Best American Football betting sites

Updated:

As you would expect, American football is popular in the United States. It has an increasingly global following with talk of the NFL, the professional league, opening a franchise in London, Mexico and elsewhere.

In a game of situations and moments, it is a sport that starts and stops all the time and this can lend itself to all kinds of interesting bets. It gives punters time to think, to decide and then make a bet.

In this article, we will help you navigate your way through first downs, crowded defences to try and score a touchdown by focusing on the following points.

List of American Football Bookmakers

Found: 14 Bookmakers

Rank Bookmaker Bonus Claim
1

1xBet

100% Welcome bonus up to €100

18+ T&C apply, BeGambleAware.org

2

22Bet

100% Welcome Bonus up to €122

18+ T&C apply, BeGambleAware.org

3

Melbet

Welcome bonus up to €100

18+ T&C apply, BeGambleAware.org

4

Megapari

100% Welcome bonus up to 130$ with code 'MIGHTYPARI'

18+ T&C apply, BeGambleAware.org

5

20Bet

100% Welcome bonus up to €100

18+ T&C apply, BeGambleAware.org

6

bet365

Welcome bonus up to €100 in Bet Credits

18+ T&C apply, BeGambleAware.org

7

Ivibet

100% Welcome bonus up to €150

18+ T&C apply, BeGambleAware.org

8

BetWinner

100% Welcome bonus up to €100

18+ T&C apply, BeGambleAware.org

9

Powbet

100% Welcome bonus up to €100

18+ T&C apply, BeGambleAware.org

10

Paripesa

100% Welcome bonus up to €100

18+ T&C apply, BeGambleAware.org

11

Sportaza

100% Welcome bonus up to €50

18+ T&C apply, BeGambleAware.org

12

Freshbet

100% Welcome Bonus up to €500

18+ T&C apply, BeGambleAware.org

13

1Bet

100% Welcome bonus up to €100

18+ T&C apply, BeGambleAware.org

14

Mostbet

150% Welcome bonus up to 5,000 MAD with promocode MIGHTYTIPS150

18+ T&C apply, BeGambleAware.org

History of American Football

It is interesting that about the same time other major team sports such as football, rugby and cricket were starting to come into organised existence in England in the 1860s and 1870s, American Football was taking its first steps on the field. Some of the best UK bookmakers offer plenty of betting options for this sport.

Rugby surely served as the basis for the first recorded game back in 1869 between two universities in New Jersey — Princeton and Rutgers. The first rules were written in 1876 by which time the sport had spread up and down the east coast of the US and also made its way into Canada’s sports scene.

The rules were tweaked and amended in the years after by limited the number of players and the extension of the ‘down’ system which gives teams four plays to move 10 yards.

  1. The first game was recorded as taking place in 1869
  2. There were a number of deaths recorded in the early days before the intervention of US President Theodore Roosevelt
  3. A European league started in the nineties but folded
  4. College football can be more popular than the professional league

The biggest development was perhaps the intervention of president Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. He told the sport to tone down the violence and the danger that had led to deaths and a lot of serious injuries.

The NFL began officially in 1920 but the sport had already established itself around the country in universities. The popularity of college football remains to this day and in some parts of the country, there is more interest in college football than the money-laden NFL.

The game has continued to grow and started to break out of the United States in the 80s and it started to be broadcast in European countries.

In 1991, NFL Europe was born with teams in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain and Germany as well with a number of teams in the United States. It had its ups and downs, started with plenty of interest but continued to lose money and it ceased operations in 2007.

There is still a more international interest in the modern game. The NFL plays a couple of games in London and Mexico City on a regular basis and there, or were before the onset of coronavirus, plans to open a full-time franchise overseas.

History of American Football
??? First introduced 1869
?? Overseeing Organizations International Federation of American Football
?? Bookmaker Coverage High
? Popular in Worldwide (most popular in North America)
?? World Championship IFAF World Championship
?? Olympic Discipline No

FAQ

? Where is American football popular?

The main markets are in the United States but there is interest in the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico. There are also pockets in Europe and in parts of Asia.

