Best Sports to Bet On
Looking to bet on the easiest and most profitable sports?
Easiest Sports to Bet and
1. Football
Football is a champion of US spectator sports, and betting on it is simple. You can bet on individual players, playoff games, seasons, or individual games as the season plays out.
The two most popular types of football bets are point spreads and total.
A point spread is a handicap used to create a betting proposition of 50/50. For instance, a bookmaker offers a point spread of -3.5 and +3.5 on a football match between Chargers and Colts.
Betting Line:
Chargers -3.5
Colts +3.5
A minus (-) signifies that the team is the favorite, while the plus (+) sign means the team is the underdog. From the example given above, the Chargers are the favorite while the Colts are the underdog.
The Chargers need to win by four points or more for their bettors to win. The Colts are at +3.5, which means the team needs to win the game or lose by 3 points or less for their bettors to win the point spread bet.
Another type of football bet is the totals, also known as over/unders. In this bet, you bet on whether the game’s total score goes over or under the totals line posted by the bookmaker.
Using the previous example on a football match between the Chargers and Colts, the bookmaker may set the total at 48.50. If the two football teams’ combined score reaches 49 or over, then a bet on the over will win.
2. Basketball
A growing number of states across the US have now legalized betting on professional basketball. In some states, though, you need to visit a physical sportsbook or use online basketball betting platforms to bet.
The most common types of NBA bets to place are moneyline, spread, total, parlays, player props, and game props.
Moneyline
A moneyline bet is a straightforward bet. Simply pick the basketball team you think will win. If you’re correct, you win the bet.
There is, however, a catch in this kind of bet. That is, handicaps are provided differently. For example, let’s say the Golden State Warriors are playing against the LA Lakers.
The moneyline bet may look like this:
Golden State Warriors -200 (favorite)
LA Lakers +180 (underdog)
It means that you have to bet $200 to receive $100 in return, whereas the +180 means the money you will gain for every $100 bet. So, if you bet $100 on the LA Lakers, it can yield a $180 return.
Jimmy Vaccaro, one of the most prominent bookies in the US, offers this piece of advice that may help you with NBA betting: recreational bettors bet on teams, but professional sports bettors bet on numbers.
Spread
The sportsbook will determine a favorite and an underdog and assign a point total for each. Sports bettors will then bet which team they think will cover the spread. To win the bet, the team needs to outperform the point spread.
Parlays
Parlay basketball betting is considered a specialty bet, since the sports betting community can bet on a series of games. Each selection has to win for the bet to profit. However, the odds of every selection are multiplied to generate “parlay odds.”
With that in mind, be selective with your parlays. Stick to two-, three-, or four-team parlays to win the bet. This strategy gives you the best chance of winning and earning a profit over time.
But take note that the difficulty of winning an NBA parlay bet increases with every selection you add. Another technique you can use to win a basketball parlay bet is to shop around for odds since not all sportsbooks offer the same odds.
Game Props
A proposition bet, commonly known as a prop bet, is a bet that is not linked to the game’s outcome or final score. Props may include which basketball team reaches 20 points first or the total passing yards.
Some bettors bet on whether there will be under or over the three-point shots total between the two teams playing.
Player Props
A player prop is a bet on a player’s statistics. For instance, you can bet that Player A will score over 22 points. You cash your ticket if the player scores 23 or more.
Other prop bets include a bet on free throws, assists, rebounds, or combinations. Professional bettors tend to play this type of basketball bet if they don’t see any value in playing total or spread.
Besides the NBA, other popular basketball leagues you can bet on include college basketball or NCAA, international basketball leagues, and March Madness.
3. Tennis
Like other major sports in the US, tennis is top-heavy, with the likes of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, and Roger Federer dominating the sport.
It is easy to bet and make money on tennis. Even an amateur sports bettor can choose the tennis games with the best odds. The bigger the amount they are willing to stake, the bigger the potential earning.
Exact Score Betting
These bets are ideal for people who like to make higher variance bets or those who understand tennis well. As the name implies, you predict the exact score in every set or the exact sets won by each team.
