In the nexus between sports and sports betting, there is no intersection quite as perfect as NFL football and point spread wagering. It’s as if the sport was made for wagering, and made for America, with its weekly slate of games, national television audience, and cathedrals to football that have been built all across the country, including Colorado’s biggest football temple – Empower Field at Mile High.
Perhaps no sport feels quite at home in Colorado like the NFL, with its 60-plus-year history and multiple Super Bowl championships. The NFL was the first professional sport to come to the Rocky Mountains, and it remains the favorite.
NFL Season Structure
One of the things that makes the NFL so perfect for sports betting is the way the season is laid out. Unlike baseball, basketball, and hockey, NFL point spreads are out a full week before the game.
Then practice begins, injury impacts from the previous week’s games become clearer, and by the end of the week, what we thought we knew on Monday might have changed completely.
Sunday hits, and there are hours of analysis followed by 10 hours of non-stop football, giving rise to man caves across the country, and sports betting all across the land.
The NFL’s structure of 16 weekly games per team spread out over 17 weeks of regular-season play gives us 256 games to wager. And new in 2020 is an expanded postseason, which gives us 13 more games to wager – six on Wild Card Weekend, four in the divisional round, two conference championship games, and ending with a crescendo on Super Bowl Sunday.
Where to Bet the NFL in Colorado
Legal sports betting went live in Colorado on May 1, 2020, and the market has been booming since. If you don’t mind a little drive, there are many retail sportsbooks in the casino cities of Black Hawk and Cripple Creek that are happy to take your NFL wagers.
Retail sportsbooks in Colorado are located in the following casinos:
Black Hawk
- Monarch Casino (BetMonarch)
- Ameristar Casino Black Hawk (Penn National)
- Golden Mardi Gras Casino (DraftKings)
- Isle of Capri Casino (William Hill)
- Red Dolly Casino (Elite Gaming)
- Saratoga Casino (Betfred)
Cripple Creek
- Wildwood Casino (BetWildwood)
- Johnny Nolon’s Casino (ISI)
It’s fun to be inside a sportsbook on Sunday, watching and cheering with your fellow NFL bettors. But if you don’t want to drive, you don’t have to. There are more online and mobile sportsbooks in Colorado than actual retail locations.
Online and mobile sportsbooks taking NFL bets in Colorado:
- Betfred
- BetMGM
- BetMonarch
- BetRivers
- BetWildwood
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- FOX Bet
- SBK
- Sky Ute Sportsbook
- theScore Bet
- William Hill
Something to keep in mind when choosing a sportsbook to place your NFL bets is that not only are online and mobile sportsbooks more convenient, but they can offer you bonuses and incentives that you won’t get at a retail sportsbook.
Some will also offer sport-specific bonuses, like special odds boosters for big national events, like Monday Night Football, or Denver Broncos specific specials. One such Broncos offer is for futures bets that have them making playoffs.
If you have a wager on the Broncos to make the postseason, during the regular season, you get $10 in bonus bets for every regular-season game they win.
With so many sportsbooks in Colorado ready to take your wagers, there is no reason to spend your money at a place that doesn’t incentivize NFL bets.
Types of NFL Bets in Colorado
When betting on a single NFL game, there are several typical bets you’ll play.
Point Spread: The most popular and most basic of sports bets and a favorite on NFL games. The point spread represents the margin of victory in which the favorite must win by to “cover the spread.” Bets on the spread usually pay -110 for both the favorite and the underdog, which is how the sportsbook makes its money.
Moneyline: The moneyline represents the odds of a team winning the game outright without the use of a point spread. For example, if the Broncos moneyline reads -125, they are the favorite, and to win $100, you must bet $125. On the flip side, a +125 moneyline pays you $125 for a $100 bet.
Totals: Also known as an over/under, this is a bet on the combined total points scored by both teams in the game, regardless of which team wins. Like with a point spread, you place your bet on whether the amount will be over or under the posted line.
All of the above bets can be combined into parlays as well. The legs of a parlay can all be from the same game or from different games.
Aside from single-game bets, there are two other types of bets that are very popular among NFL bettors.
Futures Bets: A futures bet is a bet on any result in the NFL that takes place far in the future. This can include a bet in June on which team will win the Super Bowl the following February, as well as early bets on division winners and playoff teams.
Proposition Bets: The Super Bowl is known as the Mecca of prop bets, but most NFL games also feature these types of wagers, like which quarterback will throw for the most yards. You can also wager on season props, like the winner of the MVP or Rookie of the Year.
Live NFL Betting in Colorado
If ever there was a reason to be thankful for the internet and mobile phones, it’s in how they have changed the way we bet. Betting from your couch is great. But live betting, also called in-play or in-game betting, makes that phone in your hand a true gift from god.
It used to be that once you placed your bets before kickoff, you were done. At that point, you were just spectating. But with live betting, the action never ends.
The odds and spreads change and the game changes, and you can place your bet anytime you want. You get quarter lines, halftime bets, buyout options, and many bets tied to very specific events, like drive results, first down conversions, and play calls. Will it be a pass? Will the defense blitz? All of it can be played.
You won’t find live betting at retail sportsbooks in Colorado. But each of the online offerings in the state, and especially the mobile sportsbooks, are built with the speed and flexibility that is required to accommodate live NFL betting.
Tips for Betting the NFL in Colorado
Because of the amount of information available, it’s harder to find value bets in the NFL. There is no chance that you are more informed about a matchup than the bookmaker setting the odds.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t be more informed than the rest of the betting public. Getting a leg up on them can be the difference between winning and losing.
Study the individual matchups – defensive line vs. offensive line, corners vs. wide receivers, etc. Make sure you have the latest injury reports. Know the trends for each team, each quarterback, each head coach, etc. And understand all possible factors for fatigue – days between games, miles traveled, kickoff time, and jet lag.
Once you’ve figured out who you like in each game, line shop. It’s only one point, but the difference between a 7.5-point spread and a 6.5-point spread is huge. Before placing any bets, make sure you check all possible lines.
And finally, always remember that you only need to win 53% of your bets to come out ahead. Finding even the smallest of edges can make the difference between a good Sunday and a bad one.
Things to Avoid When Betting the NFL in Colorado
Do the things listed above, and you’ll be in good shape with your wagers. But don’t do the things listed below, or you will undo all of the above good works.
Never, ever chase losses. You will lose many bets. It’s how it works. Just take your licks and move on.
Trying to cover a loss by betting on a late game you hadn’t planned for, or by doubling a planned bet, will only make things worse in the long run.
Never bet on all the games. Your research and the posted lines will tell you which matchups give you the best chances to win. Too many people go beyond that and place bets on games simply to have a bet down.
Some weeks you may only find one or two games worth betting. Don’t make the mistake of betting beyond that. In the end, it will destroy your profits.
Finally, never bet drunk. Place your bets first, then open your Sunday beers. There’s a reason casinos and sportsbooks serve free alcohol, and it’s not because they’re nice.
FAQ About NFL Betting in Colorado
Who is eligible to open a sportsbook account and place NFL wagers in Colorado?
Anyone who is at least 21 years old can open a sportsbook account in Colorado. But to legally place bets on the NFL at a Colorado sportsbook, you must be inside the state lines.
What happens with a tie?
If, as an example, you bet on the Broncos -3 and they win by a field goal in overtime, your bet is a push. In most cases, you will get all of your bet returned to you. Some sportsbooks will keep the juice (or vig), but that’s less common.
If you bet the moneyline and the game finishes in a tie after the overtime period, that bet is also a push, and your bet will be returned.