American Football betting provider - what awaits you on this page
- American Football Betting Explanation: How does the NFL work?
- The most popular betting markets for betting on American Football
- Leagues for betting on American Football: NFL betting, sure - but is there more to bet on?
- Tips and tricks for a promising American Football betting strategy to get you started
- What else you should know about American Football sports betting
- FAQ
- Conclusion
American Football Betting Explanation: How does the NFL work?
Before you can make profitable American football bets in the long term, you first need to know how the sport works. Therefore, we have compiled a description of the most important key points in the rules here. The NFL serves as a reference.
For many, the US National Football League (NFL) is the epitome or a synonym for American football as a whole. In fact, most leagues worldwide are based on its structure and mode. Accordingly, we have also chosen it as the starting point for our explanation of the American football rules for betting.
Photo: New England Patriots on offence from pixabay.com/de
The system of play in the NFL
A total of 32 teams compete in the National Football League. The games traditionally start on the weekend after Labor Day, which is the first Monday in September. This is the start of the so-called regular season, i.e. the main season. This lasts 17 weeks. The teams meet each other in 16 matches.
Besides the main season, however, there are other important seasons on which American football betting is possible. In total, the NFL season takes place in three sections:
- First, we start with the pre-season.
- This is followed by the regular season, which has just been briefly described.
- Finally, there are the playoffs.
The crowning glory is the Superbowl, usually held in February of the year following the start of the season.
Training in pre-season and knock-out in the Conferences towards the playoffs
American football betting fans don't even have to wait until September to place their first bets on the NFL season. The preseason starts in August. It then lasts for about five weeks until the main season starts.
Four games are mandatory for each team during this time. These are called exhibition games. Winning or losing these games does not affect your chances of winning the league. During this time, training takes place in a competitive mode. Similar to friendly matches in football, it is a chance to integrate new players, try out tactics and generally get into the flow of the game. However, the top players are usually left out. They are rested for the more important matches.
Tip: Despite, or perhaps because of, the cautious approach of the teams, NFL preseason betting can be quite interesting. The games are difficult to predict and often have surprises in store. As a result, they are not easy for American football bookmakers to classify, which gives you a good chance of getting odds snips or the best value with the right preparation.
Once the main season begins, teams are divided into two conferences. The American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC) each have four divisions. There are four teams in each division. That makes 16 teams in each conference.
In the conferences it is now a matter of progressing in the knockout system. Four teams from each conference can reach the play-offs. In addition, two teams from each conference have the chance to enter the tournament via a wild card. These are the teams with the best win-loss records.
This is where it gets really exciting, as every win takes a team closer to the Superbowl. A defeat is just as fatal - whoever loses is out. Watching the games and betting on the NFL Playoffs is therefore very exciting.
The NFL playoffs take the best teams all the way to the Super Bowl
At the end of the main season, a total of 12 teams enter the play-offs. Each conference has six teams. All division winners play at home to a wildcard team in the first play-off weekend. Only the top two teams in each conference will be allowed to play. This is followed by the Divisional Round, in which the best teams in each division play at home against the winners of the previous round. The team that survives this round advances to the conference championship, which determines who will play for the Superbowl title.
And how is American football played?
Photo: O-Line vs. D-Line from pixabay.com/de
Knowing how the games are played is of course also absolutely essential for profitable American Football betting.
American football is a complex sport, so we cannot explain all the rules here. However, it is better not to go into too much detail anyway, otherwise you will quickly lose track. It is enough to know the basic rules. This is how American football is played in the NFL:
- Basically, the aim is to score more points than your opponent. A game lasts until a winner is declared - there is no draw.
- The playing time is divided into four quarters of 15 minutes each. There is no overtime.
- The game is interrupted several times for space gains, penalties or time-outs, and the clock is not kept running.
- Each team has two blocks of players - an offence and a defence. Either the offence or defence plays, depending on who is attacking and who is defending.
- At the start of the game, the first defence (decided by a coin toss) kicks the egg-shaped ball from the 35-yard line of their half of the field towards the opponent. The aim is to get the egg as far into the opponent's half as possible.
