NFL betting stands apart from other major sports due to the sheer volume of market attention each game receives. With only 272 regular-season games spread across an 18-week schedule (September through early January), every matchup draws enormous handle from both sharp and recreational bettors. This concentrated action, combined with deeply liquid markets across spreads, totals, moneylines, player props, and game props, makes the NFL the most heavily bet sport in North America. The relatively low scoring and high variance — where a single turnover or special teams play can swing a result by 7+ points — creates persistent edges for bettors who understand situational dynamics that oddsmakers must price across hundreds of prop markets simultaneously.
Vig on NFL sides and totals is among the tightest in all of sports betting, typically ranging from 2% to 5% on primary markets like point spreads and game totals at the most competitive books. The reason is straightforward: the massive two-sided action NFL games attract allows sportsbooks to operate on thinner margins while still generating significant revenue through volume. However, vig varies considerably by market type — alternative spreads, team totals, and especially player props often carry significantly wider margins, sometimes exceeding 8-10%. Comparing juice across books on these secondary markets is where bettors can find the most meaningful savings over a full season.
Odds competitiveness follows a clear seasonal rhythm. Opening lines, typically released on Sunday evenings for the following week, often present the sharpest value before public money reshapes the market by midweek. Playoff and Super Bowl markets tend to carry slightly wider margins as books account for heightened recreational betting. Key factors driving line movement include injury reports — particularly at quarterback, where a single absence can shift a spread by 3-7 points — along with weather conditions for outdoor games, short-week scheduling (Thursday Night Football creates recovery disadvantages), and divisional familiarity, where home-field advantages historically compress in rivalry matchups.
Analysis updated September 6, 2026. Odds data above refreshes hourly.
↓ 7-day trend: NFL average vig has improved by 0.09 percentage points over the past week (from 4.77% to 4.68%). Sportsbooks are tightening their lines — a good sign for bettors.
Cross-Sport Vig Comparison
NFL averages 4.68% vig across 20 sportsbooks. Here's how that compares to other active sports:
Vig Rankings
| # | Sportsbook | Avg Vig | Grade | ML | Spreads | Totals | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LowVig.ag | 3.23% | B+ | 3.82% | 2.45% | 3.41% | 14 |
| 2 | Pinnacle | 3.38% | B+ | 3.33% | 2.97% | 3.85% | 15 |
| 3 | BetMGM | 4.29% | B | 4.03% | 4.49% | 4.33% | 15 |
| 4 | BetOnline.ag | 4.43% | B | 3.82% | 4.73% | 4.75% | 14 |
| 5 | BetUS | 4.43% | B | 3.80% | 4.68% | 4.76% | 14 |
| 6 | BetAnything | 4.57% | B | 4.21% | 4.75% | 4.75% | 14 |
| 7 | Caesars | 4.60% | B | 4.26% | 4.63% | 4.89% | 15 |
| 8 | Bovada | 4.65% | B | 4.24% | 4.82% | 4.87% | 15 |
| 9 | DraftKings | 4.66% | B | 4.27% | 4.84% | 4.85% | 15 |
| 10 | FanDuel | 4.67% | B | 4.06% | 5.01% | 4.89% | 15 |
| 11 | theScore Bet (ESPN Bet) | 4.68% | B | 4.16% | 5.01% | 4.83% | 14 |
| 12 | Fanatics | 4.79% | B | 4.43% | 4.97% | 4.95% | 14 |
| 13 | Hard Rock Bet | 4.83% | B | 4.50% | 5.02% | 4.95% | 15 |
| 14 | ReBet | 5.01% | C+ | 4.08% | 5.49% | 5.45% | 14 |
| 15 | BetRivers | 5.03% | C+ | 5.01% | 5.04% | 5.04% | 15 |
| 16 | betPARX | 5.03% | C+ | 5.01% | 5.04% | 5.04% | 15 |
| 17 | Bally Bet | 5.10% | C+ | 5.01% | 5.13% | 5.15% | 15 |
| 18 | MyBookie.ag | 5.16% | C+ | 5.88% | 4.86% | 4.76% | 15 |
| 19 | 888sport | 5.20% | C+ | 5.54% | 5.06% | 5.03% | 15 |
| 20 | Fliff | 5.88% | C+ | 6.19% | 5.72% | 5.74% | 15 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which sportsbook has the lowest NFL vig?
LowVig.ag currently has the lowest vig at 3.23%, 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 every hour, on the hour (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 average vig: A+ (under 2%) is exchange-level pricing, A (2–3%) very competitive, B+ (3–4%) above average, B (4–5%) the industry standard, C+ (5–6%) slightly below average, C (6–7%) below average, D (7–8%) high vig, D− (8–10%) very high, F (10%+) predatory.
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 every hour, on the hour (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.