I expect Super Bowl LVI in 2022 to be an exciting game. Before we get to the big game, we have to get through the regular season and the playoffs. The 2021 regular season is the first NFL season to last 17 games, and the best teams will qualify for the NFL playoffs.
In the playoffs, there are three to four rounds in an elimination tournament. In both the AFC and NFC, the top two teams skip the first round and get a bye. The top two teams only must win two games to make the Super Bowl, while the rest of the playoff teams must win three playoff games.
With an exciting NFL playoff leading up to the Super Bowl, sportsbooks are looking to sign up new customers. As a result, in addition to their usual welcome offers, sportsbooks will be offering playoff-specific bonuses. Below I will go over what to look out for.
Types of NFL Playoffs Betting Promotions
In the past, there have not been many NFL playoff-specific promo offers, but there have been some.
NFL playoff betting promotions usually include:
Boosted Odds
DraftKings offered a prop at +100 odds on any team to score a touchdown. The bet may have had a maximum limit of only $25, but if you found $25 on the street you would pick it up.
Bet and Get
DraftKings in the 2021 NFL playoffs offered bettors 100-1 odds on any team’s moneyline during the playoffs for new users only. Additionally, in 2021, FanDuel offered 25-1 odds up to $5 on any team’s moneyline as well.
Special Deposit Bonuses
BetRivers is known to offer existing users deposit bonuses during busy times of the year. That is why you might benefit from an NFL playoffs deposit offer if you sign up for an account before the playoffs.
Best NFL Playoff Betting Promos
Here are the latest and best NFL playoff promos to take advantage of:
Betfred
Feeling good about your team’s chances in their Wild Card matchup? Betfred Sportsbook has a playoff futures promotion running through January 15 that allows users to earn a $10 free bet when they pick a conference and/or Super Bowl winner before this weekend’s games begin.
To get your free bets, just follow these steps:
- for a new account at Betfred Sportsbook or log in to an existing one.
- Wager at least $50 on an AFC Champion, NFC Champion, and/or Super Bowl Champion.
- Get a $10 free bet for each corresponding wager, limited to one per market.
Find out more about the Betfred NFL Wild Card promo.
DraftKings
Unsure of how the NFL Wild Card games will turn out, but still want to earn some extra cash? DraftKings Sportsbook has just the offer for you.
When you sign up at DraftKings and place a $10 bet on any NFL Wild Card game this weekend, you’ll earn a $20 free bet whether your wager wins or loses.
To earn your free bet, follow these steps:
- for a new account at DraftKings Sportsbook (new users only).
- Make your first deposit of at least $5.
- Wager at least $10 pre-game on any team’s moneyline for Wild Card Weekend.
- Whether your bet wins or loses, you’ll receive a $20 free bet.
Find out more about the DraftKings Sportsbook NFL Wild Card promo.
FanDuel
New users at FanDuel Sportsbook can earn an exclusive odds boost on the winner of any Wild Card game taking place this weekend. When you sign up and bet $5 on any team’s moneyline in their matchup this weekend, you’ll earn $150 in cash if they win.
To receive this bonus, follow these steps:
- to sign up at FanDuel Sportsbook (new users only).
- Make your first deposit.
- Wager at least $5 on any NFL team’s moneyline for games from January 15-17.
- If your bet wins, you’ll receive $150 in cash.
Read more about how to take advantage of the FanDuel NFL Wild Card promo.
Unibet
Unibet Sportsbook has an offer on hand for new users located exclusively in Arizona or Pennsylvania. When you sign up and bet on either the Philadelphia Eagles or Arizona Cardinals to win their respective matchups, you’ll receive a massive moneyline odds boost and a risk-free bet of up to $500, depending upon location.
Follow these steps to claim your bonus:
- Arizona Bettors: Sign up using the code .
- The Cardinals moneyline (vs Rams) will be boosted to (+300).
- You’ll also receive a $250 risk-free bet.
- Pennsylvania Bettors: Sign up using the code .
- The Eagles moneyline (vs Buccaneers) will be boosted to (+500).
- You’ll also receive a $500 risk-free bet.
Find out more about the Unibet NFL Wild Card promo.
Benefits of NFL Playoffs Betting Bonuses
The house always wins in sports betting, but with betting promos, the customers have an edge. The NFL playoffs is one of the busiest times of the year for sportsbooks. That is why they can afford to lose some money in attracting new customers.
In theory, the customer will take advantage of a bonus and then become a loyal customer who, over time, will give their money back to the sportsbook in the form of losing bets.
Some common benefits of NFL playoff betting welcome bonuses include:
- Risk-Free Bet
- Deposit Bonuses
- First Bet Match
Best Betting Sites With NFL Playoffs Signup Bonuses
Caesars Sportsbook
If you’re looking to place some wagers on the upcoming games, consider Caesars Sportsbook. Their site has an outstanding welcome bonus for new users that use promo code at signup. You’ll get your first bet on Caesars, up to $1,250, plus 1,000 Tier Credits and 1,000 Reward Credits!
