Although there aren’t any Canadian teams competing in the NFL, American football remains one of the most popular sports in this country. Not only is the NFL popular among sports fans, but it’s also one of the favorite sports of Canadian bettors.
If you belong to the latter category, you might be wondering where can you put your NFL betting skills to good use. Our answer is – at the best Canadian NFL sportsbooks.
Best NFL Sportsbooks for Canadian Players
Check out our picks for the best NFL betting sites for Canadians. Each of these online sportsbooks is great in terms of the NFL game offer, betting markets, and odds. On top of that, each of these is a licensed operator, meaning that Canadians don’t have to worry about getting scammed.
Betting site | Bonus | ||
---|---|---|---|
1 | Up to $200 in Bet Credits - use code TOP100 Min deposit $5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. | Claim offer | |
2 | 100% up to $200 T&Cs apply. 18+. Betway review. | Claim offer | |
3 | 100% up to $100 T&Cs apply. 18+. Unibet review. | Claim offer | |
4 | 100% up to $250 T&Cs apply. 18+. 888sport review. | Claim offer | |
5 | Low margins, high odds | Claim offer |
How to Bet on NFL?
Starting with the 2021 season, there will be 18 game weeks in the regular season of the NFL. Each team gets to play 17 games from September to January, with one bye week. What this means is that there is a total of 272 regular-season games.
Add to that the playoffs that culminate with the Super Bowl and you’ll see that there are plenty of betting opportunities before you.
It’s safe to say that all top online sportsbooks will cover each of those games, providing a number of different betting options along the way. The best sportsbooks will let you put your money on the match-winner (a.k.a. the Moneyline bet), as well as on many other wagers.
We’re now going to dissect some of the most popular NFL bets, starting with the point spread.
Point Spread Betting
The point spread is a two-way bet, in which both options usually come with the odds of -100. We say “usually” because sometimes the odds might differ, albeit only slightly (-105 and -115 for instance).
How spread betting works is that the bookmakers give the favorite a points handicap. If you back that team, in order for your bet to win, they need to cover the spread.
For instance, if your bet is Tampa Bay Buccaneers -1.5 against the Los Angeles Rams, the Bucs need to win by at least two points for your bet to win.
If you decided to go with Rams +1.5, the LA team would just need not to lose by more than two points’ difference for you to win.
Totals
Same as the points spread, this too is a two-way bet with -100 odds on either option. Your goal is to guess correctly whether the total number of points in a specific game is going to be over or under the margin decided by the bookies.
Usually, the margin comes in the form of a number and a half (e.g., 55.5 points). This way, there is no chance that the total could be equal to the number set up by the bookmaker. It can only be over or under that number.
That said, there are some online sportsbooks in Canada da do go with a whole number. So, what happens if the total is equal to that number? The bet gets “pushed” – you get your stake back.
NFL Moneyline
In sports betting lingo, the Moneyline refers to the bet focused on the match-winner. If you guess correctly, you win. If not, you lose the bet, it’s that simple!
If you’re wondering what happens if the game is tied after the four quarters, the answer is that overtime is played. The team that wins in overtime is seen as the winner in bookies’ eyes as well.
Live NFL Betting
The best NFL sportsbooks will have this option available for their users. If you register to one (or more) of the sports betting sites recommended by us, you will be able to place NFL bets even during the game.
Live betting comes with all sorts of perks, the biggest being that you can actually make your betting decision based on what’s happening on the field.
Major NFL Events
The Super Bowl is the pinnacle of an NFL season. It’s the most-watched sports event in the United States, as well as one of the most popular events in Canada.
In fact, Super Bowl LV had a higher viewership in Canada than the Stanley Cup Playoff between Montreal and Toronto.
Apart from the Super Bowl, there are a few other NFL games that draw a lot of attention each year. The finals of the two conferences (AFC and NFC) definitely belong to that category.
Furthermore, there are some long-running NFL rivalries that also draw a lot of interest from the Canadian public. What we’re talking about are games between the Packers and Bears, Cowboys and Eagles, and so on.
Most Popular NFL Teams & Players
In the 2021-22 season, the biggest NFL star is Tom Brady, the winner of seven Super Bowls, with two different teams. With the New England Patriots, he won six NFL Championships.
Brady’s current team is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the reigning NFL champions who beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV last February.
Speaking of the Chiefs, they’re one of the most popular NFL teams with an incredibly loyal fan base. Evidence of this is that their home venue, Arrowhead Stadium is the stadium with the largest capacity in the league.
Now that we’re on the subject of NFL stadiums, the most expensive sports venue in the world is SoFi Stadium, jointly used by two Los Angeles teams – the Rams and the Chargers.