Prior to the official merger of the National Football League and American Football League in 1970, which formed the modern NFL, professional football predominantly took place on Sunday afternoons. However, the NFL occasionally scheduled a limited number of Saturday afternoon games during the late season.

The league officials had been considering the concept of a weekly prime-time game and eventually reached an agreement with ABC to introduce a nearly complete season of Monday Night Football games in 1970. Blending the elements of football and entertainment, the concept of Monday Night Football has stood the test of time, being broadcasted on ABC until 2005 when ESPN assumed the responsibility. Even today, ESPN Monday Night Football games continue to attract a significant number of viewers and remain among the most-watched games in the league.

Despite this, the NFL has continued to schedule the majority of its games on Sunday afternoons since the 1970s, and this tradition remains unchanged even in present times.

From 1987 to 2005, ESPN aired one prime time Sunday game each week until it acquired the broadcast rights for Monday Night Football. Subsequently, NBC Sunday Night Football took over the broadcast rights for the Sunday night game.

In 2006, the NFL Network began broadcasting a series of games that featured Thursday night prime time matches. Then, in 2012, Thursday Night Football became a regular part of the NFL schedule, apart from Thanksgiving Day games and the season kickoff. Currently, the exclusive broadcasting rights for Thursday Night Football belong to Amazon Prime Video.

The NFL still owns Sundays

When you tally it all, although the NFL continues to dominate Sundays, it has expanded its reach to encompass three, and occasionally four, days of the week.

One of the reasons why Americans bet on the NFL more than any other sport is because the spread of NFL action throughout the week offers numerous distinctive betting opportunities.

Continue reading to discover how you can maximize your NFL betting options beyond Sunday afternoons. Explore the influence of weekday and primetime games on NFL betting and understand why scheduling should now be a crucial factor in your weekly NFL picks.

Betting on Monday Night Football

Since 1970, Monday Night Football has been broadcasted on ABC, establishing itself as a prominent NFL tradition. As of now, the games are televised on ESPN.

Betting on Monday Night Football games offers a distinctive chance due to the teams’ additional day of rest and recovery, typically resulting in better playing conditions.

Due to the internet revolution, NFL lines are now frequently published in advance, even before the previous week’s games. Subsequently, these lines undergo prompt adjustments following each team’s performance. Moreover, throughout the week, any updates on injuries or news affecting the game further influence the odds. Additionally, the movement of betting activity also impacts the line.

Monday Night Football lines are indistinguishable from others, but the game’s prime-time status draws heightened attention, resulting in an abundance of props and betting lines compared to regular games.

With the introduction of online sports betting in Michigan in 2021, there will be an increased availability of Monday Night Football betting specials and odds boosts at MI online and mobile sportsbooks for the upcoming 2024-23 NFL season.

2024 Monday Night Football schedule

Monday Night Football will celebrate its 53rd year during the 2024-23 NFL season. ESPN and ABC have set their sights on airing a total of 18 games on Monday nights throughout the season, with two games scheduled for Week 2. Below is the full schedule for the 2024 Monday Night Football season, with all games commencing at 8:15 pm ET unless stated otherwise.

• The game between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks is scheduled for September 12th.
• On September 19th, the Tennessee Titans will face off against the Buffalo Bills at 7:15 p.m. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN.
• On September 19th, the Minnesota Vikings will face off against the Philadelphia Eagles at 8:30 p.m., with the game being broadcasted on ABC.
• The Dallas Cowboys will be facing off against the New York Giants on September 26th.
• The Los Angeles Rams will be facing off against the San Francisco 49ers on October 3.
• The Las Vegas Raiders will be facing off against the Kansas City Chiefs on October 10th.
• The Denver Broncos will be facing off against the Los Angeles Chargers on October 17th.
• The Chicago Bears will be playing against the New England Patriots on October 24th.
• The Cincinnati Bengals will be playing against the Cleveland Browns on October 31st.
• The Baltimore Ravens will be playing against the New Orleans Saints on November 7th.
• On November 14th, the Washington Commanders will be facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles.
• On November 21st, the San Francisco 49ers will be facing off against the Arizona Cardinals.
• The game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Indianapolis Colts will take place on November 28th.
• On December 5th, the New Orleans Saints will be facing off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• On December 12th, the New England Patriots will be facing off against the Arizona Cardinals.
• The Los Angeles Rams will be facing the Green Bay Packers on December 19th.
• The Los Angeles Chargers will be facing the Indianapolis Colts on December 26th.
• On January 2nd, the Buffalo Bills will be facing off against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Betting on Sunday Night Football

In 1987, Sunday Night Football made its debut on ESPN before transitioning to NBC in 2006. Today, NBC Sunday Night Football stands as one of the most popular NFL games each week. Thanks to the league’s flexible-scheduling system, NBC has the option to select a different game for the last seven weeks of the season if it promises greater intrigue or carries more playoff implications than the originally planned matchup.

Nowadays, NFL lines are published prior to the completion of the previous week’s games. However, sportsbooks modify these lines based on team performances, injury reports, and game-related news as the week progresses. Additionally, the line can be influenced by the betting activity from both sides. This process applies to all NFL games, including Sunday Night Football (SNF) matches.

