UK Punting Index

NFL INTERNATIONAL SERIES RETURNS TO LONDON

Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Justin Jefferson are among the superstars to look out for when the NFL returns to London this autumn. The NFL International Series resumes with the Minnesota Vikings taking on the New Orleans Saints at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

A week later, Rodgers – the NFL MVP for the past two seasons – will lead the Green Bay Packers into battle against the New York Giants at the same venue. It then concludes with the Denver Broncos locking horns with the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley on 30th October. We have previewed all three games and rounded up the exciting NFL betting options at your disposal.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS VS. MINNESOTA VIKINGS

A capacity crowd should provide a buzzing atmosphere when the Saints and the Vikings meet in London on Sunday. Both of these teams boast a 100% record on UK soil. The Saints beat the Chargers at Wembley all the way back in 2008, and they eased to a 20-0 win against the Dolphins in 2017. The Vikings battled to a 34-27 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013, followed by a 33-16 win against the Cleveland Browns at Twickenham in 2017.

This will be the 31st NFL regular season game to take place in London. Fans will hope for another exciting clash following a pair of thrillers last year. The Falcons beat the Jets 27-20, and the Jaguars then scraped a narrow 23-20 win against the Dolphins at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Both of these teams have made a mixed start to the season. The Vikings started out with a hugely impressive 23-7 win against the Green Bay Packers, but they then slumped to a heavy loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2. Yet confidence levels should be boosted following a 28-24 win against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, which ensured they closed out September with a winning record.

The Saints, who are officially the home team for this showdown in London, mounted a superb comeback to beat the Falcons 27-26 in Week 1, before losing 20-10 to the Buccaneers in Week 2 and then 22-14 to the Carolina Panthers at the weekend. As such, the Vikings are the favourites in the fixed odds betting and spread betting markets on this game.

GREEN BAY PACKERS VS. NEW YORK GIANTS

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is bidding for a record-equalling third consecutive NFL MVP title this year. He lost his favourite offensive weapon in the offseason, as Davante Adams moved to the Raiders, and the Green Bay offence looked a little toothless in a Week 1 loss to the Vikings. However, he then threw 19-for-25 for 234 yards and two touchdowns in a comfortable win against the Bears in Week 2.

The Giants have made a superb start to the new season. They beat the Tennessee Titans 21-20 in Week 1, followed by a narrow 19-16 win against the Carolina Panthers. It is the first time the franchise has gone 2-0 since 2016, and that is largely down to the strength of a defence led by Don Martindale. It will be interesting to see if he can produce a scheme that will negate Rodgers’ strengths when the teams clash in London.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS VS. DENVER BRONCOS

The Broncos were among the preseason favourites for Super Bowl glory after signing former Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson in the summer. However, they made a sluggish start to proceedings, suffering a 17-16 defeat to the Seahawks at Lumen Field in their opener. They scraped a 16-9 win against the Houston Texans in Week 2, but Wilson was booed by his own fans in that game. A scrappy 11-10 win against the 49ers followed in Week 3, but Wilson will hope to build up momentum against the Raiders next weekend before facing the Jags in London.

The Jags have been among the worst teams in the NFL for the past few years. They have finished rock bottom of the AFC South for the past four seasons, going 5-11 in 2018, 6-10 in 2019, 1-15 in 2020 and 3-14 last year. Yet they have been compensated with some advantageous draft picks, which has allowed them to bring in youngsters such as QB Trevor Lawrence to bolster their ranks.

A Week 1 defeat to the Washington Commanders did not augur well for Jacksonville’s prospects this season, but they then earned a blowout 24-0 victory against the Colts, with Lawrence delivering a superb performance. They then annihilated the Los Angeles Chargers on the road at SoFi Stadium in Week 3, with Lawrence throwing 28-of-39 for 262 yards and three touchdowns. RB James Robinson rushed for 100 yards off 17 carries in that game. Next up, Jacksonville take on the 3-0 Philadelphia Eagles, and it will be interesting to see how they fare in that one.

NFL FIXED ODDS BETTING

You have two clear options when betting on an NFL game: check out our wide array of fixed-odds markets, or delve into the exciting world of spread betting. If you choose fixed-odds betting, you know exactly how much you stand to win or lose each time. These are the most popular fixed-odds markets on American football games:

MONEYLINE

This is a simple bet on which American football team will win the game. We weigh up the strengths and weaknesses of both teams and release moneyline odds on them. These fixed odds tell you the profit you would earn if you placed a successful bet, so you know precisely how much you will win or lose.

