The added layer of anticipation from placing a sports bet and the potential for a winning payout caꦏn increase your enjoyment of watching matches and events. With such a wide range of sports to c🍌hoose 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 ca💞n always dip into major tournaments with a calculated punt while gaining insights into sports and their strategies.
Let's have a look at what we c𝓀onsider to be the 10 best sports for betting.
1. Football — Nets Vast Choice of Markets
Football is the ꦛmost popular sport in the world, both tꦑo 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 their 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 ജpossible outcomes — 1 for 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 football, and are based on both teams findingꩵ the back of the🔯 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, whiꦍch disp𒊎lays 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 fro🎃m 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 considerati🅠on the weather conditions on race day and vital information about the horse — age, form, weigꦿht, and favoured distance. The secret to success is to learn bankroll management, and only place a wager when you have a strong conviction from studying stats and utilising your knowledge of the horses, jockeys, trainers, and tracks.
- Diverse wagering markets
- Long-shot horses can win races
- Swift betting outcomes
- Calculated bets require research
Notable Markets
Forecast Bet: Preꦬdicting the horses🐲 to finish as winner and runner-up.
Trixie: Comprises three selections and four bets — three doubles and a treble. A mi🐽nimum of two selections must win to guarantee a return.
Yankee: Combination of four selectionജs and 11 betsꦍ — six doubles, four trebles, and a four-fold. A minimum of two selections must win to guarantee you a return.
TPP’s Recommendation for Horse Racing Betting
Ladbrokes offers the b💫est markets and some unique 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 ꦆhigher 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 🌠generouꦓs odds to place a punt.
Take advantage of 🔯livestreaming from numerous tournaments for in-play betting on individual games, when the momentum could 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 ౠodds. 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 match winner from the two ♛opponents. It is best to first check out their head-to-head results.
Set Betting: There are♚ two different formats for set betting, namely the outcome of the number o♛f sets contested and a wager on a player to win a specific set (referred to as a Set Winner bet).
Tournament Winner: Placi꧂ng a bet on an Outright Winner will see the odds dramatically alterꦓ 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 attracting the most attention. It regularly offers enhanced odds, courtesy of their Bet Boost, for certain tournaments. Be𒆙tVictor provides tennis livestreaming, enhan🌃ced 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 onꦐ that da𝕴y, 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 toss is more of a gamb🌠le, with a 50/50 chance of ཧwinning.
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 be🍨tting markets on cricket, whether an international competition or a domestic game in England. There are alwa𒉰ys 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 spectator 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 Rugb𒆙y Seven Series.
Like any team sport, there are plenty of betting markets for rugby. It is rare for games to finish in a draw, a✨🐻s it is a high-scoring and intense game that is ideal for Over/Under betting.
Tournaments, like the Six Nations and the World Cup,🌃 are when occasional bettors tend to use their hea🐈rt 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 to score a try during the match. A low odds, lꦑow-risk wa𝄹ger.
First Try Scorer: Backing which player will cross the ♉try line first, which can offer reasonably higher odds as it is tricky to pred𒁏ict.
Half-Time/Full Time: A single bet on two outcomes, which team will be leadiꦅng at ha𝔉lf-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 bal🍸l game is the intricate details and in🉐sights 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 studied 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 nꦗeed 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 have strong endurance)𝔉.
- 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🏅 coming from an odd or even trap number is a 50/50 gamble.
Tricast: Having a flutter꧙ 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 s🥀econd or third.
TPP’s Recommendation for Greyhounds Betting
As Coral sponsors numerous dog tracks, it is ཧno 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 global dog races, which include Australia and Ireland. If Coral has the odds for a UK dog race, then they will provide livestreaming.
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 UFC has a constant flow of combat fights if you fa💜ncy a flutter. Just a single error can෴ change the course of the 🦩contest, which makes these fights unpredictable.
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 a🦹t their press events and 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 triumphs, because with combat sports there are always plenty of methods to🥀 register a win.
Outright Winner: Backing which fighter will succeed, although odds will be low for𝔉 the favourite.
Round Betting: Choosing which roun�ꦗ�d 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 con🅰sistently 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 bet⭕ting is one of the fastest growing ways to bet on sports, and perfect if you fancy a flutter on the adrenaline-fuelled arena of games. Incredible feats of skill and strategy have attracted a whole new legion ofജ fans to sports betting.
ꦑProfessional gamers compete in lucrative esports tournaments with prize pools that can run into multi-millions and billions wagered on the outcome.
It's best to initially stick to familiar esports games that offer cutting-edge action and value bets. The interest in betting options is tailore✱d towards 5v5 gameplay events, which include Dota 2, Overw✤atch 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 gain🔜ing points based on different achievements.
First Blood/Kill Betting: Predicting which team will draw the first blood or make the initi🍎al kill.
Map Winner Betting: Choosing which team will💞 win a specified map, rather than wiꦰnning the whole match.
TPP’s Recommendation for Esports Betting
Parimatch offers a competitive selectio♍n of esports betting options and esports markets — esports games, first p𓄧erson 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 outright tournament winner. As so many 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, course history, and head-to-head) as golf really is a data-driven sport, and you'll want to identify value bets.
