NFL Betting in PA

Football is king in the state of Pennsylvania and home to two storied NFL franchises in the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers. PA sports bettors have plenty to choose from every Sunday, Monday, and Thursday across the best online sportsbooks.

Moneyline bets, spreads, totals, and, of course, teasers and parlays are all on the menu when betting professional football. Super Bowl predictions and other futures markets are also popular and available throughout the calendar year.

The 2023 NFL season is already underway with a few solid welcome bonus offers still on the table for new players. The Eagles are off to another hot start, while the Steelers continue to hang around .500. It’s never too late to jump in on the action with so many betting options at your disposal.

We put together the top-to-bottom guide with the key things to know when betting on NFL action in PA. You can also click the links below to head directly to the top sportsbooks with football markets and odds.

With a wide array of options for NFL betting enthusiasts in Pennsylvania, the Keystone State offers a rich tapestry of opportunities for avid sports bettors. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a rookie in the world of NFL betting, understanding the diverse range of platforms and their unique features is essential for tailoring your wagering experience to suit your preferences.

1.  FanDuel Sportsbook

NFL Betting on FanDuel PA: FanDuel is widely regarded as the top online sportsbook for NFL bettors of all levels. Riding the hype of the current season, FanDuel Sportsbook PA is offering new players a welcome bonus of $200 in bonus bets when they place a wager of at least $5.

PA sports bettors will also find a bevy of NFL-themed promos available throughout the season. Most Thursday Night Football games, for example, will have a same game parlay, no sweat first bet offer. Bettors who make a SGP for that game receive compensatory bonus funds that are usable on other bets.

Welcome Bonus: New players to FanDuel Sportsbook qualify for the welcome bonus without the need for a promo code. Register for an account and deposit at least $10. Make sure your first-ever wager is at least $5. FanDuel will add $200 in bonus bets directly into your account regardless of how that wager settles.

Available States: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming

2. DraftKings Sportsbook

NFL Betting on DraftKings PA: DraftKIngs rose the ranks from a daily fantasy sports company to one of the two largest online sportsbooks in the country. With football reigning supreme as the most widely bet sport, DraftKings focuses heavily on the NFL. It prominently features the league’s betting markets, offering a seemingly bottomless menu of options.

PA sports bettors enjoy a number of football-based promo offers throughout the season. In addition to the welcome bonus, new players receive a $5 “no sweat” token for NFL games. Each week, bettors can opt in to receive up to three tokens.

Welcome Bonus: Sports bettors in PA still without a DraftKings account can register now to earn $200 in bonus bets. Simply sign up and place your first wager of at least $5 and DraftKings will place the bonus funds into your account whether it results as a loss or a win.

Available States: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming

3. Caesars Sportsbook

NFL Betting on Caesars PA: As one of the longest-running sportsbooks around, Caesars is well-versed in hosting NFL betting in PA. It’s also become well-known for offering the most lucrative welcome bonuses around. New players who sign up for an account now earn a no sweat first bet worth up to $1,000 in bonus funds. Other NFL promos include weekly boosts on parlays and teaser bets.

Welcome Bonus: Bettors who have yet to sign up with Caesars Sportsbook would be wise to take advantage of the current welcome bonus. There’s no promo code necessary, but there are two qualifications. Your initial deposit must be at least $10 and your first wager must be of at least $5. If that bet loses, Caesars PA will match your losses up to $1,000 in bonus funds. which it will place directly into your account.

Available States: Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming

4. BetMGM Sportsbook

NFL Betting on BetMGM PA: PA sports bettors who love the NFL know BetMGM is a sportsbook you should bet with. The betting menu consistently offers competitive odds for the NFL with a solid variety of bet types and creative markets. The current new user bonus is tops in the industry when it comes to NFL betting in Pennsylvania as well, making it financially worthwhile to sign up.

Once you’re in, BetMGM PA continuously runs further NFL promos throughout the football season. Any Time and First Touchdown Scorer market have become increasingly popular among PA sports bettors. In response, BetMGM provides touchdown scorer odds boosts each week, offering bettors a nice increase to their winnings.

Welcome Bonus: NFL bettors won’t find a better welcome bonus than the current offer on BetMGM’s site. Sign up and place your first bet on the NFL to qualify for up to $1,500 in bonus bets if your first football bet loses. You must place at least $10 into your account on your first deposit to qualify.

If your first bet fails to cash, you’ll receive 100% of your lost wager in bonus bets. These funds will come in five equal installments until the entire wager is paid back in the form of bonus funds.