Just click “Get Bonus" below to pad your bankroll for this football season!
BetRivers Sportsbook
In my opinion, the best new user offer, in general, is from the BetRivers app. The BetRivers new user offer is the best because it is the most generous with the easiest terms to understand.
If you are a new user, BetRivers will match 100% of your deposit up to $250 with the requirement that you only bet your initial deposit amount once on odds of -200 or better. That means with $250, you can have a sports betting bankroll of $500.
While in the past BetRivers has not had specific sign-up offers for the NFL playoffs, their general sign-up offer can apply for the playoffs as well. Additionally, if you bet on the playoffs, you can start an account with BetRivers before the Big Game and slowly build your bankroll leading up to the Super Bowl. Then you can use your money from the Super Bowl on other sports as well.
And if you happen to miss out on signing up during the playoffs, there are plenty of bonuses for the Super Bowl to take advantage of.
FanDuel Sportsbook
Like BetMGM, FanDuel is a popular sportsbook, but FanDuel has the biggest betting handle of all the regulated sportsbooks in the US. This means that more money is bet on sports with FanDuel than any other app.
FanDuel has arguably the largest selection of player props among legal sportsbooks, and that is why they are one of my favorite apps during the NFL playoffs. Additionally, FanDuel has a well-designed user interface that makes the app enjoyable to use.
FanDuel has the most generous risk-free bet offer as they offer a risk-free bet of up to $1000 for new users’ first bet. The way FanDuel’s risk-free bet works is that you can bet up to the maximum amount, which in the case of FanDuel is up to $1000.
If your bet wins, you win a large amount of money. However, if your bet loses, FanDuel credits your account in cash as if you never made the losing bet. The only requirement is that you bet your initial risk-free bet amount on other bets.
DraftKings Sportsbook
Outside of FanDuel, the most popular sports betting app is DraftKings. Started primarily as a daily fantasy sports site, DraftKings has a wide range of betting options available. For the NFL playoffs, DraftKings is a great site as they have hundreds of bets available for each game.
DraftKings offers its new users up to a $1,000 first-time deposit match. However, this deposit match offer is a little bit different than usual.
While most deposit bonuses result in getting your money right away, the DraftKings bonus requires that you bet first before you get your deposit bonus, known as a bet-and-get offer. For DraftKings, first-time depositors get $1 added to their account balance for every $25 bet. While this means that new bettors must wager $25,000 to get their $1000 deposit match, over time this is easy to reach.
Without the deposit match promo, your expected loss on a $100 spread bet is $4.55. However, with the deposit match, your expected loss is only $0.55 for a lower house advantage than any form of gambling.
BetMGM Sportsbook
Like DraftKings and FanDuel, BetMGM is a well-known company that is trying to be the most popular sports betting app. In the last year, BetMGM has increased its offering to its new and existing users.
The BetMGM app has great features, such as being able to use the search bar in its menu to find the game that you are looking for. Additionally, they have an easy-to-navigate betting menu for each game.
BetMGM offers a generous sign-up bonus in the form of a risk-free bet up to $600. The way BetMGM’s risk-free bet works is that you can bet up to the maximum amount, which in the case of BetMGM is up to $600. If your bet loses, you get your bet back in the form of a free bet. If your bet wins, you win a large sum of money.
While BetMGM has a great sign-up offer, it is not as good as FanDuel’s risk-free bet where you get cash-back if you lose rather than a free bet. However, even getting a free bet is much better than losing all your money from a losing wager.
bet365 Sportsbook
If you live in a legal sports betting state as I do, then chances are that you have seen the TV ad featuring Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad fame mentioning that bet365 is the world’s most popular sportsbook. Not only is Jesse Pinkman right about bet365, but bet365 also has a great sign-up offer.
bet365 will match your first deposit up to $500 in the form of free bets. To qualify, you must make a deposit of at least $10 and then place that amount of money in bets. It could be one single bet, or several bets if the odds on each bet are at -500 or better. Once your bets settle, you are rewarded with free bet credits.
You can choose to disburse your free bet credits in whatever form you like. It could be on a single bet or in several smaller bets.
PointsBet
PointsBet, as an Australian Sportsbook, is a relative newcomer to the American market. As a result of their lack of brand recognition in comparison to more well-known competitors, PointsBet has a generous sign-up offer. Depending on your state, PointsBet could give you up to $2000 in risk-free bets. As a rule, PointsBet gives customers at least a maximum of $500 for a risk-free bet.
Best NFL Playoffs Betting Bonuses
Deposit Bonus
In my opinion, the best NFL playoff betting promos are deposit bonuses. As a bonus, they are the easiest to understand as you make a deposit and get a percentage of it matched. Additionally, it is most beneficial to bettors as they can choose how to use it whether it is conservatively as multiple small bets (my preference for beginners), or as one large bet.
