NFL Odds and Football Sportsbooks

Looking for NFL Odds and Reliable Sportsbooks?

Below you'll find a list of reliable sportsbooks where you will find the absolute best betting odds and lines. All this Sportsbooks have been in business for plenty of years, we are talking about solid companies. They offer excellent bonus programs for both new and loyal customers and most important of all, pay on time. When playing with them you may rest assured that your money will be completely safe, like money in the bank. They offer both telephone and internet wagering.

Choosing an offshore sports book

Prior to the early 1900s, anyone interested in betting on an event outside his circle of friends, had to either travel to one of the casinos in Nevada or go underground and do business with an illegal bookie. While these options still exist, the combined emergence of the Internet and offshore wagering companies has given the average U.S. citizen an opportunity to enjoy the thrills of betting on his favorite team against the experts. Today's sports bettors have hundreds, if not thousands of opportunities to enjoy their hobby in a safe, legal manner. So, with so many sportsbooks to choose from, how do you know which one is the right one for you?

Though sports wagering is still only legal in Nevada, these overseas operations can offer their services because they are not based within the U.S. As we said, the options available to a person wanting to "get in on the action" are almost limitless. According to insidersportsinfo.com, there are over 500 legal sportsbooks in existence, with dozens more expected to be in operation by the end of this year.

Understanding how any of these sportsbooks operate is simple. To do business with a company, you have to open an account. And, just like opening a bank account, you can only do so if you deposit a certain amount of money. Sportsbooks, like banks, may require a minimum deposit to get an account opened in your name. These minimums can vary from $100 to $5,000 depending on the operation. These companies will deposit your money into a regulated offshore financial institution and your account will then be credited that amount.

Your balance then is credited money for winning bets and adjusted down for losing bets. These transactions take place within minutes after the game. Similar to a bank account, more money can be deposited or taken out at your convenience. This is one of our most important criteria; the convenience of which you're able to retrieve your funds, at any given time. One thing that could be said about all of the companies that made the top five, they have never had a problem paying a customer. They also have an impeccable record of timely payouts.

How do we know, you ask? Simple, we broke our research up into a number of areas. Included, were pretending to be actual customers by investing our own money to open accounts. Obtaining as many client lists as possible, and following up to see how existing and previous clients felt about the service they received. Scanning Internet message boards and chat rooms, reading articles and reports on the industry from such prestigious sources as The New York Times to some of the more offbeat publications like Leisure Bets. In some cases, we scanned the financial records of those companies who gratefully and generously opened them to us.

One of the most positive things we found was, in nearly all cases, and whether the transaction was done over the phone or through the Internet, clients were treated professionally and with respect, no matter their budget. We did notice though, some sportsbooks are better suited to cater to the big spender, some to the smaller, more conservative bettor, and others who do whatever they can to please everyone.

The manner in which these companies responded to our surveys has been clearly noted in our report. Some treated us in a prompt, friendly and courteous manner, and processed our requests right away without incident. Others dilly-dallied around a bit before honoring our requests. A few were even downright unprofessional in how they treated us.

With regard to the second factor, if you are only interested in placing straight bets, then don't be concerned as nearly every sportsbook offers this type of service and does so in line with what you would find in Nevada. If you are the type who likes to play props, teasers, parlays and some of the other more exotic wagers out there, you need to do some homework of your own. If you're planning on these types of bets, then we suggest contacting the sportsbook and have it send you a copy of its betting rules and policies.
Overall, we feel very confident our rankings, comments and miscellaneous data will give you a well rounded and honest evaluation of how today's major offshore sportsbooks are operating. One thing to bear in mind, just as our research uncovered changes in a company's policy and/or operating structure when compared to the previous year, these happen all the time, everyday. Therefore, some of our evaluations may no longer be valid, which is why we've made a pledge to provide our readers with a new investigative survey each year.

As you read our evaluations on the following pages, keep in mind the criteria we used during our investigation. We point these factors out so you can use them when doing your own research.