Sports betting is quickly entering it’s golden age in the 21st century. There are numerous sports on which to bet, and greater still the number of competing bookmakers vying for the loyalty of prospective gamblers. When looking for good sports betting opportunities, there are various factors to consider. They include profitability, availability, ease of predictions, betting options and individual knowledge.
- Profitability: this is self-explanatory. Some sports offer higher betting payouts than others, which depends on how challenging it is to make predictions.
- Availability: not all sports are played throughout the year. All-year sports provide obvious appeal to punters because they have more chances to make money.
- Ease of prediction: some games are easier to predict than others. Of course, where sporting outcomes are easier to predict, then the chances of losing bets (and therefore money) are lower. Nonetheless, there is a balance to be struck since easier predictions are generally less profitable.
- Betting options: these are also referred to as betting markets. Betting options are various types of outcomes that a punter is allowed to predict from any sports event. They include such things as Correct Score, FT/HT Score, Total Goals and so on.
- Individual knowledge: knowledge of the sport is absolutely crucial in sports betting. Sometimes the knowledge can be garnered organically through being an avid follower or fan of a sport. Punters who are not sports fans have to do prudent research in order to be able to make profitable picks. Generally, though, most sports gamblers will choose sports they are a fan of.
The above factors with may impact punters differently and to various degrees. This depends on individual betting cultures and experience levels as sports punters.
Best Sports Betting Opportunities
1. Soccer Betting
Soccer, by and large, remains the most popular sport in the world. On a planet with over 8,000 distinct sports, soccer has stood the test of time as the most followed and most spectated. Upwards of 3.5 people billion are hooked. This popularity is one of the reasons why soccer is the world’s favorite for sports betting. There’s professional soccer being played practically always, bringing with with a myriad of betting opportunities all year round. Great coverage of the sport ensures punters have good knowledge of leagues and players. That same popularity also means that the sport offers some of the best odds and therefore highest profitability compared to others. With top bookmakers competing to offer punters the best they can, odds are consistently high, especially for major events.
2. Tennis Betting
Tennis is the king among sports for individual athletes. Recent statistics suggest that tennis accounts for a fifth of all online sports betting revenue. The fact that Betfair alone posted $82 million worth of bets just on Andy Murray’s 2012 Wimbledon final is testament to how popular the game is among punters. Just like soccer, tennis has games available all year round. There’s around 1500 professional tournaments per year – and that’s just those recognized by the ITF (International Tennis Federation). In addition to availability of games, tennis’ popularity also means it is able to offer more diverse betting markets than other sports. Popular markets include match betting, handicaps, and over/under.
3. Horse Racing
Horse racing is regarded by many as best sports to bet on, despite not having soccer’s popularity. The wide coverage of the sport, plus extensive live streaming availability, has led credence to the notion that horse racing betting is the purest form of sports gambling there is.
Another huge attraction for punters is the huge number of bonuses and offers available around big horse races. Top bookies will often hold what they call a BOG (Best Odds Guaranteed) promotion where they strive to offer clients the most lucrative odds in the market. Capitalizing on these promos is prudent for any punter looking to maximize profit-making potential from sports betting.