- The offence is to catch the ball and then use it to get as far as possible into the opponent's field - ideally into the end zone.
- Most of the time, however, the offence is stopped by the defence before it reaches the end zone. The attackers have four attempts to move the ball at least 10 yards (by carrying or running and passing/throwing). If the 10 yards are covered, the attacking team has four more attempts.
- If the offence fails in the 10-yard task, the game is over. The same goes for scoring, of course.
- Reaching the end zone means a touchdown, which is worth six points. Immediately afterwards, there is an extra kick, which ideally goes through the U-shaped goal at each end of the field, for another point.
The most popular markets for betting on American Football
Screenshot: NFL Betting Markets at Betway
- Winning bet or moneyline: The so-called American football moneyline bet is the most widespread market. Here you bet on the home or away victory of a team in a certain game. There is no such thing as a draw in football.
- Handicap-Bets: These American football bets allow you to back a team to win or lose by a theoretical number of points. The values are provided by the bookmakers. In this way you can get the teams on the same level, at least for the bet. The odds will change as a result, which makes this type of bet a good way to improve your favourite odds.
- Over/Under or Over/Under: Over/Under American Football bets come in a variety of formats. The most common is on the total number of points. The aim is to predict whether a team will score more or fewer points than the bookmaker predicts.
- American Football bets on quarters or halves: You can also bet on individual halves or quarters. For example, you can bet on who will win the second quarter (money line). The evaluation time or playing time of such a bet is shorter, which makes it comparatively easy to evaluate.
- Player or team bets: These are bets on whether an individual player or a whole team will win a particular American Football event. For example, you can predict who will score a touchdown or whether a player will convert a field goal.
- NFL Superbowl betting: Who will win the 2024 Super Bowl? This is a very popular long term bet. All teams in the season have odds, based mainly on their performance, which are adjusted as the season progresses. You can sometimes place an NFL Superbowl bet a year in advance. Of course, the odds are then particularly high.
- NFL MVP betting: Each season the Most Valuable Player (MVP) is selected. Some American football bookmakers allow you to bet on exactly this selection.
- NFL Conference Betting: Which team will win the conference? Before the Superbowl, there are two championships in the NFL. These are the champions of the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Betting on the winners is often available at American Football bookmakers.
- NFL Playoffs betting: This is a bet on which teams will make the playoffs (yes or no). You can also bet on the winners of the playoffs or who will play in the Super Bowl.
- American Football Live Betting: Almost all American football bookmakers offer live betting on the NFL and sometimes other competitions. These bets are placed while the game is in progress (in-play betting). These are time-sensitive markets such as "Who will score the next touchdown?", "Will player X kick the next field goal?" or "Who will be penalised the next time?
Leagues for betting on American football: NFL betting, sure - but is there more to bet on?
The NFL is undoubtedly the most important league in American football, and therefore in sports betting.
However, there are several other leagues that are regularly listed by bookmakers. The following options are available (although you may have to do some searching).
- XFL Betting: The XFL is a US league currently owned by actor and wrestling star Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. The league will begin working with the NFL in 2021, primarily as a talent pool.
Arena Football Betting: Arena football is very similar to classic American football. However, it is played in indoor arenas rather than stadiums.
- USFL Betting: The USFL is a relatively new football league in the USA. It only started in 2022. The USFL season is played in the spring, which gives American football betting fans almost direct follow-on odds to the Super Bowl.
- NCAA betting: The NCAA is the college football league in the USA. This means that only teams from universities or colleges compete against each other. These games are very popular, especially in the USA. They sometimes attract more than 100,000 spectators to the stadiums. Some American football bookmakers therefore offer betting on these games.
- CFL betting (Canada): The Canadian Football League (CFL) is the premier league for the sport in Canada. It is considered the second best football league in the world after the NFL. It is often the first choice for NCAA players who do not make it to the NFL.
- GFL Betting? (Germany): The German Football League (GFL) is unfortunately much less represented at American Football betting sites than the previously mentioned leagues. The German Bowl, the final game of the league, has been available for betting here and there in the past. However, the individual games are usually not an option. This is an amateur league.