Available States: Arizona, Colorado, DC, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming

5. BetRivers Sportsbook

NFL Betting on BetRivers PA: BetRivers Sportsbook is often kind to its players, with quality odds for a plethora of NFL bets. PA sports bettors new to BetRivers can take advantage of the current welcome bonus worth up to $500 in second chance bets. As one of the premier sportsbooks in PA, BetRivers is highly active when it comes to PA NFL betting, consistently providing quality odds and a large variety of bet types.

Welcome Bonus: BetRivers is offering new players up to $500 in 2nd chance bets when they sign up for an account and deposit at least $10. If your first bet fails to hit successfully, BetRivers Sportsbook will refund 100% of your losses up to $500. Keep in mind, your first wager must be on a bet at -200 odds or longer.

Available States: Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia

6. PointsBet Sportsbook

NFL Betting on PointsBet PA: Recently purchased by Fanatics Inc., PointsBet Sportsbook has jumped in mainstream popularity over the last few years. This is thanks in large part to its willingness to offer incredibly high payouts for parlay bettors willing to take on the risk of a massive parlay.

PointsBet has also jumped full-on into Pennsylvania NFL betting with the attention that America’s most popular sport deserves. It also provides creative early cash out options on various types of NFL bets.

Welcome Bonus: In order to qualify for the welcome bonus on PointsBet Sportsbook PA, new bettors who sign up for an account must also meet a few other qualifications. The most important aspect of this promo is that you must place a bet every day for 10 straight days in order to qualify.

While that seems like a lot of commitment, it’s well-worth it. After making at least one bet each day for 10 days, if just one of your bets fails to cash, PointsBet will refund you in bonus bets that are the value of each bet for 10 straight days.

Available States: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia

Now that you have some background on the top PA sportsbooks for NFL betting, you need to know how to put your knowledge into action and sign up for your free accounts. Each sportsbook offers a slightly unique registration process, but the core steps are all the same. Regardless of the sportsbook, players must allow the book to verify their location using either their device’s location services, or by downloading the necessary geolocation software.

Here are the main four steps you’ll find when registering for an account with any legal online casinos or sportsbook.

1. Register

To get started players need to register for their personal account using some iteration of the steps we laid out below.

• Look for a button on the homepage to “Sign Up” or “Login”
• Enter your personal information including full name, street address, email address, and date of birth.
• Some sports betting sites will require you to prove your identity via various documents and possibly even have you take a photo of yourself with your I.D.

2. Deposit

Before wagering with a sportsbook, PA sports bettors need to complete a real-money deposit. To begin the process, look for a button indicating “Deposit” or “Cashier.” Here you’ll find a few options for the method of your choice, such as online banking, PayPal and others. 
Not every book will offer the same choices so it’s always good to open up your options by creating various accounts with trustworthy sites such as PayPal.

3. Place A Bet

Now that you have money in your pocket, it’s time to make it work for you! NFL bettors can head straight to the NFL tab, which should be prominently located on the homepage when its football season. Once you select the bet of your choice, you’ll see your bet slip pop up automatically, displaying your selection. Add more bets and they’ll continue to show up on your slip.

4. Withdraw Your Money

When it’s time to move your money elsewhere, select the “Withdraw” or “Cashier” button depending on the sportsbook. You’ll often find fewer options for withdrawal methods than deposits, but most books provide the most commonly used methods such as bank transfers.

The correct answer to this question varies between sports bettors. Bettors who prefer betting big-money parlays might find better value with PointsBet than DraftKings. However, bettors who like to play early sides and totals might prefer DraftKings above most other books.

There are at least a few characteristics common among the best sportsbooks offering NFL betting markets. We compiled the most important signs to monitor when looking for the best quality sportsbook for NFL wagering.

1. Transparency and Authenticity

If you find most promotions from a sportsbook to be overly wordy and convoluted, it’s probably a sign they’re trying to confuse you. We prefer the books to just shoot straight and keep things above water.

2. Trustworthy Deposit & Withdrawal Methods

Any sportsbook worth using offers at the very least your standard banking options for withdrawals and deposits. You should find the ability to choose between the most common methods such as Visa/MasterCard, PayPal and online banking transfers.

3. Profitable Odds

It’s always best to keep a few different sportsbook accounts in order to shop the lines and odds available on each. That said, some books consistently offer more favorable lines than others, giving incentive for PA sports bettors to wager with them over their competitors. In a popular sport like the NFL where everyone gets in on the action, getting the best price possible can often mean the difference between profit and loss.

4. Expansive Betting Menu

If not all sportsbooks are created equal, the best ones separate themselves with the size of their offerings. A quality welcome bonus can go a long way to get people to bet with a particular book. Consistent and valuable promos for existing bettors can dictate where players spend their bankrolls every NFL week.