Handicap Betting
Handicapping puts an advantage via scoring compensation or other advantages to a player to equalize their chances of winning in sports betting.
If you believe that a player will perform better than expected but will still lose in the end, you can opt for handicap betting. This type of game is independent of the outcome of the tennis match.
Match Betting
A match bet refers to betting on the result of one match rather than the whole tournament. Here, you will be offered two odds, either you back Player 1 or 2 to win the game.
Over/Under Betting
This type of tennis bet is the same as handicap betting, but you bet on the number of sets or games that will be played instead of the match result.
In a three tennis match format, you will have the option to bet over or under 2.5 sets. You can bet that the game will end in straight sets (under 2.5) or that it will take three sets (over 2.5).
Learn more about tennis odds betting here.
4. Cricket
Cricket is one of the easiest and most profitable sports to bet on. The game is no longer limited to standard betting options, thanks to the online sports betting sites that changed the way punters and bookmakers work now.
Win Toss
This cricket bet is popular for those who are not really tied to the player’s performance or a team. Here, bettors simply pick which of the two teams will win during the coin toss at the beginning of the match.
Toss Combination
If the toss bet is appealing to you, then you may also enjoy a toss combination bet. For this cricket betting strategy, you choose the team you think will win the coin toss and decide if the team will bat or bowl first.
To win this bet, choose both parts of the toss combination correctly.
Top Bowler
To bet, you’ll pick the player you think will take the most wickets during a series or match. You can choose which player from either team, and if you choose correctly, you get a nice payout from your sportsbook.
Other popular cricket betting strategies include match betting, tide match, inning runs, completed match, the team of the top batsman, top batsman, bowler match bets, and tournament outright.
5. Boxing and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)
Champion boxers such as Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, and Manny Pacquiao, and famous MMA fighters like Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, and Khabib Nurmagomedov are only some of the fierce fighters that sports bettors look for when betting on this combat sport.
Your best chance of winning and making money on boxing and MMA betting is to prepare, just like the fighters. No, not by practicing boxing drills, but by thinking strategically.
Outright Winner/Bout Betting
This kind of bet is the same as a full-time result bet in a football match. You simply back one fighter to defeat the other and take the odds. You are not picking the method of victory or the round, just the fighter.
Round Betting and Grouped Round Betting
In round betting, you simply back the fighter you think will win in a specific round. Sports bettors may assess the fighter’s strength and physical size, study his previous form of combatants, or determine the fighter’s technique.
Meanwhile, grouped round betting allows you to bet that the fighter will win the first three rounds, 4-6, 7-9, or 10-12 rounds.
Other types of bets include over/under rounds, method of victory (how the fighter will win it), and whether the fight will go the distance.
If you know how boxing betting works, you’ll have no problem picking up the betting rules on mixed martial arts. Highly popularized fights that get much attention in MMA happen in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
6. Horse Racing
For beginners, the easiest type of horse racing bet would be a straight bet. It is a bet on the win, place, and show. A “win” bet, also called a straight bet, refers to betting on which horse will finish first.
A horse that “places” means you’re betting that the horse will come first or second. The payout for a place bet may be less than a win bet, but it gives the bettor security if the horse finishes second.
A “show” horse bet means you’re betting that the horse will finish first, second, or third. This betting strategy gives you a higher chance of winning since you are hedging your bets.
Exacta, Quinella, and Trifecta
Exotic bets, like exacta, quinella, and trifecta allow you to increase your profit potential because you’re betting on multiple horses. For an exacta, you bet on two horses to finish first and second in exact order.
With a quinella bet, you bet on two horses to finish first or second in any order. Meanwhile, a trifecta bet refers to betting on three horses that they finish first, second, and third in the exact order.
Find more on horse racing and greyhound racing here.
What is the Most Profitable Sport to Bet on?
If your main goal for sports betting is to win big, you’ll need to be disciplined, patient, realistic, and analytical.
There is no straightforward answer on the most profitable sport since every bettor has their own strengths and weaknesses. But if we consider it a numbers game, the MLB might be more profitable than other sports for bettors.
