How to bet on football

Football is back! And with it, all the excitement and thrill of the game like no other sport. With millions of fans worldwide, betting on football has become another way to enhance the enjoyment of watching the game for fans.

In this guide we’ll teach you everything you need to know about:

✔ Where to bet

✔ What makes betting on football so exciting

✔ How to bet on the Money Line, Point Spreads, Totals and Futures.

✔ Get ready for the Big Game with novelty bets

✔ How to get started on PlayNow Sports

So are you ready for some football betting?

Learn about the basics of betting on football in around two minutes

Betting on football doesn’t have to be intimidating. If you’re a beginner or even need a refresher course PlayNow’s own Dani Huntley is here to help.

Where can I bet on football in Canada?

There are many ways to take part in the action before, during and even after the game. You can find all the latest football odds on PlayNow Sports.

Want bigger jackpots and lower wagers? Check out PlayNow Pools and earn a free bet when you enter your first pool.

There are many ways to take part in the action before, during and even after the game. You can find all the latest football odds on PlayNow Sports.

Want bigger jackpots and lower wagers? Check out PlayNow Pools and earn a free bet when you enter your first pool.

There are many ways to take part in the action before, during and even after the game. You can find all the latest football odds on PlayNow Sports.

Want bigger jackpots and lower wagers? Check out PlayNow Pools and earn a free bet when you enter your first pool.

Plus, when you bet at PlayNow Sports any revenue generated stays right here at home and supports many provincial and community organizations. The best bet of all is getting in on the excitement of the biggest game while supporting education, healthcare and your community.

How to bet on the big game – legal, local, regulated, safe, secure

Three things that make football so exciting to bet on

The biggest game in sports

Football is one of the most popular sports on the planet, and its flagship Big Game is the biggest sporting event in North America. The spectacle of the Big Game brings a massive audience averaging nearly 200 million people around the world, in addition to the large audiences every Sunday during regular season.

Any given Sunday

Almost anything can happen in football. Even in the Big Game we’ve seen our fair share of underdogs triumphing over the favourites, not to mention come from behind excitement over the years.

More fun on and off the field

There's so much more to the game than just what's on the field. For the Big Game, football bettors can have fun placing novelty bets - all aspects of the game are up for grabs, including the halftime show, the coin toss outcome, or even the colour of the Gatorade in post-game celebrations.

Ways to bet on football

There are many ways to take part in the action before, during and even after the game.

See football odds

The Money Line: Who will win the game

The money line is the easiest way to bet on who you think will win and is one of the most popular ways to bet.

See Money Line odds

Reading the Money Line

The first thing you notice about the odds is the different values. The lower number represents the favourite, or the team that is expected to win the game. It’s a safer bet, but that comes with a lower potential payout depending on your bet.
The higher number shows the underdog or the team less likely to win but it comes with a higher potential payout.
To calculate your potential payout, simply multiply your wager by the decimal odds. A $10 bet on Kansas City with 1.36 odds would pay $3.60 plus your original $10 back for a total potential payout of $13.60.

Team cities and odds mentioned are for illustration only.

The Point Spread: A bet on the margin of victory

Another popular way to bet is on the margin of victory, or the ‘point spread’ - not just who will win the game, but by how much. The point spread is about showing the potential margin of victory.

See Point Spread odds

Reading the Point Spread

The favourite is indicated by a minus (-) sign and the underdog is indicated by a plus (+) sign.
The decimal odds attached to the spread (1.90) show what you can potentially win the same way as with the money line by calculating your (wager) x (odds) to get your potential payout.
If you pick the favourite with a spread of -3.5, they have to win the game by four points or more to ‘cover’ that spread. If you choose the underdog at +3.5, your bet wins if that team wins the game or loses by three points or less.
When two teams are given the exact same odds of winning, it’s called a ‘Pick 'Em’. When this happens, both teams will have money line odds of 1.90, but the main point spread will no longer be available.

Team cities and odds mentioned are for illustration only.

The Total: How many points are going to be scored?

The Total (also referred to as the Over/Under) is the projected total points scored by both teams. Your bet is on whether the final score (or the score in the quarter or half) will go over or under that total.

See Football Total odds

Reading the Total or Over/Under

In this example, the total is set at 47.5 points. If 48 or more points are scored, the game goes over.
If less than 47 points are scored, the game goes under.
The decimal odds attached to the total (1.86) show what you can potentially win, the same way as with the point spread or money line.
Most of the time you’ll see the line for totals set with that half-point. In rare cases the total will be set to a precise number and the score can match the total perfectly. When this happens all total bets are called a ‘push’ and everyone gets their money back.

Team cities and odds mentioned are for illustration only.

Know your Odds

Need to learn more of the basics of odds and betting? Read our guides to markets and bet types and understanding odds.

More ways to bet on football

Live Betting

Follow the excitement of the game in real time by betting on live money lines and point spreads during the game. Since these bets are live, odds change as fast as the action on the field.

Player Props

You can bet on your favourite player to score 1+ or 2+ touchdowns. You can also wager on which player will score the first touchdown of the game, and which player will have the most passing or rushing yards.

Futures

Bet on the season’s league MVP or even bet on which team you think will win next season’s championship as soon as this year’s winner in the Big Game is crowned.

Novelty Bets: Extra fun for the Big Game

It’s never too early to get ready for the Big Game. Even without knowing the teams, you can bet on iconic pop culture moments that will make watching more fun. Here are some of our favourite Novelty bets.

Gatorade Colour

Since 2001 orange has been the preferred Gatorade colour of choice, dumped five times (22.7%) on the coach while red has not won once. Blue has been the most frequent colour since 2015, at four times. Is it finally red’s year?

Coin Toss

Before the Big Game there is a ceremonial coin toss to determine which team will kick and receive to start the game. In the last 10, tails have gone 6-4 versus heads. Which side of the coin takes it this year?

Price of Bitcoin

You can also wager on if the price of Bitcoin goes up or down during the game. You can bet on the price to go up during the game, and if the price is higher at the end of the game than it was at kickoff, you’re a winner.

See Novelty odds

How to bet on football in Canada with PlayNow

Getting into the action with PlayNow is as easy as a quarterback shouting “Hut hut hut.”

Get started on PlayNow in five easy steps

Pick your bonus and share your details
Secure your account
Read the player agreement and privacy note
Fund your account
Visit your My Promotions page to see current offers

Once you’ve completed these steps, you are on your way to betting on football. Want more details? Follow our guide to setting up your account and making a deposit.