NFL Betting in Tennessee
Tennessee is football country, and whether you’re betting on the home favorite Tennessee Titans or any other team in the NFL, Tennesseans have a growing list of options when it comes to NFL betting.
Even though the NFL season runs through the fall and winter, betting on the NFL is popular all year thanks to the many futures bets available for teams and players. From the preseason to the Super Bowl, NFL fans can bet on point spreads, moneylines, totals, parlays, props and more. Here’s how to bet on the NFL in TN, including the best apps, best bonuses and some betting tips for NFL beginners.
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NFL Live Odds
Check the live feed below for current NFL odds at TN sportsbooks. Futures odds include the next Super Bowl winner, Conference victors, and Division winners. Use the drop-down menu to change your odds boards. Click on any odds to jump right to the sportsbook, claim your bonuses and make your bets. During the season you’ll also find live NFL game odds including point spreads, moneyline odds and totals odds.
Bet on the NFL in Tennessee with sports betting apps
Since Tennessee only allows online sports betting (not in retail sportsbooks), you’ll want to become familiar with Tennessee sports betting apps to make your NFL bets. Sportsbook apps allow bettors to make bets all over the state using geolocation technology to ensure bets take place only within Tennessee’s borders.
Tennessee sports betting apps are free to download and use. For iPhone/iPad (iOS) users and Android users, once you click through any link on this page to claim your bonus bets, you can download the app directly from the sportsbook website.
Once you’ve downloaded the app, you can deposit funds in any number of ways (credit card, e-wallet, etc.) and start betting. Each online sportsbook requires some personal information to ensure you’re over 21 as required by Tennessee regulations. You’ll also need to download a geolocation app.
Most NFL bettors use more than one online sportsbook, which means downloading multiple apps. Doing so gives you more betting options and allows you to “shop” for better lines, but also lets you access multiple online sportsbook bonuses and promotions. Here are the top 2 NFL betting apps in Tennessee:
1. BetMGM Sportsbook app
Originally operating as PlayMGM, the BetMGM online sportsbook has likewise proven popular. Those signing up for accounts get up to $1,500 in bonus bets. NFL markets abound here as well with the BetMGM app interface making it particularly easy. (*Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l terms.)
2. FanDuel Sportsbook app
FanDuel also has entered the sports betting market in a major way following years of DFS experience. The online sportsbook also offers those who sign up for an account up to $200 no sweat first bet.
The FanDuel app more or less matches the DraftKings app step-for-step when it comes to NFL betting with multiple futures markets and lots of advantageous moneylines and point spreads.
Is it legal to bet on the NFL in Tennessee?
Yes, it is absolutely legal to bet on NFL games in Tennessee — although, like other forms of sports betting in the state, you can only bet on the NFL online via an approved and regulated online sportsbook or betting app.
Tennessee regulations allow for the full range of typical NFL bets you’d find in any Vegas sportsbook, including:
- Moneyline bets
- Point spreads
- Totals (or over/unders)
- Prop bets
- Futures
- Parlay bets
and more. Live or “in-game” betting is legal as well, with regulations requiring operators to use official league data in order to settle live bets.
There are some restrictions when it comes to betting college football, such as not being able to bet on individual props or place in-game bets. But when it comes to the NFL, all of the standard forms of football betting are legal and permitted.
How to bet on NFL games
Betting on the NFL doesn’t just mean choosing which team you think might win and that’s it. There are a huge variety of ways to bet on NFL games in Tennessee, including:
- Moneyline: The classic NFL bet on a team to win. Say the Titans are playing the Indianapolis Colts and the Titans are the favorite. Odds for a moneyline bet appear as either a negative number for the favorite or a positive number for the underdog. Here the Titans are listed as -140, meaning if you bet $140 on the Titans to win and they do, you’ll win $100. Meanwhile the Colts are +125, meaning if you bet $100 on them to win and they do, you’ll win $125.
- Point spread: A bet in which you pick a team to win and either “give” or “take” points depending on who is the favorite. Say in the above game the Titans were a 4.5-point favorite. A point spread bet on the Titans -4.5 would mean Tennessee has to win by more than 4.5 points in order to win the bet. A point spread bet on the Colts +4.5 would mean Indianapolis only has to lose by 4.5 points or less (or win) in order to win the bet.