Let’s take a look at the major league and the number of regular season betting opportunities they present:
- National Football League (NFL) = 256 games during the regular season
- National Hockey League (NHL) = 1,230 games per season/number of teams multiplied by the number of home games for each
- National Basketball Association (NBA) = 1,230 games per season
- Major League Baseball (MLB) = 2,430 games per season
You may not find as many profitable angles with the number of games that MLB provides. Nevertheless, remember that it still comes down to handicappers giving advantages or point spreads to a particular matchup to equalize chances of winning.
Best Sports to Bet On According to a Specific Type of Bet
Predicting the outcome of a sport is not an easy task. There are events more likely to happen than others. That’s why the type of bet you choose matters when calculating probabilities and taking chances.
Methodology: The ROI Formula
The return on investment is a good performance measure to evaluate the efficiency of a betting system. The formula is usually computed by dividing the profit (bet return - amount bet) earned from a sports betting system by the investment cost.
Best Sports to Bet on the Moneyline
Moneyline bets are the most famous type of sports bets, by far. Not only are they easy to understand for beginners, but they are also used as a winning strategy by professional bettors.
The top 5 sports to bet on the moneyline based on their ROI score are the following:
- College Football 159.23%
- NFL 78.7%
- College Basketball 29.22%
- NBA 13.92%
- NHL 10.07%
Best Sports for Totals Betting (Over/Under)
To win in an over/under bet, you have to predict both team’s combined scores and pick if the total score will be higher or lower than the number provided by the oddsmakers.
Here are the best sports for over/under bet based on their ROI score:
- College Football 92.97%
- NFL 46.2%
- College Basketball 33.96%
- NHL 13.97%
- NBA 10.82%
Best Sports to Bet Against the Spread (ATS)
Bets ATS on these sports will also lower the risk on your bankroll:
- College Football 97.83%
- NFL 90.2%
- College Basketball 36.91%
- NHL 12.39%
- NBA 10.33%
Why Are Some Sports Popular Among Bettors?
Every year, sports bettors spend billions of dollars collectively during the sports season. In 2019 alone, the sports betting market was valued at $85.047 billion. Below, we highlight some of the driving forces behind sports betting.
1. Opportunities to Bet
Different sports events, games, and matchups happen all the time. And because sports appeal to a lot of people, they enjoy placing bets, whether they do it for serious profit or just for fun.
2. Entertainment Value
Watching sports is fun, but the excitement and rush can be amped up when you put money on the line. A lot of bettors even say that the actual picking and research is more fun than watching the actual match itself!
3. Availability of Information
The availability and accessibility of information make some mainstream sports popular among bettors.
There are even online platforms with TV channels dedicated to the latest news. Not to mention newspapers that extensively cover well-known sports and famous teams, like new Super Bowl champs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
4. Television/Online Coverage
Live streaming of sporting events has increased the number of sports bettors. Thanks to the constantly changing odds that provide more value as the match proceeds. Bettors may find that the bookmakers’ predictions are not as correct as what their own instincts tell them.
In-play betting also increases the bettors’ chance of making better decisions. This is because they can analyze the situations when they see the team’s formation or the game’s intensity as it happens.
If you’re convinced to try live in-play betting, join here today and play. Our sportsbook will also be available soon for those in Indiana, Iowa, and New Jersey.
5. Variety of Betting Options
Sports that get extra attention from bettors similarly receive attention from the bookies. And these bookies understand that bettors want a variety of betting options.
Betting on One Sport vs. Betting on Many
In both the online and offline world of sports betting, the number of popular sports is massive. You can bet on one sport or bet on many.
To decide how many sports you should bet on, we’ve broken down the pros and cons of betting on one sport than betting on many.
Advantages of Betting on One Sport
You can become an expert.
It’s rare to find a bettor of more than one sport or league who is truly knowledgeable about all the sports they are betting. After all, an expert-level understanding takes time to develop.
But if you devote your time to a particular sport, it is possible to understand the rules at a high level. This will then increase your chances of beating the bookmakers. Remember, it is important to match the understanding of the experts to win consistently.
