The Canadian Football League season wraps up in November each year, but pro football fans looking to bet on football longer still have a few more months of action to look forward to and wager on at mobile sportsbooks, thanks to the National Football League.
Latest NFL odds
The NFL is a massive draw for legal online sportsbooks. The odds move frequently as a result, but we make it easy to stay on top of the market. Our customizable live odds feed pulls together all of the latest numbers from the industry’s top shops. You can put it through its paces down below.
The most-watched sports league in the United States has quite a following in the Great White North and with online sportsbooks in Ontario exploding in number, the options are seemingly endless.
From pregame bets to props and live betting to futures, there are plenty of ways to get in on the action. Below, we’ll detail all you need to know about NFL betting in Canada.
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How to bet on football games online
Once you open up your online sports betting app and navigate to the football and NFL section, you’ll see the moneyline, spread, and total displayed clearly for every available matchup. Since these are the most basic types of wagers out there, this is the place to start.
Let’s use an example featuring odds from the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.
| Point Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | +2.5 (-110) | +120 | Over 54.5 (-118) |
| Kansas City Chiefs | -2.5 (-110 | -150 | Under 8.5 (-108) |
Moneyline
Betting on the moneyline is a basic wager on which team will win the game, and can be easily identified by one team having a negative line and the other having a positive line (when it comes to American odds, at least). When it comes to Canadian sportsbook odds, you can identify the favourite as the team with the lower of the two decimal numbers.
For now, we’ll stick to American odds, which are simple enough to grasp with moneylines.
A negative line means that the team is the favourite, and the moneyline represents the amount you must risk to win $100 in profit. To bet on Kansas City at -150, you’ll need to risk $150 to win $100.
A positive line for the underdog means their moneyline is what could be won with a $!00 bet. Wagering on Buffalo at +120 means risking $100 for every $100 in profit.
Point spreads
Spreads are one way that oddsmakers can even out a game that is between two unequal teams. Rather than simply picking which side will win the game, you need to take point spread into account and figure out which team will cover the spread.
Favourites will have a negative symbol and are ‘giving’ points. They must win by more than the spread indicates to cover your wager. Underdogs are ‘getting’ points and can lose by less than the spread indicates and still win your bet.
A bet on Kansas City -2.5 means the Chiefs must win by three or more. At -110, you must risk $110 to win $100. Wagering on Buffalo +2.5 requires a win or a loss by one or two points, and the same -110 line requires the same risk and reward.
Point spreads will be the same for both teams, but the price (juice) that comes with it may vary from -120 to +100. If the spread is a whole number and the favourite wins by that exact amount, the bet is a push, and wagers are voided.
Totals
Totals betting involves simply picking whether the combined score of the game will go over or under a predetermined number set by oddsmakers. Similar to spreads, totals are the same on both sides and just the juice can vary from -125 to +100 depending on the situation.
Using our example, a bet on the Over 53.5 (-118) means needing 54 or more points and risking $118 to win $100. A bet on the Under 53.5 (-108) means laying out $108 to win $100 and winning if there are 53 or fewer combined points.
Totals for specific teams, stats, or parts of the game can be found with props.
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NFL prop betting
The conventional markets are only scratching the surface when it comes to NFL betting, as tons of props are also on the table for every game from Week 1 through the Super Bowl.
The most popular type is player props, which are bets on the statistical accomplishments of individual players. These bets are the closest thing a sportsbook has to fantasy sports, so they may be an option for new bettors with experience in that realm.
From there, you can also bet on props that are focused on one team or a specific part of the contest, which would fall under team or game props. Below are many of the examples you could come across:
- Touchdown Scorer (First/Last Of Game, Anytime, 1st Half, 2nd Half)
- Over-Under Passing/Rushing/Receiving Yards
- Over-Under Pass Attempts, Completions, & Receptions
- Quarters/Halves Moneyline, Spread, & Total
- Team Totals (Quarters, Halves, Full Game)
- Winning Margin
- Team Totals (Quarters, Halves, Full Game)
- O/U Total Field Goals/Touchdowns (Halves, Full Game, By Team)
- First Team To X Points (10, 15, 20, 25, etc.)
- Halftime/Full-Time Result
NFL alternate lines betting
If the spread or total set by oddsmakers isn’t something you’re interested in, you can actually bet on any spread or total you want thanks to alternate lines. Sportsbooks will adjust the juice based on which direction you go, but the choice is there to buy or sell points.
Buying points will cause your payout to take a hit, but will be a safer bet. Selling points can increase value because you technically have made the wager is more difficult to win.
For example, say the Buffalo Bills are -6.5 (-110) and you foresee a blowout. You can get Buffalo -9.5 (+140) or -13.5 (+220). If you’re not so confident, you can also get Buffalo -2.5 (-250), though you can see how selling points can make for a difficult wager to place straight. They do, however, make fine parlay options.
If you’re looking to mess around with spreads and totals, look into alternate lines and also teasers, which are offered by most sportsbooks. Compare the lines and get the best price for you, since alternates will not be universal across the board.
