Did you know that gambling reaches far beyond just casinos and sportsbooks? If there’s an event, competition, or show for it, you can bet that there are people willing to take your bet on it.
Finding where to place your bet becomes a lot easier once you’ve determined what the best betting events are, and there are many. It could be a reality TV show finale, government election, or weather event – someone is out there waiting to take one side of it and put their money up against yours.
In a betting climate like that, it’s important to be able to filter the noise from the top events to bet on.
However, there are many events that have been around for a while, and methodology exists that can really give you a leg up when it comes time to place your bets. Let’s talk about those.
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Best Racing Events to Bet On
There are racing events of all sorts: horse racing, Formula 1, NASCAR, and motocross are just a few that you may be familiar with. Jumping into gambling on a racing event that you haven’t put study time into can end up being a race to see how fast you can lose your money, though.
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans has been held nearly every year since 1923 in Le Mans, France. As an endurance racing event that lasts a full 24 hours, you shouldn’t be too surprised at where the name comes from. This event is heralded as the “Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency” and is the oldest sports car race in the entire world.
So, why bet on Le Mans? To start, although it isn’t the most practical reason, it’s insanely fun. Betting on Le Mans will provide you with a 24-hour rollercoaster ride of excitement. Your car is going to go through ups and downs, and that itself is what some bettors are looking for.
Fun and games aside, betting on Le Mans comes in a variety of options that may interest you. Le Mans is up for bets in the form of futures, props, outright winner, top-three finish, head-to-head matchup, and live betting.
Such a wide range of options means that a wide range of bettors will have the potential to see success. If you’re particularly knowledgeable about a small set of cars in this year’s race, the head-to-head matchup option might interest you.
With track conditions that are unpredictable, drivers switching in and out, and a wealth of options to place your bets on, Le Mans is chaotic and interesting if nothing else. However, knowing this sport and mastering your options can earn you a massive payoff.
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby couldn’t be further on the other end of the spectrum from Le Mans. Lasting just two minutes, yet still one of the most exciting sporting events of the year, the Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the American Triple Crown and has been going strong ever since 1875.
Betting options for this horse-racing event include futures, props, outright winner, and then a few more interesting ones: place, show, exacta, and trifecta. These options can lead to some ridiculous payouts if you know what you’re doing.
The trifecta option is one of the most grueling in all of sports-related betting, requiring the bettor to accurately predict the horses to finish top three in their exact order. This option can be hedged by boxing the bet, which removes the requirement of predicting the exact placement order.
The exacta option operates the same as trifecta, just with the top two horses. Both of these options come with odds stacked massively against the bettor, but if you know your horses and have two minutes to spare, then you can really fatten your pockets.
Best Soccer Event to Bet On
As the largest sport in the world, it comes as no surprise that so many bettors are interested in soccer. Be it American soccer, European football, or elsewhere, the books are going to be open, and savviness can swing the odds in your favor.
UEFA European Championship
The UEFA European Championship, better known as the Euros, is a prestigious soccer event held every four years between the World Cup. This event has expanded to include 24 teams ever since the inaugural matches in 1960.
The most obvious reason why the Euros are such a hot event for bettors is that soccer is massively popular. It’s going to be difficult for you to find a sportsbook that won’t take your bet on this event.
The games feature over 50 matches in total, and bets open up before they even kick off, so you’re going to have ample opportunity to find an option that interests you. Of these options are individual match result, group winner, outright tournament winner, winning group, top goal-scorer, player of the tournament, and many others.
If you know European football, there’s a betting option here for you. There are both high-risk and low-risk options to take, so you have plenty of chances to make money in any area of soccer that you feel comfortable with. The Euros are definitely one of the top betting events.
Best Multi-Sport Event to Bet On
Betting on a multi-sport event may be one of the most challenging things to master as a bettor. Many have excelled at a specific sport or game, but having the confidence to place your bet on an entire country is a completely different beast.
Olympic Games
The Olympics are some of the most exciting sporting games of the year. Athletes from nearly 100 nations around the world compete in over a dozen sports and more than 100 events in total.
Due to the sheer number of games that are held at the Olympics, betting options are completely variable to the sport and event that you’re interested in. However, across all events, a variety of futures, props, and the outright winner are usually available as options.
Prop bets are particularly common at the Olympics, where often you’ll be betting on a single competitor to win more than one event. If any athlete catches your eye, as Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt have for so many in the past, a prop might be the way to go.
Placing bets on the Olympics comes with a great show, too – especially if you’re living in a country that often racks up medals. Although they’re held every four years, the Olympic Games are a two-part event: the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics. These events alternate every two years.