Tips and tricks for a winning American Football betting strategy to start with
Whether you are betting on the NFL, XFL, NCAA or any other American Football league, you should always be strategic!
Don't place your bets on the fly, study the division, the teams and the season. This will reduce your risk and increase your chances of winning.
Photo: The right strategy counts from pixabay.com/de
Of course, we can't give you an American Football betting strategy that will always work. In fact, you have to take a league-by-league, game-by-game approach. However, we would like to give you some tips that should help you in any case:
- Leave your emotions out of it - you should never be guided by a preference for one team over another, but always make your bets objectively. Sports betting always works best when you keep a cool head.
- Get to know the game and the league, so you can effectively assess what will happen next, or who might have an advantage/disadvantage, when and why.
- The American Football odds market is very competitive, so it is worth comparing to get the best deal.
- Also look out for good bonus offers - sometimes there are special offers for American football betting, preferably for the Superbowl.
- Analyse the game you are betting on thoroughly, find out if there are any injured or suspended players and what the teams' form is. Anything that could affect the outcome of the game is important.
- Use statistics and try to back up the results of your previous research on the teams. The numbers may give you some new insights.
- First of all, stay away from combination bets or live bets as they are too risky to start with.
- Only use legal, reputable and customer-oriented American Football sportsbooks. The best strategy won't help you if you get into trouble with black sheep!
- Only play with money you can afford to lose!
What else you should know about American football sports betting
If you've read this far, you should be well equipped to make a success of your American Football betting: You know how the leagues work, you know the main rules of the game, you have an overview of the best betting markets and you can even come up with some particularly relevant strategies.
However, there are a few details that should not go unmentioned when it comes to betting on American football. Knowing them will help you improve your odds. You will have a deeper insight that will eventually allow you to make more sophisticated bets.
What are the American Football betting odds?
American football has become a real world sport in recent years - at least in terms of attention in many parts of the world.
Accordingly, many people bet on the sport's events - especially on the NFL. This in turn means that there is a huge market for American Football bookmakers to compete in. Offering the best possible American Football odds is one of the main ways to do this. As a result, odds are generally high.
The bookmakers operate on comparatively small margins, which they want or need to compensate for with a high level of participation in their American football bets. What this means for you is that (similar to football or tennis) you will often find odds that are pushed to the limit.
This also applies to the payout ratio: On average, the NFL is 1 to 2 percent higher than the other bookmakers. Shares of 93 to 95 per cent are quite possible here.
American football betting and bonus offers?
Bonus offers are always a good thing, as long as the terms and conditions are fair. You can take your first steps with an American Football bookmaker without any risk (especially with a deposit bonus and the bonus money in question). This is ideal for beginners in this area of sports betting.
The good news: American Football bets are very rarely excluded from bonuses. This means that you can usually play through a welcome bonus or reload with bets on the NFL and the like.
And what about special offers on American football? These are also available from time to time. The best American football bookmakers like to offer something special during important games, such as the NFL playoffs or the Super Bowl.
FAQ – American Football Bets
Is betting on American Football legal in Germany?
Yes, they are. According to the GlüStV 2021, American Football is a sport within the meaning of the regulations. Bookmakers licensed in Germany are therefore allowed to offer bets on American Football.
Where can I bet on American Football?
In fact, almost every bookmaker offers American Football markets. However, there are big differences in terms of coverage. Sometimes only the NFL is available - other bookmakers also offer the XFL or the NCAA, for example.
How do I place bets on American Football?
There is basically no difference to placing other bets: Register with an American Football bookmaker, look under "Sports" and then under "American Football" in the sports menu, select the league you want to bet on and then specify the betting market. The latter will appear on your betting slip, you place your bet and the bet is closed.
Conclusion on American football betting
American Football betting is a challenge for many punters at first. This is mainly because the rules are often only rudimentary. Anyone who wants to bet on American Football should learn them.
With a wide range of betting options, good coverage through bonuses and, of course, the often excellent odds, betting on the NFL, XFL, CFL and Co. can be absolutely worthwhile. If you follow a specific American Football strategy, your chances of winning increase considerably.
Reading this guide should provide you with a solid basis for obtaining favourable terms.