What Is an NFL Futures Bet and How Does It Work?

An NFL futures bet is a wager on something that gets decided later in the season, like which team wins the Super Bowl, not on a single game. You pick an outcome now, lock in the odds, and wait weeks or months to see if you win.

Key Takeaways

• A futures bet is a long-term wager on a season-long result, such as the Super Bowl winner, a division title, or a player award.
• You bet before the outcome is known, and your odds are locked the moment you confirm the ticket.
• Payouts are usually big because most futures are long shots. A $100 bet on the Rams at +550 returns $650 total.
• The three busiest futures windows are right after the season ends, right after the NFL Draft, and in August before Week 1.
• Offshore books like Bovada, BetOnline, MyBookie, and BetUS all post NFL futures year-round.

What is an NFL futures bet?

A futures bet is a wager on a result that will not be settled for a while. Instead of betting on Sunday’s game, you bet on how the whole season ends.

The most popular one is the Super Bowl winner. You can also bet on which team wins a division, how many games a team wins, or who takes home an award like Most Valuable Player. The name is simple. You are betting on the future, so the book calls it a future.

Futures bets are just one type of wager. If you’re interested in game-day betting, our guide on how teaser bets work explains another popular betting option.

How does an NFL futures bet work?

You place the bet, the odds get locked, and your ticket sits open until the result is final. That is the whole idea.

Say you bet $100 on a team to win the Super Bowl in July at +1000. Even if that team goes on a hot streak and their price drops to +400 by December, your ticket still pays at the +1000 you locked. The number you took is the number you keep.

That locked price cuts both ways. If your team looks bad and their odds get longer, you are stuck with your original number too. You cannot change a futures ticket once it is placed. You can only let it ride or, at some books, cash out early for less than the full amount.

What types of NFL futures can you bet?

There are more futures markets than most new bettors expect. Here are the common ones. Season win totals are a favorite of ours because they reward homework. We break down what moves those numbers in our 2026 NFL win totals guide.

How do you read NFL futures odds and payouts?

NFL futures use American odds, which are the plus numbers you see next to each team. The plus number tells you how much profit a $100 bet earns if you win. Use our free tool to calculate your potential futures return before placing a wager.

Here is what real 2026 Super Bowl prices looked like on the ESPN odds board in late July 2026, and what each would pay on a $100 ticket.

The bigger the plus number, the longer the odds and the less likely the team is to win. A +50000 team, like the Arizona Cardinals at that same snapshot, is a deep long shot. You would win $50,000 on a $100 bet, but almost nobody expects it to hit.

That trade-off is the heart of futures betting. Small stake, big payout, low chance.

When should you place an NFL futures bet?

Timing matters more with futures than with single games. Prices move a lot across the offseason, so when you bet changes the value you get.

Three windows drive most of the action:

• Right after the season ends (January and February). Books post opening Super Bowl odds. Prices are rough and can offer value before the public piles in.
• After the NFL Draft and free agency (spring). A team that fills a big hole at quarterback often sees its odds shorten fast.
• August, before Week 1. This is the busiest window. Most bettors have studied rosters and schedules by then, so money pours in.

If you like a team early and trust your read, betting before the crowd can lock in a longer price. If you want more information first, waiting until August is fine too. It just usually costs you value.

Where can you bet NFL futures?

Offshore sportsbooks post NFL futures all year, and they are the main option for most U.S. bettors who cannot use a state-licensed app. Bovada is our top pick for futures because the menu is deep and the payouts post fast. See our full Bovada review for the details.

For bonus size and payout speed, it helps to compare a couple of books before you pick one. Our BetUS and MyBookie comparison walks through both. If you want a smaller book with a long track record, our Everygame sportsbook review covers its futures and props.

What are the risks of futures bets?

Your money is tied up for a long time. A Super Bowl ticket placed in July does not settle until February, so that cash is locked away for months and cannot be used on other bets.

The odds are also long on purpose. Most futures lose. The big payout is the reward for a low chance of winning, so treat futures as a small, fun slice of your bankroll, not the main plan.

One more thing: shop your price. The same team can be +550 at one book and +600 at another. Over a season, taking the better number adds up.

References

• ESPN — NFL Futures: 2026 Super Bowl Champion Odds (accessed July 24, 2026)
• VegasInsider — 2026-27 Super Bowl & NFL Futures Odds (updated July 22, 2026)
• Covers — Futures Betting Explained: How to Bet on Futures.