Sports betting is one of the most popular forms of gambling, and it’s no wonder why. With so many different sports to bet on, there’s something for everyone. And with the advent of online sports betting, it’s now easier than ever to get in on the action.
So, which sports are the most popular for sports betting? Let’s take a look at a few of the top contenders.
Football
Football is easily one of the most popular sports to bet on. It’s a fast-paced and exciting sport that always has the potential for upsets. There are also a lot of different ways to bet on football, from simple moneyline bets to more complex bets like parlays and prop bets.
Basketball
Basketball is another popular sport for betting, especially during the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament, more commonly known as March Madness. This single-elimination tournament always provides plenty of upsets, which makes for great betting opportunities. There are also many professional basketball leagues around the world, such as the NBA and Euroleague, which offer plenty of betting action.
Baseball
Baseball may not be as popular as it once was, but it’s still a major sport when it comes to sports betting. The long season provides bettors with plenty of opportunities to make money, and there are many different ways to bet on baseball, from moneyline bets to futures bets.
Hockey
Hockey is another sport that isn’t as popular as it once was, but it’s still a major force in sports betting. Like baseball, there are many different ways to bet on hockey, and the long season provides bettors with plenty of opportunities to make money.
Tennis
Tennis is a bit of a sleeper when it comes to sports betting. It doesn’t get as much attention as some of the other sports on this list, but it’s still a major force in the sports betting world. There are four Grand Slam tournaments each year, and many other smaller tournaments throughout the year. This provides bettors with plenty of opportunities to make money.
NFL in Sports Betting
The National Football League is the most popular sport in the United States. It is also one of the most bet on sports in the world. NFL betting is a billion dollar industry and there are many ways to bet on the games.
The most common way to bet on NFL games is through the point spread. The point spread is the number of points that the oddsmakers believe that one team will win or lose by. The favorite is the team that is expected to win and they will have a minus sign next to their number. The underdog is the team that is expected to lose and they will have a plus sign next to their number.
For example, let’s say that the New England Patriots are playing the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots are favored to win by 7 points. That means that if you bet on the Patriots, they must win by more than 7 points for you to win your bet. If they win by exactly 7 points, then it is a push and your bet is returned. If they lose by any amount, then you lose your bet.
The point spread is not the only way to bet on NFL games. You can also bet on who will win the game outright. This is called a moneyline bet and it is simply picking one team to win the game. The odds for moneyline bets are usually much higher than point spread bets because there is more risk involved.
For example, let’s say that the Patriots are playing the Dolphins again but this time the Patriots are only favored to win by 3 points. The odds on the Patriots winning outright may be -150 meaning that you would have to risk $150 to win $100. On the other hand, the odds on the Dolphins winning outright may be +130 meaning that you would only have to risk $100 to win $130.
In addition to betting on who will win or lose, you can also bet on how much they will win or lose by. This is called the over/under bet and it is simply picking whether the final score will be over or under a certain number set by the oddsmakers.
For example, let’s say that the over/under for the Patriots vs Dolphins game is 47.5 points. If you bet on the over, then you are predicting that the final score will be 48 or more points. If you bet on the under, then you are predicting that the final score will be 47 or less points.
NFL betting can be a lot of fun and there are many ways to do it. The most important thing is to make sure that you understand all of the risks involved before placing any bets.
NBA in Sports Betting
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the preeminent men’s professional basketball league in North America, and is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world. It has 30 teams, and is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the national governing body for basketball in the United States. The NBA is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, which also includes Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Hockey League (NHL).
The NBA was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association on August 3, 1949, after merging with its rival organization, the National Basketball League (NBL). The NBA’s regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. Its playoffs extend into June. NBA players are among the world’s best-paid athletes by average annual salary per player.
The league’s history dates back to the founding of the National Basketball League in 1937. The NBL began as an 8-team Eastern league that competed with the established Midwest Basketball Conference. On August 3, 1949, representatives of the 12 NBL franchises—the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, Minneapolis Lakers, Rochester Royals, Tri-Cities Blackhawks, Denver Nuggets, Indianapolis Olympians, Sheboygan Red Skins, Waterloo Hawks, Syracuse Nationals, Tri-Cities Stags, Cleveland Rebels and Pittsburgh Ironmen—met to finalize a merger with the BAA. At that meeting, it was also decided that the first game of the NBA’s inaugural season would be played in Toronto between the Royals and New Yorkers on November 1, 1946.
