NFL Interception Props: QB Interceptions and Defensive Picks

Published October 17, 2026 by Statz NFL.

NFL interception props explained: quarterback interceptions thrown, defenders to record a pick, pick-sixes, how they settle and where to research them on Statz NFL.

NFL interception props come from both sides of the ball: will a quarterback throw an interception, and will a named defender catch one? This guide explains the interception markets, from a quarterback's interceptions over/under to player to record an interception and pick-six bets, how they settle, what drives a turnover, the stats worth reading and how to research interception props with the Statz NFL leaders boards, game logs and team pages.

What are NFL interception props?

An interception prop is a bet on interceptions in a game, and it comes in two families. On the quarterback side, books offer an over/under on interceptions thrown, almost always at 0.5, which is the same as asking whether he throws one at all. On the defensive side, they offer player to record an interception on named defenders, team interceptions, and pick-six markets on an interception returned for a touchdown.

Interceptions are rare events, and that shapes everything about the market. A quarterback can go several games without throwing one and then throw three in an afternoon, and even the best ball hawks catch an interception in only a minority of games. Statz NFL does not price interception props, so there is no projection against these lines; what it gives you is the stats to judge them. Below are this season's defensive leaders in tackles, sacks and interceptions, each linked to his page.

The 2026 defensive leaders

How interception props are settled

Interception props settle on the official stats. The rules worth knowing:

• An interception thrown counts against the passer, whoever he is. If a receiver throws an interception on a trick play, it counts against the receiver, not the quarterback.
• A pass that bounces off a receiver's hands and is caught by a defender is still an interception thrown.
• An interception on a play wiped out by a penalty does not count, and neither does one on a two-point conversion.
• An interception on a last-second throw at the end of a half counts like any other.
• Overtime counts at most books.
• A quarterback who does not play usually has his props voided, and some books require him to start or attempt a pass. Read your book's rules page, as these details differ between books.

What influences interceptions?

Interceptions come from three things: how often a quarterback throws, how much risk he takes and how good the defence is at taking the ball away. These are the factors that move them:

• Pass volume: every attempt is a chance. A quarterback who throws 45 times has far more chances to be intercepted than one who throws 25.
• Game script: the team that falls behind throws more, and throws riskier passes late. The game projections show each side's projected points.
• The quarterback's style: aggressive downfield passers trade interceptions for big plays; quick, short passers rarely throw them.
• The pass rush: pressure forces hurried throws. A defence that gets home often tends to create turnovers too.
• The defence's ball hawks: some secondaries jump routes and take the ball away; others give up yards but rarely intercept.
• Injuries: a backup or rookie quarterback, or a missing starting tackle, changes the picture. The injury report carries every designation.
• Weather: wind and rain make the ball harder to throw and to catch, on both sides.

Interception stats that matter

Interception counts are small, so read them over a long window. A quarterback with no interceptions in his last four games is not necessarily careful; he may have been lucky with dropped chances. Look at how many passes he throws per interception over a full season or more, and at how many attempts he is likely to make in this game.

For defenders, a season interception total is even noisier. Passes defended, shown in every defender's game log beside his interceptions, are a steadier sign of a player who is around the ball. A cornerback who breaks up a lot of passes is more likely to catch one eventually than his interception total suggests, though no one can say which game.

Then turn the price into a probability. If you think a quarterback throws an interception in about half his games, the fair price on over 0.5 is even money (2.00 in decimal odds). An over at -150 (1.67) implies 60%; an under at -150 implies the same for a clean game. For defenders, a price of +300 (4.00) implies 25%, which is far higher than most defenders' chance of an interception in any one game. Long prices are normal here; the question is whether they are long enough. Our guide to how to read NFL odds covers the conversion.

How to research interception props with Statz NFL

Statz NFL does not set a line or a projection for interceptions, so the pricing is yours, but the stats are in one place. The interceptions leaders board ranks every defender's season total, and the pick-sixes board ranks the interceptions returned for touchdowns.

