- Betting the Spread: In the NFL, there’s no way around it – some teams are simply better than others. With that, sportsbooks developed a point spread to illustrate the gap between superiority and inferiority.
- PFF empowers winning decisions: Stay tuned for more PFF betting tools soon to be introduced to all PFF+ subscribers.
- Subscribe to PFF+: Get access to player grades, PFF Premium Stats, fantasy football rankings, all of the PFF fantasy draft research tools and more!
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
The proliferation of sports betting across the United States has taken the NFL by storm. Many are already familiar with the extracirculars, like fantasy football, but fewer understand the vast array of betting opportunities at their fingertips.
Sportsbooks come in all shapes and sizes, but each follows the same principles and terminology that you need to understand in order to fully take advantage.
So, let’s take a step-by-step approach to how you can get active in the betting markets for the 2025 NFL season.
1. Ensure sports betting is legal in your state and find a sportsbook to bet with
Thirty-eight states allow sports betting through a variety of avenues, 30 of which allow bettors to place wagers directly from their phone. While some states have voted – or have ballot initiatives in the works – they may not yet be active. So, always be sure to confirm through credible sources and the sportsbooks themselves, which will list the states they service.
Sites like DraftKings and FanDuel have dominated the landscape, but other options like BetMGM, Caesars and ESPN Bet have gained a foothold in the industry.
While it’s easy to pick a single book or app you like the feel of, or one that offers a sizable sign-up bonus, it’s important to know that each site offers a varied assortment of bets, with differing lines and odds.
Having an account at more than one book can allow bettors flexibility when betting, offering more opportunities to find value in the betting market.
2. Surveying the market for betting opportunities
Sportsbooks offer a huge array of bets that can be targeted, ranging from point spreads and game totals to player props and futures bets. Wandering into the weeds can feel daunting, but this handy guide on key betting terms and wager types should help.
PFF also offers a variety of betting tools and insights to help bettors gain an edge over the market. So, be sure to check it out.
3. Betting the spread
Point spreads are possibly the most bet-on wager in the NFL, so let’s start there.
In the NFL, there’s no way around it: Some teams are simply better than others. With that, sportsbooks developed a point spread to illustrate the gap between superiority and inferiority.
For a real-world example, let’s look at the first game of the 2025 NFL Season:
Oddsmakers view the Philadelphia Eagles as a far better team than the Dallas Cowboys.
It would be too simple to say the Eagles will win this matchup, so betting the spread entails the Eagles winning by more than the listed point spread – in this instance, seven points.
Betting on the Eagles (-7) would mean they have to win by eight points or more in order for the bet to payout (i.e. cover the spread).
Should the Eagles win by exactly seven points, the game would result in a “push,” meaning the original amount that was bet will be returned but no winnings.
On the other hand, should the Eagles win by less than seven points or lose the game, any bet on them would result in a loss, along with the wager being lost. Conversely, any bet on the Cowboys in that scenario would win.
4. The hook
When betting the point spread, there will be matchups that list the spread with an additional half point.
The hook is important because, with this, there cannot be a “push” in the game, meaning there will be a definitive result.
While it may seem minuscule, every point matters, and bets frequently hinge on that margin.
5. The Odds
Every bet carries associated odds, generally listed near the line or total being offered.
The odds are the most essential part of sports betting, as they illustrate how much money you can make on a bet.
Odds are listed and followed by either a “-” or “+”. Indicating the favored side and underdog side, as well as the implied probability of that outcome taking place.
In the example below, the green numbers listed next to the point spread indicate the odds.
Larger “-” odds point to an outcome that oddsmakers believe is more likely to happen.
- “-” Odds Example: At -450, bettors will need to wager $450 to win $100.
Larger “+” odds point to an outcome the oddsmakers deem less likely to happen.
- “+” Odds Example: At +450, bettors will win $450 when wagered $100.
Here, oddsmakers believe the Detroit Lions are more likely to cover the spread at 1.5-point underdogs (-115) than the Green Bay Packers are at 1.5-point favorites (-105).
- If betting on the Lions, bettors will need to wager $115 to win $100.
- If betting on the Packers, bettors will need to wager $105 to win $100.
6. Ready to roll
With that, you’re all set with the foundation to attack the betting markets for the 2025 NFL Season.
At the forefront of where NFL data meets NFL betting, PFF empowers winning decisions, so be sure to check out all of the insight from the entire team all season long.
