The National Football League (NFL) is one of the professional football leagues in the world that draws in the highest number of spectators worldwide. Fierce rivalries and exhilarating actions have made the game more exciting to watch.

Many NFL enthusiasts are making their habit of watching NFL matches more interesting—looking into entering the sports betting industry. The abundance of matches and richness of action in NFL games often translates to adrenaline-charged betting opportunities.

Of course, before diving into the world of NFL and live sports betting online in Singapore, it is essential to grasp the fundamentals of the league itself and the available betting markets for the sport.

 

NFL Basics

The NFL is America’s largest and annual professional football league, comprising 32 franchises or teams (with 45 members each) divided into two conferences: the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The two conferences are also divided into four divisions.

A regular NFL season runs for 17 weeks, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week—an off week between weeks 4 and 12. The season then culminates in the Super Bowl, where the champions of the AFC and NFC contend for the NFL championship title.

 

Game Duration

The NFL game is officially a 60-minute event, with four quarters that equally run for 15 minutes. However, the actual time it takes to complete a game can extend to an average of approximately 3 hours or more, influenced by various factors, including the number of plays, timeouts, the duration of breaks.

Typically, halftime breaks for professional and college games average around 12 minutes. The Super Bowl is an exception to this, and the halftime break during this game can stretch to 20 to 30 minutes. Additionally, there are 2-minute breaks at the conclusion of the first through third quarters, aiding teams in switching end zones every 15 minutes of gameplay.

If the scores of the two teams are level at the end of the game, a 10-minute overtime period will be played. During this period, both teams must have an opportunity to possess the ball. After this point, it becomes sudden death, meaning any scoring action concludes the match. However, the offense can secure victory if they score a touchdown on their initial possession.

In the regular season, if both teams remain tied after the first 10-minute overtime period, the game concludes in a tie. Meanwhile, multiple overtime periods may be played on postseason games until a winner is determined.

 

Scoring in NFL

The main objective in the NFL is to score more points than the opposing team. Teams score points by the following plays:

Touchdown (6 PTS) –A touchdown is scored when a team runs the ball into or catches a pass in the opponent’s end zone or goal line.

Field Goal (3 PTS) –It is scored by kicking the ball through the goalposts. A team will usually attempt a field goal on the fourth down.

Extra Point (1 or 2 PTS) –The scoring team can score an extra point or two by attempting a conversion (similar to the conversion in Rugby). An extra point can be scored by kicking the ball through the upright posts after a touchdown. Meanwhile, the scoring team can earn two extra points by a run or pass of the ball into the goal line in the manner of a touchdown.

Safety (2 PTS) –The defensive team can earn this by tackling and forcing back the offensive player in possession of the ball in their own end zone.

 

NFL Bet Types

Futures

Futures betting involves guessing the outcome of the whole NFL championship. Bettors can place their futures bets well before the season starts and often include predictions such as:

Super Bowl Champion –Betting on which team will win the Super Bowl.

Division and Conference Winners –Guessing which teams will win the championship in their respective divisions and conferences. For this futures betting market, you can wager on eight different NFL division champs:

AFC Divisions –AFC East, AFC North, AFC South, AFC West

NFC Divisions –NFC East, NFC North, NFC South, NFC West

Seasonal and Performance Awards –Predicting which player or set of players will win individual awards like National Football League MVP, Defensive Rookie of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Futures betting requires patience as bettors will be placing long-term wagers that will take an entire season to get results from. But partaking in this type of NFL betting market offers a profitable opportunity as winning in this market may result in substantial payouts.

 

Moneyline

Moneyline betting, as with other sports, is a straightforward betting market in NFL. It involves predicting the winner of a specific match.

The only thing that requires extra understanding in this betting market is how odds are presented. Generally, favourites are assigned with negative odds, while underdogs are given positive odds. These odds represent the likelihood of the outcomes as well as indicate the potential profit or needed wager for each bet.

Positive odds reflect the potential profit on a $100 bet. On the other hand, negative odds indicate the amount needed to wager to win $100.

 

Point Spreads

Point spread betting is another popular NFL betting market, as it is designed to level the playing field between two unevenly matched teams. A handicap is applied to the favourite, and a points advantage is given to the underdog.

If bettors wager on the favourite, they can expect a payout if the favoured team wins by more points than the spread. Conversely, if they wager on the underdog, their bet wins if the team wins outright or loses by fewer points than the spread.

 

Totals

Totals betting, often referred to as over/under betting, represents a distinct betting market. Bettors engaging in this betting market are not compelled to predict the outright winner of the match. Instead, they need to guess whether the combined points scored in the game will surpass or fall short of the predetermined number set by sportsbooks.

Bettors partaking in this betting market can enjoy an added layer of thrill as they will need to focus on the overall point production.

 

Quarters and Halves

Many sportsbooks also allow bettors to place the three standard bets (mentioned above) for quarters and halves of matches. These betting markets give bettors who prefer short-term actions the opportunity to spice up their betting activities—divide the game into separate periods and bet on them individually.

The odds for these betting markets, particularly the first or second half moneyline betting, are quite exciting but come with a lot more risk than their standard counterparts.

 

Props

Proposition or props betting can add an extra layer of thrill to your NFL betting experience. This involves betting on various aspects of a game, including:

player performance

specific occurrences within the game (i.e., first team to score, how many passing yards a quarterback will have, and total touchdowns) and,

Super Bowl events (i.e., duration of the national anthem during the Super Bowl or color of the Gatorade shower)

 

Parlays

Parlay betting involves combining individual bets into a single wager. This is a popular NFL betting market for bettors who seek thrill and higher payouts. However, higher odds do not only equate to more significant rewards; it also means greater risks. Winning a parlay can be challenging, as punters need to win all included bets in the ticket.

 

How to Bet on the 2023 NFL season?

Just like in other sports betting disciplines, bettors can wager on the NFL in the traditional manner (betting at a brick-and-mortar bookmaker) or through the modern option (betting at an online sportsbook Singapore).

Wagering on NFL betting markets at physical bookmakers allows bettors to engage with other NFL betting enthusiasts and even push them to watch the game live at the venue—adding extra adrenaline to their betting activities.

Meanwhile, betting on NFL games through platforms for online sports betting in Singapore like 88ProBet offers a more convenient, secure, and private betting experience. Bettors can also leverage bonus promotions to make their betting journey more thrilling and profitable.

Register for an account here to start your NFL betting journey and leverage 88ProBet’s competitive odds, generous payouts, and invaluable bonuses and promotions.