The best sportsbooks not only keep the promotions coming, they also offer a wide selection of betting markets and bet types. A short betting menu with limited options lacks fun and creativity and quite honestly, is just lazy.

5. Live Betting

The increased popularity of legal online sports betting has expanded bettors’ abilities to bet on sports while they’re happening, rather than simply before the start of a game. Some sportsbooks have signed deals with the league for the rights to live stream certain games so bettors can watch the game from their favorite sports betting apps. Don’t underestimate how impactful that can be while trying to simultaneously watch and live bet a game at the same time.

6. Customer Service

Things may not always go 100% smoothly when betting online. Mistakes happen and no sportsbook is completely safe from tech glitches that complicate bettors’ lives. It’s important, however, that the book takes responsibility and assists its players in solving any issues. If you ever experience an issue that can’t be solved by the sportsbook’s support team, it’s not worth accessing.

7. Quality App

Nowadays, it’s almost impossible to find a quality book without a quality app. It doesn’t matter how good a book’s offers are if you can’t successfully access its app or website. Of course, a poor internet connection will always interrupt your online betting experience, so make sure you’re connected to a quality service before blaming the app.

PA sports bettors looking to bet on the NFL each week can find live odds updated in real time with our chart below. Search for any live betting market across the top PA sportsbooks using the dropdown menus under the relevant game of your choice. Here you can navigate through the various spreads, moneylines, totals and more. There are even live odds for futures markets such as NFL MVP and Super Bowl winner among others. Select the bonus code link to claim the available promo code for each sportsbook as well.

The Kansas City Chiefs opened the season as favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions. The Buffalo Bills were expected to finish second in the AFC according to projected odds. In the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers opened as co-favorites to win the big game, tied with the reigning conference champion Philadelphia Eagles on most sportsbooks.

Pittsburgh Steelers fans may need to temper their expectations for the 2023-24 season. The Steelers opened up in the middle of the pack as far as expectations are concerned and have remained around .500 for most of the season.

Season-Opening NFL Odds

There are hundreds of betting markets for every NFL game each Thursday through Friday, but let’s start with a few of the basic options. From moneylines and spreads to team and player props, we laid out the core bet types for NFL wagers throughout the season below.

• Moneyline: A bet on the moneyline is simply about which team will win the game. Sportsbooks, however, will take into account which team is more likely to win and adjust the odds accordingly. For instance, if the Pittsburgh Steelers are favored to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles, their odds will be listed with a (-) sign, such as -150. In this case, a bettor who wagers on the Steelers moneyline needs to lay down $150 in order to return $100 in profits, plus their initial $150 wager. As underdogs, the Eagles might be +120 on the moneyline, so a bet of $100 would cash out $150 in profits.
• Point spread: Sportsbooks will project the point differential between each team, known as the point spread. If the Steelers are -150 favorites on the moneyline, they’re likely around -2.5 favorites with the point spread. If you place a wager on Pittsburgh’s point spread, you need them to win by at least 3 points to cash your bet. Odds for point spread bets will vary, usually between +100 and -125.
• Totals (Over/Under): Sports bettors can bet on the combined amount of points scored by both teams. The book will set a projected total and bettors can wager whether there will be more or less points scored. 
• Prop Bets: Prop bets, or proposition bets, are a fun way to bet on specific outcomes within a game that don’t necessarily affect the winner or loser. For example, PA sports bettors can wager on the amount of field goals that will be kicked, or which team will score the first touchdown. There are also props for individual players known as player props, which allow bets on a player's stats.
• Parlays: Here bettors can combine multiple bets into one wager for an increased payout. The bettor takes on increased risk as they now need more than one correct outcome to win any money. For example, a parlay including the Steelers moneyline and the New England Patriots moneyline would pay a winning bettor decent odds. However, if either team loses, they lose the parlay.
• Futures Bets: Rather than bet on the upcoming game for your favorite PA NFL team, you can bet on the outcome of their entire season. Different types of futures bets include Super Bowl and conference champions, a team’s win total for the season, and even player stats. An example of a player's futures bet might be the amount of passing yards that Jalen Hurts will throw for a full season. PA sportsbooks will project how many yards Hurts will throw and bettors can choose to bet on over or under that number.

For most bets that you’ll make with a sportsbook, there will be a price known as the vig. If you consider a game between the Steelers and Eagles with both teams listed at -110 on their moneylines, no matter who wins, the sportsbook is likely going to make money. A bet of $100 on either team will only yield the winner about $90, so, as long as there is close to an even amount of money coming in on both teams to win the game, the house will win, regardless of the outcome of the game.