Stay tuned for more PFF betting tools soon to be introduced to all PFF+ subscribers.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
French Open 2025: Tommy Paul overcomes another grueling match, beats Karen Khachanov to advance to fourth round
It hasn't been easy, but Tommy Paul is still in the French Open. The American overcame yet another grueling match Friday in a narrow win over Karen Khachanov in the third round.Paul had previously gotten off to slow starts throughout the event, but that wasn't the case Friday. After dropping the first set in his previous two matches, Paul came out victories this time around, beating Khachanov 6-3 to pick up an early lead. While it was a promising start for Paul, it wouldn't last, Khachanov battled back in the second set, taking it 6-3 to even the score.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe third set proved to be a grueling one. Both men battled back and forth, eventually forcing a tiebreak. It took Paul nine points, but he won that tiebreak, taking the third set.With Paul one set away from closing it out, Khachanov […]
Felipe Melo vê Atlético-MG decepcionante e cita oscilação como problema em 2025
Felipe Melo em participação no programa "Seleção Sportv" (Reprodução - YouTube) Felipe Melo utilizou as redes sociais nesta sexta-feira (30), para repercutir o empate do Atlético-MG frente ao Cienciano, pela Copa Sul-Americana, que custou a perda da liderança na chave, representando assim a ida para a repescagem no torneio. No entendimento do Pitbull, o Galo não é mais o mesmo desde o título do Campeonato Mineiro, e tem oscilado de desempenho drasticamente, não entregando tudo o que o elenco tem condições de render. “O Atlético-MG empatou o jogo em casa, e acho que foi um desperdício, poderia e deveria ter feito melhor do que fez. Tem time para ganhar. Não sei o que esta acontecendo. Tem time para ganhar esse tipo de jogo, até com uma certa facilidade. Não encaixou ainda. Ou melhor, encaixou e depois se desencaixou, porque no […]
Svozilová se Štochlovou končí v Ostravě v předkole play off
„Půlku setu jsme s nimi držely krok a pak už jsme nestačily. Potřebujeme ještě trošku potrénovat a pak už s nimi budeme držet krok třeba i tu druhou půlku,“ uvedla Marie-Sára Štochlová.„Nejenom trénink bude potřeba. Čím víc turnajů a zápasů budeme hrát, tím vyšší cíle si můžeme stavět. Tady jsme měly postup ze skupiny a ten jsme splnily,“ dodala s širokým úsměvem ve tváři Markéta Svozilová. Úsměvům se přes konec v turnaji už před víkendovými bitvami nebránila ani Marie-Sára Štochlová. Z páru, který se dal dohromady před touto sezonou, vyzařovala pozitivní nálada a úsměvy při každém jejich vystoupení na centrálním kurtu v Dolních Vítkovicích. „Vedle Maki (Svozilové) je ale hodně jednoduché být pozitivní, protože ona se směje od rána do večera a je to hrozně nakažlivé, takže tak…,“ vysvětlovala Štochlová.Duo Štochlová a Svozilová vzniklo poté, co partnerka Štochlové z minulých sezon Barbora Hermannová oznámila těhotenství. Turnaj Elite v Ostravě je pro tento pár čtvrtým, který spolu […]
The reinvention of Tarik Skubal: How Tigers ace mixed up his arsenal and became one of MLB’s best pitchers
CBS Sports design When Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal takes the mound Saturday against the Kansas City Royals, he'll look to progress one of the most dominant pitching stretches in recent memory.Skubal, whose last start saw him punctuate his first career shutout with a 102.6 mph fastball, will enter his 12th appearance sporting a 2.49 ERA (157 ERA+) and a 13.14 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The latter is the product of this aforementioned stretch. In Skubal's second start this season, he walked three batters across 5 ⅔ innings of work. Since then, he's walked three batters in nine starts -- all the while punching out 82 batters and tallying a 1.86 ERA and more than six innings per outing.For some perspective, consider this: Skubal has three different five-game stretches this year in which he's recorded 46 strikeouts or more. The rest of […]
Vikings sign GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to multi-year extension after 14-win season
<!--> The Minnesota Vikings signed general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to a multi-year contract extension on Friday, keeping his status in sync with head coach Kevin O'Connell's for the long term.O'Connell's extension was done in January, following a 14-win season. Both Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell were hired in 2022 on four-year deals. The length of their new contracts was not released by the Vikings, who are 34-17 in the regular season since they arrived. They're 0-2 in the playoffs."Kwesi’s leadership, vision and collaboration with our coaching staff has positioned the Minnesota Vikings for sustained success," owner and president Mark Wilf said in a statement distributed by the team. "His dedication and forward-thinking approach have been instrumental in shaping our roster and future, and we are confident that under the guidance of him and Kevin O’Connell, we will continue to compete at the […]
Vikings sign GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to multi-year extension after 14-win season
<!--> The Minnesota Vikings signed general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to a multi-year contract extension on Friday, keeping his status in sync with head coach Kevin O'Connell's for the long term.O'Connell's extension was done in January, following a 14-win season. Both Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell were hired in 2022 on four-year deals. The length of their new contracts was not released by the Vikings, who are 34-17 in the regular season since they arrived. They're 0-2 in the playoffs."Kwesi’s leadership, vision and collaboration with our coaching staff has positioned the Minnesota Vikings for sustained success," owner and president Mark Wilf said in a statement distributed by the team. "His dedication and forward-thinking approach have been instrumental in shaping our roster and future, and we are confident that under the guidance of him and Kevin O’Connell, we will continue to compete at the […]
