The National Football League is the most popular choice for sports betting in Illinois, a trend maintained by the bettors in the Prairie State.

The NFL regular season is packed with games that attract the lion’s share of sports wagers each week. Sportsbooks see the highest betting volume during the NFL season compared to any other period throughout the year. With each team playing one game a week, bettors can concentrate and refine their NFL betting strategies.

As the NFL playoffs approach, the intensity increases. Players, coaches, and fans alike all focus their attention on the forthcoming weeks and the journey towards the Super Bowl.

Interest in sports betting intensifies as the postseason progresses, peaking with the surge of wagers accompanying the Super Bowl. The NFL postseason is a busy period for legal sportsbooks, with a variety of bets being placed, ranging from standard ones like moneylines, point spreads and totals, to prop bets, in-game betting and futures.

We’ve put together a brief guide on betting on the NFL playoffs through legal and regulated sportsbooks in Illinois. Continue reading.

NFL playoff lines at Illinois sportsbooks

Check out the most recent live odds at online sportsbooks in Illinois for the NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl 57 below. By clicking on any odds, you’ll be taken straight to the online sportsbook where you can claim your bonus and start betting! You can switch between odds boards using the drop-down menu.

Bet on the NFL online in Illinois

In Illinois, you can experiment with numerous bet types, but a few are more commonly encountered when wagering on NFL games:

• Moneyline Bets: This involves choosing which of the two teams will win; it’s a simple bet ideal for beginners.
• Point Spreads: Oddsmakers set the predictions for which team will win and by how many points. If you choose the favored team, they must win by the predicted points or more. On the other hand, if you select the underdog, they must either lose by less than the predicted points or win the game entirely.
• Totals Betting: Also known as over/unders, this bet involves predicting the total points two teams will score in a game, as set by the oddsmakers. The outcome of the game is irrelevant, only whether the actual points scored are more or less than the predicted total matters.
• Parlays: A parlay is a type of bet where you place two or more wagers on a single betting slip, and you must predict all of them correctly to win. The potential reward needs to be weighed against the risk.
• Proposition Bets: These bets typically involve specific outcomes related to a particular team or player. Examples include which player will score first, which team will be leading at half time, or whether the quarterback will throw more than two interceptions. These are all forms of proposition bets.
• Teasers: While a teaser allows you to adjust the point spread more favorably towards your advantage, it also implies that your return might not be as substantial.
• Futures Betting involves placing bets on events that are yet to occur. This could include predicting the winner of the Super Bowl or the recipient of the league MVP award.
• In-Game Betting: Also referred to as live betting, this is a wager placed on an event that occurs after the game has begun. These types of bets can typically be made through your preferred sports betting application or online platform.

Some things to consider before placing an NFL playoff bet

Ensure that you do some preliminary research before placing a bet on an NFL playoff game in Illinois. This fundamental rule applies to all sports and seasons: Always conduct thorough investigations prior to placing a sports wager.

When researching your teams for the NFL postseason, consider these factors:

• Bye Weeks: Keep in mind the teams that have first-round byes in the playoffs. This implies that they get additional rest while their upcoming opponents are battling it out on the field. Consequently, they are likely to have fewer lingering injuries, more recovery time, and reduced strain on the players.
• Momentum: Is the team you’re wagering on displaying a strong performance as they approach the postseason? Are they on a victorious streak towards the season’s end, with their sights set on playoff victories? Momentum plays a significant role for a team, particularly in the NFL.
• Experience and Playmakers: Teams abundant in playoff experience, particularly those with a history of success, are likely to be well-prepared, focused, and ready right from the opening kickoff. Look out for teams that have demonstrated recent postseason triumphs and retained numerous crucial players.
• Oddsmakers are professionals for a reason; if they heavily favor a team, it’s wise to take notice. Sportsbooks are unlikely to make many errors in their NFL playoff lines, but if your research reveals an underdog advantage you wish to leverage, seek out the oddsmakers and sportsbooks offering the highest return on investment.

NFL playoff odds and betting lines

Illinois sportsbooks effectively establish betting lines throughout the regular season. Hence, during playoffs, when they have fewer games to concentrate on, they typically excel.

Consider these two factors when examining the odds and lines for NFL playoffs betting.

Line movement is the primary element to consider, which occurs after sportsbooks unveil their initial lines on any specific game. As betting commences, these NFL playoff betting lines might shift according to the activity observed by the sportsbooks. If many bets favor one team, the sportsbook is likely to modify the lines to balance its potential payouts. After all, they are running a business and aim to retain as much money as possible. For bettors, line movement can offer insights into public opinion and the betting behavior of others.

This leads us to our next topic of interest: Public betting. Numerous websites can assist you in monitoring betting percentages at a number of prominent, legal, and regulated sportsbooks in Illinois. If it appears that most bettors are favoring one side, it might be worth investigating further to understand why. It’s crucial to always stay informed about public betting and the reasons for line shifts, and to incorporate this into your betting strategy.

NFL statistics for Illinois sports bettors

Sports are filled with numerous statistics, with the NFL leading the pack. However, it can be challenging to discern which stats are beneficial and which are not when placing your bets.

