Have you ever wondered what is the easiest sport to bet on? In truth, the answer may vary depending on your own preferences and knowledge base, while you’ll also select different sports and markets based on the teams that you support.
However, there are some sports that are easier to bet on than others. This applies to both the simplicity of the available markets and how much information is made available to punters. So, we’ve broken down each sport to precisely what sport is the easiest to bet on for beginners!
The Top 10 Easiest Sports to Bet On
When determining what sport is easiest to bet on, it’s interesting to note that the most straightforward markets pertain to US leagues and competitions. However, some major European sports and events also unlock simplistic and diverse markets.
NFL Football – Unlocks the Best Market Coverage
NBA Basketball – Enables Bettors to Access Detailed Stats
NHL Hockey – Safe Totals and Over/Under Markets
MLB Baseball – There are Hundreds of Games to Bet on
Tennis – There are no Draws in Tennis Matches
Golf – Unlocks Numerous Player Props and Betting Markets
Horse Racing – You Can Conduct Detailed Form Analysis
Boxing – There’s a Select Number of Fight Betting Markets
MMA – There’s a Small Pool of Talent to Bet on
Motorsports – Access a Huge Array of Competitive Betting Markets
1. NFL Football
Approximately 73.5 million Americans took part in NFL betting last season, and that’s before you factor in the iconic Super Bowl. You can certainly find extensive market coverage of the NFL, including moneylines, spreads, and totals lines. Moneylines are the most straightforward wagering type here, as you simply have to pick one franchise to defeat another.
Why Bet on NFL Football?
Reason 1 – You can access extensive market coverage of NFL matches, especially when considering moneylines, spreads, and totals wagers.
Reason 2 – There are also highly competitive NFL and Super Bowl outright markets available. This is thanks to the number of competing teams and potential winners each season.
Reason 3 – The NFL generates huge datasets each season, which can help you make more informed picks. Sites like “ESPN” and “Team Rankings” are particularly insightful, alongside the official NFL site.
2. NBA Basketball
Like the NFL, NBA basketball betting also unlocks simple and often competitively priced wagers such as moneylines. The regular NBA season also features a whopping 1,230 games, so there’s ample opportunity to pick match-winners. You can also access a huge range of stats and datasets when analyzing NBA betting markets, through trusted sites like ESPN and Yahoo.
Why Bet on NBA Basketball?
Reason 1 – The regular NBA season features a staggering 1,230 matches. So, you can execute a high volume of moneyline bets in pursuit of incremental returns.
Reason 2 – It’s easy to research your NBA bets, using sites like ESPN, Yahoo, and the league’s official site. This can inform both team and individual player wagers.
Reason 3 – NBA betting also unlocks a huge array of props and micro bets. This is ideal for those of you who like to wager in-play and bet on matches while watching the action unfold.
3. NHL Hockey
Ice hockey is also one of the easiest sports to bet on, especially if you’re a fan of the NHL. There’s no doubt that NHL betting unlocks relatively safe totals and over/under markets, especially with scoring averages relatively stable throughout history. Typically, NHL teams average 3.12 goals per game, so over/under wagering can be quite lucrative here.
Why Bet on NHL Hockey?
Reason 1 – Stable scoring averages in the NHL unlock relatively safe totals and over/under markets, which are ideal for beginners.
Reason 2 – Each NHL franchise plays 82 times during the regular season. This unlocks a total of 1,312 games per campaign, creating numerous opportunities for moneyline wagering.
Reason 3 – There are no draws in the NHL, with matches decided either during a period of overtime or following a shootout. This makes moneyline NHL betting even more appealing.
4. MLB Baseball
Like the NBA or NHL, Major League Baseball unlocks a huge number of matches and moneylines each season. Incredibly, each MLB franchise plays 162 games during the regular campaign. When you engage in MLB betting, you can also create value by leveraging run lines, which represent baseball’s equivalent of the spread bet.
Why Bet on MLB Baseball?
Reason 1 – Moneylines scarcely offer value in baseball. However, run line betting unlocks far greater value for punters, although teams will have to beat the spread for your wager to be successful.
Reason 2 – Each team plays 162 MLB games during the regular season. So, you can generate incremental profits through moneyline betting and access a huge range of markets overall.
Reason 3 – You can access detailed MLB team and scoring data through sites like Team Rankings. This allows you to pick run lines accurately and optimize your chances of success.
5. Tennis
Tennis is another sport where moneylines are incredibly popular. The reason for this is simple: all tennis matches deliver a decisive result and the draw is eliminated as a potential outcome. So, moneylines are effectively even money wagers when betting on tennis, while matches are played on different surfaces all year round.
Why Bet on Tennis?
Reason 1 – All tennis matches produce a decisive result, with the draw eliminated as a potential outcome. This minimizes your risk of loss when betting on events such as the US Open or Wimbledon Championships.
Reason 2 – Tennis betting also unlocks unique markets and lines. Take set betting, for example, which allows you to wager on how many sets will be contested during a particular match. There are also specials relating to individual player performances.
