bet simply combines multiple wagers into one bet.

Prop Betting

Prop Betting is very popular with sports that have countable stats. In football, popular props include perceptions, touchdowns, number of interceptions, and so on. 

Teaser Bet

A Teaser bet features multiple wagers but instead of taking the sportsbook’s line, you shift it in your favor by moving the point spread or point total for each of the bets.

Pleasers Bet

Pleasers bet is a kind of Parlay where the lines are modified to the Sportsbook's favor. Pleasers and teasers are two opposite sides of a coin. The video below helps explain the concept of Pleasers and Teasers even better.

Betting sites to bet on NFL

What makes a good sportsbook? Is it the NFL odds they offer, an online presence, or excellent customer service? There are thousands of sportsbooks around the globe, and they each offer a variety of services. 

With so many options available, choosing the right sportsbook can be tough. That’s why we've compiled a list of the top five sportsbooks in the United States. Check them out below.

NFL Open lines

The Open line is the first line that is made available for wagering on a sporting event. Well-informed fans can take advantage of the open lines to get money in favorable situations.

The NFL open lines open on Tuesday or Wednesday (10-12 days before kickoff). Sharp bettors usually react to these lines by sifting through loads of data and information to get the best prices.

States with betting coming soon

Ever since the Supreme Court lifted the ban on single-game betting in 2018, several US states have introduced legislation for sports betting in their localities. 

Lawmakers in Maine, Ohio, and Massachusetts, recently passed legislation to legalize sports betting in their respective states. These laws could come into effect as early as January, 2023. 

FAQ

How do I read the NFL odds?

NFL wagers usually come with two kinds of odds; 'favorite' (negative) odds and 'underdog' (positive) odds. NFL odds starting with a negative sign represent how much you must wager to win $100 while NFL odds starting with a positive sign represent how much profit you'll make from a $100 stake.

When does the 2022 NFL season start?

The regular 2022 NFL season kicked off on the 8th of September while playoffs are expected to start on the 14th of January, 2023. 

How many games will each team play?

Each team in the NFL plays 17 games during a regular season. These games are usually played over a duration of 18 weeks.

When and where is the Super Bowl for the 2022 season?

The 2022/23 Super Bowl is scheduled to be held on the 12th of February, 2023 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It is the 57th version of the Super Bowl.

Who are the favorites to win the NFL?

Sean McDermott's Buffalo Bills are the current favorites to win the Super Bowl. They currently lead other teams with NFL odds of +350.