Moneylines, point spreads, and totals get the most attention but there's little doubt NFL prop bets offer value for bettors willing to put in the time and effort.
From player props to team props, the NFL has it all. When the NFL Championship rolls around, you’ll find more Super Bowl props than you know what to do with.
Below, we discuss the ins and outs of NFL props at the best NFL betting sites.
What are NFL props?
An NFL prop bet is a “side bet” you make with a sportsbook that usually doesn’t have much relationship to the outcome of an NFL contest.
NFL prop bets are mostly designed for entertainment purposes and concern player performance, team performance, and more.
This bet type can be broken down into smaller categories:
How to bet on NFL props
The easiest way to bet on NFL props is to download one of the top sports betting apps. Here are the steps you’ll need to follow to sign up for an account, which is free.
- Decide on a sportsbook: Once you’ve chosen, follow the link to your sportsbook from our site to access the best sports betting promos and bonuses currently available to new customers.
- Register for an account: There is usually a link at the top of the home screen of the sportsbook where you can sign up.
- Supply your personal information: Sportsbooks require you to provide them with personal details to set up an account. This includes your name, address, Social Security number, and more.
- Accept the terms and conditions: Every sportsbook requires you to accept its terms and conditions before you can create an account. We always suggest you read through these terms before accepting them, but if you don’t, you can always find them on the sportsbook website to read later.
- Download the app: Want the convenience of always having your sportsbook in your pocket? Then, you will want to download the app, allowing you to access your account from anywhere you have an internet connection, make bets, deposit and withdraw funds, or participate in live betting.
- Deposit funds into your account: Before you can start betting, you’ll need to add funds. This can be done through a variety of banking options.
- Start betting: With your sign-up complete, you can now bet.
NFL player props
The most common type of NFL prop bet is the player prop, which allows you to bet on what a player can accomplish during a game.
These are often totals bets, also known as over/under bets, though they can be even more specific for live betting during NFL games. Many player prop bets are focused on an individual’s game-time statistics or accomplishments.
Here are some common NFL player props.
Touchdown props: These prop bets focus on a player scoring a touchdown within the confines of a single game. The wager might focus on a rushing touchdown, a passing or receiving TD, a special teams score, or a defensive touchdown.
The odds can vary quite significantly based on the particular player and the probability of them scoring. Talented players who score often will have shorter odds than those who don’t score as frequently. Oddsmakers factor in the player, their quality, and the opponent when determining the odds for player props.
You can also bet on specific instances, such as the player to score the first touchdown of a game, or a player to score a touchdown at any point in the contest. The former will have multiple options to choose from while the latter will be a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question.
Passing props: These props are pretty easy to understand as they are typically over/under bets where a sportsbook will give you a total number of yards, attempts, or touchdown passes. You just need to decide whether a player will go over or under that total.
Rushing and receiving props: These work exactly the same as the passing props. Bet on over/unders for rushing and receiving yards, rushing attempts, rushing and receiving touchdowns, or total receptions.
Defensive props: It’s not all about offense when it comes to prop bets. You can bet on individual player sacks, tackles, interceptions, and more.
NFL team props
Team props work the same way as player props but are focused on team accomplishments or statistics. For example, you might bet on the number of touchdowns a team will score in a game. It might look something like this:
Cleveland Browns total touchdowns
- Over 3.5 -125
- Under 3.5 +145
In this example, you’d be betting on whether the Browns could score four touchdowns (or more) or be held to three or fewer.
In this example, any member of the team—offense, defense, or special teams—can contribute to the result. So if the Browns score three touchdowns on offense and return a punt for a score, the over would win on this bet.
Other team props might include:
- First and last team to score
- Result of first drive
- Race to a designated number of points
- Total TDs scored in the game
- Longest TD play
- Shortest TD play
- Defense and special teams scores
- Turnovers — total, margin, etc.
- Over/under on sacks
- Safety — Yes/No
- Total field goals
See more:
Super Bowl prop bets
There’s nothing quite like the spectacle of the Super Bowl. That includes the betting side of things where the game reigns as the biggest betting event of the entire year.
The bet type that tops them all? The prop bet.
For most NFL games, there are dozens of prop bets available. For the Super Bowl, there are hundreds of them across every NFL betting site. You’ll have all of your regular player, game, and team props, but you’ll also have props focused on the entertainment side.
A few examples of prop bets you’ll find during the Super Bowl but not during the regular season include:
- Result of the coin flip — heads or tails
- Color of Gatorade used for celebrating on the winning sideline
- Crossovers with other sporting events, such as NBA games
Legal sportsbooks won’t carry prop bets like these during the season, but they roll out more “exotic” markets during the Super Bowl.
The most popular Super Bowl prop bet is which player will win the MVP award at the end of the game. This has often been a quarterback, but other positions have been known to get the nod occasionally.
NFL Draft props
The NFL gets attention year-round, and one of the highlights of the offseason is the annual NFL Draft. Below are some examples of NFL Draft prop bets you might come across at online sportsbooks.
- First overall pick
- Players picked No. 2 through 5
- Player to be selected in Top 10 — Yes/no
- Player to be selected in Round 1 — Yes/no
- Player to be drafted first in the second round
- Player to be drafted first on Day 3
- Last player picked in the draft
- Exact order of players taken, i.e. Top 3, Top 5
- Over/under on players drafted by position
- Over/under on trades in the first round
- Conferences and schools with the most draft picks
- Position selected by team with its first selection
- Position selected by team with its second selection, etc.
Like all prop bets, the selection for the NFL Draft will vary from sportsbook to sportsbook, which is one of the reasons we suggest having accounts with multiple books. You can then shop for the best lines to ensure you get the best odds for each bet you make during the NFL season and beyond.
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