84% of NFL Bettors Went Live in 2025/2026 Season, Says Optimove

Optimove Insights has released a report detailing NFL betting trends for the 2025/2026 season. The report reveals that 84% of NFL bettors placed a live wager at some point during the season.

Optimove Insights has also focused on providing information about what it projects would be the betting behavior in 2026/2027. The American Gaming Association has warned about the growing threat from prediction markets, which has prompted the sector of the NFL’s flat betting revenue year over year.

The 2026/2027 NFL season is due to kick off at Lumen Field in Seattle, featuring the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. Optimove CEO Pini Yakuel commented on the betting activity and why it matters to sportsbooks, stating that intentions collected in August describe a starting position, not a season.

81% of bettors had a fixed budget, but how the money was managed differed. Most people ended up budgeting weekly, while others had a cap on total spend, with 17% reporting that they had not thought about a specific budget per se. 33% of NFL bettors expect to spend around $250, with another 31% spending $500 or more, and then 26% around $100.

Optimove Insights now estimates that 41% of pre-game wagers have been placed by bettors leading up to the first games, with live betting a close second. NFL bettors are driven by several specific aspects of the experience, including emotional attachment to a team, player performance, and team loyalty.

78% of respondents confirmed that they have every intention to keep going and wager on games even if their own teams were eliminated. In terms of which wager types got the most interest, point spreads (59%) lead the way, followed by moneylines (57%), as well as totals (43%) and parlays (29%).

36% of respondents saying that they would stop betting through an app that didn’t feel intuitive.