Sports Markets at US Betting Sites
US sports are huge around the world, but the biggest audience is right here at home, and betting sites in the US cater to those wanting to bet on the biggest leagues and events in the country. Here are some of the biggest markets for those looking to make moneyline wagers, bet on the spread, or find parlay or prop bet options.
Football
Dating back to 1869, football stands as the country’s most popular sport today in terms of broadcast viewership. Considered by some to be the most strategically advanced sport in the world, it’s no wonder it’s just as popular when it comes to sports betting, with the savviest bettors looking to make a tidy profit on a well-chosen pick.
The National Football League is where you’ll find the cream of the crop. A lightning-quick season sees just 17 regular-season games and then single-elimination playoff rounds. Despite this, the NFL has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world, and the Super Bowl is one of the biggest global betting events in the calendar.
The NFL is another good place for prop bets, with passes thrown, yards run, touchdowns made, and many other options on the table. You’ll find more tips and information on our football betting page.
Basketball
Often chaotic but never short of thrills, basketball sees two teams of five players vie for enough points to take the win when the clock draws to a close. It’s one of the most popular sports in the world, with a huge range of international games to bet on.
The National Basketball Association is the premier men’s league in the world, and here at home, it’s the third wealthiest professional league by revenue. The NBA sees big betting action all year round as games take place in the regular season, with a regular boost of interest around the All-Star Game.
However, it’s when the NBA playoffs begin that things really get interesting. Thanks to the smaller teams and individual nature of basketball as a sport, prop bets are particularly popular, with bettors placing over/under wagers on Steph Curry’s three-point shooting for a night, or whether CP3 will throw ten assists, for example.
Whether you want to wager on NBA, FIBA, or one of the other many leagues around the world, check out our guide to basketball betting and we’ll help you on your way.
Ice Hockey
Ice hockey is seen by many as a brutal sport, but those in the know appreciate the artistry of this beautiful game.
The National Hockey League, or NHL, is considered by most to be the top ranked professional league for ice hockey in the world. In fact, the Stanley Cup trophy, awarded to the playoff champion, is the oldest professional sports trophy in North America. 82 games played per team in the regular season results in more than 1,300 games in a little over half a year. This huge number of matches being played almost every day means parlay bets are a popular choice for NHL fans.
With a number of other leagues contested across the globe — and not forgetting ice hockey is one of the sports featured in the Winter Olympics — there’s no shortage of betting opportunities. You can find out more information about ice hockey sports betting on our dedicated page.
College Sports
In certain states, bets can only be made on college teams, while others don’t allow college sports betting at all. However, for those states that do allow NCAA betting, some games can be as big as the professional leagues. College football and basketball are particularly popular, but there’s plenty to sink your teeth into here.
March Madness is one of the busiest times of the year, with the likes of Duke, Kentucky, and Gonzaga always tempting people to bet on them to win it all. With competitions for all manner of sports, where do you begin? Whether it’s mainstays like hockey and baseball, or less popular sports like lacrosse, rowing, or track and field, US bettors are spoilt for choice.
Fantasy Sports
Think you’ve got the sporting knowledge and predictive prowess to come out on top? In fantasy sports, you can prove it. You’ll need to choose your team wisely — the number of points you get is based on their performance in real matches. Some leagues run over a full season, but daily fantasy sports has exploded in popularity since its introduction to the US by DraftKings and FanDuel. As of January 2022, DFS is legal in 45 states.
DFS takes the traditional format of fantasy sports, which was previously a season-long affair, and condenses it into a high-octane daily game. Players draft their fantasy roster of sportsmen and women and fight it out to win big daily prizes.
Soccer
With a World Cup returning to North America in 2026, a genuine excitement around the talent within the men’s side, and the best women’s team in the world, soccer in the US continues to grow.
This growth will be reflected in the soccer markets available at the best US betting sites, which covers the MLS, NWSL, and other less prestigious competitions here at home. Further afield, market coverage of all the biggest competitions from Europe and South America will be vast, with many sportsbooks accepting bets on matches in dozens of football-playing nations.