Every quarterback's player page carries his game log with his attempts, interceptions and sacks taken game by game, so you can see how often he has thrown one over a season or more. Every defender's page carries his interceptions, passes defended and tackles. Each team's stats page shows its takeaways and giveaways game by game, with the opponent's figure beside each.

For the game itself, the odds board shows the spread and total, the game projections show who is expected to trail and throw, and the injury report shows which quarterbacks and defensive backs are missing.

Interception bet types explained

Interception markets come from both sides of the ball:

• Quarterback interceptions over/under: usually at 0.5, sometimes at 1.5 for a quarterback expected to throw a lot.
• Quarterback to throw an interception: a yes or no version of the same bet.
• Player to record an interception: pays if a named defender catches one, usually at long odds.
• Team interceptions: an over/under on how many interceptions a defence makes.
• Pick-six and defensive touchdown markets: an interception returned for a score, in the game or by a named team.
• Same-game parlay legs: an interception paired with markets that fit the same script, such as the trailing quarterback's passing yards. Read same-game parlays and correlation first.

Interception betting tips and tactics

Start with volume. The strongest case for a quarterback interception over is usually a team expected to trail by a lot, facing a defence that takes the ball away, with a passer who takes risks. The strongest case for the under is a short-passing quarterback on a favourite who may barely throw in the second half.

Read the quarterback against his passing yards and passing touchdowns lines. A game the market expects him to throw a lot in raises every passing number, interceptions included.

For defenders, prefer the team market to a single player when you like a secondary as a whole. Interceptions spread across several players, and picking which one catches the ball adds a layer of luck on top of an already rare event.

Common interception betting mistakes

Most losing interception bets come from a few habits:

• Reading a short streak as a trend. A few clean games, or a three-interception afternoon, say little on their own.
• Ignoring pass volume. A careful quarterback who throws 45 times still has plenty of chances to be intercepted.
• Backing a defender because of one big game, when passes defended over a season say more.
• Forgetting the rules: interceptions on two-point conversions and on plays wiped out by penalties do not count.
• Paying short prices on quarterback overs without checking how often he actually throws one.
• Treating long odds as value on their own. A long price is only good if the chance is higher than it implies.

Interception props by player

Every quarterback's player page carries his interceptions thrown game by game, including Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield and Trevor Lawrence.

On the defensive side, every defender's page carries his interceptions and passes defended, for example Kevin Byard, Jaycee Horn and Xavier Watts. Find anyone else on the players page, or compare two with Player Compare.

Interceptions by team

Every team's stats page shows its takeaways and giveaways game by game. AFC: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots, Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Steelers, Colts, Jaguars, Texans, Titans, Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs and Raiders.

NFC: Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Bears, Lions, Packers, Vikings, Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers, Saints, 49ers, Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks.

Final word: respect the rare event

Interception props are bets on rare events, which makes them easy to overrate on a small sample. Read a quarterback's interceptions over a long window, weigh how much he is likely to throw, look at the defence's record of taking the ball away and know your book's rules. Statz NFL does not price these markets, so any interception bet is your own estimate against the book's. Keep the stakes small.

Put it to work

• Interceptions Leaders Every defender's season interceptions
• Game Projections Who is expected to trail and throw
• Odds Board Spreads and totals for every game

More NFL betting guides

• NFL Sacks Props: How to Bet Player and Team Sack Lines
• NFL Tackles Props: How to Bet Tackles and Assists Lines
• NFL Passing Touchdowns Props: How to Bet QB TD Lines
• NFL Passing Yards Props: How to Bet QB Yardage Lines
• NFL Player Props, Explained
• First Touchdown Scorer Betting: NFL First TD Odds Explained
• NFL Kicker Props: Field Goals and Kicking Points Explained
• NFL Receiving Yards Props: How to Read and Bet the Lines