The added layer of anticipation froꦆm placing a sports bet and the potential for a winning payout can increase your enjoyment of watching matches and events. With such a wide range of sports to choose from, you're spoiled for choice when you fancy a flutter. Buckle up as we walk you through the best sports to bet on, and recommend the top operators for each one.
Introducing Our List of Best Sports for Betting
🐭 Maximise your betting experience by having a punt on sports that gauge your interest. With sports events happening year-round, you can always dip into major tour🅷naments with a calculated punt while gaining insights into sports and their strategies.
Let's have a look at what we 💛consider to be the 10 best sports for betting.
1. Football — Nets Vast Choice of Markets
Football is the most popular sport in the world, both to watch and bet on. Although backing your favourite team seems the obvious bet as you possess knowledge about them, your bets should always be calculated. The biggest mistakes football punters make is not knowing about the opposition, and placing a wager by following thei🐷r heart or relying on 🎃gut instinct.
The football market is colossal, with leading bookmakers offering vast variety and many providing livestreaming for top games, which makes it the best sport to bet on globally. It is wise to scrutinise the stats of teams, head coaches, players and even referees before placing any pre-match bets.
Opting for in⛄-play punts will save you from having to research any data because you can watch how the match unfolds over 90 minutes, and respond with a bet. The bookies will flash up graphics and stats as the game progresses to help steer you towards making a choice of what to place a stake on.
We provide a wide selection of statistics on clubs, players and referees, which include data-driven predictions, courtesy of Kickform.com.
- High limits for football bets
- Perfect for in-play betting
- Team sport, so a less risky bet than individual sports
- Overwhelming choice of football markets
Notable Markets
1X2: This final result bet allows you back a single team to either win or draw their match, with three possible outcomes — 1 fo🅠r a home team win,⛦ X for a draw and 2 for an away team victory.
Both Teams To Score (BTTS): These bets are unique to football𒉰, and are based on both teams finding the back of thജe net during a game.
Over/Under Goals: Total goals is the most popular Over/Under football betting market, and bookmakers offer predetermined figures for you to have a flutter on — Over/Under 1.5 goals, 2.5 goals, and 3.5 goals.
TPP’s Recommendation for Football Betting
bet365 is on the ball for football betting with constantly generous prices for a vast selection of markets. There are Bet Builders and an ACCA Boost (up to 100%) available for certain top-club games and internationals. Among their outstanding features for football matches are their livestreaming options and impressive bet365 Match Live service, which displays real-time graphics and stats to help make in-play🐭 betting💞 straightforward.
2. Horse Racing — Optimism To Back Outsiders
Most horse races tend to be tight, and there are usually upsets. This makes it exciting to bet on, yet trickier to predict a winner. As there are plenty of betting options and fast outcomes, horse racing is🎃 suitable for both beginners and seasoned punters who can enjoy livestreaming from top bookmakers.
Beginners tend to bet on individual races by picking a horse to pass the finishing line first. Advanced bettors will place a stake on multiple races and/or outcomes. Our team of reliable horse racing tipsters provide you with knowledgeable insights with their horse racing betting tips.
Before having a flutter, take into consideration the weather conditions on race day and vital information about the horse — age, form, weight, and favoured distance. The secret to success is to learn bankroll management, and only place a wager when you have a strong conviction from studyi💖ng stats and utilising your knowledge of the horses, jꦦockeys, trainers, and tracks.
- Diverse wagering markets
- Long-shot horses can win races
- Swift betting outcomes
- Calculated bets require research
Notable Markets
Forecast Bet: Predicting the h💖orses to finish𓂃 as winner and runner-up.
Trixie: Comprises three selections and four bets ⭕— three doubles and a treble. A minimum of two selections must win to guaran༒tee a return.
Yankee: Combination of four selections and 11 bets — six doubles, four trebles, and a four-fold. A minimum of two selections mu🔴st win to guarantee you a return.
