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Point Spreads and Moneylines Remain King, but Live Betting Gains Popularity With NFL Bettors

Quick Glance at the Facts

• A recent study by Optimove found that point spreads and moneylines remain the most popular wagers among NFL fans.
• The study also found that 84% of respondents placed live bets at some point during the 2025-2026 NFL season.
• Totals and parlay wagers were not so lucky, with both decreasing in popularity from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

A new study from Optimove has revealed interesting changes in NFL bettors’ preferences last season. According to the new research, pre-planned bets such as point spreads and moneylines remained the most popular options. However, more than 80% of players tried live wagers last season, while totals and parlay bets decreased in popularity.

Optimove’s New NFL Betting Study

Football is the most popular sport for US bettors, and NFL sportsbooks are gearing up for another huge season. The NFL is king, but bettors’ behavior is shifting toward new wager types.

According to a new Optimove study, 60% of bettors preferred point spreads last season. The study, conducted last month, included 926 US bettors who wagered on the NFL in 2025.

Moneylines were also popular, with 59% of respondents using them as pre-planned bets. Over 50% of respondents also said they plan to use pre-game point spreads and moneylines in 2026.

Most bettors, over 80%, also said they tried live betting at some point in the 2025 NFL season. Totals and parlays, by contrast, fell in popularity last year compared to 2024.

Point Spreads, Moneyline Remain the Most Popular

Optimove’s study found that participants preferred pre-game wagers to live bets.

Specifically, point spreads and moneyline wagers were the most popular. A whopping 60% of respondents said they wagered on point spreads as part of their pre-planned wagers in 2025. Moneyline bets were used by 59% of people in the study.

More importantly, these wagers should remain the most popular bets this season. According to Optimove, 59% of bettors said they plan to use point spreads in their pre-game wagers. Also, 57% said they will use moneyline wagers in their pre-planned bets.

Live Bets Increasingly Popular

Only 34% of the respondents said they prefer live wagers in the 2025-26 season, compared to 41% who liked pre-planned bets more. Although they were less popular, bettors still used live wagering options last year.

According to the study, 84% of participants placed live wagers on the NFL last season.

Several factors encourage live betting, including in-game momentum, line movement, and injuries. The study also found that many bettors prefer betting on their own team. Player performance was the biggest driver of betting behavior at 45%, while team loyalty was second at 43%.

Bettors Veer Away From Parlays, Total Wagers

Optimove’s latest study was not great news for every type of betting. As interest in live betting has increased, interest in parlays and total wagers has waned.

Respondents claimed they plan to wager less often on totals and parlays. Interest in totals wagers decreased from 52% to 43%, and plans to make parlay wagers dropped from 38% to 29%.

How This Impacts Players

Sportsbooks do their best to cater to bettors’ interests. As live betting becomes more popular, you can expect to see more and better live betting totals. However, fans of totals and parlays could be in trouble if interest continues to decrease for those types of wagers.

GamblingNerd Take

Operators have heavily pushed live wagers in recent years, and in-game markets give bettors nearly unlimited opportunities to bet on the game. If that trend continues, in-play wagers could surpass pre-planned point spreads and moneyline as the most popular types of bets for football fans.

Photo from AP Photo/Charles Krupa