NFL Betting Sites – Our Top 5
The NFL is not as popular in the UK as football, horse racing, tennis, etc, but still has a passionate set of fans, and all major bookmakers provide betting markets for it to some degree. Below we bring you NFL betting site reviews of the top five in our opinion (based on Legalbet.uk research).
Star Sports
A relatively new and relatively small sports betting site is Star Sports. They originally provided legal sports betting service from their shops on the South coast but they are expanding quickly and opening new shops seemingly every month. What sets them apart when it comes to online NFL bets is the unique promotions they have and the fact that more often than not they are best priced on the majority of Sunday night football games.
✅Pros:
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Massive betting limits.
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Great customer service - Live chat with a real trader straight away.
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Unique, interesting, and great value existing user NFL offers.
Sky Bet
The best betting site when it comes to NFL live betting is Sky Bet, they have more markets available than anyone else and the odds are updated frequently without long "suspended" periods. Every week their reward club gives Free bets or Free spins to customers who have placed a £30 qualifying bet, or a series of smaller bets that add up to £30. Their NFL price boosts can be on either player Props, points margins, and often NFL parlays too.
✅Pros:
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Loyalty Club giving out Free Bets and Free Spins every week for betting £30.
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Price boosts that offer exceptional value on most NFL games.
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Free bets never expire
Fitzdares
Fitzdares have moved on from the days of being solely a gentlemans club and now have a strong online sportsbook product that is beginning to compete with the big boys. The customer services team are still 5* as you would expect and they are focused on winning market share by giving almost every sport a promotion involving a qualifying bet that results in extra value. For NFL betting that means if your match winner bet scored 35 points in the match then you win, regardless of the actual score line.
✅Pros:
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Many existing user promotions
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Quick payments
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Large range of NFL Prop bets
Bet365
Bet365 have a very useful American football product and are the only online UK bookmaker to provide actual live streams of NFL action direct to their logged in customers. Bet365 also have some great odds and regular ongoing bonuses for all existing customers. This is not to mention one of the best Apps in the business.
✅Pros:
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Fantastic 500% Welcome Bonus - Free bets can be used on NFL bets.
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Live streaming of featured NFL matches
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Excellent mobile App
Betfred
The bookmaker Betfred has been in the business since 1967 and with over 50 years of experience, they know how to deliver! Known mainly for being one of the best football betting sites they also offer a great NFL online betting product. They have specific bonuses and give away Free bets for certain key games or just if their target "if" bet triggers. You can deposit and withdraw to your online account with cash in any of their shops meaning you get paid instantly if required!
✅Pros:
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Large range of Free bet promotions
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Online winnings can be withdrawn as cash from their shops
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Price boosts for NFL matches
How We Rank The Best Betting Sites For American Football
Odds
The most important thing when all is said and done when you are betting is the odds. Nothing else really matters when it comes to making a profit in the long run. Even if you break down the promotions and bonuses on offer all they are doing is increasing either the chances of you winning or increasing the size of the payout when you do, which is a long way of saying " the odds". It is important to bet because it is enjoyable and when that is the case the odds do not matter so much, but even if you are not planning on winning in the long run good odds will at least mean that you lose more slowly.
When it comes to gambling odds are like the prices in a shop, and in exactly the same way that somewhere with very low prices will be considered a good shop and high prices won't be, the same applies, only this time low odds are bad and it is high odds that are good. Ceteris paribus (All other things being equal) the odds are what rank bookmakers, however in the real world all things are not equal. It is still possible to have an overall better bookmaker with lower odds than a rival, because of all the other things that make up the betting experience. When it comes to making a profit though this is only ever possible by betting on value, and the odds are the only thing that matter in this regard.
Range Of Markets
It is all well and good a bookmaker offering NFL bets but... do they offer the bets which you want to place? There is a huge number of different potential markets to bet on, with some bookmakers offering well over 200 for each NFL match.
In-Play Betting
When betting on a game many people like to watch the game at the same time, which can lead to a more interactive experience and also allow for betting based on how the game is going for real rather than what you predict the teams will be like and/or do in two days time. Online NFL betting sites all seem to offer betting on live games In-Play and usually it is with a host of statistics from the game so far and a graphical display of what the current state of play is.
