The National Football League, better known as the NFL, is one of the most popular on the planet, with millions of people in the United States and beyond tuning in to watch the thrill of the action each week. New fans are always attracted to the sport, with the mass appeal of the teams, star names, history, and Super Bowl, seeing people with no prior NFL viewing taking a keen interest in the game.
If you are one of those people who have just started tuning in each Sunday, it can be daunting to get your head around the conferences and divisions. Still, this article will tell you everything you need to know so you can at least know the basics before enhancing your fandom further.
Evolution of Sunday Games: From Past to Present
Most NFL games are played on Sundays, which is important as you plan your week around the action. This scheduling and routine date back to 1961, when NFL games were prohibited from being played on Fridays and Saturdays until late in the regular season. Federal law states that a professional league cannot compete with college or high school football.
Therefore, if you are keen to watch some NFL on a Saturday, you’ll have to wait until mid-December, or the third Saturday of the month, to be precise, when the Christmas tree is up and the festive period is well underway. Until then, it’s all about Sunday football games which have grown to be an annual tradition where NFL followers will gather in stadiums and around television sets while also placing wagers on the big game. When it comes to live broadcasts, Sunday Night Football has aired on NBC since August 2006. A Monday night game is also held at least once a week during the campaign, with games on Thursday also taking place for much of the season.
Saturday games then become commonplace as the action heats up towards the business end of the season, though Friday matches are a rarity, with the last one taking place in 2020, actually on Christmas Day. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, meanwhile, have been used only three times since 1948. That was in 2010, when a blizzard saw a Sunday fixture switched to Tuesday, and also in 2018 and 2020.
What Does the Typical NFL Schedule Look Like?
As someone still exploring the NFL and taking a keen interest while building up your knowledge, you must learn about how the league and teams operate throughout the season. So, first things first, note that the 32 NFL teams are split into two conferences. There is the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC), and the 16 teams are split into four groups of four, which are known as the North, South, East, and West Divisions.
Each team plays 17 games in the regular season with one bye week. Team alternate season in which they host either nine regular-season games and one pre-season fixture or eight regular-season games and two preseason match-ups.
Keeping up and making sense? Well, there is more. Each team will play six games against divisional opponents, meaning two games against each rival, one at home and the other away. Then there are four games coming up against sides from a division within its conference and another four games against teams from a division in the other conference. That’s a total of four at home and four on the road. Then, based on the division ranking from the previous seasons, teams will play two games against teams from the two other divisions in their conference. The 17th fixture is an additional game against a non-conference side from a division the team is not scheduled to play, and again, this is based on rankings from the season before.
The League runs for 18 weeks and features 272 games, with the first kick taking place the week after Labor Day, which lands on the first Monday in September and concludes in the opening week of January in the New Year. Oftentimes, the league champions will kick off their title defense with a home game on Thursday.
The Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the NFL showpiece final, which is watched by millions of people all over the world. One of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures on the sporting calendar, it sees the two best teams go head-to-head for football glory. Of the 32 sides that kick off the regular season, 12 reach the playoffs in January. Between 2004 and 2021, the clash always took place on the first Sunday in February but is now played on the second Sunday.
The 2025 edition of this iconic and famous showdown will take place on February 9th at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, which has hosted this game seven times before, most recently in 2013.
Strategies for NFL Betting
As if the drama of the game wasn’t enough, some fans enjoy predicting the outcome of NFL encounters to ramp up the excitement even more. If you are considering placing a bet on the regular season or Super Bowl, there are several strategies you should consider that can give you an edge and help you to make picks from a place of authority.
You must track team news and keep an eye on each team roster so that you know which star players will be taking to the field and who is out of action at any given time. By tuning into press conferences with coaches, you will be able to get details on who is injured or suspended and therefore missing from the next big game. From there, you can weigh up how strong or weak a team is likely to be when lining up.
Also, follow the form guide so that you have a solid idea of which sides and players are giving top displays and which teams are struggling. If a team has won seven straight games, you can assess how confident they are and how well they are functioning as part of your educated guess about the result of their next match. Also, check out historical results, as some teams simply can’t win against particular opponents or at certain venues. Always be on the lookout for clues that can steer you in a positive direction for picking out winners, losers, and point scorers.
Live in-play betting is another useful tool that can be used to bet with the latest information. By wagering in real-time on a smartphone or tablet, you see exactly how the game is unfolding and place your wager accordingly.
Wrapping Up
Overall, the NFL is one of the most action-packed and fascinating sports you can watch, so you have made a good choice if you are pursuing your American football interest. From the schedule and games to the Super Bowl and star names, taking the time to learn what it’s all about will only increase your enjoyment of the sport.