TPP’s Recommendation for Horse Racing Betting
Ladbrokes offers the best markets and some u🦂nique options for UK and Irish horse racing. This includes Best Odds Guaranteed from 8am on the day of the race. If the starting price is bigger than your odds, then the operator pays out at the higher odds. There is a plethora of betting markets to have a punt on, including each way, race winner, winning distance, and winning jockey.
3. Tennis — Serves Up Shock Results
Tennis always springs up some surprises as it is an individual sport, and each tournament will have vocal courtside fans rooting for their favourites. Researching stats — especially head-to-head data and the type of surface that suits each player — is important before placing any tennis bets, and you may unearth an underdog 🎉with generous odds to ♒place a punt.
Take advantage of livestreaming from numerous tournaments for in-play betting on individual games, when the momentum co♋uld swing from one player to another. There are always plenty of markets widely available.
If choosing an Outright Winner seems🔯 risky, you can always bet on who will reach the final at lower odds. This type of wager will maintain your interest in the tournament — unless you pick a player who loses before the final.
- High volume of data and stats to analyse
- Ideal for in-play betting
- Top players are often handed byes at some events
- Unpredictable results
Notable Markets
Match Betting/Match Result: Pick a mat😼ch winner from the two opponents. It is best to first check out the📖ir head-to-head results.
Set Betting: There are two different formats for s🔴et betting, namely the outcome of the number of sets contested and a wager on a player to win a sp👍ecific set (referred to as a Set Winner bet).
Tournament Winner: Placing a⭕ bet on an O𓆏utright Winner will see the odds dramatically alter as a tournament progresses.
TPP’s Recommendation for Tennis Betting
BetVictor is one of the best places to bet on sports. It is really an ace throughout the tennis season for fabulous odds and a vast array of tennis markets. The bookie nets interest in the four Grand Slam events♑, with Wimbledon attracti༺ng the most attention. It regularly offers enhanced odds, courtesy of their Bet Boost, for certain tournaments. BetVictor provides tennis livestreaming, enhanced accumulators and Trending Bets that indicate when prices are changing.
4. Cricket — Substantial All-Rounder
Cricket is a complex sport with numerous betting markets aside from an Outright match, Test series,🦩 or tournament winner. A Completed Match bet is about making a wager on whether the game will be completed on that day, or if it will end in no result, which happens when enough overs don't get bowled to provide a full match. This isn't the same as a tie, where they get the same number of runs.
The Over/Under markets, Most Run Outs, Team of Top Bowler, and Team of Top Batman are popular team punts. Backing who will win the coin to❀ss is more of a gamble, with a 50/50 chance of꧅ winning.
Betting on individual players gets you thinking differently about cricket as a player-centric sport instead of team-based. Backing the top batsman (most runs), top bowler (most wickets), Man of the Match winner, and the highest opening partnership are popular wagers. These markets require a keen eye for the fine details and make cricket arguably the best sport to bet on.
- Extensive markets, many with generous odds
- Plenty of in-play options
- Quick outcomes for T20 league matches
- Test matches can be too long to follow
Notable Markets
TPP’s Recommendation for Cricket Betting
Betway is a premier operator when it comes to offering a great range of betting markets💃 on cricke▨t, whether an international competition or a domestic game in England. There are always great offers available on Betway, such as free bets on top of excellent cricket betting odds for pre-match, outrights, and in-play.
5. Rugby — Tackles Trio of Formats
🎃Rugby is increasing in popularity, both as a spect🧸ator sport and among bettors. Both Rugby League (13 players in a team) and Rugby Union (15 players) have similar formats over the 80-minute matches, but there will be different points for conversions, drop goals, penalty kicks, and tries. There is also Rugby Sevens (seven players), with punters interested in the Hong Kong Sevens and World Rugby Seven Series.
Like any team sport, there are plenty of betting markets for rugby. It is rare for games🧸 to finish in a draw, as it is a high-scoring and intense game that is iไdeal for Over/Under betting.
