For those who enjoy sports gambling in Illinois, the NFL playoffs are a great time of year. There are a variety of different bet types that are offered and the added excitement of a few dollars on a game can make for an enhanced experience.
The NFL playoffs are some of the most followed sports games across all of America and the culmination of the Super Bowl is perhaps the gambling event of the year.
Luckily for those in Illinois, there are plenty of different options for how to bet that can be taken advantage of. From physical sportsbooks to a robust online gambling industry, Illinois has a strong sports betting market.
This guide will cover everything there is to know about betting on the NFL playoffs in the state of Illinois, from where to bet, to a few betting types. Prop bets are a bet type that is especially popular during playoff time, and we make sure to break it all down so that you can be educated when you go to place a wager.
Where to bet on the NFL post season in IL
When it comes to betting on the NFL in Illinois, gamblers have a plethora of different options available to them at their fingertips. No matter if you prefer gambling in-person or online, different options can fulfill your needs. Here they are explained with a few pros and cons for each so you can have a better idea of which sportsbooks to use:
In-person sportsbooks
You have the option of visiting a variety of different locations inside of Illinois to make your wager in-person if you desire to do so. For many, the in-person experience offers them a level of excitement and community that they love and thus, is their choice.
Some of the downsides to betting in-person include the fact that it’s usually a clunky experience. If it’s a busy day, you might have to wait in a line and that can sometimes mean the difference between getting the NFL playoff odds that you want or missing them.
DraftKings app
One of the largest daily fantasy sports companies, DraftKings, has now established itself as a major player in the online gambling space as well. Since online companies need to partner with a physical sportsbook at the moment, DraftKings has teamed up with Casino Queen.
It is known to have lots of different promotions to encourage new sign-ups as well as offer boosted odds for returning customers.
FanDuel app
The other large daily fantasy sports player that has moved into the online gambling space, FanDuel has a reputation as a strong company that has all the offerings necessary. It has partnered with the physical Par-A-Dice casino.
It is another company with a good reputation that you can trust and be sure that your money is safe with them.
Bet Rivers app
Bet Rivers was the first to open an online sportsbook in the state of Illinois. It has a presence in a few other states that offer legalized gambling, such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Iowa, and New Jersey.
It offers Rush Rewards, a rewards system for anyone that gambles with the company, and something to take advantage of if you do sign up with Bet Rivers.
Points Bet app
Points Bet is a company that has roots in Australia but has been making moves across the American legal sports betting industry. It has moved into the Illinois market through a partnership with Hawthorne Race Track.
It has a robust rewards program that allows gamblers to rack up points and spend them on a variety of promotions.
William Hill app
William Hill has been one of the most prominent companies in the American sports betting market even if it does have its foundations in the United Kingdom. It has plenty of different physical sportsbooks in a variety of states and an online presence in many more.
It is a very reputable company that has demonstrated its trustworthiness. A great option for those looking for an online sportsbook in Illinois.
Popular NFL betting options
When betting on the NFL, there are a few different bet types that you need to know. These are the most basic tools available to gamblers when they go to place a bet at the window or online on an electronic device.
The first bet type that you need to know is the moneyline. The moneyline is the simplest bet to understand and it just means a bet on a certain team to win the game. It does not matter the margin of victory or anything else — a bet on a team’s moneyline will be a winner if that team earns the victory at the end of the game.
The next bet type to understand is the spread. The point spread is an equalizer applied by oddsmakers to make games between uneven teams easier to gamble on. It works by putting a minus (-) sign in front of the team that has the more likely chance to win. They are known as the favorite and the number beside that minus sign represents how many points they need to win by for a spread bet on them to cash. The team with the less likely chance of winning, also known as the underdog, will have that same number with a plus (+) sign next to their team name. For example, if the Chicago Bears are playing the New York Giants, the spread might look something like this:
- Chicago Bears -4
- New York Giants +4
If the final score is Chicago Bears 35 – New York Giants 24, bets on the Bears spread would be considered winners while bets on the Giants spread would be considered losers.
The next major bet type to understand is the total. The total is a number posted before every game by the sportsbook that represents the combined score of the two teams. Gamblers then have a chance to bet on if the total score will go over or under that posted number. For a matchup with two high-scoring teams, the total will be higher, and vice versa for lower-scoring teams.
