The world is jam-packed with sporting events, from the World Cup to the Baseball World Series. Luckily for Americans, some of the biggest sports events take place right here in the US.
There’s a major sport event almost every month. That means if you live in a state where sports gambling is legal, you have unlimited betting opportunities all year round. What are the most popular events for sports betting?
The Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is America’s favorite sporting event. Although it’s broadcasted in more than 200 countries, the SB attracts over 100m viewers in North America alone.
Unsurprisingly, Americans love to bet on the Super Bowl. According to Associated Sports, 22 million Americans spent $6 billion betting on Super Bowl LVI. In 2023, the amount could be as high as $8 billion.
What do people bet on in the SB? Obviously, the majority of punters predict the match winner. However, bets can be varied, especially the Super Bowl halftime show prop bets. These bets focus on the songs performed during the halftime show—the first song, the last song, or the duration of the performance.
You can place Super Bowl bets long before the game takes place. A case in point: sportsbooks have been accepting SB LVII bets since the 2022-23 season started. However, it’s in your best interest to wait until the two teams heading to the State Farm Stadium become clear. That way, all you will need is to compare the two sides’ records and power rankings to make an informed prediction.
March Madness
Sports fans around the US tend to disagree on what the second biggest sporting event in the US is. However, one thing is clear. March Madness is a big draw for gamblers.
In 2022, 45 million Americans placed bets worth $3.1 billion on the NCAA Final Four college basketball tournament. Interestingly, only a small fraction of people correctly predicts the final eight teams.
You see, the NCAA March Madness tournament converges 68 teams to fight for the NCAA Championship title. Each team plays a competitor once to progress. The competition takes place in three weeks, with only 16 teams progressing after the first week.
After the second week, there are usually eight teams in the competition. In the final weekend, these teams compete to determine the final four opponents.
Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby is one of the oldest sporting events in the US. First held in 1875, the Kentucky Derby is a darling for sports fans and bettors alike. It’s the most viewed horse racing competition in the country.
For non-horse racing fans, this tournament involves horses under the age of three years. For a horse to compete in the Kentucky Derby, it needs to earn enough points through a qualifying process. It must also be nominated to compete for the Triple Crown. The race takes place on a dirt main track that runs 1.25 miles long.
Last year, Kentucky Derby fans were treated to a rare victory when Rich Strike, given 80-1 odds ended up winning the event. Had you placed a $100 wager on the underdog, you could have walked away with an $8000 profit.
Daytona 500
First held in 1959, the Daytona 500 takes place every Florida in February. The Daytona 500 is the most-watched racing event in the US after overtaking the Indianapolis 500 way back in the 1990s.
Of course, Americans love to bet on popular sporting events. As such, the Daytona 500 is a common target for sports gamblers who want to make money on a car racing event.
The most exciting bit of this race is that winners are highly unpredictable. No one has won the competition in consecutive years since 1984. No wonder it’s famously called the “Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing.”
The NBA Finals
The NBA Finals brings together the best two teams in the league for a 7-match showdown. Except for a few occasions, the NBA finals are full of glitz and glam. Enthusiastic cheerleaders cheer up the thousands of fans who attend while celebrities and legendary players fill up front-row seats.
If you’re a sports betting fan, the NBA finals provide an excellent opportunity to bet on anything that can take place in the NBA. You can predict the winner of the first finals game. You can pick the overall champion or the top scorer.
You could also go with prop bets, predicting whether a player will get a technical foul or score more than a certain number of points.
The MLB World Series
The MLB World Series is one of the biggest sporting events in the country. In 2022, more than 50 million baseball fans watched the World Series, with roughly half of them placing a billion worth of bets.
Similar to the NBA, the baseball World Series culminates with two teams fighting for the Championship in a best of seven games. Most people spend their money trying to pick the winner.
Smart punters bet spreads, predicting both the winner and the margin of victory. People with a high-risk appetite go after props: total bases, hits, runs batted and strikeouts, to name a few.
The Golf Masters
The Golf Masters is not just the most popular golf event in the country, it’s the most popular tournament for golf betting fans. Its popularity means it brings together some of the best golf talents in the country.
Being one of the four golf majors, the Masters is pretty prestigious both for fans and golfers. The winner of each tournament not only gets a custom green jacket but they’re also invited to compete at the event each year for as long as they live. Of course, there’s also a $2m prize.
US Open Tennis
The US Open serves as the final grand slam event of the year. It takes place in late August and early September at one of the largest tennis stadiums in the world. It has experienced a few changes over the years, from a change in the stadium to new courts—grass, clay, and then hard courts.
Similar to many tennis events, the US Open isn’t a men-only affair. You can bet on both the men’s and women’s games. Bets range from match winners to game and set winners.