NFL betting stands apart from other major sports due to its concentrated schedule and the sheer depth of its markets. With only 17 regular-season games per team, each contest carries enormous weight, which means oddsmakers and bettors alike pour significant resources into pricing every angle. Beyond standard moneylines, spreads, and totals, NFL games generate hundreds of player props, team props, quarter-by-quarter lines, and alternative spreads — creating a vast landscape where sharp bettors can hunt for inefficiencies across books. The stop-and-start nature of the game and its relatively low scoring also mean that a single turnover or special teams play can swing outcomes against the spread, adding a layer of volatility that keeps markets honest.
Vig on NFL lines tends to be among the tightest in all of sports betting, particularly on primary markets like point spreads and game totals. The reason is straightforward: NFL attracts the highest handle of any sport in North America, and sportsbooks compete aggressively for that volume. Standard spread juice typically sits around -110/-110, though the best books will frequently offer -105 or even reduced juice lines on featured games. Moneylines on lopsided matchups can carry wider margins, and exotic props tend to have significantly higher vig baked in, so bettors benefit from comparing across multiple books before placing these wagers.
The NFL regular season runs from early September through mid-January, with the postseason extending into early February. Vig tends to be most competitive during the regular season, especially on marquee Sunday and Monday night games where books are vying for market share. Preseason lines and early-week props often carry wider margins due to lower liquidity and greater uncertainty. Throughout the season, several factors drive significant line movement: quarterback injuries can shift spreads by three or more points overnight, cold-weather and high-wind forecasts directly suppress totals in outdoor stadiums, and divisional matchups — where familiarity breeds tighter games — frequently play differently than power ratings suggest. Home-field advantage, while diminished in recent years, still accounts for roughly 1 to 1.5 points in most oddsmakers' models, making it a factor worth monitoring rather than assuming.
Cross-Sport Vig Comparison
NFL averages 4.72% vig across 17 sportsbooks. Here's how that compares to other active sports:
| Sport | Avg Vig | vs NFL |
|---|---|---|
| NFL | 4.72% | — |
| CFL | 4.93% | 0.21% lower |
| NCAAF | 4.69% | 0.04% higher |
| NFL Preseason | 4.39% | 0.33% higher |
| AFL | 6.95% | 2.23% lower |
Vig Rankings
| # | Sportsbook | Avg Vig | Grade | ML | Spreads | Totals | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LowVig.ag | 3.14% | B+ | 3.61% | 2.43% | 3.43% | 17 |
| 2 | Pinnacle | 3.30% | B+ | 3.16% | 2.91% | 3.83% | 16 |
| 3 | BetOnline.ag | 4.38% | B | 3.61% | 4.69% | 4.75% | 17 |
| 4 | Bovada | 4.50% | B | 4.08% | 4.67% | 4.74% | 20 |
| 5 | Hard Rock Bet | 4.53% | B | 4.20% | 4.67% | 4.73% | 16 |
| 6 | FanDuel | 4.54% | B | 3.97% | 4.83% | 4.81% | 18 |
| 7 | theScore Bet (ESPN Bet) | 4.54% | B | 4.20% | 4.72% | 4.71% | 20 |
| 8 | DraftKings | 4.59% | B | 4.27% | 4.73% | 4.76% | 75 |
| 9 | BetMGM | 4.59% | B | 4.33% | 4.70% | 4.73% | 20 |
| 10 | BetUS | 4.63% | B | 3.74% | 4.72% | 4.76% | 59 |
| 11 | Fanatics | 4.69% | B | 4.59% | 4.72% | 4.76% | 13 |
| 12 | Bally Bet | 4.94% | B | 4.94% | 4.96% | 4.91% | 17 |
| 13 | betPARX | 4.94% | B | 4.94% | 4.96% | 4.91% | 17 |
| 14 | MyBookie.ag | 5.19% | C+ | 5.98% | 4.76% | 4.76% | 18 |
| 15 | BetRivers | 5.50% | C+ | 5.61% | 5.48% | 5.42% | 17 |
| 16 | Caesars | 5.69% | C+ | 5.22% | 5.94% | 5.91% | 74 |
| 17 | ReBet | 6.60% | C | 5.00% | 7.35% | 7.45% | 20 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which sportsbook has the lowest NFL vig?