Last but not least, prop bets are wagers on anything that is not directly related to the outcome of the game. These can be thought of as bets on the smaller events that take place within a game; for example, if a certain player will score a touchdown or if there will be a safety in the game. Prop bets can be further subdivided into smaller categories including player props and team props. These are popular with gamblers because of their excitement and quantity.
Tips for betting on NFL playoff games
For NFL gamblers, playoffs are a time where people rush to place bets. The excitement of the games is only matched by the excitement of all the different NFL playoff bets that gamblers have on the games.
For the NFL, playoff betting works much the same as betting during the regular season. All the bet types that are offered to gamblers are the same during the playoffs as they are at other points in the season.
However, what’s not the same is the intensity of the games. Playoff games have teams giving that extra mile as they attempt to survive and advance. This can result in differences in the game that gamblers should be aware of. The teams also take more attention to prepare for each other and this is another factor that can be good for gamblers to analyze.
When it comes to the Super Bowl, sportsbooks will offer many more bets than they would for a normal game. Prop bets are especially popular at Super Bowl time as sportsbooks will offer many special wagers that are unique to the big game. Some of these appear every year, such as betting on the color of the Gatorade or coin toss, and others are unique to that season.
How to bet on NFL playoff futures
When it comes to NFL betting, playoff futures are a favorite bet type for everyone from novices to experts. Have you ever thought that you could predict which team is going to win the upcoming Super Bowl? Then NFL playoff futures might just be the betting type for you.
A futures bet is a wager on any event that is in the distant future. They are characterized by a long period that occurs between placing the bet and the bet being graded. Since this is such a long time, anything can happen and that can vastly affect the probability of your bet being graded a winner, all while your odds remain locked in at your original price.
The most common NFL futures bet is on which team will be Super Bowl Champions. Odds for this selection are often released far in advance of the Super Bowl being played, typically not long after the previous year’s game has concluded. Another common NFL futures bet is on which player will win the MVP award. With the threat of injury and other detrimental events, odds can often be high for these selections and thus can have large potential payouts.
When it comes to futures bets, as with most different wager types, timing is a large factor in the outcome of your bet. With futures bets, knowing when to lock in your odds is almost as important as the outcome that you choose. A good tip to think of when placing your bet is to analyze which direction the odds are most likely to move.
If you’re betting on a popular selection (think Tom Brady or the Dallas Cowboys) an influx of public money could weaken their odds. Thus, betting on these options far in advance is a better idea. If you’re going to be betting on a less popular selection, you could wait until closer to the date as the odds might get better as money comes in on other selections.
Live betting during NFL playoff games
During NFL Playoff games, live betting is a good way for gamblers to get in on the action in an exciting way. Live betting involves gambling on a game as it happens in real-time. If you’re a savvy gambler who can get an idea of the game flow by watching a game, live betting may be for you.
The playoffs are the perfect time for live betting as the big stage can lead to dramatic comebacks. The pressure gets to players and coaches and they end up making mistakes. With a smart live bet, these mistakes can result in a nice profit for gamblers.
Live betting is best done on an electronic device as the speed makes for a better experience. Live betting is all about getting good odds, and when betting in-person, the NFL playoff betting lines can sometimes shift before you get the chance to place your bet.
NFL playoffs prop bets
As mentioned above, for those who like prop bets, there’s no better time than the NFL playoffs, specifically the Super Bowl, to place them. Sportsbooks will offer a wide range of unique props that gamblers love to bet on.
These prop bets will cover everything from unique events within the game to random wagers that have nothing to do with the game at hand. The color of gatorade dumped on the winning coach is one of the most common prop bets, as well as if the coin flip will land on heads or tails.
Even people who may not be regular sports gamblers like to take advantage of these offers and make some prop bets. These can be very easy to understand and can be a good way to introduce novice gamblers to some of the basic concepts such as odds and how to place a ticket.
Prop bets are often smaller betting markets, which means that sportsbooks pay less attention and resources to those lines. Thus, a savvy gambler can often use prop bets to turn a profit during NFL playoff gambling, though you may shift the odds if you’re a large gambler.