You stay updated on important information.
It’s great to be interested in different sports, but betting on all of them can be a problem. You have to stay updated with the suspensions, injuries, and the latest news.
Making sports betting a full-time job might not be on your agenda. So, instead of the arduous task of staying up-to-date on 30 teams, why not focus on one sport and find value in it?
You can be aggressive with a smaller budget.
The third benefit of betting in one sport is that you can make fewer bets. This can be a good strategy, especially for people with a limited bankroll or a beginner in sports betting. At least if you lose, it will not totally wipe out your finances.
Besides, you can be more aggressive with a smaller budget. Doing so may possibly improve your earnings rate.
We’re not suggesting that you should be reckless. But if your bankroll isn’t changing at all, your money management approach in the betting industry may be too passive.
Disadvantages of Betting on One Sport
1. Major sports don’t last all year.
A glaring downfall in betting on one sport is that there aren’t as many major sports events and leagues that last year-round. The NFL regular, for instance, starts in September and ends in February with the Super Bowl.
And even if you’re stuck betting on one sport across multiple leagues, these sports seasons tend to be short. Let’s consider the major league hockey in New Jersey. Their regular season runs only from October to April.
2. You could miss out on better betting odds in other sports.
While focusing on one sport gives you the possibility to become an expert in one field, you may also be missing great opportunities in other sports. This can potentially harm your chances of spotting value.
By betting on more sports instead, you can find better deals. Each online sports betting site provides personalized sports bets for its customers. Taking advantage of these platforms will allow bettors to maximize their value and find the best odds.
Note that neither of these downsides is significant enough to bet on many sports, but they’re still worth considering.
Tips for Winning Money in Sports Betting
Sports fans turned into casual bettors may bet for fun and hope to get lucky. Still, professional sports bettors recognize trends and use them to their advantage.
Here are some sports betting tips you can use to earn money:
1. Learn the basics.
Sports betting is simple, but it does not mean you should jump right in. Learn the basics first so you will be in a much better position to place bets.
2. Keep your bankroll strong.
Always save a certain amount of money (bankroll) which you can’t afford to lose. For beginner bettors, we suggest you keep the size of your bets somewhere between 1-5% of your bankroll to stay disciplined and measured in your sports betting.
3. Shop for the best lines.
Betting sites and bookmakers don’t offer the same lines and odds. So, shop around and find the best vig to get the best return on your bet.
4. Avoid square tendencies.
Square tendencies, like buying underdogs up and favorites down, could repeatedly hurt your bankroll. If you protect yourself against the “risk of ruin,” you’ll have a better opportunity to become a sharp later.
5. Manage your emotions.
Watching sports alone can be an emotional roller coaster. How much more when you bet for the chance of winning money? You will feel unstoppable during a hot streak but will panic during a cold streak.
So, learn to manage your emotions by building financial, physical, and psychological resilience.
Also, if your main goal in sports betting is to earn money, bet not because you want the team to win but because you believe they will win.
We believe betting should be enjoyed sensibly and responsibly. That’s why we promote responsible gambling. If you or someone you know developed a gambling problem and wants help, we advise that you call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Value Comes with Risk
An essential part of bankroll management is knowing that sports betting is not risk-free. The most apparent risk is losing your bet.
Yes, some experienced sports bettors will tell you that your ability to analyze matches will help you win. But every bet is still a gamble. There are instances when underdogs could surprise bettors.
Who would have thought that Leicester City F.C. would defy the odds to win the 2015-16 Premier League title? Then there’s that underdog story of the Vegas Golden Knights that led the NHL standings in 2018.
There are also sports, like baseball, that are hard to bet on because of how random the game can get. Weather delays and bad games can happen. Plus, the battle between the batter and the pitcher can make it nearly impossible to rely on statistics and numbers.
You see, sports bettors can fall into the trap of busting their bankroll. A sport that offers bettors the most potential for profit is also the riskiest. On the other hand, a sport that provides the lowest return offers a margin of error for bettors to consistently distribute their bankroll.