Which statistics should you monitor? The decision is entirely yours, requiring research to identify what perfectly aligns with your betting strategy. Nevertheless, we have highlighted some statistical categories we believe are crucial to your research process:

• Points For and Points Against: These are essentially two differing aspects for your investigation. However, they embody the same idea – how proficient is your researched team at scoring points and how effective are they at preventing their opponents from reaching the end zone?
• The concepts of Yards Per Play and Yards Per Play Against are similar to the above. The aim is for your team to advance the ball down the field while obstructing the opponent’s progress. This gives insight into the effectiveness of a team’s offense and defense and their ability to dominate a game.
• Others: Naturally, you should consider other statistics as well, even though we believe the ones previously mentioned are crucial for evaluating a team’s capability. However, ensure you don’t ignore aspects such as a team’s proficiency in passing and running the game, its defense against these elements, the average sacks per game, and its ability to prevent or induce turnovers.

Other factors in NFL playoff betting

We previously noted the importance of understanding a team’s habits. However, it’s equally crucial to monitor their rest levels, stay updated with any news, and be aware of significant injuries. Numerous online sources can provide this information. Ensure to integrate this into your regular research routine.

Keeping track of the weather report for the home team’s stadium is another important aspect of a game. Teams often struggle when they have to play in bad weather conditions compared to when they play in pleasant, sunny weather. For instance, consider the Green Bay Packers. Their home field, known as the “Frozen Tundra” in the NFL, often experiences harsh weather conditions like freezing temperatures, heavy snow, ice, and strong winds. The Packers play their home games outdoors, not in a dome, making the weather a crucial factor. The more severe the weather, the higher the chances it works to their advantage.

Betting strategy for the NFL playoffs

Although it’s important to develop your own betting strategy, it doesn’t preclude us from offering some starting point suggestions.

In the course of the NFL season and the following playoffs, it’s vital to establish a firm budget and stick to it. It’s unwise to pursue losses in the hope of recovering your money through victories. Betting inevitably involves loss, and no amount of chasing will eliminate that.

Furthermore, you should be clear about the types of bets you’re comfortable with. If straight bets are your preference, then moneyline wagers should be your choice. However, if you’re open to doing a little more research, then you might find totals and point spreads more suitable.

The playoffs consist of four phases: the wild card weekend, the divisional round, the conference championships, and the Super Bowl. Instead of stressing over the outcomes after the wild card matches, unless you are placing futures bets, concentrate on the initial round. Evaluate your performance once that round is over and then shift your attention to the subsequent round of matches.

If fortune favors you and you end up winning, you might think about using those winnings to boost your budget for the next week. However, if your luck was not as good and you either lost or just broke even, it’s recommended to maintain your current budget and stick to what you’re comfortable with for the divisional round.

Should you wish to experiment with various types of wagers, it’s imperative to budget your money appropriately. Allocate the majority of your funds to the bets you feel most confident in, and use the remaining money for other types of bets. Here’s a simple illustration:

• 75% of your budget should be allocated to Moneylines and Totals.
• Prop Bets: 10%
• Point Spreads: 10%
• Parlays: 5%

Develop your own strategy and adhere to it as that’s the most effective approach for any bettor. Identify what’s effective and persist with it, and discern what’s ineffective and discard it. You can perpetually modify your strategy and budget, but avoid altering it just for the sake of change.

Should you pay for expert NFL playoff picks?

You may be attracted to a program offering “expert” picks and weekly betting advice. However, remember this: anyone can tout themselves as an expert, and typically, the information you’d be paying for can usually be found with your own online research.

However, it ultimately boils down to personal preference. Perhaps you’d rather save time and opt for readily available information, or you prefer to rely on the guidance and insights of a specific pundit. Maybe you simply don’t have sufficient time to conduct thorough research. In such cases, naturally, you should do what you think is most suitable.

However, if you’re the type of bettor who prefers controlling your own destiny, it’s advisable to steer clear of paying for services and information that you can get for free, provided you’re prepared to do the necessary groundwork.

Should you opt for a paid service, ensure it is of high quality, credible, and transparent about its picks’ performance. Avoid any service that doesn’t provide verifiable statistics, as it’s likely not a good choice.

Super Bowl betting guide and tips

The Super Bowl is the world’s largest gambling event, attracting an incredible volume of action for global sportsbooks. In Illinois, you can place the same bets for the Super Bowl as you have during the regular season and playoffs. However, you can expect a significant increase in the number of people participating in the betting.

You shouldn’t alter your research methods for major games. Rather, stick to proven strategies and monitor line movements. Public members will surely impact the lines with their bets; use this to your benefit by identifying the odds that are most appealing to you.

At legal and regulated Illinois sportsbooks, the Super Bowl will provide an abundance of props, such as the color of the energy drink that will be dumped on the winning coach at the end of the game. You’ll likely have more betting opportunities than at any other time of the year.

Just as you allocate a budget for your normal season and NFL playoff wagers, it’s crucial to establish and adhere to a budget. Naturally, the process should also be enjoyable. Thus, don’t hesitate to engage in props and live betting as you enjoy the most significant sports event in the United States.