Mastering Microbetting: Your Guide to Finding the Best Sportsbooks for NFL Microbetting

The only thing more fun than betting on a sporting event is betting on the game while it’s in progress. That’s exactly what microbetting is, and it’s expected to be a heavily trafficked market during the upcoming NFL season.

Microbetting is like prop betting, but in real time and at a much faster pace. Instead of wagering on whether a baseball pitcher is going to go Over or Under a predetermined number of strikeouts, microbetting allows you to drill all the way down to betting the Over/Under on the speed of his next pitch.

Now imagine you’re watching the Kansas City Chiefs v.s the Jacksonville Jaguars, and you’re able to place a bet on whether Patrick Mahomes will hand off or complete a pass on the next play of their current drive. That’s microbetting, which saw a huge surge during the NFL playoffs in 2023 and has many industry insiders expecting a huge surge in live-wagering handle this upcoming season. In fact, Morgan Stanley reported that 26% of DraftKings’ handle during the Super Bowl came via microbetting.

With the NFL season right around the corner, now is the perfect time to learn about microbetting and to figure out which sportsbook is best suited to help you maximize the potential profits from it. This article will help you do just that, as we break down the information and strategies you’ll need to best set you up for success.

Understanding microbetting

Microbetting is betting on specific, individual moments within a sporting event that are typically decided on the next play or the next action in a game. Whether it’s a pitch or an at-bat in baseball, the outcome of a possession in basketball, or the next snap in a football game, microbetting is based on real-time results. This is the key differential between a microbet and a live prop bet, which usually takes into consideration the final result of a period, a half, or a full game.

Within an NFL game, you can place a variety of microbets. Some are as simple as determining what type of play the offense will call next. Other examples include whether there will be over or under five yards gained, whether or not the play will result in a first down, or if the defense will come away with a sack or turnover. They can also extend to a drive as a whole, allowing you to bet on whether the possession will end with a touchdown, field goal, punt, or turnover.

When discussing microbetting with people, I liken it to playing blackjack at a casino – you’ll get the chance to place lots of bets and enjoy lots of action. Being able to find out if you were right or not in a relatively short amount of time is exciting, and the rush you get from microbetting can be intense.

It also ensures that bettors are staying involved in the action. Look away from the television or from your phone for a brief moment to grab another wing, and you could easily miss your window of opportunity to make money. That keeps players engaged, which means more handle for the sportsbook and more opportunities to make money on lost wagers.

Criteria for selecting the best sportsbooks for microbetting

Now that you know what microbetting is, you’re probably wanting to jump in and try your hand at a few. But who should you choose? Before giving you our suggestions, here are a few things you should be looking for when making your selection.

Whether looking to place bets before or during the action, it’s always important to choose a sportsbook that is reliable and has a strong reputation for customer service and speed and accuracy. With microbetting, that’s more important than ever. Latency is your enemy, and a second or two of loading time can be the difference between a winning bet and one that never happened in the first place.

But you also want to make sure you choose a sportsbook that provides a wide array of microbetting markets. You want to be able to choose from a variety of options including play outcomes, drive results, and individual player performances. This allows you to not only look for possible value plays, but allows you to not get stuck betting the same options over and over.

Of course, none of this matters if you’re not getting rewarded for making the right call. You need to select a book that offers competitive odds and doesn’t take outrageous handles. Having access to your winnings is also key, which is why it’s important to select a provider that lets you cash out easily and quickly.

Let’s not forget that you’ll want a sportsbook offering an interface that is user-friendly and easy to navigate. They also must have a strong mobile application for those on the go or who simply don’t want to be tied to a laptop or computer.

With all that in mind, none of this matters if you aren’t up to speed on the action. According to Phenix Real-Time Solutions, the average time of latency during February’s Super Bowl was 28 seconds for those watching on television, and over a minute for some watching on streaming platforms like Fubo.

