Want to Bet on the NFL? Here’s What to Look for When Choosing a Sportsbook

You’re planning to jump into NFL betting, right? Tremendous! Here in the US, it is easier than ever to gamble online. You could be placing bets within seconds. The problem? While there are plenty of legit sportsbooks out there, there are plenty of less-than-legit sportsbooks too. So, we figured we’d put together a guide that will, hopefully, steer you toward quality sportsbooks.

This is a guide to everything you need to consider when choosing a site to bet on the NFL.

 Read Reviews

One of the cool things about the gambling industry is that other people understand just how tough it can be to find a quality online sportsbook to gamble at. They love to help other gamblers. So, when you’re looking for a top NFL betting sportsbook, always look for reliable sportsbook reviews that you can read through.

Remember – reliable reviews are the key here. You want a site that is willing to tell you about not only the positives of a platform but also the negatives.

The more information you get, the better.

At the very least, this should steer you toward a few platforms worth investigating further.

Check the Site’s Licensing

This is the key to finding a reputable website. Legit sportsbooks need to be licensed. If a site has no license from anywhere, it probably isn’t that great. This is because licensed platforms need to abide by specific rules regarding betting, customer service, etc.
So, scroll down any page of an NFL betting website and look for that site license. A good one will be licensed in your state, although other licenses are fine.

Do They Offer NFL Betting?

You would think this is a ‘given,’ but it is not. While most US sportsbooks will offer NFL betting, many European platforms don’t (since the NFL isn’t all that popular there. In some countries, most people wouldn’t be able to name a single running back on the all-time top 10 list!). Some sportsbooks may offer NFL betting, but very limited options.

So, when you land on a site, always browse its betting options to ensure they have the types of bet you want to place. You might want to look elsewhere if it only has money lines for NFL betting. Proper NFL betting is all about going beyond the money line and getting into the more technical aspects of the game.

What are the Betting Odds Like?

The whole point of gambling is to try and win some money. This means that you want the best betting odds imaginable. No website will ever consistently have the best betting odds. So, as you get deeper into online betting, you might want to be registered for multiple sportsbooks so that you can always benefit from the best odds. For now, just ensure that the betting odds are decent ‘most of the time.’

Based on our experience, you will want to register for the smaller sportsbooks. Because the smaller sportsbooks have fewer overheads (less staff, marketing, etc.), their betting odds tend to be much more competitive than those of the bigger platforms. That’s not to say you can avoid the bigger platforms completely; just know that they rarely have the best odds unless they have a promotion or two running.

What are the Betting Bonuses Like?

When most people land on a sportsbook, they first look for the betting bonuses. This is the first thing the sportsbook wants you to look at. After all, who can turn down the allure of “get $300 just by registering” or whatever bonus is out there nowadays?

However, betting bonuses are rarely as lucrative as you would think. Sure, you get the lucrative odd bonus, but most of them have such heavy restrictions in place that you don’t get much benefit from them. For example, most will require you to gamble through your bonus winnings so often that you’ll be unlikely to ever withdraw the cash from your account.

So, think of the betting bonus as a little bit of a sweetener here. They’re not a great way to choose an online platform where you should gamble. However, they are a great way to differentiate between two otherwise very similar platforms.

Live Betting

One of the best ways to gamble on the NFL nowadays is live betting, i.e., you bet while the game goes on. It makes watching those NFL games much more exciting since you can gamble based on whatever you see on the field.

In our opinion, if an online sportsbook isn’t offering live betting on your favorite NFL team like the Ravens, it just isn’t worth gambling there. You’re taking out one of the more exciting parts of gambling online, along with fantasy football!

Customer Support

A good online sportsbook will have decent customer support. You won’t necessarily need to use them, but it is nice to know that there’ll be somebody to chat with should things go a bit wrong. So, always look at ways to get in touch with customer support. Live chat is always preferable, but you should be fine as long as they are easily reachable through email or telephone.

Mobile Support

Finally – the platform should always support mobile devices. Although, to be honest, we can’t think of many reputable NFL sportsbooks that don’t.
Mobile support means that you can gamble wherever you want, whenever you want. You don’t need to be cooped up in front of a computer.
The platform doesn’t necessarily need a mobile app (it is very rare for platforms to have mobile apps), but as long as the bulk of the features on their website are accessible through mobile browsers, you should be fine.

So, there you have it –finding the right sportsbook shouldn’t be a chore if you want to bet on the NFL. Find a decent collection of sportsbook reviews you can read through and go from there. It won’t be long before you find the right platform for you.

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