Betting NFL Futures: Tricks & Tips to Win More Bets

Want to learn more about betting NFL futures? We’ve got the article for you, providing the best tricks and tips to win more bets. 

Futures markets are just one avenue that handicappers will look to utilize when making NFL picks. It can allow bettors to turn big profits due to the larger payouts on offer. Therefore, it makes sense to learn more about NFL futures. 

You can find everything you need to know about wagering on NFL futures in our article below. That includes the best tips and strategies that you should follow. 

What Are NFL Futures?

NFL futures are bets on an event that will be determined at a later date in the NFL season. You are not wagering on the outcome of a game during a given week, but you are predicting a long-term result. 

Typically, futures bets will be used to determine outcomes such as the Super Bowl winner, conference winner, division winners or individual player awards. 

Take a look at our weekly futures reports from the 2023 NFL season for examples of which sorts of markets that bettors target. 

The odds for futures will usually be a lot bigger than a simple moneyline, spread or totals bet. That is because a lot can change over the course of the season; there are a lot of factors that can influence the outcome of a particular team’s season. 

However, NFL futures are a great method for bettors to turn more profits. The higher odds prove that it is more difficult to win, but the larger payouts make it worth your while. 

You can find odds for multiple futures markets during the offseason. Bookmakers will set their prices for the new season as soon as the Super Bowl is complete. Bettors can opt to make preseason predictions, but can also make futures bets throughout the campaign. 

An example of betting futures

To make things even clearer, here’s a quick example of how to place a futures bet on the NFL. 

• NFL Futures Bet: Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl LIX (+650)

So, you want to make a bet on the Chiefs to win Super Bowl LIX. The bookmakers are offering you preseason odds of +650. 

If you bet $100 on Kansas City to win the championship and they go on to do so, you’ll win $650. However, if they lose, you are down $100. 

Even the favorites will often be plus-money for futures bets. That is because of how difficult they are to win. However, they can offer bettors excellent value when making early predictions. 

NFL Futures Betting Strategies

We understand what NFL futures are now and we know how to place those bets. However, we are here to provide you with the best tips and tricks to help you win more bets. 

We’ll start with the basics to get you going. It’s always important to start here in order to become a more successful bettor. Learning the fundamentals will always give you a solid foundation to win more money. 

One strategy that you need to consider for all your wagers is line shopping. Oddsmakers will offer varying odds across different markets. Futures bets, in particular, can have drastically different odds. Make sure you are checking out multiple sportsbooks to find the best value odds. 

If you are new to betting on the NFL altogether, why not check out our other guide articles. Sports Hub has supplied its users with clear guides on how to bet on football and understanding NFL Odds.

Past Winners

The first point of call is to evaluate past winners. Even some of the strongest teams in the NFL struggle to win championships. However, some find it easier than others. For example, the New England Patriots have won the Super Bowl a total of six times. The Pittsburgh Steelers have also lifted the Lombardi Trophy six times throughout their history. 

Nevertheless, we need to check recent history too. For example, the Patriots haven’t won the Super Bowl since 2018, whilst the Steelers last did so in 2010. As a result, it may not be the best of ideas to back these teams. 

Let’s take a look at the last five Super Bowl winners: 

• Super Bowl LIV: Kansas City Chiefs
• Super Bowl LV: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 
• Super Bowl LVI: Los Angeles Rams 
• Super Bowl LVII: Kansas City Chiefs 
• Super Bowl LVIII: Kansas City Chiefs 

As you can see, the Chiefs have won the Super Bowl three times in the last five years. It makes sense for them to be a likely candidate again in the future. Neither of the Patriots or the Steelers have won a championship in that time span either, so it’s important to keep up to date with the most recent winners. 

Of course, rosters and personnel change every single season. You can’t simply back a team to do well just because they have done so in the past. Therefore, you need to make sure you’re keeping track of the NFL draft, free agency moves, trades and coaching changes. Nevertheless, a trend of past success means that a franchise has a good long-term set-up and can be a good indicator when placing your futures wagers. 

Division Winners 

Just like the Super Bowl, we can also look at past winners when trying to identify potential candidates to win a specific division. The same logic can be applied here. Teams that have multiple division titles under their belt simply know how to get it done. They have key principles in place off the field that have set them up for long-term success. 

Let’s take the AFC East for example. The Buffalo Bills have been crowned the divisional winners in four successive seasons from 2020-2023. Before that, the Patriots had won the division 11 years in a row. 

The NFC South is another good example to use. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won the division for three straight seasons. Prior to that, the New Orleans Saints had done so for four consecutive years. 

Of course, you also get way more competitive divisions than others. The AFC North has seen three different winners over the last four seasons. The Steelers won it in 2020, but the Cincinnati Bengals won it in back-to-back years in 2021 and 2022. The 2023 winner was the Baltimore Ravens. 

​​Individual Player Awards

You need to be careful of injuries when it comes to placing futures bets on individual player awards. A player’s chances at winning an award will obviously be cut if they get injured. 

A good tip is to take a look at a player’s injury record before placing any individual player bets. Yes, they may be a star player. However, if they have a track record of picking up injuries, it may not be the best idea to back them to win. 

Looking at past winners is another technique you should use when wagering on individual player awards, similarly to Super Bowl and division winners. Some positions have a better chance at winning a particular award. 

For example, MVP has predominantly been won by a quarterback. The best QB typically wins this award, whilst Offensive Player of the Year is usually given to a running back or wide receiver. 

Patience Is Key 

A key tip that I want to share with you when making your NFL futures bets is to be patient. Sure, you may get a gut feeling that a team may do well early on in the season. You may jump on the draft hype and want to place your futures bet after that. 

However, there is still a lot that can change between the draft and the start of the new season. The NFL trade deadline doesn’t hit until midway through the season at the end of October. That means teams can make season-changing trades up until around halfway through the campaign. 

A bet on futures just before the season starts isn’t a bad idea. The rosters are usually a lot more settled, players have been through training camp, and you can get a much better picture of how the new season may unfold. 

Nevertheless, you can still find value midway through the season on NFL futures. Okay, the payout may not be as high as the start of the season, but once you have a volume of games to base your wager on, the more accurate your futures bet is going to be. 

Injuries Can Seriously Impact NFL Futures

We can’t end our tricks and trips for NFL futures without mentioning injuries. This is one of the biggest factors that can impact a team’s season. An injury to a star player can completely curtail their chances of success. 

Let’s take Aaron Rodgers for example. After his move from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets during the 2023 offseason, many thought that the Jets would be Super Bowl contenders. 

However, the star quarterback was out for the season after getting injured during the first drive of Week 1. That essentially put New York’s season up in flames, and they didn’t even end up making the playoffs. 

That’s why it may be a good idea to wait until further into the season to place your futures bets. Sure, injuries can happen at any time which can all but end a team’s chances. However, the later you leave it, the less chance of that happening.