SNF games on NBC Sunday Night Football have gained the reputation of being the premier matchup of the week in the NFL. As a result, you can expect to find a wider range of props and betting lines for these games compared to many other matchups.

SNF games are expected to have a wider range of betting specials and odds boosts at Michigan sportsbooks as well.

2024 Sunday Night Football schedule

Please note that the 2024 NBC Sunday Night Football schedule is subject to change through the league’s flexible-scheduling system, which permits NBC to select alternate games for Weeks 5-17. Meanwhile, here is the current schedule with all games commencing at 8:20 pm ET.

Betting on Thursday Night Football

In 2006, the NFL Network introduced Thursday Night Football as a component of its Run to the Playoffs program. This offering featured late-season games on both Thursday and Saturday nights.

Since 2012, Thursday Night Football games have been broadcast weekly starting from Week 2 of the NFL season. However, the Week 1 NFL Kickoff Game on Thursdays and the prime time NFL games on Thanksgiving Thursday are aired as part of NBC’s Sunday Night Football contract with the league.

When it comes to Thursday Night Football, distinctive betting chances arise due to teams being compelled to play with limited practice time. Injuries tend to exert a more significant impact on these games.

The initial NFL lines are published prior to the games of the previous week, and Michigan sportsbooks will modify these lines based on the team’s performance as well as any updates on injuries or other news, throughout the days leading up to the Thursday Night Football games.

Due to the shorter week, Thursday Night Football matches are renowned for their high level of unpredictability in the league.

Michigan sportsbooks may be able to offer more odds boosts than a typical Sunday afternoon NFL game due to the primetime schedule and the exclusive airing of Thursday Night Football on that day.

2024 Thursday Night Football schedule

Take a glance at the 2024-23 NFL Season’s Thursday Night Football schedule. All games will commence at 8:15 pm ET and be broadcasted on Amazon Prime Video, unless specified otherwise.

Saturday Football

The 2021 NFL schedule features the potential for two Saturday triple-headers, which may be adjusted to double-headers if there is a scarcity of noteworthy games.

The NFL has planned multi-game Saturdays for Weeks 15 and 18, aiming to showcase the most exciting matchups. On each of these Saturdays, two games will take place. The game times for Week 15 are yet to be determined, but for Week 18, the games will start at 4:30 pm ET and 8:15 pm ET. These games will be broadcasted on the NFL Network, except for one game that will be exclusively streamed on Amazon and aired on over-the-air TV in each team’s local market.

The NFL has announced that game selections will be made at minimum four weeks in advance, likely by mid-November.

The NFL has scheduled at least one Saturday game for the 50th time in 51 years. It has been a tradition for the league to arrange these games once the college football regular season concludes.

When Christmas falls on a Sunday, the entire NFL schedule is shifted to Saturday.

NFL Saturday betting

Teams that have games on Saturday will probably have one day less of practice compared to their usual routine. A shorter week typically means less time to heal from injuries and increased challenges in executing complex offensive strategies. Nevertheless, the impact of losing just one day of practice is not as significant as the impact of losing several days, which teams must endure when playing on Thursdays.

To effectively bet on the Saturday games, it is important to closely monitor injury reports throughout the week. Additionally, Michigan sportsbooks may offer special betting opportunities, such as odds boosts, props, and single-day parlays specifically for these games, expanding your range of betting options.

The lines should be released prior to the previous week’s games, and then adjusted based on the outcomes of those games, as well as any injury reports or news.

NFL Sundays

Even with its expansion into Monday and Thursday prime time slots, the NFL continues to dominate Sundays by hosting a staggering 13 games every week during the regular season.

Betting on football during an average NFL Sunday offers a plethora of options, making it the ultimate day of the week for football betting.

Every week, as one of the games takes place on Sunday night, it presents an opportunity to place parlay bets with the Sunday Night Football game as the concluding component. This allows you the option to hedge your bet, meaning you can place a wager on the opposite outcome of the final leg of a successful parlay in order to ensure a guaranteed profit for yourself.

Multi-game parlays on Sundays during the NFL season can yield substantial payouts at Michigan sportsbooks. However, winning them can prove to be quite challenging.

Night games vs. day games

According to a scientific study conducted in 2018, the majority of NFL teams demonstrate enhanced performance during prime-time games.

According to the study, players exhibit higher alertness during night games, resulting in decreased injury risks, turnovers, and mental errors compared to afternoon games.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the variation was attributed to increased body clock or circadian-regulated alertness.

Although the study results won’t explicitly suggest whom to bet on in prime time games, they will provide you with a fresh perspective for selecting the team that might excel under the vibrant stadium lights.

NFL day of the week betting tips

To enhance your chances of winning, utilize scheduling to make informed predictions on NFL game outcomes and place strategic bets.

Do your homework

To increase chances of success, it is crucial to conduct thorough research beforehand and seek out clear advantages.

Get down early

To gain insight into the condition of teams playing on Thursday Night Football with limited practice and rest, it is advisable to review the games they played in the previous week. These matches will provide valuable information regarding the team’s state leading up to the Thursday game.

Observe these games carefully and utilize the insights gained to place bets on the initial lines, before oddsmakers can adjust them based on injury reports and other updates.