Best NFL betting sites January 2023: Top online sportsbooks ranked

Chicago Tribune
 

The NFL is the most popular sport in the United States and therefore is available on pretty much every major sportsbook. With so many ways to bet the NFL, let’s review the different major sportsbooks.

The best online NFL betting sites offer users generous welcome bonuses, promotions, wide variety of markets and games and easy user interface. We have ranked the top NFL betting sites for new bettors and customers.

1$1,000Risk-Free Bet
  • New customers only. Must be 21+. Welcome offer not available in NY & PA. Full T&C apply.
3Bet $5, Get $150 in free bets4$1,500First Bet on Caesars with code TRIBUNE1BET in Ohio
  • New customers only. Must be 21+. Welcome offer not available in NY & PA. Full T&C apply.
5$1,250First Bet on Caesars + 1000 Tier Credits + 1000 Reward Credits® with code TRIBUNEFULL
  • New customers only. Must be 21+. Welcome offer not available in NY & PA. Full T&C apply.
7$1000First Bet Match
  • New users only, 21+. Full T&C apply.
8$4002nd chance bet with code SPORTS
  • 21+. New customers only. T&C apply
9$100Free Sports Bets
  • New users only, 21 or older. Full T&C apply.
10$100First Bet Match
  • N21+. New customers only. Full T&C apply.
12$250In Free Bets
  • New users only, 21+. Full T&C apply.

January is a crucial month for the NFL as the regular season comes to a close. The final week of the regular season is the last chance for teams to secure a wild-card spot and other division leaders can jockey for playoff position.

The wild-card round begins the second weekend of January with three days of playoff action. In the following weekend, bettors can get in on two days of NFL Divisional games followed by both the AFC and NFC Championship the next Sunday.

  • Welcome offers
  • Live betting
  • User interface and experience
  • Livestreaming
  • Existing customer promos
  • Support for parlays and same game parlays
  • Availability in US
  • Payment options
  • Refer a friend bonus

All the sportsbooks on our list offer some sort of welcome bonus. This allows users peace of mind when making their first wager that they may qualify for a credit on their first bet or potentially the ability to recoup their losses in free bets.

While deposit match offers are limited in January 2023, all the sportsbooks on our list offer a “risk-free” bet or some way to make back your wager in the event it loses. Generally, these come in the form of bet credits through the sportsbook not actual cash, so exercise caution when placing your first bet.

The major sportsbooks are offering bet insurance up to $1,000-$1,500 depending on the operator and the States may have different welcome offers. This allows users with various levels of capital to get in on the action.

As with any wagers, be sure to read all the terms and conditions of welcome bonuses and be sure to pick the sportsbook with the most advantageous offer for NFL betting.

Live betting is an incredibly important feature for many users and is the ability to place wagers even after a game has kicked off. For example, in NFL games, users may have the opportunity to pick a live moneyline if one team is down big in the game in the hopes that they mount a comeback.

Live over/unders are quite common as well. If a game was predicted to be low-scoring and already is close to hitting the total points, a bettor may place a live over bet with an adjusted line that moves with the flow of the game.

Sports betting sites have not always had a good reputation for user interface and experience. This was because of sports betting not being legal until 2018 which has not given these sportsbooks much time to develop and enhance user experience.

For new time bettors, a site that is easy to navigate is key. A site that makes a user go through hoops to register or deposit money in illegitimate ways may make a customer look for other sportsbooks.

All the operators on this list have a crisp, user-friendly experience where all the markets are displayed with all the odds to wager on are available or the different ways to play a matchup.

This NFL season was a huge step forward for livestreaming on the sportsbooks. Caesars Sportsbook became the first US sportsbook to stream an NFL game.

With the ever-complicating way in which customers view media, sportsbooks will continue to expand into this market so bettors can also catch their favorite NFL teams. Many current media partners require some sort of monthly subscription or a cable-based subscription to view games on their platform, so this could be a fantastic emerging feature for sportsbooks.

Almost all sportsbooks offer promotions for existing customers as well. Sites such as BetMGM will feature a promotions page with all their current offerings such as up to $1,000 in free bets, money back on NBA player props, friend referrals or even one-game parlays curated by BetMGM.

Sportsbooks ultimately want their customers to be happy and have a good experience to make future wagers. These promotions and rewards for placing bets keep users coming back to our top three picks.

NFL betting sites will not only make it simple to create parlays or same-game parlays but many will often curate parlays or teasers for customers. The user experience is so simple and parlays are a requirement in today’s betting landscape.

Go to your favorite sportsbook. Check out the odds and either combine different odds in the same game or pair multiple games for the bigger payout.

The operators on this list are among the best NFL betting sites because of their availability in nearly every state where sports betting is legal. It is disadvantageous for sportsbooks to only operate in one state or location if possible to expand.

With all the geofence technology and ability for operators to detect where users are located, it makes sense to not be limited to one location where the sportsbook will be unavailable to many customers.

