Welcome to our Sunday Night Football betting page, where we provide all the NFL odds, analysis, and predictions you need to cash in on the National Football League in prime time!
Here, we are going to break down every SNF matchup and offer advice on game picks in addition to plenty of different prop bets. So make PlayPicks your go-to destination before making any Sunday Night Football bets at one of the many online sportsbooks available throughout the country.
Sunday Night Football Odds & Betting Preview
Throughout the NFL regular season, this site is dedicated to providing bettors with crucial information that can be used to place wagers on Sunday night games. Once the season is set to begin check out our NFL previews and predictions for all SNF matchups!
For additional information on the upcoming matchup – including further game analysis, betting trends breakdown, betting tips specific to SNF, and a synopsis of the history of the line movement for the game, please see our SNF betting preview at TheLines.
2024 SNF Best Bets | Betting Picks For Sunday Night Football
Following our preview of the game, this section will feature weekly betting picks for the upcoming Thursday Night Football game!
2024 NFL Betting Odds
Sunday Night Football Betting
Sunday Night NFL games first began to air on ABC in 1978 under the “Monday Night Football” banner and in 1987, ESPN picked up the broadcast. From 1990-97, TNT aired the game. In 2006, NBC took over the exclusive rights from ESPN and the network holds the rights to this day.
In the 21st century, SNF games have become a headline event thanks in no small part to ESPN including the show as part of its “Sunday NFL Countdown” package. With so much of the betting public focusing on NFL games, there’s more action at online sportsbooks in available markets.
Betting sites offer a wide array of SNF betting markets from traditional moneylines, spreads, and totals to a huge amount of game, player, and team props. With Sunday Night Football running alone in the prime-time slot, there are often more live betting options to pursue as well.
In this article, we’ll go through how to bet on Sunday Night Football including some SNF betting strategies to employ.
How To Bet On Sunday Night Football
While there are often more options, betting on Sunday Night Football is similar to the process of betting on any other NFL game. The most popular NFL markets for any matchup will always be the following:
SNF Moneyline Betting
A moneyline bet is a wager on which team will win the game, regardless of the score. The favorite has a negative line while the underdog has a positive line. Take the following example:
- Los Angeles Rams -380
- Chicago Bears +290
The best way to calculate what you stand to win or lose with moneylines is to base everything off the number 100. With favorites, the moneyline is the amount you need to risk to win $100. For underdogs, the moneyline is the amount you can win if you risk $100.
The Rams are the favorite at -380, so bettors must wager $380 to profit $100. The Bears are the underdog with a +290 moneyline, so a $100 bet could profit $290.
SNF Point Spread Betting
When teams don’t necessarily match up evenly, sportsbooks will set a point spread to encourage more action. The point spread is a figure set by oddsmakers that tells us how much a team must win or lose by to ‘cover’ in a game. The favorite must win by more than the point spread, and the underdog can lose the game by a lesser number than the spread indicates and still win the wager.
- Los Angeles Rams -7 (-115)
- Chicago Bears +7 (-105)
In this example, the Bears are getting -105 odds to cover a seven-point spread. This means that bettors must risk $105 to win $100 if Chicago wins, or loses by 7 points or fewer. The favored Rams would have to win by 7 or more points to cover at -115 odds. So a bet of $115 on the Rams (-7) would profit $100.
If the spread is a whole number and the favorite’s winning margin lands exactly on the number, the bet is graded a push and all bettors are refunded their original wagers. The spread will be equal for both teams, though the juice that accompanies the odds could vary. Conventionally, games are around -110 but the popular range for juice on NFL spreads is in the -125 to +100 range.
SNF Over-Under Betting
Betting on the over-under (or total) simply involves predicting whether the combined score of the game will go over or under the total set by oddsmakers prior to the game. For example, say we had the following total:
- Rams-Bears Over 45 (-110)
- Rams-Bears Under 45 (-110)
If you want to take the Over 45 (-110), you will need 46 or more points between the two teams combined and you’ll have to lay out $110 to win $100. To place a wager on the Under 45 (-110), bettors will need to risk the same $110 to win $100 and will win the bet if there are 44 points or fewer in the game.
Just like point spreads, a final score on the exact point total will result in a push and original wagers will be returned to both over and under bettors. Also similar to spreads, the juice on most totals ranges from -125 to +100.
Sunday Night Football Props
Sportsbooks offer individual player and team props on most NFL games, but standalone contests on Sunday Night will generally have a wider market of prop bets. These propositions generate a ton of action with some fans planning to watch every minute of the contest and hope that a given wide receiver, running back, or quarterback reaches the desired total.
These betting props offer another option for bettors who don’t like the options on the moneyline, total, or spread, or for the casual fan who simply wants some stake in the action. Sportsbooks such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM are known for posting a huge variety of markets including player props, game props, and team props.
Below, we’ll go through what bettors can expect to run into when looking to make SNF prop bets:
SNF Player Props
The most popular type of prop bet is for individual player performances. Usually, the top options available are over-under propositions on how a skill player will perform. Quarterbacks tend to have a more extensive array of propositions because they are guaranteed a certain amount of opportunities. The options for player prop bets include but are not limited to:
- Touchdown Scorer (First/Last, Anytime, Halves)
- Over-Under Passing/Rushing/Receiving Yards
- Over-Under Pass Attempts, Completions, & Receptions
- Longest Completion, Reception, & Rush
- Head To Head Matchups (Most Rushing/Receiving/Passing Yards)
Picking a more specific result, such as the first or last touchdown scorer, usually generates long odds. For even longer odds, specify which half a player might score.