? What are the popular bets?

Handicap points spread, over/under and winners are the basic bets.

? Is there only the NFL on which to bet?

While that is the most famous and most popular, usually, there is also College football which has a lot of followers and is often a faster and more exciting version.

? What bookies are best for American football?

The sport is part of the mainstream now and all bookmakers offer markets and sometimes specific bonuses.

? What are the best payment methods?

The usual common methods are generally accepted when betting on American Football.

HOW TO PICK THE BEST AMERICAN FOOTBALL GAMBLING SITES

There are a lot of choices these days even if there are not many tournaments around the world. It is still worth keeping things in mind when searching for the best bookmaker for American Football.

  • College football — There are not that many countries that play the sport so the US is the biggest option. Sites that offer more than the NFL, like college football, are the best bet.
  • Live streaming — Like any sport, punters can benefit from watching the game live and reacting to events. Look for sites that show the games.
  • Betting info — You can see the best American football betting sites as there is information that provides a good introductory guide to betting on the sport.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL BETS, BETTING TIPS & STRATEGIES

With such a structured sport that creates a series of situations, there are numerous opportunities to have different kinds of bets.

  • Handicap
    Sometimes you don’t want a simple ‘which team will win’ kind of bet and a points spread. A form of handicap is a popular way to gamble more lucratively and interestingly.The bookie gives a team a handicap so the stronger side has to win by, say, 5 or 10 points.. If it is the latter then if New York Jets defeat San Diego Chargers 28-19, but there is a handicap of 10 points, then it is not a winning bet as New York only won by nine and not the requisite ten.
  • American football suits Over/Under
    The game lends itself well to this kind of bet as there are often a lot of points in the game.If you bet on the number of points scored by both teams, you have a cut off point that could be, for example, 45.5 points. If you bet over then you win if there is a total of 46 points or more and if you bet under then you win if there is a point score of 45 or less. It’s good to know the conditions, the teams, the coaches and form when laying this bet.
  • Focus on one team to begin with
    There will be plenty of gamblers who are not that familiar with this most American of sports. So for the new recruits to the game, it is best to choose a team for a while and stick with them. It can be the perfect way to become familiar with the sport, the teams and the nuances. Then you can start to explore other aspects of the market.
  • Don’t forget College football
    When choosing American football sportsbooks, College football is rated faster, higher-scoring and a little less pressurised than the professional NFL. It also offers lots more teams and more unpredictability as the rosters can change more quickly. It is a harder market to become familiar with but there are rewards.

Top 4 American Football Bookies with Bonuses

There are not a great deal of bonuses on betting sites for American football. But before the season starts and around the superbowl (in early February), you could find plenty in 2024.

  • 888sports
  • Betfred
  • Bet365
  • William Hill

BEST AMERICAN FOOTBALL SPORTSBOOKS FOR MOBILE BETTING

All of the usual American football betting companies offer mobile betting. This includes sportsbooks in many European countries such as Irish online betting sites.

RECOMMENDED PAYMENT METHODS AT AMERICAN FOOTBALL SPORTSBOOKS

All the major American football bookies offer plenty of bets. It also means that there are a variety of payment methods supported.

As well as the good old-fashioned credit and debit cards, there is a growing acceptance of e-wallets. These services mean you can move money around with the touch of a button but they are sometimes excluded from bonuses and promotions.

Cryptocurrencies are growing in popularity but are not as universally taken as some of the other methods. As always, bank transfers are reliable but sometimes slow.

  • MasterCard

    Easy to use quick and accepted everywhere!

  • Skrill

    Widely accepted digital wallet. Trusted and easy to use to deposit and withdraw.

  • PayPal

    The most famous ewallet service and known around the world though not always the fastest.

  • Bank Transfer

    Simple, very secure and can deposit and withdraw large amounts, albeit slow.

Review Author

John Duerden

John Duerden

John Duerden has lived in four Asian countries over 20 years and covers the continent's football scene for World Soccer magazine, The Guardian, ESPN, Associated Press and other media.