Sportsbooks offer a wide variety of deposit and withdrawal methods in 2023. Users can deposit using crypto, debit/credit card, ACH instant eCheck and PayNearMe.

The issue with sportsbooks that hurts their credibility is that withdrawal methods are not the same as deposit methods. Sportsbooks will usually steer toward offering bet credits or free bets due to the fact that you have to still operate through their business with their form of currency.

In the near future as NFL sports betting expands and gains reputation, look for sportsbooks to expand and simplify the way users can withdraw money as well to keep them coming back as customers.

Many of the major sportsbooks offer incentives for valued customers to bring in new business. An operator will usually require the new user to use a promo code or make a deposit or wager first, but it is always worth it.

Always check promotions pages from your favorite sportsbook and help a friend sign up ― it usually ends in bet credits for the customer or some sort of reward that can be used toward NFL bets.

BetMGM tops the list due to its availability in many states and also with its unparalleled user interface and experience. From the main page, it’s so simple for a new bettor to bet on the NFL or any one of the various markets available on the side of the page.

NFL bettors can find any game for the upcoming playoffs with the most up to date odds or parlays. Experienced bettors can peek at all the best player props available as well.

BetMGM has a well-planned website with a promotions tab. They offer users a first bet insurance up to $1,000 ― new users can recoup in bet credits up to $1,000 if they lose as well as other promotions such as the always popular Refer a Friend reward.

FanDuel takes the second spot on this list with its reputation built on its partnerships with all major sports leagues, various sports teams, media partners and even partnerships with sports pundits.

In addition, FanDuel has developed a site with front to back user experience in mind. As a premier NFL betting site, the site is the simplest of the sportsbooks on our list and is easy to navigate for a new bettor.

Their promotions tab can be found on the top of their page. Just in time for the playoffs, FanDuel is offering a new deal where new bettors can wager $5, and receive $150 in bonus bets into their accounts.

  • Learn more about the new FanDuel offer just in time for the NFL playoffs.

Caesars Sportsbook is one of the most visible sportsbooks in the advertising space. Caesars has built its reputation on its generous promotions such as going “full Caesar” in Ohio where new bettors can get up to $1,500 in bet credits.

Caesars Sportsbook is the least user-friendly of the three, however. It’s landing page requires users to register and odds are not easily viewable until users create an account and register with the operator.

As an official partner with the NFL, Caesars is unmatched for NFL sports betting sites.

Sports betting became legal in 2018 after the repealing of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992. Since then, 23 out of the 30 states where betting is legal offer online sports wagering.

There are still many states left to vote and pass sports betting. Massachusetts retail sports betting will go live Jan. 31, 2023 while sportsbooks are applying for licenses and will launch in early 2023.

Upcoming big states which could launch sometime soon include Texas, California and Florida.

Online betting allows users to make a bet from anywhere in the jurisdiction of legal betting. This allows for a better user experience and opens the marketplace to all sorts of new customers.

For example, a New Jersey resident in the past may have had to go to a specific casino in Atlantic City or horse track in order to place a bet. Now, as long as they are in the geographic area of a state that allows sports betting, a user can download a mobile app or visit a site and create their betslip.

Spread bets

The spread, or line, is essentially how many points a team is predicted to win over another team. The biggest thing to remember is that your bet can win while the team doesn’t win ― as long as they cover that spread or lose by less points than predicted.

Moneyline

The moneyline is the easiest to understand. It’s a pick on which team will win outright.

Teams that are heavy favorites have very low payouts because they are expected to win versus underdogs.

O/U

The over under is just the total amount of points scored by both teams together. It will vary based off how competent teams are on offense or defense, and can vary to total points in a quarter or half or even total points by just one team.

Parlays

A bettor can parlay multiple bets together across different matchups or parlay different bets of the same game for a bigger payout. For example, you could parlay together multiple moneylines from different games to hit or mix bets like an over from one game with a moneyline and a spread from another game.

Parlays have the biggest payouts generally and this is because the odds are long for multiple legs or multiple bets to all hit.

Prop bets

Prop bets are specific instances that a bettor is betting to happen. Markets will set lines for player props ― certain players to have a certain amount of rushing yards, passing yards or passing touchdowns or even as crazy as what color the Gatorade will be in a Super Bowl or big win.

Which sportsbook is the best NFL betting site?

This is entirely subjective and based on what is best for the customer. Bettors in different states may have better welcome offers or incentives that put one sportsbook ahead of another.

Bettors should do extensive research to decide what offer is best for them and what site they enjoy using the most.

What major NFL events are in January?

There are many NFL events occurring in January as the regular season wraps up and the excitement of NFL Playoffs begins. The first week of January will finish up the regular season, and the next three consecutive weekends will feature the Wild Card Round, the Divisional Round, and the NFC and AFC Championships.

When is the Super Bowl?

Super Bowl LVII will take place on Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It will feature the NFC champion against the AFC champion.

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