NFL Expert Insights
The NFL is a constantly-evolving space, and sometimes it can be hard to keep up. So allow our NFL experts to do the heavy lifting for you.
Our writers have many years of experience covering the league, and on this page, you can find their predictions, analysis, and overviews throughout the season.
Injuries and trends are important to follow, and BettingOdds.com will stay on top of the latest information to pass along to bettors, so check back periodically to see the latest updates.
Latest NFL Expert Insights
Meet Our NFL Expert
The NFL is the most heavily bet sport in the United States, and because of its parity, the slightest edges can be crucial for sports gamblers. We have an in-house expert who can help guide your betting philosophy throughout the season.
Kyle Odegard
Kyle began covering the Arizona Cardinals for the team's website in 2013 and remained there until 2021, becoming intimately familiar with both the team and the NFL at large.
He became a sports betting expert in 2021 and has an eye for spotting spread, moneyline, scoring total, and prop bets that stick out each week during the NFL season.
Kyle follows the league closely and can add nuance to situations when it comes to injuries, playing time changes, trends and other situations that a computer algorithm may have a tough time deciphering.
Sometimes the human touch is needed, and Kyle is here to add his expert insights on a daily basis.
Kyle Odegard's Top 3 NFL Teams to Bet On
Win projection totals have been unveiled for every NFL team. The oddsmakers tend to do a good job at finding the middle number to get action on each side of it, but that doesn't mean we can't find some value.
Here are the three top NFL Odds - over/under win totals I am betting on in 2024/2025.
Chicago Bears
The Bears have a season win total over/under of 8.5, so it would take a winning season for them to hit the 'over' in this futures wager. While that may seem like a tall order for a team that is poised to start a rookie quarterback, it is doable.
The Bears have been loading up the roster for the past year, adding impact pieces like D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Montez Sweat. Caleb Williams is one of the more talented passers to come into the NFL over the past few years, and while there will be growing pains, the roster is strong enough to help him during dips.
Chicago won seven games a season ago, and the continued addition of talent and the potential upgrade of Williams from Justin Fields at quarterbacks has me taking the over on its win total.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos have torn it all down in the second year of the Sean Payton era, and the 2024 campaign could be ugly.
There is a huge hole at quarterback after the release of Russell Wilson and the lack of a bonafide starter there is going to make life tough. Denver only has a win total of 5.5, and the juice is on the under at -125 odds, but this could be one of the worst teams in the NFL.
The Broncos have shed a lot of impact players recently and the offense might be putrid this season. The favorite play is the call here, with -125 odds that the Broncos win five or fewer games in 2024.
Arizona Cardinals
Most bettors jumped on the over once Arizona's season total of 6.5 wins was released. That is undoubtedly the right play.
The Cardinals' roster still has holes, but Kyler Murray is a very talented quarterback and the offense is starting to come together around him.
Arizona was well-coached a year ago and has used some big draft capital the last couple of seasons to rebuild a formerly-wretched roster.
The Cardinals might be a year away from true playoff contention, but reaching seven wins feels like a slam dunk. The over is the play here.
Top 3 Players to Bet On from NFL Journalist Kyle Odegard
There are myriad bets available for the NFL, and they are not just limited to the teams. From MVP to other awards, along with weekly NFL props, the individual players are a big part of the NFL wagering scene.
Here are my top three players to bet on during the 2024 NFL season.
Los Angeles Rams RB Kyren Williams
The 23-year-old running back was a revelation in 2023, carrying the ball 228 times for 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns in only 12 games of action.
Williams led the NFL with an average of 95.3 rushing yards per game and seems poised to have another fantastic campaign in 2024. Williams has +3500 odds to win Offensive Player of the Year at DraftKings, which is a good ways back of the favored quintet of Christian McCaffrey, Tyreek Hill, Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb.
While Williams may not have the same name recognition as those stars, another big year could really elevate him. The Rams' offense found a great groove down the stretch, and with Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua returning, defenses will have to respect the pass.
It's all lining up for a big year from Williams, who should be considered for many NFL player prop bet wagers both before the season and once the NFL game action returns.
Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray
After a fantastic start to his NFL career, Murray tore his ACL in 2022, missing the end of that season and the beginning of 2023. But he rounded into form down the stretch and is an underrated player heading into 2024.