- Over/under: Also known as betting on totals, here the sportsbook sets a total points line, say 46.5 points for the Tennessee-Indy game, and you bet the two teams’ point total will either go over or under that number.
- Prop bets: Side wagers on how the teams and players will perform, regardless of the game’s outcome. For instance, you could bet on how many touchdowns Ryan Tannehill will throw, or on how many interceptions the Titans defense will collect.
- Parlays: NFL bets that combine two or more wagers into a single bet, with increased odds and potentially big payouts. You could make a three-bet parlay that Tennessee will win outright (moneyline), that Tennessee will cover the spread and that Tannehill will throw for more than 2.5 touchdowns. You would have to be correct with all three in order to win the bet.
- Futures: A bet on an outcome to be determined at some later date, such as season-long bets on which team will win the Super Bowl or which player will win MVP.
NFL prop betting
Proposition bets, aka prop bets, are a favorite among NFL bettors. Team props include bets on which team will score the most in a given quarter or half, which team will record the highest amount of yardage or collect the most turnovers.
Player props focus on individual players’ performances, such as bets on how many rushing yards a running back gains or how many receiving yards a receiver accumulates, how many touchdown passes a quarterback will throw, or how many sacks a defensive player will collect.
In some jurisdictions, prop bets are also offered on events such as the NFL draft, with bettors able to bet on which players they think teams will select.
Everyone has a feeling about which team will win the next Super Bowl; you can back up your opinion and set up some future bragging rights any time you like with a Super Bowl futures bet. The Super Bowl, in particular, features a huge menu of prop bets, including bets on the coin toss, whether either team’s defense will record a safety, which team will have the most penalty yards, which team will call the first timeout, who will win the game’s MVP and so on.
How live betting works with NFL football
Live betting, also known as in-play or in-game betting, is also especially popular among NFL fans. Indeed, the pace of football, with its frequent breaks between plays, is somewhat ideal for live betting, giving bettors lots of opportunities to place bets during the heat of the action.
Following the kickoff, sportsbooks offer live bets during the games, allowing bettors to place wagers on the outcome of the next play, the next drive, the current quarter or half, or the entire game, among other types of bets. Odds and lines are constantly updated as the game progresses, meaning whatever the price is at the moment the bet is made gets locked in.
NFL betting tips
As with anything, experience matters when it comes to betting on the NFL, thus there is no quick study available to help you become a winner right away. There are certain best practices, though, such as:
- Taking time to compare betting lines and prices offered at different sportsbooks.
- Studying trends and statistics to discover possible edges in each week’s schedule.
- Checking injury reports and paying attention to individual matchups.
- Not letting emotions overrule logic when betting (bet with your head, not your heart).
- Smart bankroll management and careful balancing of risk.
Betting mistakes to avoid
- Betting too much / betting every game: The NFL is such a fun sport to watch, it can be tempting to want to have bets on every game on a given Sunday, especially for fans who will be following all of the games, anyway. Try to be selective with your betting, recognizing some bets are better than others. Also, if you lose during Sunday afternoon games, don’t feel obligated to fire a large, risky wager on the Sunday night and/or Monday night games in an attempt to recover your losses.
- Focusing too much on long shots: Some NFL bettors can’t resist going for big payouts by betting underdogs or putting together multi-bet parlays that will bring big rewards if they hit. Those who make lines at sportsbooks are generally much better informed than the average NFL bettor, which means if you are betting a long shot, your chances of winning are usually exactly as they appear.
- Always betting the favorite: The flip side of going for too many long shots is being overly cautious about betting against the favorite. Such “safe” bets typically don’t pay out that well and in some cases only yield very small returns. Meanwhile after winning a few bets on favorites, you could lose it all and then some in a single bet when there is an upset.
How to watch or live stream NFL games in Tennessee
The NFL is the most-watched sport in the United States. There is no shortage of ways for football fans to watch the games.
Tennessee Titans games can be live streamed via the NFL app, which allows fans to watch locally broadcast games as well as prime time games involving the Titans. The app includes Sunday Night Football on NBC and Monday Night Football on ESPN.