HANDICAP

This is the most popular fixed-odds NFL betting market. In America, it is known as the point spread. We give the stronger team (the favourite in the moneyline odds) a handicap, and you can then bet on either team to cover the line that emerges. For example, if you bet on the Chiefs -5.5 against the Colts, they would need to win by 6 or more points. A bet on the Colts would succeed if they won the game or lost by up to 5 points.

TOTAL POINTS

A straightforward ‘over’ or ‘under’ bet on the number of points both teams will combine for in an American football game. You will find a few different total points lines to choose from at Sporting Index, along with team totals.

ADDITIONAL MARKETS

Double result bets are popular, as they allow you to predict the result at half-time and full-time. You can also bet on a team to win the match including overtime. We offer markets on each half or quarter, and you can bet on special markets – known as props in America – such as the first drive outcome or the team to score the first field goal.

NFL SPREAD BETTING OPTIONS

There are lots of potential outcomes when you place a spread bet on an American football game. Your potential profit or loss is not fixed, which can be exciting. Read on to discover the most common spread betting options on an NFL game.

TOTAL POINTS

The total points market provides a perfect example of the differences between fixed-odds betting and spread betting. We will set a total points spread, such as 43-46. If you think there will be more than 46 points, buy at 46. If you anticipate fewer than 43 points, sell at 43. Your profit or loss is calculated by multiplying your stake by the difference between the result and the price you bought or sold at.

For example, if you were to buy at 46 and there were 50 points in the game, you would earn 4x your stake in profit. If there were 51 points, you would earn 5x your stake, and so on. However, if there were only 42 points, you would lose 4x your stake. This helps maintain the excitement until the final whistle. For example, if you placed a standard, fixed-odds bet on over 44.5 points and the score reached 25-20 in the third quarter, you would be delighted. However, your interest might then start to fade. By contrast, if you bought at 44 points, you would stay interested, as every extra point scored would increase your profit.

MATCH SUPREMACY

We assign a Match Supremacy Index to the stronger team. For example, we might predict that the Ravens will beat the Patriots by 2-4 points. If you think the Ravens will win by more than 4 points, buy at 4. If you think they will only win by a single point or lose the game, sell at 2. The more right you are, the higher your profit.

100 WIN INDEX

This market awards 100 points to a team if they win and zero points if they fail to win. For example, we might offer a spread of 53-59 on the Las Vegas Raiders against the Tennessee Titans. If you think they will win, buy at 59. If you expect them to lose, sell at 53.

TOUCHDOWN SHIRT NUMBERS

The Shirt Numbers market is very popular among NFL spread betting fans. We add up the shirt numbers worn by each touchdown scorer in the game to arrive at the result. For example, if there are five TDs in the game, and the scorers wear the numbers 5, 24, 80, 88 and 89, the result will be 286. We offer a prediction before the game, such as 220-240, and you can sell at the lower end if you think the result will be lower than 220 or buy at the upper end if you expect a result above 240.

TEAM OR MATCH PERFORMANCE

The Match Performance Index awards 20 points for a touchdown, 5 points for a field goal, 15 for a turnover, 10 for a sack, 3 for a penalty and 25 for either team recording a shutout. We provide a quote, such as 251-261, and you can buy or sell depending on how you expect the game to unfold. There are also Team Performance markets.

FIELD GOAL MARKETS

We will offer a spread on the total field goal yardage for the game, and individual field goal yardage spreads for either team. Additional markets include total match field goals, total team field goals and time of the first field goal. For example, it could be 17.5-19 minutes, allowing you to sell if you expect an early FG or buy if you think the game’s first FG will come after the 19-minute mark.

PLAYER MARKETS

You can bet on the Touchdown Minutes for several players within a game. For example, we might offer a spread of 15-18 on Jalen Hurts. If you expect him to score zero touchdowns or only to score before the 15th minute, you can sell at 15. If you anticipate him scoring late in the game, you can buy at 18. For example, if he scores on 22 minutes and 49 minutes, the result will be 71. If you had bought at 18, you would earn 53x your stake. Anyone that sold at 15 would lose 56x their stake.