Bet & Get
Bet and get bonus offers are also great as the terms are as simple as the name. If you make a bet, you get a bonus. Unfortunately, bet and get offers are less common than Risk-Free bet offers. However, for the playoffs specialized bet and get offers, those are more common than usual.
One negative toward bet-and-get offers is that $200 in free bets is different from $200 in a deposit bonus. This is because typically, with a $200 bonus, you get your stake back in addition to your winnings. Whereas for $200 in free bets, you only get your winnings, but not your stake. For example, if you bet on a +100 money line with a $200 bonus, if your bet wins you would get $400 (your stake plus your winnings). However, if you did the same with a $200 free bet or free credit, you would only get $200 in winnings, but only if your bet wins.
For the playoffs specifically, if you have a bet-and-get offer such as betting $1 and getting $200 if a point is scored, it is a great way to build your bankroll with virtually no money.
Risk-Free Bet
Risk-free bets are the most common welcome offer for NFL sportsbooks. While risk-free bets are good for the customer, in my opinion, their name is as misleading as it sounds as they are risk-reduced bets rather than completely risk-free.
The way a risk-free bet works is that up to a certain amount, usually at least $100 and up to $1000, if your first bet loses you are rewarded with credit. Typically, that credit is rewarded in the form of one single free bet, which cannot be broken up.
If that free bet loses, then you lose your whole risk-free bet. That is why I prefer to use the term risk reduced as it is reducing the risk of your bet but not eliminating it.
How To Pick the Best NFL Playoffs Sportsbook Bonus
During the NFL Playoffs, sportsbooks have special offers such as bet $1 and get $200 in free bets if your team scores a point. The key to taking advantage of these low-cost promos is to be on the lookout for these offers. Another key is to tailor your sportsbook welcome offers to your betting strategy.
Low Rollover Requirements
Regardless of your betting strategy, you want low rollover requirements. Frequently, to withdraw all of your account balance, you must meet the rollover requirements to have access to your bonus amount. This can include betting up to five times your initial deposit or only one times your initial deposit for BetRivers’ offer.
For the playoffs specifically, you don’t want to have high rollover requirements because that will require betting on other sports. If you only bet on NFL, that means betting on sports you aren’t familiar with to meet your rollover requirements as you will have to wait until September to bet on the NFL again.
Fewest Requirements
Part of the reason why some of these bonus offers appear too good to be true is that they have a long list of requirements to have to be met to receive the bonus. That is why I like the sign-up bonuses that have the fewest requirements.
Best App Interface
When picking a bonus, you want to pick an NFL betting app that you could see yourself using after your bonus is used. That is why you want to pick an app that has an easy-to-use interface. There is nothing worse than having technical issues with a sportsbook app when all you want to do is bet.
Best Odds
Before signing up for most apps, you can log in and see if they are offering customer-friendly odds on your preferred betting options. If you are going to bet $100 on the Buffalo Bills, you might as well sign up for the site that offers the best odds on the Bills.
Most Betting Options
As a bettor, you don’t have to bet on every game or prop, but sportsbooks typically must offer bets on everything to be competitive with other apps. That is why you should look for apps that offer the most betting options as occasionally sportsbooks will price certain bets incorrectly.
How To Use Football Playoffs Betting Bonuses
- Longshot Strategy: If you plan on betting on an NFL longshot, your best strategy is to use a risk-free bet on their moneyline. If your bet loses, which is likely, at least you get your bet back in some form either cash or a free bet. If your bet wins, you get a lot of money.
- Favorite Strategy: If your preferred NFL playoff bets are on favorites, you are best off using a deposit match bonus or a bet and get offer since risk-free bet offers are best on longshots.
- Multiple Small Bets: If your strategy is to do multiple small bets, you are best off using a deposit match offer like bet365 or BetRivers. For more information on this, you should read my in-depth analysis on how sports betting can be less expensive than Netflix.
Where Can I Legally Bet With Football Playoffs Bonuses & Promotions?
Current Legal Online Betting Locations
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Michigan
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia
Future Legal Online Betting States (Expected Legalization Before the 2022 Super Bowl)
- Arizona
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- New York
- Wyoming
Look for More than One NFL Playoffs Betting Bonus & Promotion
The best thing that any football bettor can do to limit the sportsbook’s advantage is to use multiple betting sites. Different sites offer different betting odds and as a result, you can get the best price by shopping around for the best odds.
For example, on Sunday, January 3, 2021, the Indianapolis Colts were heavily favored against the Jacksonville Jaguars. On PointsBet, The Colts were favored by 15.5 points, while on BetMGM, the Colts were favored by only 14 points. The final score was Jaguars 14, Colts 28. If you had bet on Indianapolis on PointsBet, then you would have lost. However, if you bet on Indy on BetMGM, then you would have gotten your bet back in a push.
Additionally, for bonuses used on football betting, it is beneficial to have multiple accounts to take advantage of every single sign-up offer. If you are looking to make multiple longshot bets in the playoffs, you might be better off doing several different risk-free bet offers.