Meanwhile, all Thursday Night Football games are available via the NFL app, with most available as well via FOX Sports and Amazon Prime Video.
Those wishing to see every single NFL game can purchase the season-long NFL Sunday Ticket or NFL Game Pass through their satellite or cable provider.
In Tennessee, Titans games are televised on stations throughout the entire football season. CBS owns the rights to AFC regional games on Sundays, and the CBS affiliates in Tennessee include:
- WDEF channel 12 in Chattanooga
- WBBJ channel 35 (digital 7.3) in Jackson
- WJHL channel 11 in Johnson City
- WVLT channel 34 (digital 8) in Knoxville
- WTVF channel 36 (digital 5.1) in Nashville
- WREG channel 3-1 (digital 28.3) in Memphis
For Sunday games in which the Titans face NFC opponents, if those aren’t on CBS they might be on the state’s FOX affiliates:
- WJKT channel 16 (digital 21) in Jackson
- WTNZ channel 43 (digital 15) in Knoxville
- WZTV channel 17 in Nashville
- WHBQ channel 13 in Memphis
- WEMT channel 39 in the Tri-Cities area
- WTVZ-DT2 channel 9 in Chattanooga
The Sunday Night Football games are on the state’s NBC affiliates:
- WRCB channel 3 (digital 13) in Chattanooga
- WNBJ channel 39 (digital 16) in Jackson
- WBIR channel 10 in Knoxville
- WSMV channel 4 (digital 10) in Nashville
- WMC-TV channel 5 in Memphis
Tennessee Titans’ biggest NFL rivals
Over the Titans’ history, the team has developed intense rivalries with a few other NFL franchises.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Throughout the Titans’ history, the Jacksonville Jaguars have been a primary rival. The rivalry reached a peak of sorts during the 1999 season, the first year the team had adopted the Titans nickname.
That year, the Jaguars won the division by going 14-2 while the Titans were 13-3. However, both of the Jaguars’ losses came to Tennessee, and the Titans beat them a third time in the AFC Championship Game, crushing the Jaguars 33-14 to get to Super Bowl XXXIV.
Houston Texans
Another AFC South foe that has proven a great rival to Tennessee is the Houston Texans. In addition to being divisional rivals, there is also some animosity because the Titans franchise originated in Houston. The team preceded the Texans as the Houston Oilers.
Tennessee has won six of their last nine matchups dating back to 2017. Also, it was Tennessee and not Houston that made it to the AFC Championship game in January 2020, although both clubs lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Buffalo Bills
The Titans also have a rivalry of sorts with the Buffalo Bills, primarily due to two historic playoff games between the franchises, both involving amazing comebacks.
The first came way back in 1993 when the Titans were still the Houston Oilers. The Oilers led 35-3 before the Bills came back to win 41-38 in overtime.
The second was the famous Music City Miracle game between the Titans and Bills in 2000. After Buffalo scored to go ahead 16-15 with just 16 seconds left, Tennessee pulled off a wild kickoff return involving a controversial across-the-field lateral pass for a game-winning touchdown. Bills fans still argue the pass was illegal.
The Titans also have healthy rivalries with AFC South divisional foe the Indianapolis Colts, the Pittsburgh Steelers and geographical neighbor Carolina Panthers.
Top five memorable moments in Tennessee Titans history
While the Houston Oilers franchise had plenty of highlights featuring Hall of Famers George Blanda, Earl Campbell and Warren Moon, the Tennessee Titans have had many special moments as well since their first game in 1997.
- Super Bowl XXXIV: The only Super Bowl in Titans history ended with a memorable final play in which the Tennessee receiver was tackled one yard short of the goal line to preserve the St. Louis Rams‘ 23-16 victory.
- Music City Miracle: That year’s Super Bowl run was ignited by a first-round win over the Buffalo Bills in which a trick play by Tennessee’s special teams produced the game-winning score.
- Eddie George joins 10K club: In the last game of the 2003 regular season, Hall of Fame running back Eddie George became the second NFL player after Jim Brown to rush for 10,000 career yards without missing a start.