Line & Odds Shopping

Bettors will most often see game totals and point spreads with odds set at negative odds, meaning there is almost always a vig for those bets. However, for betting markets such as props and futures there is more potential for valuable wagers for plus-money. There is also the opportunity to find varying offers between sportsbooks. For example, while most sportsbooks will agree that the Steelers should be -2.5 favorites over the Eagles with around -110 odds and their moneyline set at -150, they may not agree quite as much on the prop lines set for Eagles. quarterback Jalen Hurts.

This is where we remind you once again to always shop your odds. While one sportsbook may have Hurts’s passing yards prop set at 230.5 yards for -115 odds for a bet on the over, another one might be offering the same prop at odds of -110. While that $0.5 may not seem like a lot, it adds up with larger waivers and over time. A $500 bet at -115 odds pays out about $434 in winnings. The same bet at -110 odds pays out $454. Doing the quick math, you’re losing $20 in earnings for every $500 you wager. Think about it this way: Would you be okay with your company keeping $20 for every $500 you make in salary?

Live Betting

Live betting has become popular thanks to the introduction of legal online sports wagering. It can be difficult to think quickly on the fly, but if you go into an NFL game with a plan, in-game markets can be a valuable form of sports betting. While it’s nice to have more time to think and process all the different NFL betting markets, that also allows more time for market pressure to find the sharpest lines.

When sports bettors engage in live betting, the sportsbooks rely more heavily on their technology and algorithms to try and predict specific outcomes. This might seem intimidating at first, but it actually levels the playing field in the bettor’s favor. Again, this is only the case when bettors have a plan in mind before the game starts. 

For example, let’s say the Steelers are -150 favorites on the moneyline against the Eagles and you feel confident they’re going to win. However, you also know that the Steelers come out pretty slow in the first quarter and that the Eagles usually come out fast and hot. You can use that information to wait and see if the Eagles are in fact able to snatch the lead early. If that happens, the live odds will move towards Philly and you’ll likely find the Steelers now listed as somewhere closer to +100 on the moneyline. That’s a massive difference, making the live odds super valuable and potentially worth waiting for.

It was a busy offseason for many teams heading into this season. Tom Brady finally retired after the most decorated career in NFL history. Aaron Rodgers, another hall-of-fame quarterback, moved from Green Bay to New York to play for a talented Jets team. In a not-so-storybook ending, Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in just a few minutes into the team’s opening game, delaying any shot at a redemption tour after a tumultuous ending in Wisconsin.

Long-time Raiders QB, Derek Carr also switched teams, moving from Las Vegas to New Orleans to commandeer the Saints offense. He has a good chance to lead his team to the top of the division in a relatively weak NFC South conference.

The Raiders also lost all-pro tight end Darren Waller to the New York Giants. They did pick up wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, formerly of the New England Patriots, to pair alongside stud receiver Davante Adams. Meyers will have another chance to play under head coach Josh McDaniels from his days as the Patriots offensive coordinator. 

In Dallas, the Cowboys picked up two notable names in WR Brandin Books and cornerback Stephone Gimore. Gilmore will be even more crucial to the team’s defensive secondary after top CB Trevon Diggs was lost for the season.

The Dolphins and 49ers made headlines with their respective defensive pickups. Miami signed all-pro CB Jalen Ramsey to shore up one of the worst pass defenses in the league last year. Meanwhile in San Francisco, an already elite defense only got better by signing defensive lineman Javon Hargrave.

There appears to be a good amount of parity between NFL teams, as is often the case each season. By the end of Week 6 every team had at least one loss, keeping the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only undefeated regular season team in league history.

2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 draft class was rich in talented college QBs. Bryce Young went first overall to the Carolina Panthers who spent a pretty penny to trade up to the No. 1 spot. CJ Stroud went to the Houston Texans at No. 2 and the Colts selected Anthony Richardson with the 4th overall pick.

Houston wasn’t satisfied with just one pick inside the top three, however. The Texans also moved up all the way to third for defensive end Will Anderson out of Alabama, trading their 2024 first-round draft pick in the process. Anderson and Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter project as the top two favorites to take home Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Speaking of the NFC champion Eagles, they also added Carter’s college teammate on the Georgia defensive line, Nolan Smith. The Eagles are so deep at defensive line, Smith might not even see the field that much this season. Carter, however, will be hard to keep on the bench with his abilities so NFL ready.

NFL Running Back Contract Disputes

One of the major storylines during the offseason centered around running backs and their overall value to a team. Star backs like Austin Ekeleler and Saquon Barkley threatened to hold out if they weren’t given long term extensions. The topic of how much to pay running backs around the league became controversial among NFL media and fans.