Underneath this, all NFL sportsbooks display their latest odds on the markets they offer for live betting. When it comes to betting In-Play the best NFL betting site is probably Bet365 which is the only online sportsbook that offers a live stream of featured NFL games.
Promotions
All online sportsbooks try to attract customers through the use of eye catching promotions and bonus offers, which attempt to make them stand out. At the present time none of the top NFL betting sites have a Welcome bonus specifically to use just on NFL betting but you can use it on any NFL games you want to and this qualifies as valid bets as long as all the T&C's are met.
What the best American football sites do tend to offer is bonuses to existing users which are valid on just NFL games. An example of this might be:
If you are going to place a bet on the winner of a game then doing it at one of the NFL sportsbooks that pay out not just on the win but also if a certain amount of points is scored is a no brainer. It is things such as this that NFL bettors look for and make us rank these online sportsbooks more highly.
Payment Methods
Being able to deposit and withdraw quickly and easily is all important and should not be overlooked when it comes to evaluating and ranking online betting sites. If there are any fees to deposit or withdraw this would be a major negative. What we are looking for is a large range of options, both traditional banking and other E-Wallet providers, all with quick times (instant ideally) and flexible limits, low minimums and high maximums!
Live Streaming
Unfortunately, there are very few bookmakers that provided NFL online live streams of the games themselves for customers to view. The only online NFL betting site that streams matches live is Bet365 and even then it is not for every game, but it is possible for the feature games of the NFL season.
Types of NFL Bets
Because NFL football is a sport very different to any other, the closest we can thing of is rugby perhaps, there are unique bets that can be made which are not options on other sports. This revolves around the fact that firstly the game and scoring methods are unique, and secondly the game being split into quarters (rather than just halves) adds a whole new range of potential NFL wagers.
Moneyline Bets
The most common type of bets are who will be the game's winner, and there are a few names for this bet. In the UK it is normally known as the "Match Odds" or bets "To win" the game, but in the US they tend to call it "Moneyline", it is the same thing.
Hanicap Bets
Again taking an influence from the American NFL bookmakers the next most prominent and therefore popular bet is a handicap bet on which team will win. Historically Americans have always liked betting on things around Evens rather than having high odds and low odds, to make sure that each team has approximately the same chances of winning one team is given a head start. The more difference in the two teams strengths the more the handicap will be, if they are similar it may just be 1.5 but if it is very different it could be 12.5 or more. NFL betting lines usually include a .5 to eliminate the possibility of a draw.
Winning Margin
Similar to the handicap market but not the same you can bet on which team will win and also by how many runs. You do not have to guess exactly but instead bet on point ranges, maybe you can bet on Team A to win by between 1-5 runs, or 6-11 runs, or 11+ runs. The same would be available on the opposing team.
Over/Under (Totals) Bets
There are many types of "totals" in any NFL game. The main one of the total number of points that would be scored in a game when adding both team's points together, the bookies estimate how many they think there will be and you can bet over (there will be more than that) or under (there will be less than that). You do not just have the option to wager on the total points in the game, it can also be the total points of just one team. Furthermore, it does not have to be in the full game, you could also wager on the total points in each half or even each quarter.
First Touchdown Scorer
As the name suggests this is a bet on which player will score the first touchdown. It is the American football equivalent of a first goal scorer bet in a traditional football game.
First Scoring Play
The "First Scoring Play" refers to what type of action will happen to get points on the board. In American football there are three ways that points can be scored. You can either catch or run the ball into the "End Zone" or you can kick the ball through the posts in the middle of the pitch. Those are by far the most common thing to happen but it is also possible to benefit from what is called "safety" which is when a team is responsible for the ball going out of play behind their own end. You can bet on which team will use which method to score first.
Prop Bets
All are over/under bets on an amount set by the bookmaker, not every player is listed for every market it depends on their position. Examples are Player Passing Yards, Player Passing Attempts, Player Touchdowns thrown, Longest passing completion, Player rushing yards, Player kicking points, and Player tackles. (This is not a definitive list of prop betting markets there are more but these are some of the main ones.