That’s why the final and perhaps most important component of all is picking a service that provides the fastest real-time updates and data so that you can make your decisions before you see them on a display. Whether it’s a graphical representation of the action on the field, or an actual real-time stream, you’ll want to select a sportsbook that gives you the most accurate information as quickly as possible.

Top Sportsbooks for NFL Microbetting

Caesars

Caesars is one of the top clients of Simplebet, the industry’s leading microbetting market provider. They signed an agreement in December of last year, and are set up to offer some of the most extensive and wide-ranging options available to NFL bettors.

In addition to allowing you to wager on the next play result, Caesars also regularly offers microbetting options for next drive result, field goal attempt success or failure, and next play outcomes. Their user interface is terrific and simple to navigate, and their odds are usually among the better ones you’ll find in real time.

But what makes Caesars stand out is the fact that they’ve signed an agreement with Genius Sports to stream select NFL games live on their site and on their mobile app. Dubbed “Watch and Bet”, this one-screen setup is a game changer for those serious about microbetting.

Caesars provides bettors with the most data-driven experience allowing you to make the most informed wagers possible, and staying one step ahead of many other players. It’s why it’s our top choice for making NFL microbets.

Learn more in our detailed Caesars sportsbook review. 

bet365

Just like Caesars, bet365 is partnered with Simplebet to provide NFL microbetting options to their customers. They have one of the cleanest and simplest user interfaces available, making it easier to place bets quickly and efficiently on their website and mobile app.

bet365 offers a “play script” wager market, that allows you to essentially parlay the offensive play type with whether or not it will result in a first down. This is one of the more unique offerings available, in addition to the aforementioned drive result and play result wagers.

One of the biggest advantages bet365 has over their competitors is their player-friendly prices. bet365 typically offers much better odds for plays than most books, takes less juice on their parlays, and often has the largest collection of wagering markets available for NFL games.

Learn more in our comprehensive bet365 sportsbook review.

DraftKings

There are few services that offer more options for microbetting than DraftKings. Whether it’s for NFL or college football, they’ve got a wide range of markets to choose from how many catches or rushing yards a player will have on the upcoming drive, to a team’s total yardage for the possession, and even who will catch the next pass on offense.

Learn more in our up-to-date DraftKings sportsbook review. 

Tips for successful NFL microbetting

A. Emphasizing the importance of research and analysis

Because you have such little time to make decisions, being educated on the teams and players involved in the game you’re betting on is of vital importance. Whether it’s injury status, coaching tendencies, or matchups between offensive and defensive personnel, you’ll want to be as informed as possible prior to placing microbets on an NFL game.

B. Setting limits and practicing responsible microbetting

While microbetting can be exciting and profitable, it can also turn into a nightmare when it comes to managing your bankroll. Because the action is often non-stop and you don’t have time to properly track your wins and losses, you can lose a large chunk of your balance in a matter of minutes.

Microbetting can lead to chasing losses more than any other type of betting, so it’s important to have a plan. If you find yourself struggling to stick to the plan, or if you aren’t able to stay within your limits, every sportsbook offers excellent tools to help you monitor your betting and enforce limits on your activities automatically.

C. Leveraging real-time information and game insights

The latency and short timeframes involved with microbetting is a double-edged sword for both sportsbooks and bettors alike. You’re limited on how much you can analyze the markets to find value or lines that are off, while the sportsbooks aren’t able to always set the most efficient and accurate betting odds.

That’s why it’s important to analyze the real-time data and game insights you’re able to glean from either watching the game live, watching the stream on the site, or by perusing the infographics displayed. Familiarize yourself with the data being provided on each site and app, so that you can make that split-second decision that often means the difference between winning and losing.

Microbets, mega wins

Microbetting can be very fun and profitable when done right, but it isn’t easy. It can also be frustrating and confusing if you simply dive in without fully understanding the offerings.

Hopefully this article has given you some of the tools you’ll need to be successful, and helps you select the right sportsbook for your NFL microbetting needs. Best of luck as you get ready for this upcoming season!

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