The National Football League is back, with the 2024/25 campaign getting underway in early September. The NFL is not only the most famous competition in professional American Football, it’s one of the richest and best-followed in all sports. Followers often enjoy a high-scoring Regular Season, unpredictable Playoffs, and an exciting Super Bowl. The campaign ahead promises to live up to the success of previous years and provide a thrilling spectacle.
Thousands of football fans across the United States will pack stadiums between now and Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome in Louisiana on Sunday, 9th February. Millions more avid supporters will follow the fixtures on television and the best live-streaming apps from home and on the move using their smartphones. Which team will enjoy a winning run to the final game before lifting the trophy? That remains unclear, but the leading sportsbooks offer odds, and the latest X Bet review shows there’s plenty to keep us entertained throughout the fall and into winter.
Those looking to make predictions on the NFL season can have their say on several eye-catching markets. The most popular option is predicting the Super Bowl winner, but there are also choices for making the playoffs, naming the finalists, and the Most Valuable Player. Every game played this season boasts dozens of plays, including moneyline, handicaps, totals, spreads, and more. There’s something to suit every football fan and game played this term.
Prepare for kickoff
Millions of football fanatics like to showcase their knowledge and experience by making predictions on the NFL season and results. Some use those picks to target a profit at major sportsbooks, while others use Fantasy Football apps. But many more like to call the result simply for the bragging rights, sharing their picks on their blogs and social media channels. Watching live professional football is great fun, but sticking your neck on the line and forecasting the score helps get you closer to the action.
However you choose to share your NFL picks, it’s important to do the necessary research. Some fans pick random scores and results out of thin air, and that approach can bring success on occasion, usually by sheer luck more than expert opinion. But if you want to really show your football knowledge and consistently pick winners, you must do the legwork. Study the stats, get up to speed on the form, listen to interviews, check head-to-head scores, and know the latest injury news. If you’re going to put your picks in the public eye, it’s worth doing it right, taking no shortcuts.
In this article, we highlight the tried and tested methods used by professional tipsters. You’ll find valuable information on how to make sense of the stats, get the most trustworthy game information, check the form, and even place your trust in the professionals. By the end of this page, you’ll know how to ramp up your success rate when making NFL picks while boosting your enjoyment of games.
Head-to-head stats
Many respected football pundits love the stats, putting their faith in the numbers and trends. The head-to-head is a great way to get a feel for a fixture, browsing past meetings between two teams and looking for an obvious pattern. That could be one team enjoying a winning run, but you can also dig deeper and look for high or low scores, scorers, handicaps, totals, and more. There’s more than one way to predict a football match successfully.
Studying the H2H requires you to roll up your sleeves and dig around in the results. You’ll be surprised how often the trends lead you to a winning prediction, but you must have the free time needed to dedicate yourself to the research properly.
Homefield advantage
Homefield advantage plays a huge role in sports, not just the NFL. Fans saw examples of this during the COVID-19 pandemic when supporters were locked out of stadiums, making for more competitive games and upsets. However, some teams enjoy a stronger homefield advantage than others.
It’s worth studying the stadiums and atmospheres of NFL teams to see which have the noisiest and most passionate supporters. That approach also works very well in College Football games, with some schools attracting huge crowds that can intimidate opponents.
Form and standings
The most basic and reliable way to study the stats is to look at the form and league standings of two teams. Does one team have a home advantage, enter on a long run of wins, and sit higher on the ladder than their opponents? All that suggests they have a strong chance of winning the game.
Following the form can also lead to some great value, especially when picking the away team to win. If you expect a competitive game, always go with the form team, as there’s a lot to be said for momentum in professional sports, especially football.
Injury news
An area often overlooked by NFL fans is injury news, as finding reliable information can be tricky. Many coaches like to keep injury news to important players hidden until as close to kickoff as possible so as not to give their opponents an advantage. But bide your time and get the most up-to-date news before making predictions on the results.
Listen to interviews and read reports a day or two before kickoff to get the coaches’ perspective. If a team has been performing well but is missing a key player, it could tip the balance in their opponent’s favor or at least level the playing field.
Trust the experts
Our final piece of advice to football fans making predictions on the NFL is to consider trusting the experts. You can follow the picks of betting traders in Las Vegas, pundits, ex-players, statisticians, and other respected figures.
Never let someone change your opinion if you have a strong view on a game, but if you’re struggling to pick sides, it’s worth following those who are in the know. They don’t always get it right, of course, but they make opinions based on facts and experience.