LowVig.ag currently has the lowest vig at 3.14%, earning a grade of B+.
Why is NFL vig typically lower than other sports?
NFL games attract massive betting volume, which forces sportsbooks to compete on price. Higher liquidity lets books operate on thinner margins. The result is that NFL moneylines, spreads, and totals usually carry some of the lowest vig in all of sports betting.
What markets are available for NFL betting?
We track three core NFL markets: moneyline (who wins), point spreads (margin of victory), and totals (over/under combined points). Each market has its own vig profile — spreads tend to have the tightest lines because they see the highest volume.
When does NFL season start and end?
The NFL regular season runs from early September through mid-January, with playoffs extending through the Super Bowl in February. Preseason odds typically appear in August. During the off-season (March–August), sportsbooks may post futures but per-game lines are unavailable.
How do NFL spreads affect vig?
NFL point spreads are the most heavily bet market in American sports. This intense competition among both bettors and sportsbooks drives spreads to their most efficient prices. You'll often see NFL spreads at -110/-110 or better at sharp books, translating to vig under 5%.
Does vig change closer to NFL game time?
Yes. Early-week NFL lines often carry higher vig as books manage exposure with limited information. As kickoff approaches and sharp money flows in, lines tighten and vig tends to decrease. Betting closer to game time often means better prices, especially at sharp-friendly books.
What is vig (vigorish) in sports betting?
Vig — short for vigorish, also called juice or overround — is the margin a sportsbook builds into its odds. It's the difference between the true probability of an outcome and what the odds imply. Lower vig means you keep more of your winnings on every bet. For example, a standard -110/-110 line has about 4.76% vig.
How often is this data updated?
We pull fresh odds from The Odds API three times per day — at 6:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 10:00 PM UTC. Each snapshot captures the latest lines from every sportsbook that has posted odds. The timestamp at the top of the page shows the most recent refresh.
How is the vig grade calculated?
Each sportsbook is graded on a letter scale based on average vig: A+ (under 2%) is exceptional, A (2–3%) is excellent, B+ (3–4%) is above average, B (4–5%) is the industry standard, C (5–6%) is below average, and D (above 6%) indicates high-juice markets.
Why does lower vig matter for bettors?
Lower vig directly impacts your long-term returns. A bettor placing $1,000 per week at a book with 4% vig loses roughly $40/week to the house edge. At 2% vig, that drops to $20/week — a $1,040 difference over a year. For serious bettors, shopping for lower vig is one of the most reliable ways to improve profitability.
How We Calculate These Numbers
- Data Source
- All odds on this page come from The Odds API, which aggregates real-time lines from licensed US and offshore sportsbooks. We track moneyline, spread, and totals markets across every sport with active betting lines.
- Update Frequency
- We pull a fresh snapshot of every tracked market three times per day — at 6:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 10:00 PM UTC. Each snapshot captures the latest lines from every sportsbook that has posted odds for a given event. The timestamp at the top of each page tells you exactly when the data was last refreshed.
- Vig Calculation
- Vig (short for vigorish, also called juice or overround) measures the margin a sportsbook builds into its odds. We calculate it by converting the odds on each side of a market to implied probabilities, summing those probabilities, and subtracting 100%. For example, a market priced at -110/-110 implies 52.38% on each side — a total of 104.76%, meaning a vig of 4.76%. Lower vig means better value for bettors because you keep more of your winnings.
- Per-Market Breakdown
- We compute vig separately for each market type: moneyline (h2h), point spreads, and totals (over/under). The "average vig" shown for each sportsbook is the mean across all market types weighted by the number of events sampled in each market.
- Grading Scale
- Every sportsbook receives a letter grade based on its average vig: A+ (under 2%) is exchange-level pricing. A (2–3%) is very competitive. B+ (3–4%) is above average. B (4–5%) is the industry standard — a -110/-110 line is 4.76%. C+ (5–6%) is slightly below average. C (6–7%) is below average. D (7–8%) is high vig. D− (8–10%) is very high vig. F (10%+) is predatory pricing. See the full Vig Index Methodology for formulas, worked examples, and known limitations.
- Trend Tracking
- We store daily snapshots for 30 days, allowing us to show 24-hour and 7-day vig trends. A downward trend (improving) means sportsbooks are tightening their lines — often in response to increased competition or higher betting volume as a season heats up.