Interestingly, the NFL Draft saw multiple running backs selected inside the top 12 picks. It was the first time that’s happened since 2017 as Bijan Robinson went 8th overall to the Atlanta Falcons, and Bijan Robinson 12th to the Detroit Lions. Both players bring incredible skill sets, including the ability to act as a receiver and run for big yardage after the catch. They should give the talented rookie QBs a good run for the Offensive Rookie of the Year trophy. 

2023 NFL Season Key Dates

From rivalry matchups to the trade deadline, each season provides a few key dates to track on the calendar. We compiled the most important items to note on your schedule for this season and slightly beyond.

• Free Agency: Began on March 15, 2023, however two days before begins the “legal tampering period” when teams can begin discussions with players.
• NFL Draft: Occurred from April 27-29 in Kansas City, Missouri.
  Training Camp Begins: The very first training camp opened on July 17.
• Preseason: As it does every year, the NFL preseason kicked off with the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, the location of the NFL HoF. This year’s game was between the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets.
• Week 1: The opening night of the season was held on Thursday night between the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions. The Lions surprised everyone with their 23-20 victory over the reigning champs.
• NFL Thanksgiving Day Games: The storied tradition of the NFL on Thanksgiving continues this year. Detroit and Dallas both host games every season, the Lions taking the early game slot against the rival Packers,and the Cowboys in the late afternoon vs. the Washington Commanders. The third game is always on NFL Network in the late evening, but no team has a claim to that time slot as of now. This year the game is in Seattle between the Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers.
• NFL Week 18: The final weekend of the regular season takes place on January 7, 2024. Each conference will send seven teams into the playoffs, with the top seed from each receiving a 1st Round bye into the Divisional round the following weekend.
• Wild Card Weekend: With the top finishers in each conference automatically in the second round, the remaining 12 playoff teams play square off during Wild Card weekend. The 2 seed plays the 7 seed in each conference, the 6 seed takes on the 3 seed, and the 4 and 5 seeds each square off.
• Divisional Round: In this round, the matchups will be determined by the winning teams from the Wild Card round and their respective seeds. The No. 1 seed takes on the lowest remaining seed from the Wild Card games while the other two teams play each other. As is the case in every round of the postseason, the higher seed is always awarded home field advantage, forcing their opponents to travel to their stadium.
• Conference Championship Games: The two teams in each conference who make it to the Championship game face off for the chance to play in the big game.
• Super Bowl LVIII: This year’s Super Bowl will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the immaculate Allegiant Stadium.

The two NFL teams in PA are the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles. The Steelers play in the AFC North, while the Eagles are in the NFC East. We break down each team’s recent history and their outlooks for this season.

1. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles entered last season with a ton of momentum and rode that all the way to the Super Bowl. They went 14-3 during the regular season, earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC. In the playoffs, Philly was fairly dominant en route to playing the 49ers in the NFC Championship game. After San Francisco’s top two quarterbacks went down with injuries, it was pretty much a cakewalk for them to reach the Super Bowl.

It was a thrilling Super Bowl between the Eagles and Chiefs. Philly had the lead in the fourth quarter and was just minutes away from winning it all. Still, the team entered the 2023 season with high expectations, returning most of the same players on both sides of the ball.

Philadelphia Eagles Offseason

In addition to adding two former Georgia Bulldogs to their defensive line via the draft, the Eagles made a few other key moves this offseason. The team re-signed cornerbacks Darius Slay and former New York Giant James Bradberry. It also traded for RB D’Andre Swift and picked up former Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny. They joined Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott in a now very talented, if not crowded backfield. 

There were a few losses to the roster as well. Defensive lineman Javon Hargrave left for San Francisco and linebacker TJ Edwards for Chicago. Their departures open the door for two other former Bulldogs to claim their starting spots on the defense, Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean.

Philadelphia Eagles 2023 Projections

The Eagles are favorites once again to reclaim the NFC East Division. Dallas is projected as their biggest competition, while Washington and New York will look to stay out of last place. As expected, the Giants have taken a large step back from their surprise success in 2022. 

It won’t be an easy road to repeating as NFC champs, however. The Eagles’ opponents this season are notably better than last year’s. Their strength of schedule ranks as a top-5 hardest slate of opponents according to the majority of projections. As always, they’ll play the other three teams in their division twice, which should prove hard enough with three returning playoff teams and a much-improved Commanders squad. 

