Moneyline, spread and total: the three main bets

The three bets you'll see on every NFL game, what the numbers mean, and how the same bet can pay differently at different books.

Almost every NFL game has three main markets. They're priced separately, and each book sets its own price, which is why comparing books matters for all three.

Moneyline: who wins the game

You pick which team wins the game outright. The favourite has negative American odds (for example -150: stake $150 to get $100 on top of your stake back if it wins); the underdog has positive odds (+130: stake $100 to get $130 on top). Decimal odds show the whole return per $1: -150 is 1.67 and +130 is 2.30.

Spread: by how much

The spread gives the underdog a head start. "Bears +3.5" means your bet counts as a win if the Bears win, or lose by 3 or fewer. "Packers -3.5" needs the Packers to finish 4 or more points ahead. Spreads are usually priced near -110 on both sides, so small differences (-105 vs -115) matter a lot over a season.

Total: how many points

You bet whether both teams together score over or under a number, like 44.5. Half-points stop ties. Like spreads, totals are usually close to -110 a side.

Same bet, different price

Books don't always agree. One might offer the Bears +3.5 at -105 while another has -115, or one might hang 44.5 while another has 45. The game is the same; only the price changes. That's line shopping, and it's the one edge that doesn't depend on predicting anything. See line shopping and try the odds converter.

Information only. Any single bet can lose. 21+. Help: 1-800-GAMBLER.