The original NBA teams were:
Boston Celtics Buffalo Bisons Chicago Stags Cleveland Rebels Detroit Falcons Indianapolis Olympians Minneapolis Lakers New York Knickerbockers Philadelphia Warriors Pittsburgh Ironmen Providence Steamrollers St. Louis Bombers Washington Capitols
The first game in NBA history was played on November 1, 1946 between the New York Knicks and the Toronto Huskies at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. The Knicks won that game by a score of 68-66. The BAA became the NBA after merging with its rival league, the National Basketball League (NBL), in 1949. The newly merged league had seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities, as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums and armories. In 1950, the NBA consolidated to eleven franchises, a process that continued until 1953–54 when the league reached its smallest size of eight franchises: New York, Boston, Philadelphia/San Francisco, Minneapolis/Los Angeles, Rochester/Fort Wayne, Syracuse/ Tri-Cities/Milwaukee/Sheboygan/Waterloo. From 1966 to 1974 only nine teams played in the NBA Finals. After 1974 ten teams from each conference made it to post season play by winning their division or receiving a wild card berth.
Between 1949 and 1961 there were eleven teams in the league; by 1974 there were 18 teams; and as recently as 1984 there were 22 teams. In an effort to ensure competitive balance among all teams as well as generate additional revenues for cash-strapped owners during lean economic times, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced a plan in December 2011 to reduce the number of teams in the league to 30. This move was supported by then-deputy commissioner Adam Silver who stated that “the optimal number of teams for us is 30.” In February 2012 it was reported that contraction talks had ceased and no immediate plans were in place to reduce team numbers; however contraction is still considered a long-term possibility if certain conditions arise such as high player salaries and/or poor economic conditions throughout North America. The following table shows franchise changes since 1949:
Franchise City Joined Left/Disbanded Atlanta Hawks Atlanta 1949 Present Baltimore Bullets Baltimore 1949-1950 Present (as Washington Wizards) Boston Celtics Boston 1946 Present Buffalo Bisons Buffalo 1946-1947 1947-1948 (disbanded) Chicago Stags Chicago 1946-1949 1949 (disbanded) Chicago Zephyrs Chicago 1963-1963 1963-1964 (moved to Baltimore; now Washington Wizards) Cincinnati Royals Cincinnati 1957-1972 1972-1973 (moved to Kansas City; now Sacramento Kings) Cleveland Cavaliers 1970-Present Cleveland 1970 Present Denver Nuggets Denver 1948 Present Detroit Falcons Detroit 1946 1947 Detroit Pistons Fort Wayne 1948 1957 Fort Wayne Pistons Fort Wayne 1941 1948 Golden State Warriors Philadelphia 1946 1962 Houston Rockets San Diego 1967 1971 Indiana Pacers 1971-Present Indianapolis 1971 Present Indianapolis Olympians Indianapolis 1949 1951 Kansas City Kings Kansas City 1957 1985 Los Angeles Clippers Buffalo 1970 1978 Los Angeles Lakers Minneapolis 1946 Present Memphis Grizzlies Vancouver 1995 2001 Miami Heat Miami 1988 Present Milwaukee Bucks 1968 Present Milwaukee Hawks Milwaukee 1949 1955 Minneapolis Lakers Minneapolis 1947 1960 Minnesota Timberwolves Minneapolis 1989 Present New Jersey Nets New York 1976 2012 New Orleans Hornets Charlotte 1988 2002 New Orleans Pelicans Charlotte 2002 2005 New York Knicks New York 1946 Present New York Nets New York 1968 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder Seattle 1967 2008 Orlando Magic Orlando 1989 Present Philadelphia 76ers Syracuse 1946 1963 Philadelphia Warriors Philadelphia 1946 1962 Phoenix Suns 1968 Present Portland Trail Blazers Portland 1970 Present Providence Steamrollers Providence 1946 1949 Rochester Royals Rochester 1949 1957 Sacramento Kings Cincinnati 1957 1985 San Antonio Spurs Dallas 1967 1973 San Diego Clippers Buffalo 1970 1978 San Diego Rockets Houston 1967 1971 Seattle SuperSonics Seattle 1967 2008 St Louis Bombers St Louis 1946 1950 St Louis Hawks Milwaukee 1949 1955 Syracuse Nationals Syracuse 1946 1963 Toronto Raptors Vancouver 1995 2001 Tri Cities Blackhawks Davenport 1946 1951 Utah Jazz New Orleans 1974 1979 Vancouver Grizzlies Vancouver 1995 2001 Washington Bullets Baltimore 1963 1973 Washington Capitols Washington 1946 1950 Washington Wizards Baltimore 1963 1973 Waterlooh Hawks Waterloo 1949 1951