On top of that, the NFC East teams will take on the AFC East this year. That means Philly has to play the Dolphins, Bills, and Jets, three projected playoff teams in a competitive AFC. Add in an away game on Monday Night Football against the defending Super Bowl Champions and it might be difficult to string together another 14-win season for Philadelphia.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

Last year, the Steelers played a full season without QB Ben Roethlisberger for the first time in almost 20 years. That still didn’t stop head coach Mike Tomlin from leading his team to a record of 9-8 in a crowded AFC North Division. That’s also in spite of a roster full of holes and a rookie QB in Kenny Pickett. Despite getting drafted in the first round, Pickett couldn’t manage to outperform veteran signing Mitch Trubisky and he began the season as the team’s backup. He eventually took over the job and kept it for the remainder of the season.

Pickett’s favorite receiver trio included wide receivers Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, as well as tight end Pat Freirmuth. That left WR Chase Claypoool without a lot of targets and he was eventually traded to the Chicago Bears. After another trade mid-season in 2023, Claypool is now on the Miami Dolphins as more of a backup than anything. 

Starting RB Najee Harris had another 1,000-yard season rushing the ball for Pittsburgh. His backup, Jaylen Warren also came on strong towards the end of the season and is expected to see more of the ball in 2023.

On defense, the Steelers used the picks they acquired in the Claypool trade to draft Joey Porter Jr., son of former Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter. TJ Watt is still a menace on the defensive line, but other than that, the Steelers have a few questions to answer to prove their defense is reliable as a whole.

Pittsburgh Steelers Offseason

Overall, it was a quality offseason for the Steelers and the team’s front office. It’ll be difficult to replicate Cameron Sutton’s incredible play at cornerback, but if Patrick Peterson can bring anywhere close to Sutton’s level of impact, the secondary should be rock solid once again.

On the other side of the ball, Pittsburgh moved on from Chase Claypool, sending him to Chicago. Veteran receiver Allen Robinson II will replace him looking to bounce back from an underwhelming 2022 season.

The Steelers spent their first-round draft pick on Tackle Broderick Jones out of Georgia. Jones should help shore up an offensive line that left a lot to be desired last season. We’ll see if the team’s improvements along the offensive front help Pittsburgh’s running back duo of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren improve over last year’s poor output.

Pittsburgh Steelers Projections

Tomlin may need to pull another miracle out of his bag of tricks to keep the Steelers in contention this season. The team is expected to finish at the bottom of the AFC North, behind the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals.

As a result of playing in one of the best divisions in the league, the Steelers will face a relatively difficult strength of schedule. They’ll face each of their three division rivals twice for what are usually six relentlessly physical affairs. Last season, Pittsburgh went 3-3 in the division and missed the playoffs. 

Finishing third in the division last year does help them, however, as they are rewarded with a matchup of other third-place teams in the AFC. That pits them against the Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots this year. While both of those teams appear to be trending in the wrong direction, they should give Pittsburgh two competitive games between historic franchises.

Unfortunately, those might prove to be two of the easiest matchups for Pittsburgh all season. The Steelers and the rest of the AFC North face the powerful NFC West this season, which includes the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, and Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals may be the only matchup that could be considered “easy,” as the Rams are enjoying a bit of a resurgence on offense en route to a decent 2023 campaign. Things didn’t start out too well either, as the Steelers took a 38-3 shellacking at home against the 49ers to open the season.

Before diving into how to find the best NFL lines in PA, let’s define lines vs. odds. The line is the actual bet that the sportsbook is offering. So, the line on the spread for the Steelers and Eagles game is Pittsburgh -2.5, the line for the total is 45.5, etc. The odds dictate the return on your bet if you win. If the odds for betting the Steelers -2.5 are -110, a correctly placed bet rewards the bettor with $90.91 in winnings. If the odds were +110, a winning $100 bet would earn $110 in profit.

When shopping around for the best offers among legal online sportsbooks, make sure you’re tracking both lines and odds to get the best overall price on your bet. Although every sportsbook compares its offers to those of its competitors, there will still be disparities, especially with the amount of sportsbooks that offer NFL lines and betting odds.

As we mentioned in a section above, even a $.05 difference in the offered odds makes a huge difference over bets and time. If you make a $500 winning bet at -115 when a different book was offering the same line for -110, you just lost out on $20. High volume bettors understand how quickly that can add up, especially if you’re making multiple bets every day throughout a particular NFL season.  

Line shopping is also a great way to make sure the sportsbooks aren’t getting greedy. If there was only one sportsbook available in PA, bettors would be at a huge disadvantage. This hypothetical book could offer whatever it wanted knowing that there are swaths of sports bettors across the country who would still take their action. In this case, competition really does keep everyone honest. If a sportsbook were to continuously hike up its prices towards its own favor, sports bettors will simply take their business elsewhere for a better price.