Most of the skill player propositions are set at a competitive number with standard odds, but there is still value to be found by shopping lines across multiple sportsbooks. Larger payouts can also be generated with player prop parlays, which combine player props with the result of the game.
SNF Game & Team Props
In addition to individual player props, sportsbooks will offer propositions on how a team might perform, or on overall game results combined from both teams. Both game and team props can be lumped together in the sense that they refer to a result rather than individual statistics. Here are some examples of non-player props:
- Winning Margin
- Team Totals (Quarters, Halves, Full Game)
- O/U Total Field Goals/Touchdowns (Halves, Full Game, By Team)
- O/U Total 1st Downs/Turnovers/Sacks (Full Game, By Team)
- First Team To X Points (10, 15, 20, 25, etc.)
- Halftime/Full Time Result
Odds vary widely in these markets because some of the props are extremely specific. Picking the exact winning margin (Example: Chiefs win by 7) will generate long odds, whereas picking the Chiefs to win by a margin between 1-6 points will generate shorter odds, but will still have longer odds than simply betting on the Chiefs to cover a 6-point spread.
In primetime Sunday Night Football games, betting on the first team to score X amount of points is an intriguing way to bet on which team will get off to the better start. Going over or under on specific scoring plays – such as the amount of field goals made – is a unique way to wager without investing in a potential winner or loser.
Other team performance props are a great way to capitalize on an understanding of matchups. If a team is missing their starting center when they take on Aaron Donald and the Rams, it’s fair to bet on the Rams topping their team total for sacks.
There are additional team props for bettors looking for a modified line, a specific part of the game, or a combination wager such as a parlay:
- Quarters & Halves Moneyline, Spread, & Total
- Alternate Spreads/Totals (Quarters, Halves, Full Game)
- Moneyline or Spread/Total Points Parlays
And online sportsbooks will continue to adjust and offer more team and game props under the live betting option. These odds change after most pivotal plays and will reflect the current game flow, with the likelier outcome getting shorter odds based on results to that point.
Sunday Night Football Live Betting
Once the game kicks off, the action is only just opening for those with access to an online sportsbook account. Oddsmakers use an algorithm to consistently update odds for the spread, moneyline, total, and for prop bets during Sunday Night Football games.
Some books engage bettors further by offering props on the next drive, or even the next play. Here are some of the live betting options that can be found at sportsbooks:
- Moneyline, Spread, & Total (Quarters, Halves, Full Game)
- Alternate Spreads & Totals
- Team Totals
- Player Props
- Next Drive/Play Result
- Next Touchdown Scorer
Sunday Night Football Betting Strategy
There are some aspects of Sunday Night Football that may alter your perspective of the game compared to how you’d view games on the main Sunday slate. So, it helps to have an angle to consider before diving deeper into analysis of the matchup. Consider the following SNF betting tips and strategies before putting any of your money on the line this Sunday night:
Take Advantage Of Props
As mentioned, the standalone nature of SNF games allows for a larger market of prop bets. Savvy bettors can take advantage of that market by finding the weakest options set by oddsmakers. Scan through the entire list of individual player props and find a running back that is likely to get peppered with targets if their team is behind in the fourth quarter. That is a primary example of the best way to find a relatively untapped market and profit.
No matter what aspect of the game you’re hoping to target, online sportsbooks will likely have it covered in the props section. For fantasy football players, this strategy provides an easy way to use the skills of predicting game flow and player performance to cash in on bets. Odds can vary widely when it comes to prop bets, so it’s possible to play it safe with a bet that is likely to pay out or take a long shot with a smaller wager.
Scour The Injury Report
Injuries always play a critical factor in NFL games and Sunday Night kickoffs give key players a little extra rest to potentially get right ahead of the game. Monitor the injury report and look for updates on Twitter if a key player is going through warm-ups to test out an injury.
Initial injury reports come out on Monday, but the status of players is usually indicated by their participation in practices on Thursday and Friday.
Bet Overs Early & Unders Late
Standalone primetime games often see the most attention from the public simply because it’s the only game on the schedule. This means every recreational gambler in the space is wagering on this matchup, and that may change how you operate as a bettor.
Most casual bettors will place wagers right before kickoff and that can result in line shifts that indicate more about public sentiment than any huge change in the matchup. Fans tend to bet the over, especially right before kickoff, because they’re hoping for an exciting game with more points. That provides the opportunity to fade the public and take the under late, or consider live betting on the under. The same principle can apply towards taking a favorite late if the public is backing an underdog heavily right before kickoff.
Lean Toward Home Teams
Home teams usually have a big advantage in primetime games because the crowd is more energetic and more invested. With NFL stadiums returning to full capacity, it could be very difficult for offenses to communicate and function when playing on the road this season, especially in louder venues.
But don’t be blindly on the home team, especially because oddsmakers consider home-field advantage when setting the spread. Sometimes it’s possible to fade the public by taking a road team that is getting extra value as they prepare to play in a tough environment.