Ben Solak Sep 8, 2026, 06:47 AM ET Close Ben Solak joined ESPN in 2024 as a national NFL analyst. He previously covered the NFL at The Ringer, Bleeding Green Nation and The Draft Network.

The start of the NFL season is closing in fast, which means casual and sharp sports bettors alike are gearing up to bet on the league. You will not reliably beat sportsbooks by betting on your favorite teams and players sight unseen. Sportsbooks have tons of data scientists and institutional knowledge working around the clock to set the best possible lines. It's very difficult to beat them on your own. So, consume content. Tail professional bettors who you are confident know their stuff and have a proven track record of profitably betting. Listen to NFL podcasts, watch NFL shows and make informed decisions.

Betting should be fun, and that will only happen if two things are true: (1) you are betting with safe amounts of money and not chasing losses, and (2) you are enjoying the sweat and winning often enough that the hobby remains exciting. Studying well helps both. If you're looking for the basics of betting, this is a good place to start. If you're ready to talk strategy, here are some tips to help you on your way.

Consider taking spreads and totals early in the week, before they move. If you like getting your spread bets in mere minutes before kickoff, that's fine -- and it can be a rush, too. But it's not optimal. Look-ahead lines for NFL spreads and totals are often posted one week in advance -- i.e., there are Week 6 lines available before Week 5 even kicks off -- but taking these can be very risky, as injuries can dramatically affect lines. Those lookahead lines are taken down during the particular week's action and then are reposted Sunday evening in anticipation of the following week. At the moment, you can get some good prices. Totals can move three points -- sometimes more! -- over the course of the week, and critically, they can roll right through key numbers. Spreads can move much the same.