Tournaments, like the Six Nations and the World Cup, are when occasional bet🍌tors tend to use their heart rather than their head to place a stake on the Outright Winner, Team To Score First Try, and Top Try Scorer.
- Action is easy to follow
- Numerous international games and tournaments
- Wide range of markets
- Fast pace makes stats tricky to use effectively
Notable Markets
Anytime Try Scorer: Picking a player toꦡ score a try during the match. A low odds, low-risk wager.
First Try Scorer: Bಞacking which player will cross the try line first, which can offer reasonably higher odds as it is tricky to predict.
Half-Time/Full Time: A ꦇ𓂃single bet on two outcomes, which team will be leading at half-time and which side is the winner at the final whistle.
TPP’s Recommendation for Rugby Betting
A huge array of interesting rugby betting markets and consistently favourable odds are delivered with aplomb from sportingbet. Their standout feature for the oval ball game is the intricate details and insights provided for each match, courtesy 💮of stats and live updates.
6. Greyhounds — Fast Out of the Trap
Greyhound racing brims with excitement, and the final result is determined in a matter of seconds after the race starts. Placing a wager on the winner is the ultimate dog betting market, but stats should be studieﷺd to make an informed wager.
You can also choose a combination forecast of the first two dogs home in a race. If you are chasing higher odds, then you need to select the correct order of the greyhounds to finish first and🀅 second. While it's possible to back a greyhound each-way in every race, bookies usually only pay out at a quarter of the odds on the dog that finishes runner-up.
It is advisable to research the running style, speed, stamina, and pre-race stats for each greyhound, as well as their favoured traps. There are early pacers (who break fast from the start), middling pace (dogs that avoid initial traffic before going hell for leather), and the stayers (who ha🥃ve strong endurance).
- Combination bets
- Rapid final result
- Straightforward stats to study
- The trap number will always influence a race result
Notable Markets
Odd/Even Trap: Bet on the winner comi🦂ng from an odd or even trap number is a 5🦹0/50 gamble.
Tricast: Having a flutter on a trio🌼 of dogs for a one-two-three finish in any order.
Place Insurance: This 🍸is when you get your stake back if the greyhound you picked finishes second or third.
TPP’s Recommendation for Greyhounds Betting
As Coral sponsors numerous dog tracks, it is no surprise that they offer highly competitive fixed-odd prices for greyhound races. Coral provides a vast variety of greyhound betting markets with daily meetings in the UK on top of gl💎obal dog races, which include Australia and Ireland. If Coral has the odds for a UK dog race, then they will provide livestreamin🅰g.
7. Martial Arts — Punching Chance on Fights
Martial arts betting covers a variety of combat sports such as boxing, including Brazilian jiu🅺-jitsu, judo, karate, kickboxing, Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, and wrestling. Thorough research on strengths, weaknesses, and recent performances of fighters alongside strategic betting should pay dividends.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights are extremely popular with punters, and the U𒅌FC has a constant flow of combat fights if you fancy a flutter. Just a single error can change the course of the contest, which makes these fights unpre🌺dictable.
Boxing matches are usually high-profile, so betting tends to be about big rivalries, comeback fights, and title battles. It is advisable to study how fighters behave at their press events andᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ weigh-ins. Also consider that the decisions by judges can make or break a close fight.
- Can be some erratic results
- Quick outcome
- Wide range of data and stats available
- General lack of livestreaming
Notable Markets
Method of Victory: Betting on the way a fighter trium𝕴phs, because with combat sports there are always plenty of methods to register a win.
Outright Winner: Backing which fighter will succeed, although odds will b🌸e low for the favou﷽rite.
Round Betting: Choosing which𒉰 round the fight will come to a conclusion.
TPP’s Recommendation for Martial Arts Betting
The Pools deliver the knockout punch to many online sportsbook rivals for fight nights, including Bet Boosts.♑ Offers consistently competitive odds and superb coverage for a plethora of martial arts betting markets, including superb MMA/UFC options.
