NFL Guides – Learn How to Handicap NFL Games and Bet on NFL Odds

Eddie Griffin

Written by: Eddie Griffin

Last Update: Mon Sep 14, 2026, 1:14 pm ET

Read Time: 7 minutes

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NFL betting involves much more than picking a winner on Sunday. From learning how different NFL bets work to handicapping games, analyzing odds and lines, researching teams and matchups, and wagering on the league's biggest games and events, there is a lot for bettors to learn and consider throughout the year.

Having the right information can help you make more informed NFL betting decisions. Bettors need to understand the markets they are wagering on, know which statistics and other factors matter, and determine whether the available odds offer an opportunity worth pursuing.

Our growing collection of NFL-specific betting guides covers the league from multiple angles. Whether you are learning the fundamentals, handicapping an upcoming matchup, exploring different types of NFL bets, researching special games and situations, or preparing to wager on the playoffs and Super Bowl, you can find resources below to help with your NFL betting research.

NFL Betting Guides Quick Links

NFL Betting Guide

If you are looking for a starting point, begin with our NFL Betting Guide.

Our main guide provides an overview of betting on the NFL, including popular betting markets, NFL odds, picks, sportsbooks, betting strategy, and other information that can help you follow and wager on the league throughout the season.

NFL bettors can wager on individual games with moneylines, point spreads, totals, prop bets, and parlays and teasers or look beyond the weekly schedule with futures and other season-long markets. Our NFL Betting Guide introduces these options and much more before you explore them in greater detail throughout our collection of guides.

Betting News NFL Betting Guide

NFL Handicapping Guides

Handicapping is at the heart of researching NFL bets. Before deciding whether to wager on a game, bettors can evaluate teams, players, matchups, betting lines, and other factors that could influence the outcome.

Our NFL handicapping guides cover different parts of that process, from researching games and evaluating important betting factors to finding the information and resources you need along the way.

How to Handicap NFL Games

NFL handicapping involves evaluating teams and matchups before deciding whether a wager is worth making. These guides can help you develop a repeatable process, identify important statistics and situational factors, and understand how the schedule and other circumstances can shape your evaluation of an NFL game.

NFL Odds, Lines & Betting Factors

NFL betting lines can move throughout the week, while certain numbers can have added significance when evaluating spreads and totals. These guides can help you understand key numbers and analyze how and why NFL betting lines change before kickoff.

NFL Betting Research & Resources

Good NFL betting research depends on knowing what information to look for and where to find it. These guides can help you understand NFL betting terminology, learn how rules and penalties can affect games and wagers, and find useful websites, tools, statistics, and other resources to support your research.

Guides for Types of NFL Bets

NFL bettors have numerous ways to wager on games beyond simply picking which team will win.

Our NFL bet type guides explore some of the league's most popular betting markets in greater detail, including how they work, what bettors should consider, and strategies that can help when evaluating those wagers.

Betting on the NFL's Biggest Games and Events

NFL betting opportunities extend from the beginning of the season through the playoffs and Super Bowl, while events such as the NFL Draft give bettors something to follow during the offseason as well.

Betting News has dedicated hubs and guides covering several of the biggest events on the NFL calendar.

Super Bowl Betting

The Super Bowl is the biggest game of the NFL season and one of the biggest betting events of the year.

Our Super Bowl hub brings together betting information for the big game, including Super Bowl odds, picks, and guides covering many of the ways you can wager on the NFL's championship game.

NFL Playoffs Betting

Before the Super Bowl comes the race to reach it. The NFL Playoffs provide multiple rounds of postseason betting opportunities as the league's remaining teams compete for a championship.

Our NFL Playoffs hub provides betting information throughout the postseason, including NFL playoff odds, picks, schedules, and coverage of each round of the postseason.

NFL Special Games and Matchups

Some NFL games carry additional significance because of when, where, or against whom they are played. Primetime games, holiday matchups, international games, and longstanding rivalries can each bring different circumstances for bettors to consider.

Our guides cover these special NFL games and matchups, including what makes them unique, factors that can affect how you handicap them, and what to consider when evaluating potential betting opportunities.

NFL Draft Betting Guide

The end of the season doesn't mean the end of NFL betting. The NFL Draft offers a variety of betting markets involving players, draft positions, team selections, and other potential outcomes.

Our NFL Draft guide covers how NFL Draft betting works and what bettors should know before wagering on the draft each year.

Not every important NFL betting concept is exclusive to football. Many of the fundamentals and strategies that apply across sports can also play an important role when researching NFL games and deciding which bets to make.

The following Betting News guides cover topics and terminology that NFL bettors may find especially useful:

These are only a few of the educational resources available at Betting News. Visit our Sports Betting Guides hub to learn more about types of bets, strategy, terminology, and other important topics.

More NFL Betting Information

Our NFL betting guides can help you learn how to bet and handicap football, but Betting News also provides odds, picks, predictions, and other information throughout the NFL season.

Best NFL Betting Sites

Finding the right sportsbook is an important part of betting on the NFL. Sportsbooks can differ in their odds, available betting markets, bonuses and promotions, live betting options, and other features.

Our Best NFL Betting Sites page highlights Lucky Rebel, BetOnline, and other top-rated sportsbooks for NFL bettors and can help you compare your options before deciding where to wager.

NFL Odds

NFL betting lines can change throughout the week as sportsbooks react to betting action, injuries, news, and other information.

Visit our NFL odds page to compare the latest point spreads, moneylines, and totals for upcoming games.

NFL Consensus Picks

Want to see which teams other bettors are backing?

Our NFL consensus picks provide a look at how Betting News users are picking upcoming games, including consensus selections for point spreads, moneylines, and totals.

NFL Expert Picks and Predictions

The Betting News team provides NFL picks, predictions, and betting analysis throughout the season.

Our NFL betting coverage includes game previews, expert predictions, player prop recommendations, futures analysis, and other betting opportunities across the league.

Learn More About the Best Online Sportsbooks

Choosing the right sportsbook can make a difference when betting on the NFL or any other sport. Compare our top-rated online sportsbooks below to find competitive odds, a wide selection of betting markets, bonuses and promotions, and other features that fit your betting needs.

The NFL's global popularity means betting on the league is not limited to the United States. Our Canadian sportsbooks and international sportsbooks pages can help bettors outside the U.S. find suitable options, while U.S. bettors interested in wagering with cryptocurrency can explore top crypto sportsbooks for U.S. players.