Line Movements

NFL betting is heavily based on timing. Each week, sportsbooks set an opening line for every NFL game. These lines are subject to movement throughout the week up until the game kicks off. From there, live betting takes over and the game’s action dictates the book’s offers and odds.

So, why do these NFL lines move from their opening number? There are two key reasons.

1. Market Pressure & Sharp Bettors

Recall the example we gave you above when we explained the vig. A guaranteed way for the books to make money off a specific betting market is to ensure there is as close to an even amount of money coming in on both sides of the bet. That way, if the line is offered at -110, the bet will yield the book $.10 in profit per bet.

This is where the books use simple supply and demand. The more money that comes in on one side of the bet, the more expensive it’s going to be to play it. The same way that, in most situations, as demand for a product increases, so does its price. How do the books make a bet more expensive? By moving the lines and/or odds, they incentivize bettors to bet the other side of the bet, evening out the amount of money coming in.

It’s not only how much money is coming in on a bet, however. It’s also very much about where the money is coming from. Sportsbooks keep tabs on who is placing bets with them. If someone continues to win large sums of money with seemingly “sharp” pieces of information, the sportsbooks will take note. Once a sportsbook labels a bettor as a sharp, they will monitor that person’s bets. If they try to make a bet of a large sum on an NFL line, the book will often move the line as a result, assuming the sharp has quality information it hasn’t yet considered.

2. New Information Moves Betting Lines

Before placing a bet, ask yourself, “why is the sportsbook offering me this line?” Think of your sportsbook as that one buddy who is always throwing bets at you. When he does, you’re immediately skeptical of the bet. Why is he offering me this? Does he know something I don’t? Those are the exact questions to consider when placing a bet with your buddy, or a sportsbook, or anyone else who challenges you to duel of sports predictions for money.

When the books offer a bet, there is certain information that they have that has already been baked into the line and the odds. In the NFL, there are three key pieces of information that are always baked into every line no matter what.

1. Injury Report: In a violent sport like football, players get injured every single game, and sometimes even in practice. While the injury report is crucial for betting on any sport, there are more players on the NFL’s weekly list than any other. Make sure you stay on top of who’s playing each week. You know the sportsbooks will be on top of it.
2. Home vs. Away: Sportsbooks care about home field advantage and always consider it when setting a game’s lines. The standard practice used to be that a team’s home field advantage was worth three points to the betting spread. However, that’s not consistent across the league. Some teams have more impactful home crowds than others, especially if the game is played inside a dome where a crazy loud crowd is made even louder by the sound reverb.
3. Weather: Obviously, the 10 teams that play in a dome can ignore the incoming weather for each game. For the other 22 squads, weather can play a massive part on the outcome of a game. High winds, rain, snow, and sleet will often lead to lower scoring games. It’s simply harder to throw the ball in those conditions, which usually calls for more running plays. More running plays equate to less yards gained per play and a continuously running game clock. Poor weather will usually impact the game’s total, but should also be considered when betting on the outcome as well.

Like most things in life, there’s just no way around the need for doing your homework when it comes to NFL betting. We’ve already hammered home the importance of shopping lines and odds across PA sportsbooks, but that part doesn’t need to be too time consuming. There are plenty of apps and websites offering line shopping tools that provide everything you need in one table or chart. Remember to monitor these numbers throughout the week as the lines are subject to movement based on new information that becomes public.

Be Selective

As you’re gathering information to help you select your favorite bets on the NFL card each week, it’s important not to spread yourself too thin. There’s an endless wealth of betting markets for each NFL game, but that doesn’t mean you need to bet them all. Successful bettors win at an average rate of 53% of the time. Find your most confident picks and bet them using bankroll management.

Bankroll Management

Bankroll management is key to long-term betting success. Blindly betting the same amount on each bet without considering your confidence level on each bet is a great way to end each day in the red. Most bettors use a system called unit measurements. They’ll assign a specific value to 1 unit, often around $100. This makes it easy to tie a wager amount to your confidence level. If you feel highly confident in a bet, you might be inclined to bet a full unit. If the bet has a slightly lower chance of hitting but pays out great odds, .2 units might be the better play.

Knowing which common mistakes to avoid is just as valuable as having a strategy for action. We put together a list of the easiest traps for new bettors to help ease the introduction to sports betting.

1. Don’t Chase Your Losses

It’s completely normal to lose a few bets and think “I should find another bet to win it all back.” It’s also incredibly dangerous. This type of thinking is the first step on the path to problem gambling and should be avoided at all costs.