Best NFL Betting Apps
There are no dedicated and specific NFL betting apps but the majority of online sports betting companies have an App and you can use it to bet on NFL matches. The best Apps can do everything that you can do on the full desktop site, from simply checking the latest NFL odds, to actually live betting with your account. A mobile betting App should have all of the extra features such as using "cash out" on existing bets and being able to place any Free bets you may have. Everything should be available to you incredibly simply whenever and wherever you are using a mobile betting App. The top three NFL sportsbook Apps in our opinion are:
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Sky Bet
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Parimatch
Top Bonuses at NFL Betting Sites
There are many different bonuses available when you are betting on the NFL, some of them are specifically for American football games and others are general offers that you can use with NFL games if you wish.
Welcome Bonus
At the time of writing, there were no specific welcome bonuses for placing a bet on the NFL but there are many where you can qualify by placing sports bets on almost anything and American football is one of the eligible sports. Every new user offer is slightly different from bookmaker to bookmaker but the most common type is where you deposit £X and bet it on something at or above a min odds level. Once the bet is placed or once settled you are given Free bets to use and if they win, you keep the winnings as cash.
NFL early payout
As we have already mentioned in this article some of the best NFL sportsbooks will payout a bet as a winner before the final whistle as long as your team has scored a set number of points. Two bookmakers who offer this form of promotion are Bet365 and Fitzdares, Bet365 will pay out of a team you have backed goes 17+ points ahead at any stage of the game and Fitzdares will pay out if your team scores 35+ points in total.
NFL money back offers
There are a large number of specific bonuses which refund stakes as Free bets "If" something occurs in the game. Each promotion can have a different trigger for the money back to occur but all require you to make a qualifying bet and usually at above a min odds level. Then if the trigger hits, you get your money back (usually as Free bets). In the example above from Betfred you get your money back if your team leads at halftime but goes on to lose.
NFL odds boosts
The most common type of NFL bonus is odds boosts on bets chosen by the NFL gambling sites rather than by you. They tend to pick either several teams who are all playing that day and boost the Acca on them winning, or sometimes they just boost a prop bet on one of the more popular players to generate some NFL betting action. An example of an online betting site offering the best NFL odds on a betting market is above.
NFL Acca Insurance
888Sport offers money back if you place an Acca bet on NFL games online and one of them (just one) loses whilst the others all win. This is a fairly common promotion for football accumulators but NFL betting websites will extend it to American football bets as well.
How To Place A Bet On NFL Matchups
If you are thinking about NFL online betting in the future let us explain exactly what it is that you need to do. In order to place a bet on NFL games you must:
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Log in or open an account with one of our recommended trustworthy betting sites.
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Deposit funds into your account
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Navigate to the American Football (also sometimes called NFL) section of the site
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Find the match that you are interested in (open the available betting markets if what you want is not there).
5. Add a bet that you like the look of to your betting slip, enter your stake amount and submit your bet.
6. Once your bet has been accepted you can check it at any time in your online sportsbook account by going to your "My bets" section. Here you will be able to remind yourself of what bets you have placed and see the current cash out value.
NFL Betting Tips
Only Use Top NFL Sportsbooks with the best odds
When you are getting ready to bet on the NFL you will want to be getting the best odds possible and because NFL odds vary from one sports betting site to the next, choosing one who has the best odds more often than not will considerably increase your chances of profiting and at the least will make you lose more slowly.
Don't be loyal
There is not a lot of reason to only use one sports betting site, and opening many accounts will give more strings to your bow. A sports betting company may have great NFL odds but it is incredibly unlikely, impossible really, for them to always be the best. Sometimes Bookmaker A will have the best odds and other times Bookmaker B will, so having a small balance in both and using whoever is best at the time would make sense.
Other things to consider are that if you have a bet in mind and know what the odds and stake amount will be then why not join there and get the Free bets? If it meets the qualifying bet criteria and is above the min odds of the Welcome Bonus T&C's then it would be silly not to!