Murray has special ability with both his arm and legs, which makes him a sneaky good longshot MVP play, and we will be checking out his season player props often when it comes to NFL betting strategy.
Murray could be in for a major bounceback, and getting in on the action early is a smart play.
Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins
Cousins has been a consistent performer for years, first with the Commanders and then with the Vikings.
He signed with the Falcons in free agency, and more passing success is expected. But I have my doubts about his efficiency this year. Cousins is coming off an Achilles injury and is going to be 36 years old.
He is joining a new team with new weapons, and it could take some time to get the intricacies down. The Falcons are expected to be in contention for the playoffs but I could see some bumpier-than-projected games.
The expert analysis on this one is to fade Cousins on player props, especially early in the season as he works out the kinks with the Falcons.
Why Expert Insights are Invaluable for Online Betting
Computer algorithms do a great job at compiling and assessing data, but the human touch is also needed. Expert insights from a person can be essential. Here are five situations in which a human is the better option than a computer.
Injury ramifications - In the NFL, it's not if but when a player will get injured. When the inevitable happens, it results in a domino effect on a roster. An injured quarterback means a big blow to the passing game and fewer yards for the receivers and tight ends. An injured running back will mean a huge uptick in carries and production for the backup. While computer algorithms can digest some of this information, a human will have a better grasp of it.
Playing time changes - Game plans change on a weekly basis in the NFL, and that can mean more or less opportunity for certain players. If a player is trending a certain way, it's important to understand the playing time likelihood going into a game. A human is often able to better assess this than a computer, which is why NFL betting news like playing time expectations is something we will use often during our NFL player prop predictions.
Weather - A computer algorithm can include weather predictions, but it's not as useful as a human who can see how a particularly windy day is affecting a quarterback or kicker. Or if torrential rains are hurting one team more than the other because of the cleats they chose to wear. Weather issues can have a huge impact on the scoring total, the spread, the moneyline and other wagers, so using humans to dissect the sometimes-rapid change is the best NFL betting strategy.
Public comments - Sometimes there will be some big-time trash talk heading into a game. When a team feels slighted, it might matter at the end of a blowout, when a coach is happy to pile on instead of running out the clock to prove a point. Computers can't measure this, but humans can see where the bloviating has taken things up to kickoff.
Live betting - Projection systems are fantastic heading into NFL game action, but once it starts, sometimes the human eye is best. If a team has an excellent game-plan or is proving to outplay projections, it can be important to figure that out early and lock in with live betting. These trends can be seen by the algorithms if they are statistical, but if there are other factors at play, then NFL betting on the basis of human assessment will be the way to go.
Sportsbooks That We Use While Betting on the NFL
NFL betting is widely available in every sportsbook, and there are many ways to make your wagers. But there are three operators that stand out.
DraftKings
This is arguably the most well-known sportsbook in the United States, and it has a number of advantages. The variety of odds is among the best of any operator, and the vig is often reasonable because DraftKings has such a big player pool that it can afford to be very competitive.
DraftKings has a Next Team Odds category that is a lot of fun heading into free agency, and its anytime touchdown scorers props are also good to consider each week.
FanDuel
The other big operator in the space, FanDuel Sportsbook almost always has the best odds of any sportsbook. Its Same Game Parlay has been mirrored by other sportsbooks and its interface is extremely smooth.
FanDuel and DraftKings are neck-and-neck in the competition to be the premier sportsbook for NFL betting. Customers have the advantage of signing up for both so they can shop odds and take advantage of regular betting bonuses and other promotions.
BetMGM
BetMGM has grabbed the third position among sportbooks in the U.S. BetMGM does a great job with odds boosts and promotions, and it has a friendly app for mobile betting.
BetMGM will have different odds for player parlays, the spread, moneyline and other betting options, so it can often be the right sportsbook for a player's picks that week.
Our Favorite Sportsbook Promo to Utilize on NFL Sports Betting
As the NFL season gets closer, the sportsbooks will continue to roll out enticing sportsbook promos.
The best of the bunch currently comes to you from DraftKings, which doles out the Draftkings $200 in bonus bets to new users who only need to deposit $5 or more to their account to cash in.
Every sport, including the NFL, is eligible for betting with the bonus money, so it's quite the welcome from DraftKings.