A recent report from Optimove Insights discovered that 84% of surveyed bettors engaged in live betting during National Football League (NFL) games last season.

Optimove, a leading iGaming marketing technology company headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, unveiled its 2026/27 NFL Betting Intentions Report on Sept. 3 after surveying 926 U.S. adults in August.

The report delves into the betting habits and preferences of NFL fans for the upcoming season, which commences on Wednesday night at Lumen Field in Seattle with a showdown between the Seahawks and the New England Patriots.

Season Begins on Wednesday Night

Key findings from the report indicate that pre-game betting remains the top choice for NFL bettors heading into the 2026-27 season, favored by 41%, followed by live in-game betting at 34%.

Of the respondents, 41% stated they bet on NFL games regularly, with 60% having already placed a wager on the upcoming season, whether in the form of a preseason bet or a Super Bowl futures bet.

Emotional attachment to teams and player performance serve as significant motivators for bettors, with individual player performance (45%), team loyalty (43%), and enhancing the excitement of watching games (43%) named as primary factors.

Emotion Plays A Role in Betting Choices

Seventy-eight percent of participants expressed a likelihood to continue betting even after their favorite team is out of the championship race.

“Intentions collected in August provide a starting point, not a final decision,” explained Pini Yakuel, CEO of Optimove. “By week eleven, a bettor’s team could be eliminated, leading to more live bets and potential budget changes. Real-time insights are crucial for sportsbooks to adjust accordingly.”

Point spreads (59%) and moneylines (57%) rank as the top planned wager types, followed by over/unders (43%) and parlays (29%).

Spreads and Moneylines Lead the Way

The survey results indicate that budgeting is common among bettors, with 81% setting a season budget and 41% opting for weekly budgeting. About 16% limit their total spend, while 17% do not have a specific budget in mind.

Regarding anticipated spending, 33% plan to spend approximately $250 for the season, while 31% expect to wager $500 or more, and 26% estimate around $100.

Individual wager amounts vary, with 33% aiming to bet $11-$50, 29% planning to wager $201-$500, 19% targeting $51-$200, and 10% looking to bet $501 or more.

Majority of Bettors Implement Budgets

Sixty-four percent of NFL bettors intend to use two or more sportsbooks for their wagers this season, with 16% planning to use three or more.

When choosing a sportsbook, ease of use emerges as the primary factor (59%), followed by easy payouts (43%), promotions (31%), and personalization (28%).

Difficulties in app or site usability (47%) and receiving excessive or irrelevant marketing messages (36%) top the list of reasons for bettors to abandon a sportsbook.