8. Esports — Ultimate for Skill & Strategy
Esports betting is one of t꧅he fastest growi💜ng ways to bet on sports, and perfect if you fancy a flutter on the adrenaline-fuelled arena of games. Incr🔯edible feats of skill and strategy have♛ attracted a whole new legion of fans to sports betting.
Professional gamers compete in lucrative esports tournaments with prize pools ♕that can runไ into multi-millions and billions wagered on the outcome.
It's best to initially stick to fa🔯miliar esports games that offer cutting-edge💜 action and value bets. The interest in betting options is tailored towards 5v5 gameplay events, which include Dota 2, Overwatch 2, and Valorant.
- Generous odds up for grabs
- High entertainment value
- Vast range of events and markets
- Selecting the winning team is tricky
Notable Markets
Fantasy Betting: Picking a roster and gaining points based on different achievemen🏅ts.
First Blood/Kill Betting: Predicti💟ng which team will draw the first🐼 blood or make the initial kill.
Map Winner Betting: Choosing w𝓀hich team will win a specified map, rather than winning the whole match.
TPP’s Recommendation for Esports Betting
Parimatch offers a competitive selection of esports betting options and esports markets — esports games, first person shoot ‘em up games, and real-💫time strategy/battle arena type games. A key feature of Parimatch is that you can pick from your choice of odds formats to bet on esports that includes American, British, European, Hong Kong, Indonesian, and Malaysian.
9. Golf — Teeing up the Tournaments
Golf offers numerous betting strategies, including head-to-head match-ups and the outri꧃ght tournament winner. As so man🌞y players are chasing top honours, there are significantly long prices available and the opportunity for an outsider to triumph.
The slow pace of the game allows you time to scrutinise the readily available stats from bookies (players form,ꦰ course history, and head-to-head) as golf really is a data-driven sport, and you'll want to idenꦚtify value bets.
In-play wagers are perfect for golf tournaments as they are generally competed over days, wit♊h the winner not decided until the last round has been completed.
- Long odds and big potential payouts
- Odds can change dramatically as tournaments progresses
- Wide variety of betting markets
- Large fields in tournaments can make it difficult to pick a winner
Notable Markets
Leader After the First Round: Wagering on 𓄧the player who will lead the tournament after the first round, which tends to offer good odds🦩.
Outright Winner: Betting on either the winner of a specific day 💦or the overall tournament champion, with odds usually being favಌourable.
Top Finish: Backing the top finish markets offers diffeওrent variations, such as top 5, top 10, and top 20.
TPP’s Recommendation for Golf Betting
bwin golf betting markets are vast, and this bookie heavily promotes Outright bets on the winner of tournaments, alongside their wealth of in-pla📖y offerings. You can place a wager on smaller events (such as PGA) and the elite events. The scope of their boosts and specials gives them an advantage over rival operators.
10. American Football — On the Ball for Long-Term Bets
The much-hyped, razzamatazz of the annual NFL Super Bowl is the epitome of American🐲 Football. Yet, College Football and the🌼 Canadian Football League (CFL) also feature with top online sportsbooks.
Leading up to the Super Bowl, held every February, there are months of NFL bets on offer with Outrights proving particularly popular for individual matches and long-term punts. Many bets are the perfect way to get you invested in the entire 💯series ಌof NFL games rather than only one contest.
There is much more to NFL bett🔯ing than just backing a team to w☂in. As the NFL is a highly tactical league, the bookies provide punters with extensive stats to display vital information on players, teams, head coaches, and form. NFL match betting is ideal for newcomers to the sport, because it is a straightforward punt on which team 🌃will win a game.
- Copious stats to scrutinise
- Extensive markets with broad appeal
- Long-term bets maintain punters interest
- Can be short odds for favourite team
Notable Markets
NFL Match Winner: A wager on one team✅ to win is easy, as draws are scarce until the playoffs. Bookmakers offer an NFL ꦗmatch bet of overtime when the teams are level after regular time.
NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP): Placꦰing a long-term gamble on who wins the MVP at the end of the season.