If you’re into traditional sports like archery, basketball, boxing, golf, and tennis, then consider the Summer Olympics as an event to bet on. If elegant sports that incorporate ice and snow are more your thing, check out the Winter Olympics. Either way, both events are a great chance to place bets on all sorts of different options.
Best US Sporting Events to Bet On
The United States is very competitive when it comes to sports, owning over 2,500 Olympic medals. That’s over double the second-place country’s total. With that, you can expect US sporting events to be incredibly popular and exciting. It’s also nice that betting in the United States is so popular!
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is to the US what the World Cup is to the rest of the world. As the premier professional sporting event, it’s become more than just football. People tune in to catch the commercials, the half-time performances, and more.
Being such a popular event, the Super Bowl is home to some of the most interesting prop options you’ll find. You can bet on what brand of guitar the half-time performer will use, what color liquid will be poured on the winning coach, how many times President Trump will tweet during the game, and plenty more.
Aside from props, common Super Bowl betting options include moneylines, point spreads, and over/under point totals. More common prop bets deal with statistics like rushing yards and interceptions.
There’s a little something for everyone when it comes to the Super Bowl. Even if you aren’t a student of the game, there’s a good chance that you’ll find an interesting prop available. The variety is what makes the Super Bowl one of the best betting events.
March Madness
The NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament, known affectionately as March Madness, is one of the most exciting and spirited events of the entire year. Betting on the NBA Finals is great, but March Madness is on a whole different level.
The main draw of this tournament is the enthusiasm it brings out of people on a school, city, and state level. If your university makes it in, expect there to be a fair share of partying and celebrations – especially if you survive through at least one of the rounds.
From the most experienced of college basketball experts to laymen who just want to pick the teams that sound cool to them, everyone fills out a bracket. With engagement like that, sportsbooks go crazy over March Madness.
March Madness options often include live betting, moneylines, totals, point spreads, parlays, and several types of futures and props. Like the Super Bowl, you’ll find some really interesting prop opportunities like predicting who will win the tip-off or what player from the championship team will cut down the net.
Best Entertainment Events to Bet On
Betting on entertainment events, like reality TV and awards shows, has become increasingly popular over the past ten years. It opens the world of gambling to an entirely new crowd of people, and more and more services are popping up online where this is available.
Eurovision
The Eurovision Song Contest has been around since 1956. Since then, millions of people have tuned in annually to watch the European Broadcasting Union judge musical performances from around 50 countries. Even guests like Australia have been invited to participate in the past.
This event is a really unique experience and something that music-lovers anticipate every year. The event is voted on by judges all across Europe, and it’s an opportunity to see countries compete against each other while also appreciating the beauty of music.
Eurovision betting options include live betting, outright winner, top finish, and many types of futures and props. Those props can include variables like clothing, length of a song, and many others.
While the event is typically dominated by the “Big Five” of France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Italy, it’s a great chance for others to make a name for themselves. This select group of countries automatically qualifies for the finals each year due to their financial contributions.
For the hundreds of millions of viewers that tune in, Eurovision is a celebration of culture and fine music. For the bettors that learn the event and put their money up, it’s even more exciting.
Academy Awards
Commonly known as the Oscars, the Academy Awards is an award show that celebrates both the technical and creative aspects of filmmaking. These awards are presented and determined by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Betting on this award show comes in the form of over/unders, outright winners, futures, and props. As is with many entertainment events, the props get pretty crazy. You’ll find props that let you predict brands of clothing being worn, if a certain joke will be told, if an award recipient will cry, and much more.
Through rigorous research and watching a ton of movies, anyone can give themselves a decent chance at beating the odds on a bet at the Oscars. People love to watch great films even without the Oscars, so the lead-up to betting on them is usually a very enjoyable time.
Choosing Which Event to Bet On
With there being so many choices of events to bet on, a good start is just finding an event that you like. It’s natural that you’ll be more interested in and enthusiastic about a sport, show, or any other event if you’re truly a fan of it.
Having fun isn’t the most necessary step, but it’s a good place to start. Making a profit is the endgame for all serious bettors, and the best way to do that is to research, research, research.
For example, let’s say you’re interested in betting on the Oscars this year. You can make inferences based on decisions of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from the past. The Oscars love to give awards to movies with strong messages and left-leaning political themes.
If you’re more interested in basketball, you’ve got a lot of studying to do. To make an educated and savvy moneyline bet on an event like March Madness, you need to know the tournament, teams, and players inside and out. Prop bets always require specialization, though, and betting on something like if a team will suspend a player for the tournament requires more interpersonal knowledge.
Conclusion
Now that you know the top events for betting, it’s on you to make a decision. Are you willing to put in the hours of research? Are you willing to diligently study and follow a sport for the chance at making a profit?