Best betting sites and tips for the 2020 NFL season

The 2020 NFL season is on the horizon, and even though lots of things are certain to be different, that doesn’t change the appetite among bettors to try and find value and make money.

Betting odds for next year’s Super Bowl winner came out right after the 2020 showpiece, and unsurprisingly, the Kansas City Chiefs were installed as favourites. The Baltimore Ravens, heavily fancied during the previous campaign, come next in the betting odds, and the initial +800 price has been cut to +700 with most sportsbooks.

Outside of the two franchises whose quarterbacks hold the Super Bowl MVP and NFL MVP awards respectively, not many of the teams in the AFC are given much hope of lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy next February.

However, the betting sites that offer markets on the winning conference, such as Bet365, make the AFC a -125 favourite, no doubt because of the strength of Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs and Lamar Jackson’s Ravens.

There could be some other angles in from a betting perspective ahead of the 2020 NFL campaign, and it is important to keep the below factors in mind.

Bet the odds, not the team

As football viewers, we all have our opinions on certain teams, many of which are somewhat biased because of our fandom and love or hatred towards particular franchises.

When looking for potential bets ahead of the season, it is important to take yourself out of that zone and try and approach the odds from a neutral perspective. Data, probability, and value are far more important than just a hunch.

Shop around for the best odds

For a better chance of making a profit long-term, you need to ensure you are taking the best price available with each wager you place. This is not feasible if you are only registered with one or two online sportsbooks, so it is worth checking MyBettingsites for any bookmakers you are yet to have a look at.

With point spread betting shortly before each game, you are unlikely to find much difference in the odds, but with futures bets, you could find some big discrepancies, especially a couple of months before the season begins when the market hasn’t quite settled.

The New England Patriots, for example, are as short as +1400 to win the Super Bowl with some online betting sites, but on others, you can get them at +2000, which could be excellent value.

Look for alternative markets

As previously touched on, it isn’t easy to get an edge on point spreads in the NFL because a huge amount of data has gone into setting the lines, and they have been extensively cross-referenced by numerous algorithms and experts.

The same, however, cannot always be said for some of the other props offered by online betting sites. Have a look at the futures or props section on sites such as Sports Interaction, Mr Green, or William Hill - all of which are among the best NFL sportsbooks - and see what different bets they offer. 

You should see markets such as the total sacks, receiving yards, or touchdowns for certain players, and a big price may stand out somewhere.

Verdict

The 2020 NFL campaign promises to be one of the most intriguing seasons the sport has seen for a number of years. Things are massively different with everything that is happening away from football, and that could impact matters. But aside from that, seeing Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski in Tampa Bay is going to be fascinating, and the same can be said for Cam Newton with the New England Patriots.

There are seven teams below +2000 in the Super Bowl futures betting market, and that doesn’t even include the Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, and a number of other capable franchises.

Betting sites also have the odds up for the opening games, and there will certainly be lots of movement in those prices up until September 10th, so now might be the time to strike.