The NFL is the most popular professional sports league to bet on in the USA. This is especially true in Ohio, which is home to the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns have struggled in recent years, but the Bengals reached the Super Bowl three seasons ago and with Joe Burrow as their QB expectations are high in Cincinnati.
On this page I will recommend our top rated betting site for Ohio residents, touch on the sports betting regulatory climate in the state, look at the three most popular NFL bets (with examples), and finish up with a simple three step guide you can follow to bet on the NFL online from Ohio.
Best Betting Site For Ohio Residents
Bovada.lv is our top rated online sportsbook for Ohio bettors interested in betting on the NFL. Bovada has been a major player in the US betting market since 2012 and have a proven track record as a trusted betting site that provides a great betting experience of US residents, including anyone living in Ohio.
Sports Betting in Ohio
Sports betting is now legal in Ohio. The sports betting bill, HB 29, passed in December of 2021 and the regulated sports betting market launched in Ohio in January of 2023. There are now 15 active online sports betting apps available in Ohio.
Ohio residents can also still place wagers through online betting sites that are licensed and regulated outside of the United States. Bovada.lv meets this criteria by being licensed and regulated offshore, while accepting American players.
Popular NFL Bets
There are three NFL bets that take the majority of NFL betting handle each week. These are the point spread, money line and total. Below I will explain each of these popular NFL betting options using a Patriots vs Bengals game from week 1 of this season as an example:
Spread
The point spread is the most popular bet made on NFL games. You will often hear the spread talked about on NFL pre-game shows. The spread basically indicates the handicap being given to the underdog from a betting perspective.
The favored team must win the game by more points than the spread amount to “cover the spread”, while the underdog must either win the game outright or lose by fewer points than the spread amount to “beat the spread”.
In this example the Cincinnati Bengals are 8.5 point favorites (-8.5). Cincinnati must win by 9 or more points for a spread bet on the Bengals to win. The New England Patriots are 8.5 point underdogs (+8.5), so they must either win the game outright or lose by 8 or fewer points for spread bets on the Patriots to pay out.
Money Line (To Win)
Another popular bet is simply wagering on which team will win the game outright. The money line odds associated with each outcome will determine the risk vs reward on your bet. A bet on the underdog would win more for the same risk amount, than a bet on the favorite.
Continuing with the Patriots vs Bengals example, the Bengals are -440 favorites to win the game outright. This means you would have to wager $440 to win $100 betting on Cincinnati. The Patriots are +330 underdogs, so a $100 bet on Cincinnati would win $330.
Over/Under (Total)
The last bet that is generally featured for NFL games, is the total. The oddsmaker will set a total and you can bet on whether the number of points scored in the game (by both teams) will be over or under this amount.
In this example the total is set at 40 points. Over bets will win if 41 or more points are scored in the game, while under bets will payout if 39 or fewer points are scored. If exactly 40 points are scored the over/under bets would push and be refunded.
How To Bet On The NFL From Ohio – 3 Step Guide
Complete this three step tutorial to bet on NFL games online from Ohio.
Step 1. Open A Bovada.lv Account
Click the above link and fill out the sign up form on the Bovada home page to open your account.
Bovada is the most popular betting site serving the US market and our top rated sportsbook for Ohio residents.
Step 2. Deposit
After logging into your new account click on the ‘Deposit’ link under your accounts drop down menu. Choose your preferred deposit method (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.) and follow the instructions to complete your deposit.
Step 3. Place Your NFL Bets
- Click ‘Sports’ from the top menu bar, select ‘Football’ from the secondary sports menu, and select ‘NFL’ from the ‘Football A-Z’ menu in the left sidebar.
- Select the NFL bet that you want to make to add it to your Bet Slip.
- Enter your risk amount on the Bet Slip.
- Click ‘Place Bets’ to confirm your wagers.
Here’s a screenshot from last year showing you the clicks to bet on an NFL game from the ‘Sports’ page.
Ready to bet? Click here to visit Bovada.lv.
Tagged With : NFL Betting • Ohio betting