Related
French Open 2025: Tommy Paul overcomes another grueling match, beats Karen Khachanov to advance to fourth round
It hasn't been easy, but Tommy Paul is still in the French Open. The American overcame yet another grueling match Friday in a narrow win over Karen Khachanov in the third round.Paul had previously gotten off to slow starts throughout the event, but that wasn't the case Friday. After dropping the first set in his previous two matches, Paul came out victories this time around, beating Khachanov 6-3 to pick up an early lead. While it was a promising start for Paul, it wouldn't last, Khachanov battled back in the second set, taking it 6-3 to even the score.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe third set proved to be a grueling one. Both men battled back and forth, eventually forcing a tiebreak. It took Paul nine points, but he won that tiebreak, taking the third set.With Paul one set away from closing it out, Khachanov […]
Felipe Melo vê Atlético-MG decepcionante e cita oscilação como problema em 2025
Felipe Melo em participação no programa "Seleção Sportv" (Reprodução - YouTube) Felipe Melo utilizou as redes sociais nesta sexta-feira (30), para repercutir o empate do Atlético-MG frente ao Cienciano, pela Copa Sul-Americana, que custou a perda da liderança na chave, representando assim a ida para a repescagem no torneio. No entendimento do Pitbull, o Galo não é mais o mesmo desde o título do Campeonato Mineiro, e tem oscilado de desempenho drasticamente, não entregando tudo o que o elenco tem condições de render. “O Atlético-MG empatou o jogo em casa, e acho que foi um desperdício, poderia e deveria ter feito melhor do que fez. Tem time para ganhar. Não sei o que esta acontecendo. Tem time para ganhar esse tipo de jogo, até com uma certa facilidade. Não encaixou ainda. Ou melhor, encaixou e depois se desencaixou, porque no […]
Svozilová se Štochlovou končí v Ostravě v předkole play off
„Půlku setu jsme s nimi držely krok a pak už jsme nestačily. Potřebujeme ještě trošku potrénovat a pak už s nimi budeme držet krok třeba i tu druhou půlku,“ uvedla Marie-Sára Štochlová.„Nejenom trénink bude potřeba. Čím víc turnajů a zápasů budeme hrát, tím vyšší cíle si můžeme stavět. Tady jsme měly postup ze skupiny a ten jsme splnily,“ dodala s širokým úsměvem ve tváři Markéta Svozilová. Úsměvům se přes konec v turnaji už před víkendovými bitvami nebránila ani Marie-Sára Štochlová. Z páru, který se dal dohromady před touto sezonou, vyzařovala pozitivní nálada a úsměvy při každém jejich vystoupení na centrálním kurtu v Dolních Vítkovicích. „Vedle Maki (Svozilové) je ale hodně jednoduché být pozitivní, protože ona se směje od rána do večera a je to hrozně nakažlivé, takže tak…,“ vysvětlovala Štochlová.Duo Štochlová a Svozilová vzniklo poté, co partnerka Štochlové z minulých sezon Barbora Hermannová oznámila těhotenství. Turnaj Elite v Ostravě je pro tento pár čtvrtým, který spolu […]
The reinvention of Tarik Skubal: How Tigers ace mixed up his arsenal and became one of MLB’s best pitchers
CBS Sports design When Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal takes the mound Saturday against the Kansas City Royals, he'll look to progress one of the most dominant pitching stretches in recent memory.Skubal, whose last start saw him punctuate his first career shutout with a 102.6 mph fastball, will enter his 12th appearance sporting a 2.49 ERA (157 ERA+) and a 13.14 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The latter is the product of this aforementioned stretch. In Skubal's second start this season, he walked three batters across 5 ⅔ innings of work. Since then, he's walked three batters in nine starts -- all the while punching out 82 batters and tallying a 1.86 ERA and more than six innings per outing.For some perspective, consider this: Skubal has three different five-game stretches this year in which he's recorded 46 strikeouts or more. The rest of […]
Vikings sign GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to multi-year extension after 14-win season
<!--> The Minnesota Vikings signed general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to a multi-year contract extension on Friday, keeping his status in sync with head coach Kevin O'Connell's for the long term.O'Connell's extension was done in January, following a 14-win season. Both Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell were hired in 2022 on four-year deals. The length of their new contracts was not released by the Vikings, who are 34-17 in the regular season since they arrived. They're 0-2 in the playoffs."Kwesi’s leadership, vision and collaboration with our coaching staff has positioned the Minnesota Vikings for sustained success," owner and president Mark Wilf said in a statement distributed by the team. "His dedication and forward-thinking approach have been instrumental in shaping our roster and future, and we are confident that under the guidance of him and Kevin O’Connell, we will continue to compete at the […]
Vikings sign GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to multi-year extension after 14-win season
<!--> The Minnesota Vikings signed general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to a multi-year contract extension on Friday, keeping his status in sync with head coach Kevin O'Connell's for the long term.O'Connell's extension was done in January, following a 14-win season. Both Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell were hired in 2022 on four-year deals. The length of their new contracts was not released by the Vikings, who are 34-17 in the regular season since they arrived. They're 0-2 in the playoffs."Kwesi’s leadership, vision and collaboration with our coaching staff has positioned the Minnesota Vikings for sustained success," owner and president Mark Wilf said in a statement distributed by the team. "His dedication and forward-thinking approach have been instrumental in shaping our roster and future, and we are confident that under the guidance of him and Kevin O’Connell, we will continue to compete at the […]
Be the first to leave a comment