The NFL preseason really gets going this week with all 32 NFL teams in action. There’s a slate of 11 games on Thursday, Aug. 8, two more on Friday, Aug. 9, and three on Saturday, Aug. 10.
You can now bet on these and other NFL preseason games in the 10 states that have launched legal sports betting. These states are:
- Nevada (Launched 1949)
- Delaware (Launched June 5, 2018)
- New Jersey (Launched June 14, 2018)
- Mississippi (Launched Aug. 1, 2018)
- West Virginia (Launched Aug. 30, 2018)
- New Mexico (Launched Oct. 16, 2018)
- Pennsylvania (Launched Nov. 16, 2018)
- Rhode Island (Launched Nov. 26, 2018)
- Arkansas (Launched July 1, 2019)
- New York (Launched July 17, 2019)
This is not the NFL regular season sports betting
However, the NFL preseason is not exactly the same thing as the NFL regular season. Winning matters very little to most teams throughout the four-week preseason. In fact, most treat preseason games like practice scrimmages.
If they play at all, a team’s regular starters get some early first quarter reps focused on execution over outcome. They simply don’t want to risk injury in a meaningless game and won’t play much past the first quarter.
You may be the type that watches hundreds of hours of college football film. Perhaps you’ve done enough research to make an informed decision as to which players on a team’s practice squad-roster bubble are better than anothers. If not, it can be near impossible to pick winners in the NFL preseason.
If you’re going bet on preseason games it’s a good idea to start out looking for:
- Coaches who may be trying to win in the preseason
- Free-agent or recently traded players who might play more in an effort to get acclimated with a new team
- Holdouts and injured players whose absence may affect a team’s chances of winning
- Sportsbooks posting standard three-point spreads with little basis for doing so; and
- A better price on a bet that can be found by shopping around
Find any of these and you may also find yourself on the way to a winning NFL season before the regular season starts.
Watch NFL preseason games
In the meantime, it’s a good idea to watch as many preseason games as you can.
It’s not only good research for making weekly NFL picks, but it can also give you some idea which teams are really capable of making a Super Bowl run this season.
In fact, the NFL futures markets are already open at legal sportsbooks across the country allowing you to bet on this.
The meaningless nature of NFL preseason games makes it unlikely the current futures odds will change ahead of the start of the regular season, no matter what happens.
That makes the four-week preseason the perfect time to evaluate the top teams and lock in a bet on any you think are capable of winning it all.
The fact is, by the time these teams prove to be legitimate contenders in the regular season, the odds will be adjusted to reflect that. That means the NFL preseason is the best time to wade into the NFL futures market. The prices will never be better.
NFL preseason futures odds
There are currently only 10 legitimate contenders that the top sportsbooks in the country are offering odds of +2000 or lower on.
Here’s a look at the current odds on these 10 preseason favorites to win the Super Bowl at NJ sports betting apps including DraftKings SportsBook and BetStars NJ. Plus, PA sports betting apps including FanDuel Sportsbook and Parx Sportsbook.
| NFL Futures | DraftKings (NJ) | BetStars (NJ) | FanDuel (PA) | Parx (PA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | +700 | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Kansas City Chiefs +800 +800 +850 | +850 | +800 | +800 | +850 |
| Los Angeles Rams | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| New Orleans Saints | +1000 | +900 | +900 | +1000 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | +1600 | +1400 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Indianapolis Colts | +1400 | +1500 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Cleveland Browns | +1400 | +1700 | +1600 | +1400 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +1300 | +1600 | +1400 | +1300 |
| Chicago Bears | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 |
| Dallas Cowboys | +2500 | +2000 | +2500 | +2500 |
