Football has long been at the top of the mountain for sports bettors. More money is typically gambled on football than any other sport.

Just in time for the kickoff of the NFL season this week, marketing firm Optimove released a report that offers insights into NFL betting. The survey uses a small sample of 287 US sports betting fans who earn at least $75,000 a year and are 21 years old or older.

The vast majority of respondents to the survey say they’ve placed a bet on NFL games. 70% of those participating in this survey say they have “definite intentions” to bet on the NFL games this year. 37% say they’ll place more than one NFL bet per week.

Heading into the season, NFL bettors are confident in their skills. 57% of bettors say they’ve had at least moderate success betting on pro football games. While 43% say they break even or worse, only 9% say they’re “unsuccessful” bettors.

Types of NFL bets

Sports betting preferences have changed a lot since the repeal of PASPA, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018. However, 62% of respondents plan to place a traditional point spread wager on an NFL game this year.

Live betting has become extremely popular in the past five years thanks to the ease of using an online sportsbook. The survey shows that 61% will place a live bet during the upcoming NFL season.

The report shows that:

• 53% will place an over/under total bet on an NFL game
• Less than half of bettors, 46%, will place a moneyline wager
• Only 35% said they will place a full-game parlay during the upcoming NFL season
• 20% say they’ll place a same-game parlay
• Just 10% will make a teaser bet

Most NFL bets will be $100 or less

Many sportsbooks promote large wagers during a given week. However, this report shows that isn’t the case for most bettors.

• 36% of respondents say they’ll gamble between $11 – $50 on individual NFL games. This is the largest segment of wagers.
• Another 25% of bettors will gamble $51 – $100 per game

Altogether, 81% of NFL bets will be $100 or less according to the Optimove report on NFL wagering.

Regarding big bets, only 5% will wager $500 or more on an NFL game.

DraftKings and FanDuel are the most popular sportsbook brands

The popularity of online sportsbooks around the country is nothing new. Half of the respondents will gamble using an online sports betting app. Another 19% will use a sportsbook website online.

• Only 19% of respondents say they usually make in-person bets in a casino or sportsbook
• 23% say that DraftKings is their preferred sportsbook website. This is more than any other sportsbook
• 13% say they prefer FanDuel sportsbook

The biggest surprise might be that 21% say they have no preference for where they place sports bets.

• 54% say they use at least two different sports betting websites during any given week
• Another 18% use at least three different sports betting websites every week

While promotions are a popular reason for sports bettors to use a specific brand, most (64%) just want an app that’s easy to use. 48% say promotions lead to them using a specific website.

72% of those who use sports betting apps and websites prefer a personalized experience.