NFL Highest Points Scored: Betting on a p🌠layer to finish with the most points from a match, most likely to be a quarterback or a wide receiver.
TPP’s Recommendation for American Football Betting
Matchbook is a betting exchange. This operator puts you in control to set favourable odds and play directly against others in the NFL sports markets, which feature impreꦛssive cash-out and in-play options.
There are exceptionally🐎 good Podcast Tips for NFL betting, and their customer support is top-notch despite not being available 24/7.
What Makes a Sport the Best To Bet on?
Sports demand a global appeal, bringing excitement to supporters and bettors. Watching the action unfold th🐲rough livestreaming offers you the edge to idenꦏtify critical moments during a match to place a wager.
Here are s♑ome essential elements we look for when it come🅷s to strategy and objective for sports betting:
Availability
Some bookies cover niche markets, while others stick to the more mainstream sports. If you have knowledge of some lesser-k𝓰nown sports and fancy a flutter, it is advisable to sign up with an operator who can maintain your interest in these by offering suitable betting options.
Market Variety
You can place numerous 🐼other types of sports bets aside from the outright winner. Bookm🔯akers get creative with their markets to provide punters with new ways of understanding their favourite sports and to satisfy the needs of the most demanding bettors.
Odds Quality
A comparison of betting odds is imperative to enhance your potential payouts from having a wager. Unless you are choosing to back an outsider, then long-term bets on team sports like American Football, crick✤et🃏, and football can all prove highly profitable. The uncertainty of who can triumph makes golf, greyhounds, and horse racing an intriguing punt.
Research
Smart bets, outside in-play wagers, are only possible if you undertake research. Stats are a terrific tool for making calculated bets, and top bookmakers provide excellent🍷 insights th🎐rough graphics, trends, and detailed data. Keep up to date about any sports events in respect of injuries, tactics and, of course, the weather conditions.
Promotional Opportunities for Sports Betting
Top bookmakers will constantly be trying to attract new players through a bonus and promo. We have exclusive betting offers with our trusted partners of leading online sportsbooks. Always check the wagering requirements in the terms and conditions before you sign up for any free bets or betting promo codes.
These are the most popular betting offers:
You place an accumulator of at least two markets to receive a cash boost to any potential winnings.
You trigge📖r🐻 bonus bets after wagering a specific amount with your first bet.
Your depos꧒it is matched by the bookmaker to place a larger bet.
🅘Promo that automatically pays out your bet as thouಞgh it was a winning wager.
When the bookie offers you unique odds as a promotional offer.
When you are offered betting credit, ꧑which will go into your betting account.
Wh𝐆en you are offered money back from your stake, which will be a partial or full refund o🌠f your losing bet.
One-time promotion only available to a new customer. You can claim 🤪welcome offers from various sports🌌books.
What Makes a Specific Sport Right for You?
Determining which sports are best suited to you depends on a wealth of factors. You must decide whether you want to back adrenaline-pumping sports like football and rugby or can patiently wait for the final result over a long per💝iod of time for outcomes from golf and tennis.
All sports tend to offer markets for both short-term and long-term bets. You should also consider whether you🐼 feel comfortable with volatile odds or more predictable odds, which depends on whether you are a cautious bettor.
Here are some useful questions to guide 🌜you:
What sport(s) are you most knowledgeable about?
Being a fan of a certain player and/or team has an obvious flaw of bias, but the positive aspect is you are armed with knowledge. You need to do your research about the opposition to make🧜 an informed punt. To make your betting experience enjoyable, it is advisa🍬ble to kick off with straightforward markets.
What sport(s) are you most passionate about?
Sports bettingꩲ should gauge your interest and be about enjoying your favourites, which will ultimately increase the entertainment value by placing a punt on the outcome.
Are you seeking high profits?
If you are chasing the big bucks of sports that can reap a high profit margin, then you should consider sports that off𒈔er higher odds and potential payouts. The winning odds will always play a big part in you༒r success.
What kinds of markets interest you?
Different sports naturally have different kinds of markets, and there is generally a vast va♔riety to tailor your ✱bets.
