Which are the best sports to bet on? This is a very subjective question, so if you ask 10 different people, you will probably get 10 different answers. There are lots of things to consider, from sports betting odds to how long the major sports leagues seasons run for and more.
However, in sports betting, as in any other new skill you are trying to learn, it is best to start with what is somewhat familiar. Therefore, all of the recommendations in this guide are either major league professional sports, college football, or college basketball.
Best Sports to Bet On by Category – Overview
| Big Returns | College Football, NFL, NBA |
| Easy Win | College Football, College Basketball |
| Parlay | College Football, NFL, NBA |
| During the Summer | MLB |
| Most Profitable | College Football, NFL |
| Safest | NFL |
| Easiest | NFL |
Methodology
While all of the variables in the above table should factor into your decision about the best sports to bet on, profitability is the most important. However, evaluating profitability merely in terms of absolute dollar amounts won or lost can be misleading since a successful bettor with a very large bankroll and bet size has the potential to win much more than a small bettor.
A much better way to evaluate profitability is by return on investment (ROI). Knowing which of the many sports you can bet on have the highest ROIs – the best rate of return with the least risk – can help any sports bettor be more selective and make their bankroll go further.
Published analyses indicate that NCAA football, basketball and the NFL are the sports with the highest ROI, while baseball is the sport with the lowest.
Our Picks for Best Sports to Bet on
What the majority of sports bettors decide to bet on typically depends on their personal preferences and their knowledge of the sport in question. With that said, the most popular sports to bet on include:
American Football (NFL & College Football)
Betting on the NFL is a highly popular betting market due to the planning that goes into betting strategies before the season starts and the intense nature of the sport. The NFL is the biggest draw, with the Super Bowl one of the biggest sporting events in the world. There are numerous sportsbooks that have in-depth coverage of every NFL game during the season and in the playoffs, and you will usually come across several promotions, as well. As arguably the biggest sport in America, with some of the most popular sports franchises, you can rest assured, the top US sportsbooks have your NFL predictions covered.
You can place prop bets for any one game or place futures bets on division winners and the Super Bowl winner before the regular season even begins. You can also bet on the NFL Draft, with specials running on who be will be the N0.1 pick and which team will draft a specific player.
Basketball
Basketball is, of course, one of the most watched sports in the USA and is now also gaining popularity in other parts of the world. NBA betting, in particular, is popular with the big stars on show and the fast-paced end-to-end nature of NBA games. It is a lot of fun to watch and also a lot of fun to bet on.
You can wager on the conference winner, the quarter winner and there is also a betting market called race to 30 points where you bet on which team you think will reach the points threshold first. Placing a same game parlay on basketball also provides multiple fun options such as final score, player to score most three pointers, player to get most rebounds etc.
Soccer
Soccer is massive globally, and is a fast growing sport in the US. I am a big soccer fan myself and some of my favorite sports leagues are covered by most online betting sites including the Premier League, Champions League, La Liga, Serie A and the MLS. The markets are also fun from first goal scorer to both teams to score (BTTS) and Double Chance. As well as having the highest viewership in the world, betting on soccer is also the most popular sport to wager on.
Baseball
Ah, America’s pastime. The MLB is one of the most established sports leagues in the world, made up of teams who are steeped in history. The baseball season goes on for a long time with a huge number of games taking place. Due to the volume of games, any team can win on any given day, which makes it one of the most profitable sport betting options.
Most of the bet types in baseball are moneyline wagers, as lots of people like to bet on the underdog. Totals (Over/Unders) and Live betting are also prominent in baseball betting.
Boxing
Boxing is another classic, but it is very different from the other sports on this list. Boxing is all about the big ticket events, the stadium fights than happen a few times a year between the biggest names in the sport. This gives you the chance to take advantage of numerous promotions that are run by the operators who will be looking to win custom from these boxing events.
Boxing offers round betting, method of victory (TKO, Points) and go-the-distance options.
Horse Racing
The sheer amount of great odds is one of the biggest reasons why horse racing is a favorite of many punters. Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) promos are key in this. They can give bettors a huge strategic advantage. Popular betting markets for horse racing betting include to win, to place and forecast bet.
Best Sports to Bet on for Big Returns
It is every sports bettor’s dream to get a big return on a relatively small investment. However, because of the vig on spreads and totals bets and the inflated price you often have to pay on moneyline favorites, big returns rarely happen.
Multileg parlays are a notable exception; the more outcomes you include, the bigger the payout, but the harder it is to win. Every leg of the parlay must win or the whole bet goes down.
That said, your best opportunities for a big return are in NCAA and NFL football for multi-team parlays and the NFL and NBA for same game parlays. College football offers easier picks due to the talent disparity, while in the NFL and NBA, you only have to consider 30 or 32 teams, respectively.
Best Sports to Bet on for Easy Wins
Your best bets for an easy win are NCAA football and basketball. Do not be afraid to lay huge numbers on the point spread line, as lopsided victories are common.
Major league pro games tend to be much more tightly matched, and many betting outcomes go down to the wire, making these games harder to predict.
Best Sports to Bet on for Parlays
Same game parlays are all the rage, and the potential winnings are sometimes astronomical. However, if you are new to sports betting, you will probably fare much better simply picking four or fewer different teams either to beat the spread or win outright. Your best bets are NCAA and NFL football and the NBA. You should also really consider which book you bet with too if you are betting parlay. There are some really good sportsbooks for parlay betting, and there are some which really suck.
Also, the best times to bet on NFL and NBA parlays might be very late in the season when some teams are fighting for a playoff spot or trying to move up to a higher seed, while others have already been eliminated. But stay clear of teams whose playoff seed is already locked in, as they may rest their key starters.
Best Sports to Bet on During the Summer
During most of the year, baseball is not the best sport to bet on, but during the summer, it is. One reason why is the other major betting sports are on hiatus.
More importantly, since the MLB season has been underway for several months, you have a lot more information about the teams and players than at the beginning of the season, including which teams are in contention for postseason play. Inclement weather is also less of a factor.
Most Profitable Sports to Bet On
The two most profitable sports to bet on are college and pro football. Because there are fewer games per season than other sports, there are fewer opportunities for error.
In addition, bets involving small colleges, where linemakers are more prone to make mistakes, can be especially lucrative.
Safest Sports to Bet On
The safest sport to bet on is the NFL. Since there are fewer teams than in other sports and they only play once a week, your bankroll can last longer.
Another reason why the NFL is the safest sport to bet on is that this sport, more than any other, is loaded with useful stats and other excellent handicapping tools that can significantly improve your chances of winning. You also have a whole week to study and prepare for your next wagers.
College football is also only played once a week and has a relatively short season. However, there are far too many teams to adequately track all of them. Careful money management is essential, including avoiding the temptation to bet on too many games or just because you want to watch a game on TV.
Easiest Sport to Bet On
The wealth of valuable published information and handicapping aids also makes the NFL the easiest sport to bet on.
Baseball, on the other hand, is a tough sport to handicap. Here are several reasons why.
- The much longer season and new betting opportunities virtually daily can strain your budget.
- Runline bets are by far the most popular in this sport. While the odds are heavily influenced by starting pitcher matchups, even the best pitchers can have an off day, and many other factors can also affect the results.
- Due to the lack of parity in the league, many games might look like a mismatch on paper. But betting prohibitive favorites can be very risky to your bankroll. The better team does not always win.
NHL betting can also be challenging. The ability to make money from hockey betting is contingent on having a thorough understanding of the game, which most novice bettors lack.
