NFL PLAYOFF ODDS
NFL Playoff Odds and Betting
Each season, millions of NFL fans turn their attention to the playoffs and root for their favorite teams to prove their supremacy. When the NFL moves from the regular season into the playoffs, every game is win-or-go-home. The opportunities to wager on your favorite teams, players, and matchups also carry a feeling of intensity and excitement.
How to Read NFL Playoff Betting Odds
When reading NFL odds, a negative number (-) by a team’s name means they are favored to win. A positive number (+) means they are not favored to win. For example, if the Minnesota Vikings are listed at -130, you must bet $130 to turn a $100 profit on a Vikings win. If the New Orleans Saints are listed at +130, a $100 wager and a Saints win would turn a $130 profit.
There are a variety of bet types, and the NFL football odds listed will be specific to outcomes related to that wager type.
Types of NFL Playoffs Bets
Spread
Spreads place a margin by which a favored team will beat its opponent. A negative spread indicates that team as the favorite, while a positive spread indicates that team as the underdog. Spread bets are typically placed on a game-by-game basis throughout the NFL playoffs. For example, if Minnesota faces New Orleans, the spread might read as:
Team | Spread |
Minnesota | -3.5 |
New Orleans | +3.5 |
If you bet on Minnesota, they would need to win by 4 points or more for you to win your bet. Even if Minnesota wins, but they do so by 3 points or less, you would not win that bet; it would factor the same result as a New Orleans victory.
Moneyline
Moneyline bets are the most straightforward of NFL playoff bets. You are simply choosing the victor of the game, and your payout is determined by the odds for that victor. The odds are formatted to indicate how much money would be returned on a $100 bet. If you chose a team to win who had money line odds of +200, a winning wager would return you $300 (your $100 wager plus the +200 odds).
Total
Over/under bets give you the opportunity to bet on the combined point total between both teams when the game ends. If the over/under for a game is 35, and you bet the over, the two teams involved would need to combine for 36 points or more to win that bet. Think they’ll have a slow-paced, defensive-focused game? Then you would take the under and hope the teams combine for less than 35.
Player props
Player prop bets add a layer of entertainment to your NFL experience, and are focused on individual players rather than team outcomes. With player prop bets, you can choose which quarterback will throw for more yards in a head-to-head matchup, wager on the over/under for touchdown receptions for your team’s star receiver, or even on the number of turnovers a quarterback might have.
Parlay Bets
A parlay bet on the NFL playoffs is a combination of multiple wagers—however, in a parlay, all wagers must be successful for a payout. For example, you might wager on a team to cover the spread, take the under score in the matchup, and choose your winning team’s quarterback to throw three touchdowns. All three of these outcomes would need to occur for a payout. While the payouts for a parlay bet can be substantial, they do carry a greater risk in trying to succeed with multiple outcomes.
Sports betting is about entertainment first—it is never about chasing a rush or attempting to recover other gambling losses. Betting responsibly means setting clear limits for yourself. Do not bet money you cannot afford to lose, or attempt to cover expenses or bills with risky wagers. Betting on your favorite NFL teams is meant to simply enhance the enjoyment of your experience, and all gambling carries an inherent risk. Remember to always bet responsibly.
For my information about betting on football, visit the DraftKings Football Betting Guide.
