NFL Odds and Futures

NFL betting odds come in many styles, although most casual bettors are most accustomed to the point spread. Here at BettingTrends.com, we will track all updates of the NFL point spread, moneyline and total (over-under) for every game from a lineup of top legal US sportsbooks. We also update NFL futures, which are basically the current odds of each team to win the Super Bowl.

If you are not sure how to read the numbers here or what the ‘consensus’ line means (it’s the most common line for each game), there is a legend with details below the current odds. Good luck using NFL betting trends to find some great wagering value this Sunday!

NFL POINT SPREAD – known as a line or spread, it is incorrectly thought of as a predicted margin of victory by one team. Actually, the oddsmaker sets a number where he/she feels an equal number of people will want to bet on the underdog and the favorite. At the end of the game, you simply add the plus value to the underdog or subtract the minus value from the underdog. Check the example below.

Philadelphia-6
Dallas+6


The negative value -6 indicates Philly is favored by 6 points. The positive value +6 shows the Cowboys as an underdog by 6 points. Betting on the favored Eagles means they must win by at least seven points to cover the spread. The dog Cowboys can lose by five points and still cover the spread. If the score is 30-21 for the Eagles, they won by nine points, which is more than six, so they covered the spread. If the score is 30-27 for the Eagles, they win the game by three points, which is less than six points so they failed to cover the spread.

NFL MONEYLINE – usually seen in low-scoring sports such as baseball and hockey. The team you bet on just to win the game, there is no point spread to worry about. The negative value still indicates the favorite (-180) and the positive value indicates the underdog (+160).

Philadelphia-180
Dallas+160


Imagine the number $100 sitting in the middle of these two values and understanding the NFL moneyline is easy. A bet on the Eagles at -180 means you risk $180 in order to win $100. On the underdog Cowboys, you would risk $100 and win $160 if the underdog wins. You risk a little more on the favorite for a modest reward. You risk a little less on the underdog for a bigger reward.

NFL TOTAL – also called the over/under is a projected number of combined points that oddsmakers feel will be scored in a game. Take a look at example below.

Philadelphia
 OV 46.5
Dallas 


The total is 46.5, so if the final score is 30-17, that makes 47 combined points and your OVER 46.5 bet would win. If the final score is 23-17, that would be 40 points and UNDER 46.5 points. In OVER-UNDER betting, you don’t care who wins, just how many points are being scored.

SUPER BOWL FUTURES – You can bet on the upcoming Super Bowl at any point during the season, not just the week before the big game. These odds change all the time with injuries or signings or hot streaks. Basically, oddsmakers pick the teams they feel are favored to win and those teams which are longshots and updates the list regularly.

For example, Kansas City may start the season at 7-1 odds. If they win 10 in a row, their odds might go down to 3-1. If Patrick Mahomes get hurt however, the odds could go way back up to 25-1. You will see the Super Bowl futures listed as 3-1 odds or +300 (which means a $100 wager would pay $300 profit). A surprise team might be +2000 bet which means a $100 bet pays out a $2,000 profit if they win.