In-play and parlay betting is particularly popular with soccer fans, especially when game days frequently involve so many teams kicking off at the same time.
Horse Racing
Placing bets on horses has been a pastime in the US for centuries. Despite gambling on horse racing events being illegal at the time, there were said to be over 300 race tracks across the US at the end of the 19th century. It’s a sport that continues to flourish in the states, with the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes representing some of the biggest events in the global horse racing calendar.
Of course, the top horse racing betting sites provide great coverage of these races and smaller ones here at home, as well as other major events from around the world. Look out for odds boosts in the build-up to any significant races, and if horse racing is your betting sport, make sure you pick a sportsbook that offers best odds guaranteed.
Golf
The furore surrounding the establishment of the LIV Golf League has fractured the sport, and in turn has created a betting market with fascinating side plots and controversies. Opposition to the players that have joined the Saudi-backed division is loud, but will it make a difference to performances out on the course?
The US has always been blessed with great golfers: 12 of the world’s top 20 men’s players are American, with Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Will Zalatoris, Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa all currently inside the top 10. You can track their progress and others’ at the three major tournaments in the US: the Masters at Augusta, the US Open, and the PGA Championship. The sport’s only other major event is the British Open, which usually takes place at St Andrews in Scotland.
Again, best odds guaranteed on any pre-tournament golf selection is regularly available at the best US betting sites. Sportsbook bonuses also ramp up around the time of the Ryder Cup — a biannual competition that pits selected players from the US against the best from Europe.
Tennis
It’s a fascinating time to be a tennis fan, as the vacuum left by the sport’s three greatest ever players — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic — provides an opportunity for the establishment of a new world order. That is presuming that Nadal and Djokovic eventually hang up their racquets of course.
US betting sites get pretty excited in the build-up to the sport’s four major tournaments: the US Open in New York, the French Open in Paris, the Australian Open in Melbourne, and Wimbledon in London. You’ll come across plenty of bonuses and promotions during these events, but the best sportsbooks go much deeper than the biggest competitions, offering markets on smaller matches and tournaments too.
With tennis’s enduring popularity across the globe, you can more or less always guarantee that a match is taking place somewhere. This makes tennis another popular sport for in-play bettors.
Types of Bets
One of the great things about sports betting is its dynamism. At an online casino, the rules of play are clearly defined according to the game you’re playing, but at a sportsbook, you make your own rules. The types of wagers you’re able to place means that no two bet slips ever need to look the same — here are some of the most common sports bets.
Moneyline Bets
A moneyline wager is sports betting in its simplest form: picking the winner of the game. In an NHL game for example, both teams will have odds set in relation to the moneyline, with $100 used as a standard betting unit. The favorite will have a – in front of their odds, while the underdog will have a +.
Let’s say the Jets (-150) are facing the Coyotes (+150). To win $100 on a Jets victory, you’d need to wager $150; to win $100 on a Coyotes win, you’d need to wager $100. Where a draw is a possible result, the moneyline will cover this third option too.
Futures
As the name suggests, futures look beyond the outcome of a single match. These bets typically focus on season-long achievements, such as whether the Astros will defend their World Series crown.
Prop Bets
Short for proposition bets, these are wagers placed on the details within a game. For example, you might place a prop bet on Lamar Jackson to throw four touchdowns in the Ravens game.
Parlay Bets
Parlay bets combine the odds of multiple wagers into one bet slip. Each individual selection must come through if bettors are to win a parlay, but since the odds are multiplied together, potential winnings can rack up very quickly.
Spread Betting
Spread betting rewards bets that come in comfortably and punishes those that lose by a distance. For example, let’s say you’ve placed $10 on Giannis to score 35 points against the Lakers; you’ll win an additional $10 for every point he scores beyond 35, and lose an additional $10 for the opposite.
Totals
In this market, you’re making a prediction on a combined total in the match — whether that’s points, touchdowns, cards, or whatever else it may be. Totals is also known as the over/under market.