Gamble Responsibly
Not just when you bet on the NFL but for all online sports betting please at a minimum never gamble more than you can afford to lose. What would be better and is our actual advice is not to gamble more than you care about! If you ever lose a bet and you find yourself angry or upset about it then you staked too much. Sports betting should be fun, and as the saying goes, when the fun stops, stop!
Listen To The Experts
There is so much to analyse and consider when looking at an NFL game it is a mammoth task for just one person to cover every angle so do not be afraid to take advice from the Pros! There are a lot of very skilled tipsters who specialise in American football betting and the advice can be found for free either on Twitter or other specialist websites. You do not have to blindly copy them all the time of course but they can form a good foundation for you to start from. They can quickly and easily give you ideas for NFL futures betting, NFL teaser bets, Prop bets and parlay bets that you may otherwise not have had time to consider.
NFL Deposit & Withdrawal Options Available
There are many different types of payment methods that can be used at UK online betting sites when you want to do some NFL betting. The main ones which most people use are:
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Debit Cards - The simplest way to deposit and withdraw in 2022 and accepted at every licenced UK bookmaker there is little reason not to use a debit card.
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PayPal - Many people find PayPal synonymous with financial transactions on the internet, and many NFL sites accept this method.
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Skrill - For people who like all forms of online gambling and have probably registered for poker and casino sites as well as online NFL betting, Skrill allows your gambling funds to be ringfenced easily away from your day to day spending.
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Apple Pay - A newcomer to the financial services industry Apple Pay is certainly the most convenient providing you have a compatible Apple device (which can be expensive).
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Cash in Shop - The quickest way to get cash in your hands, some American football betting sites that have a high street presence allow you to deposit and withdraw real cash into and out of your online account instantly.
Debit Cards |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes | |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes | |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No | |
In Shop |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
In conclusion, if you are going to do online NFL betting then you are in for a treat, there are a large number of online sportsbooks putting time and resources into providing an in depth, great value, exciting product for you to use. Spend some time when choosing an online sportsbook for you and use our guide to help direct you to the best online betting sites for someone looking to bet on NFL games.
The top betting sites are…
Here at Legalbet we have also categorised the top betting sites and their features to make them easier for you to find. They are:
By Sport: Football | Tennis | Boxing | Cricket | Snooker | Golf | UFC | Darts | Greyhound | Rugby | Horse Racing | Basketball | Baseball | Formula 1 | Ice Hockey (NHL) | Volleyball | Cycling | Netball | AFL
By Payment Systems: PayPal | Skrill | Klarna | Boku | Debit Cards | Apple Pay | Paysafecard | Neteller | Google Pay | Prepaid Cards | Revolut
By Features: Cash Out | £5 Minimum Deposit | Minimum Bet Sizing | Live Streaming | Betting Exchanges | Safest | Fast Withdrawal | Daily Free Games | New Betting Sites | Horse Betting Apps | Football Betting Apps | Virtual Sports Betting Sites
By Events: Politics | WWE | NRL Grand Final | MLB World Series | Euro 2024
By Esports: CS:GO | Dota 2 | League of Legends | PUBG | Valorant | FIFA | CS:GO Betting Sites with Paypal
NFL betting sites FAQ
Yes, you can bet on all NFL games online legally in the UK as long as you are over 18 years of age, and using your own funds to do so. It is not "illegal" to use unlicensed online sports betting sites but there are risks and trustworthy NFL betting sites will all have a UKGC licence.
We recommend you read the reviews of our top five American football bookmakers and from that list choose the NFL betting site that is right for you. Once you have registered, deposit some money, navigate to the American football section and find the match you want, select your bet, enter your stake, and then submit. Easy!
Sometimes it will be online and sometimes it will be in person. For you to be able to bet on it though then it is more likely to be online because all 60+ UK bookmakers we list on Legalbet.uk HERE are available immediately without moving from your seat. If a bookmaker offline has better odds then the only way to know that is driving to every shop looking, which is not practical!
There are a few variables that will affect the time it takes but assuming... you already have an account, you already have money in the account, you know exactly what you want to bet on and are not interested in the odds, then it will take between ten and twenty seconds. If any of those things do not apply, you will be looking at a bit longer.