Local or international events?
𓆏 You will wish to know whether the operator covers your favoured s⛎ports in the local and/or international arena.
How much does livestreaming matter to you?
Many leading bookies often offer livestreaming on some sports, with some Pay Per View options for other sports. With livestreaming, operators will most likely display graphics and stats, saving you time from scrutinising data yourself. Many sports are also televised, gi🦂ving you the chance to engage in live betting as the action unfolds.
How To Choose the Best Sport for You To Bet on
Before you dip into sports betting and pick the best sport to place a wager, it is important𓆉 to determine what your short-term and long-term goals are.
You may wish to make extra money, feel influenced because friends are gambling, or simply feel that♕ having a flutter will hike up the enjoyment of sports betting — especially through livestreaming.
Factors to consider before placing aܫ bet include the available mღarkets for certain sports, the popularity, offers, insights, and stats, as well as livestreaming for in-play wagers.
The Importance of Stats for Sports Betting
In-depth data is readily availa✤ble from bookmakers for most sports. The goal of online sports🦋books is to come up with accurate predictions to make a healthy profit.
Bookies build algorithms by combining betting transaction data, historic match stats, and statistical analysis. With access to most of this information, this has become a real game-changer for bettors. Properly poring over vital statistics and employing the knowledge from them to make calculated betting decisions increases your chances of scoring a winning bet. It also can eliminate an✤y personal bias towards any favourite players or teams.
Our football data available on TPP Stats Hub is a valuable tool to analyse performance stats. Mix in your personal knowledge about individual players, teams, head coaches, and officials to enhance your chances of success.
Are Some Sports Easier To Predict Than Others?
The unpredictability of sports is partly what makes it so exciting. Although some sports and their markets are highly complex, it it is the quality of the bet its🌊elf, rather than the sport, that ultimately determines your success.
Team sports can be more predictable due to the varied strengths and weaknesses 🌄of individual players, whereas sports like golf and tennis tend to be less predictable.
We suggest focusing on specific markets for particular sports to make betting enjoyable and entertaining. It is also advisable to formulate a solid sports betting strategy to identify market opportunities.
Out of Your Comfort Zone: Betting on Multiple Sports
Feel free to explore different bets and sports once you are familiar and confident with what each🀅 wager ♐means for your favoured sports betting. To potentially earn higher payouts, cautious bettors may wish to gradually increase the size of their stake, whereas confident punters could try their luck on an Accumulator or Bet Builder.
When you venture out of your comfort zone for sports betting, any favourable odds can sway your selection process. Always question your pick if your pref𓆏erred bet is an outsider and there is no evidence to suggest that your wager is nothing more than a long-shot gamble.
The smartest bets devised will be down to knowledge, research and strategy ratꩲher than a gut instinct. These factors play🦋 a key role in how you should choose the sport to bet on.
The PuntersPage Final Say
Successful sports betting requires knowledge, skill, and strategy, but above all, enjoyment should be your top priority. A well-placed bet adds to the 𓆏experience and creates a personal investment in the outcome of a match. Whether you prefer regularly backing heavy favourites or using logic to uncover promising markets and attractive odds from leading bookmakers, the cho🐷ice is yours.
FAQs
Mꦅainstream sports are always available t✤o bet on, with numerous niche sports also offered.
Football is the num🃏ber one sport in the world to watch and place a wager on. Explore sports you're passionate about to place a bꦰet on.
Team sports are the easiest 🌠sports to bet on for an outright winner.
If you have successfully backed the correct final outcome, then you will win your sports bet. Sports can be unpredictable, however, doing your stats research beforehand will help you make more informed bet🍌s and increase your chances of winning.
Bookmakers vary according to the sports that you wish to bet on, but bet365 is arguably the world’s leading online ꦍgambling coꦓmpany.
Online sportsbooks offer intuitive apps that are rich in features, however, kwiff is the only betting app where your odds could dra🔴matically improve thanks to their supercharged odds.