- Shocking comeback win vs. Chiefs: In January 2018, the Titans were down 21-3 at halftime to the favored Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Somehow the team came back to win 22-21 with quarterback Marcus Mariota throwing a deflected pass to himself for a TD along the way.
- Derrick Henry’s 99-yard TD run: In a Monday Night Football game versus the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018, running back Derrick Henry took the handoff from the Titans’ own one-yard line and ran 99 yards for a touchdown, only the second time in NFL history such a feat ever happened.
Five notable NFL players from Tennessee
- Randall Cobb (Maryville): The Kentucky grad is best known for many years as a standout receiver for the Green Bay Packers.
- Golden Tate (Hendersonville): The All-Pro wide receiver for multiple teams won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks.
- Reggie White (Chattanooga): The Hall of Fame defensive end and Tennessee Volunteer alum won a Super Bowl with Green Bay and retired as the all-time NFL leader in sacks.
- Patrick Willis (Bruceton): The seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers made the NFL 2010s All-Decade team.
- Jason Witten (Elizabethton): The Dallas Cowboys great is one of the league’s most prolific tight ends.
NFL preseason, regular season and playoffs
For many years, the NFL has featured a four-game preseason and a 16-game regular season schedule. Starting in 2021, however, the NFL expands the regular season to 17 games and reduces the preseason to three games.
In preseason games, teams typically rest their starters and test out backup players as they decide who will make the regular-season roster. Injuries are a big part of the NFL, and teams don’t want to put their best players at risk during the preseason.
For the same reason, betting on preseason games generally involves a lot more uncertainty and variance. Serious sports bettors usually avoid it — or only make bets for entertainment purposes, since it’s difficult to know how seriously the teams and coaches will take the games.
The regular season is a different story. Teams play those 17 games over the course of 18 weeks, getting one bye week off. When betting, it is worth paying attention to which teams are coming off a bye and greater rest, thereby giving them a possible edge against their next opponent.
Currently 14 teams make the NFL playoffs, seven from the American Football Conference (AFC) and seven from the National Football Conference (NFC). The four division winners from each conference make the playoffs. Additionally, three other teams with the best records get in as wild cards.
The top seeded team in each conference get a bye. The teams seeded No. 2 through No. 7 play first-round games. From there, the final eight teams play what is called the divisional round, where eight play down to four. Then there are the conference championships, where four play down to two. The higher-seeded team gets home-field advantage through these rounds. Then comes the Super Bowl, where the AFC and NFC champions meet on a neutral field.
Betting on the playoffs often means taking into account teams’ recent playoff history and experience, as well as the significance of home-field advantage.
NFL Betting FAQ
An NFL futures bet is a bet on an outcome that will only be resolved at a later date, such as which team will win the conference or the Super Bowl, which player will win MVP, or which player will win the rushing title. Oddsmakers adjust futures markets as the season goes along in response to how teams and players perform.
The point spread indicates which team is the favorite and which is the underdog, a way of handicapping the game so as to make both sides of the bet more even. When you make a point spread bet on an NFL game, you either give points (if betting the favorite) or take points (if betting the underdog).
If you bet on the Titans (+4.5) and they lose the game 23-20, you win your bet because they lost by less than the amount of the point spread (they lost by less than 4.5 points).
A teaser bet is similar to a parlay in that it involves two or more bets combined as a single bet. With teasers, these bets are all point spread bets, and you are allowed to tease the spreads by adding points. For instance, you might bet Tennessee (-4) and Carolina (+4), but you tease the Carolina spread up to +10. If both Tennessee and Carolina cover their respective spreads, you win your teaser bet. When you tease the spread, the payout of the bet is typically reduced to account for your having bought the extra points.
According to regulations established by the Tennessee Lottery, all NFL live betting or in-game wagers must be settled using official league data.
When a preseason or regular-season NFL game ends in a tie, a moneyline bet ends in a push, which means the bettor gets his or her money back. The same is true for a point spread bet or an over/under bet in which the result lands exactly on the spread or total. For example, if you bet the over on a game in which the total is 43, and the final score is 23-20 (exactly 43), the result of the bet is a push.