NFL futures betting
When it comes to NFL betting, interest levels remain high on a year-round basis. Looking ahead dominates the conversation in the offseason. For that reason, you can bet NFL futures in Canada at just about any time.
In the NFL, a futures bet is a long-term wager that involves a season-long outcome. Among the most popular are the following:
- Super Bowl Winner
- Conference winner
- Division Winner
- Make/Miss Playoffs
- Regular Season Win Total
While a couple of these markets will disappear once the season begins, others (division, conference, Super Bowl, etc.) will remain open throughout the season. Before Week 1 kicks off, there are also markets for individual awards, such as the following:
- NFL MVP
- Defensive Player of the Year
- Rookie of the Year
- Coach of the Year
- League Leaders (Passing, Rushing, TDs, Sacks, etc.)
Futures can provide you with additional season-long rooting interests, and the potential is there for some nice profit if you make the right call.
Betting on an individual award winner or the Super Bowl champion are probably the ways to get the most lucrative odds, but that also depends on whether you’re looking to bet the favourites or look down the board a little bit.
Regardless of when you place your bet, remember that it’s a long-term wager, so budget your funds accordingly.
NFL live betting
Once upon a time, betting action came to a halt once the games began. That’s no longer the case, as live betting is now wildly popular thanks to the emergence of online sportsbooks. Now that bettors have access to lines in real-time, there are opportunities to wager on a game as it moves along.
You can bet on the moneyline, spread, and total as the game progresses, but many games, team, and player props will also update along the way. Some sites will even let you dig deeper into live props with what are called flash props or micro bets, which will focus on the next play or drive.
These bets can be placed for a variety of reasons, whether you just happened to miss kickoff, or you are strategically looking for a specific line. In-game bets are perfect for those looking to hedge a previous wager, or look for a ‘middle’ and try to win multiple wagers by betting on both sides of the same game.
Live betting is a fast-moving market so always be ready to place your wager before the odds change.
Top sportsbooks for NFL betting
If you’re located in Ontario, you can choose from a number of top sportsbooks in the industry, all of which make NFL betting a priority. Here’s a look at some of the biggest names in the game:
DraftKings Sportsbook: DraftKings is doing a lot of things right, and NFL bettors continue to flock there as a result. The book offers an array of player props, a fantastic live betting section, and much more, all on one of the best platforms in the industry.
- Pros: Betting Menu, Props, NFL Promotions
- Cons: No Customer Service Live Chat
Caesars Sportsbook: Competitive odds and a steady stream of promos have helped Caesars stand out. NFL bettors will find a good range of bets, including props, futures and same-game parlays, plus the most odds boosts offers of any site.
- Pros: Daily Odds/Profit Boosts, Betting Menu, Competitive Odds
- Cons: User Experience On Mobile App
BetRivers Sportsbook: BetRivers rewards regular NFL bettors with a loyalty program where you can accrue points when you bet. There’s also an awesome layout for available props and a tips and stats section for each game on the docket.
- Pros: Betting Menu, Props, Match Offer
- Cons: Sportsbooks App Performance,
BetMGM Sportsbook: BetMGM’s range of betting options has helped it gain traction. Top features include a search bar to find what you want quickly and a parlay builder for multi-leg wagers, plus a huge range of betting options, some of which are unique to BetMGM.
- Pros: Competitive Odds, Betting Menu, Easy Parlay Feature
- Cons: App Navigation, Not Enough Promotions
PointsBet Sportsbook: PointsBet is another sportsbook that pays careful attention to the odds. Beyond the standard NFL offerings, the PointsBetting feature lets users have an increased say on the risk and reward levels of their wagers.
- Pros: PointsBetting Feature, Promotions, Karma Kommittee
- Cons: Website/Layout Issues, Welcome Offer, Fixed Odds Lines
FanDuel Sportsbook
: A massive range of betting options to choose from across all sports, especially the NFL. The user-friendly platform places everything at your fingertips, plus innovations like its same-game parlay feature and unique NFL markets.
- Pros: Same-Game Parlays, Futures Markets, Props, Unique Options
- Cons: Not Enough Promotions, Parlay Restrictions
In the wake of Canada removing the prohibition on single-game betting, offerings increased in Canada, and sites like Ontario’s Proline+ have since become popular. While ProLine+ will let you bet the basics, there are not quite as many features as you’ll find elsewhere. There aren’t many props offered, nor are there welcome offers and promotions for new and existing players.
How are your NFL bets paid out?
Once NFL games go final, sportsbooks pay out winning bets quickly. The same holds true for props that yield a result before the game goes final and live bets. All of the top books have house rules that cover the settlement and placement of wagers. Here are a few of the key points for NFL bettors to know:
- A slight delay in start time or a change in venue will have no impact on your bets. However, sportsbooks will pull games that are postponed to a future week or cancelled outright off the board.
- The majority of NFL bets include overtime periods. A few props, such as the double result in regulation, cover the 60-minute line and exclude OT. Unless the bet terms note otherwise, wagers use the full game result.
- If a team rules a player out in advance of a game, books will pull any props for that player off the board. They also will void any existing wagers on that player and refund the bets.
Be sure to take the time to understand the house rules and terms and conditions wherever you play.