Reason 3 – There are numerous high-profile tennis tournaments hosted each year, including the four Grand Slams and Masters 1000 events. These tournaments are widely covered and unlock significant datasets.
6. Golf
Golf wagers are also among the easiest sports bets to win, especially when you explore outright betting. This market is a staple of golf betting, especially when wagering on major tournaments that boast a large field and a significant number of potential winners. Golf wagering also unlocks markets such as round betting, which can focus on head-to-head matchups between players.
Why Bet on Golf?
Reason 1 – Golf outrights tend to be competitively priced, especially when you wager early and decisively. Some 156 players also compete in tournaments such as the US Open, creating a large number of potential winners and extended odds.
Reason 2 – Golf also unlocks individual round betting markets and lines during tournaments. You can also bet on individual matchups, unlocking spreads, and moneylines in the process.
Reason 3 – Golf tournaments on the PGA and breakaway LIV tour are played all year round, creating ample opportunities for outright and matchup betting.
7. Horse Racing
Horse racing betting is popular across the globe, and it dominates sportsbook handles in the UK and Europe. This is also one of the easiest sports to bet on, especially when you engage in straightforward win-market wagering. You can also place across-the-board (win, place, and show) wagers on this sport, helping to increase your chances of winning and minimizing your exposure to risk.
Why Bet on Horse Racing?
Reason 1 – Place straightforward bets on the winner of individual races. Typically, this type of horse racing betting market unlocks highly competitive prices, especially during high-profile Grade 1 races.
Reason 2 – You can also access a diverse array of horse racing betting markets. These include win, place, and show plus exotic wagers like the trifecta and superfecta. Each of these increases your event coverage and chances of winning.
Reason 3 – You can access huge swathes of form and performance data about individual runners, jockeys, and trainers. You can also analyze historical track information. This makes it easier to make informed selections over time.
8. Boxing
Despite being relatively straightforward for fans of boxing, this is actually a relatively hard sport to bet on compared to others on this list. Still, boxing betting unlocks a surprising variety of markets and competitively priced lines, which include the method of victory and round betting. Once again, you can also bet all year round on bouts from across the globe.
Why Bet on Boxing?
Reason 1 – While you can access moneylines in boxing betting, it’s also possible to wager on markets such as the method of victory. This way, you can make an informed choice as to how a bout will be won without picking an actual victor.
Reason 2 – Boxing also unlocks totals betting in the form of over/under markets. More specifically, you can wager on how many rounds will be fought based on your analysis.
Reason 3 – Boxing events are hosted all year round, so you can target specific fights and cards based on your market analysis. This also makes it easier to identify higher-value betting markets.
9. MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)
MMA is also one of the best sports that you can bet on. Like boxing, this is a highly accessible sport that hosts bouts all year round. However, MMA and UFC weight classes are streamlined and feature just a few dominant fighters, making individual win market outcomes much easier to predict here. Once again, you can also create value by betting on the method of victory and similar markets.
Why Bet on MMA?
Reason 1 – UFC weight classes feature a single champion and fewer premium fighters. So, it’s often much easier to crack the win market and predict the outcome of bouts.
Reason 2 – There are various MMA disciplines and promotions across the globe, including the UFC. This creates numerous and accessible betting opportunities all year round.
Reason 3 – In addition to picking the bout winner, you can predict the method of victory and engage in round betting. You can also construct lucrative combination bets without overly compromising your chances of winning!
10. Motorsports
Last, but not least, we come to motorsports. This includes high-profile disciplines such as Formula 1 and F2, alongside NASCAR events in the US. This variety of motorsports creates a broad range of highly accessible markets, including competitively priced outrights for specific competitions. There are a huge number of prop bets in play here too including X driver vs The Field.
Why Bet on Motorsports?
Reason 1 – When betting on F1, you’re accessing one of the most predictable sports. Usually, there are a select few dominant drivers and construction teams, so it’s easier to pick winners and predict match outcomes.
Reason 2 – Motorsports unlock a huge selection of markets, including race winners, podium finishes, and constructor performances. You can also bet on the outcome of qualifying rounds and who will complete the fastest laps!
Reason 3 – Motorsports and events like F1 and NASCAR are broadcast live and can be watched in real time. This makes it easier to engage in in-play betting and make more informed selections.
5 Ultimate Tips for Successful Sports Betting
Now that we’ve analyzed some easy sports for beginners and precisely what sets them apart, you can start to identify your preferred betting markets. This process requires focus and research, and we’ve also prepared some expert guides that may help. Here are five comprehensive resources to inform your core betting strategies!
Sports Betting Terminology – Learn and understand the sports betting terms and jargon that will impact your online wagering experience
Sports Betting Strategy – Cultivate viable betting strategies to suit specific sports and markets, in addition to setting optimal stake amounts
Sports Betting Bankroll Management – Bankroll management is also a key element of your sports betting strategy. Learn how to structure and manage your bankroll
AI Betting Predictions – Explore insightful AI betting predictions and how machine learning can help you identify the best value picks
Sports Betting Bots – Similarly, learn how sophisticated betting bots and software can help you to become more profitable over an extended period
What Role Does Data Play in Successful Sports Betting?