In-play wagers are perfect for golf tournaments as they are generally competed over days, with the winner not decide♑d 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 the player who will lead the tournament after the f꧒irst round, which tends to o🍌ffer good odds.
Outright Winner: Betting on eith🌸er the winner of a specific day or the overall tournament champion, with odds usually being favourable.
Top Finish: Back🃏ing the top fi⛄nish markets offers different 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-play 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
Th൩e much-hyped, razzamatazz of the annual NFL Super Bowl is the epitome of American Football. Yet, College Football and the Canadian Footb𒉰all League (CFL) also feature with top online sportsbooks.
Leading up to the Super Bowl, held every February, there are mꦏonths of NFL bets on offer with Outrights proving particularly popular for individual matches and long-term ꦫpunts. Many bets are the perfect way to get you invested in the entire series of NFL games rather than only one contest.
There is much more to🌸 NFL betting than just backing a team to win. 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, becau🦋se it ဣis 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 t💟he playoffs. Bookm𒁃akers offer an NFL match bet of overtime when the teams are level after regular time.
NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP): Placing a long-term g🍬amble on who wi🀅ns the MVP at the end of the season.
NFL Highest Points Scored: Betting on a player to finish with the most points from a match, most likely to be a𓆉 q꧟uarterback 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 diไrectly against others in the NFL sports markets, which feature impressive 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, bringin🍰g excitement to supporters and bettor🅷s. Watching the action unfold through livestreaming offers you the edge to identify critical moments during a match to place a wager.
Here are some essential elements we look for when it comes to strategy and objective foꦰr sports betting:
Availability
Some bookies cover niche markets, while others stick to the more mainstream sports. If you have knowle🔥dge of some lesser-known sports and fancy a flutter, it is advisable to sign up with an operator who can maintain your interest ꦍin these by offering suitable betting options.
Market Variety
You can place numerous other types of sports bets aside from the outright winner. Bookmakers get creative with their markets to provide punters with new ways of un🔯derstanding their favourite sports and to satisfy the needs of the most demanding bettors.
Odds Quality
A compariꩲson 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, cricket, 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 through graphics, trends, and detailed data. Keep up to date about any sports events in respect of in🔥juries, 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 trigger 🐻bonus bets after wagering a specific amount with your 🀅first bet.
Your 🅘deposit is matched by the bookmaker to p🐭lace a larger bet.
Promo that automatically paysꦅ out your bet as✅ though it was a winning wager.
When the bookie offers you unique odds as a promotional offer.
When you are offered betting credit, which will go into your betting accoun💧t.
When you are offered money back from your stake, which will be a partial or full refund of your losing bet𝔉.
One-time promotion only available to a new customer. You can claim welcome offers from va📖rious sportsbooks.
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 period of time for outcomes from golf and tennis.
All sports tend to offer market𒐪s 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.
Hereౠ 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 advisable to kick 🌄off with straightforward markets.
What sport(s) are you most passionate about?
Sports betting should gauge your interest and be about enjoying your favourites, wꦓhich 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 should꧒ consider sports that offer higher odds and potential payouts. The winning odds will alwa🌠ys play a big part in your success.
What kinds of markets interest you?
Different sports n🌌aturally have different kinds of markets, and there is generally a vast variety to tailor your bets.
Local or international events?
You will wish to know whether the operator covers your favoured sports 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, savin♌g you time from scrutinising data yourself. Many sports are also te𝓰levised, giving 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 important to determin✃e what your short-term and long-te🦄rm 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 cons✨ider before placing a bet include the available markets for certain sports, the popularity, offers, insights, and stats, as well as livestreaming for in-pl❀ay wagers.
The Importance of Stats for Sports Betting
In-depth data is readily available from bookmakers for most sports. The goal of 🧸online sportsbooks is to come up withꦯ 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 any per📖sonal 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 qualit✤y of the bet itself, rather than t♔he sport, that ultimately determines your success.
Team sports can be more pred𒉰ictable due to the varied strengths and weaknesses of individual players, whereas sports like golf and tennis tend to be less predictab🐭le.
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 betto༒rs may wish to gradually increase the size of their stake, whereas confident punters could tryඣ 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 quest🍎ion your pick if your preferred bet is an outsider and there is no evidence to suggest that your wager is nothing more than a long-shot gambl♑e.
The smartest bets devised will be down to knowledge, research and strategy rather 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 experience 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 choice is yours.
FAQs
Mainstream sports are always availabl𝐆e to bet on, with numerous niche sports also offered.
Football is the number 🤡one sport in the world to watch and place a wager on. Explore sportsღ you're passionate about to place a bet on.
Team sports are the easiest sports to bet on for 🍷an outright winner.
If you have successfully ba💝cked 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 inf⛦ormed bets 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 o🐓nline gambling company.
Online sportsb🍸ooks offer intuitive apps that are rich in features, however, kwiff ⛎is the only betting app where your odds could dramatically improve thanks to their supercharged odds.