Once you’ve established your bankroll for a week, done your research, and made your bets, it’s in the sporting god’s hands.

2. Don’t Bet Without Info

Basing your betting strategy on your sheer knowledge of sports is not going to result in overall winnings. It’s easy to use surface-level info such as “Jalen Hurts has been really good so far, I think I’ll bet on him to beat the New York Jets this weekend.” Consider the context of the game and the overall matchup. Perhaps the Jets have a defense that is particularly good at stopping what Hurts does well. Maybe the Eagles are coming off of a short week of practice and have had less time than normal to prepare.

Each NFL slate brings with it new information that needs to be dug up and analyzed before placing your money down.

3. Find Your Betting Markets

It’s always a good idea to peruse as many of the various offers within each sportsbook’s NFL menu. However, it also takes a lot of time to adequately break them all down. We recommend spending a few minutes giving each market a scan to see if there’s anything worth looking into, but not too much time. Instead, find the betting markets you feel comfortable going back to each week. Perhaps you have found success in betting player props week over week. Or maybe you’re better at betting game totals and have won a lot of your bets on the over/under. Either way, figuring out a system for betting a particular market is a much more efficient use of your time than looking through hundreds of different bets each week.

It’s never too early to think about betting on the NFL before each season actually begins. After a long offseason without our national pastime, many PA sports bettors can’t wait to get back in on the action. Preseason games start in August with the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, and bettors have plenty of bets to choose from.

For those who prefer to wait for the regular season to start betting on NFL games, that kicks off on September 7. We put together the full list of key dates for sports bettors to mark on their calendars from opening night to the Super Bowl.

• NFL Season Kickoff: The first game of the season always features the reigning Super Bowl Champs at home. This year’s game is in Kansas City between the Chiefs and Detroit Lions.
• NFL Thanksgiving Day Games: National Turkey Day always showcases three different matchups. The Lions and Cowboys each host their annual T-Day games, with a different matchup in the late slot. This year’s late-night game on NFL Network features the San Francisco 49ers in Seattle to take on the Seahawks.
• NFL Weeks 16 & 17: Emotions are high at the end of the season. Teams on the cusp of qualifying for the postseason usually determine their fates over the course of these two weeks. It’s also when bye weeks conclude and all 32 teams take the field once again.
• NFL Week 18: While there’s still one more week of regular season football, some games appear more like the preseason. Teams that have already clinched their spot in the playoffs are more likely to sit their starters this week. Don’t get fooled by a spread that has the Eagles as massive underdogs in their final game against the lowly Giants.
• NFL Playoffs: The increase in playoff teams has given sports bettors an extra couple of postseason games to play with each year. The playoffs kick off with six total Wild Card games, followed by the Divisional Round, the Conference Championships, and of course, the Super Bowl.
• Super Bowl LVIII: This year’s game will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada for the first time. PA sports bettors can already get in on the betting action with Super Bowl futures bets offering pretty juicy odds. For example, if you feel confident a particular team is going to win, you might consider a bet on the QB of that team to win MVP.

We put together this quick-hitter chart with a few more key pieces of info for the 2023-24 NFL season.

NFL fans in PA have been able to livestream their favorite teams with the NFL app since 2018. Through partnerships and other deals, the NFL has loaned the rights to other entities such as Yahoo Sports, but it’s always kept the games on its app as well. These days, the games are only available through their NFL Network subscription.

Thursday Night Football is available for those with an Amazon Prime account. For the first two weeks of the season, fans can also watch the game on NFL Network. However, from Week 3 and on, they’re exclusively on Prime. ESPN has the streaming rights to Monday Night Football, and NBC the rights to Sunday Night Football. Sign up for an account with each provider to livestream each event.

Those NFL fans who can’t afford to miss one second of the action, you’ll need to get the NFL Sunday Ticket package or NFL Game Pass to ensure you can watch every single NFL game throughout the season.

Yes, it’s definitely legal to bet on the NFL in PA. The NFL is far and away the most popular sports league in the Keystone State, with more PA sports bettors wagering on the league than any other.

The state of Pennsylvania was ready and waiting for the Supreme Court to afford each state the right to legalize online sports betting. When it did in 2017, PA legislators acted quickly, enacting legalized online gambling just six months later.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) is the chief regulator for all things sports betting in PA. All of the laws governing NFL betting and other sports in PA are watched closely by the PGCB. This includes the regulation of all of the money coming in and going out.

Most importantly, if you ever have a question or an urgent matter regarding your interactions with a PA sportsbook, you can always contact the PGCB.