Of course, both manual and predictive analytical models are dependent on the quality of data fed into them. Make no mistake: you’ll have to identify the most insightful datasets prior to betting, while also learning how to analyze different types of information.
Remember, many of the easiest sports to bet on afford bettors access to huge swathes of data. Take the NFL, for example, where you can use detailed stats such as passing yards completed and interceptions to inform prop picks.
In the MLB, you can access runs, hits, and batting data, both for team units and individual players. Here’s a summary of the best information resources for each sport!
NFL Football Statistics – This resource features comprehensive team and player statistics for each season. You can also access detailed next gen stats and search for specific players.
NBA Basketball – The official NBA data resource, this site provides information on daily and seasonal leaders. Once again, you can browse both team and player information, including key datasets like points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals.
NHL Hockey – You can use this site to browse information from both individual franchises and seasons. This data breaks down offense and defense statistics while ranking goaltenders according to their save percentages.
MLB Baseball – The official MLB site allows you to access regular season, spring training, and All-Star game stats. You can search individual teams and players too, while comparing metrics like batting averages and on-base percentages.
Tennis – Access the ATP Tour page to review current men’s rankings, match statistics, and win-loss index. There are also tactical insights published here. Check out the WTA Tour resource for similar information pertaining to female competitors.
Golf – If you want to wager on golf, the PGA Tour website is the most insightful. This provides detailed player statistics such as strokes gained, scoring, and putting averages while ranking competitors in relation to each metric.
Horse Racing – This resource from the jockey club makes horse racing one of the easiest sports bets to win on from a punter’s perspective. This provides data from different tracks while analyzing how runners fare at specific courses and in certain going.
Boxing – BoxRec remains the most popular resource for analyzing an individual fighter’s record and past performances. If you want more granular data on punch output and similar performance metrics, you can also use the Compubox website.
MMA – The MMA is a broad vertical that includes numerous promotions and disciplines. However, the most popular promotion is the UFC, and this has an official site that’s chock-full of historic results and performance metrics like significant strikes landed.
Motorsports – Motorsports is also a broad and diverse category, but the ‘Motorsport Stats’ website publishes data across different disciplines (including Formula 1). You can access comprehensive data on different teams and data, alongside historic results.
Conclusion – What Sport is Easiest to Bet On?
That’s our take on the easiest sports to bet on! These insights will hopefully help you to identify the best sport to bet on to make money as a beginner, while more advanced bettors can leverage their existing knowledge and explore more advanced wager types.
Although none of the sports included on this list are particularly hard to wager on, our pick as the best sport to bet on and win is American football and the NFL. This is especially true if you wager at BetOnline, where you can access a huge range of spreads, totals markets, and props alongside competitive moneylines!
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FAQs
What is the easiest of the top 10 sports to bet on?
When answering the question “What sport is the easiest to bet on?”, much will depend on your existing knowledge and experience level. However, our pick as the most straightforward and safest sport to bet on is American football and the NFL!
Is it easier to bet on traditional sports or e-sports?
Traditional sports are easier to bet on, as they enjoy broader coverage and unlock a higher number of betting markets. Conversely, esports betting markets are relatively restricted, while this remains a genuinely niche vertical.
What is the minimum wager I can place on a sports bet?
Broadly speaking, there’s no minimum wager you must place when identifying the best sport to bet on and win. However, sportsbooks will usually require you to place a minimum deposit when crediting your account.
What is the minimum age to place wagers on sports bets?
Whether you want to wager on the MLB World Series or Breeders Cup in the US, you’ll need to be aged at least 18 or over. However, some states have set the minimum gambling age at 21, so be sure to check the local laws before placing your first bet.
Is it legal for players, teams, and coaches to place bets on their own sport?
It is against the rules of most sports leagues, including the NFL and NBA, for players, coaches, or official personnel to wager on matches or leagues that they’re involved in. In most sports, any kind of betting is frowned upon, especially in a high volume.
What is the hardest sport to bet on?
Some of the worst sports to bet on include Athletics (varying athlete performance) Handball (little data available to the standard bettor) and E-sports (strong knowledge of teams required) Those can be tough to bet on.
Responsible Gambling
Even when identifying the easiest sports to bet on, it’s important that you wager responsibly and within your means at all times. However, if your betting volumes start to increase or you identify the telltale early signs of a gambling addiction, we’d urge you to seek advice from the following resources:
National Council on Problem Gambling
University of Nevada, Reno
Office of Addiction Services and Supports
Content suitable for 18+ readers only. Always gamble responsibly. The content found in this article is not to be taken as betting advice. Speculative gambling could lead to a loss of capital. It’s free to use this website, but we might receive a commission from companies featured within it. If you are having trouble with gambling then help and advice can be found at begambleaware.org
Resources
Nearly 73.5M American adults will bet on NFL this season, survey says – ESPN
US Sports Betting Stats
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