In theory, live betting will work with any sport. The reality, however, is that some sports lend themselves to in game wagering more readily than others. In addition, certain sports resonate more with the general public and generate a higher level of live betting interest. This article will provide an overview of the most popular sports for live betting and what you can expect when you get involved:
FOOTBALL/SOCCER: It’s not surprising that the most popular sport on the planet is also the most popular live betting option. Soccer has a long history of live betting (which will more typically be referred to as ‘in running’ wagering in Europe) and technology has opened up even more options for bookmakers and players alike. Soccer lends itself particularly well to live betting. It’s deliberate pace gives players a chance to ‘get down’ and bookmakers a chance to methodically adjust the line. The deep statistical framework facilitates proposition bets and the wide array of leagues means plenty of games for parlays.
AMERICAN FOOTBALL: At North American facing sportsbooks gridiron action is king. Although live betting is offered on both college and pro football the NFL is by far the most popular. Since the NFL is the most popular betting sport overall at sportsbooks in that region it’s not surprising. Football offers plenty of time between plays for players and bookmakers to do their work. There’s a ton of statistical categories that lend themselves to proposition bets. On a busy NFL Sunday there’s a lot of games going on simultaneously and they’re all televised—perfect for parlays.
TENNIS: While this might be a surprise to North American bettors tennis is an extremely popular wagering sport in the rest of the world. The pace and format of tennis makes it perfect for live betting. While tennis might not offer the variety of proposition bets that other sports do it’s otherwise excellent for live betting. There’s plenty of time to post updated odds and let players get down on them. There’s a decent number of individual games and sets on which to wager and a wealth of statistical information for handicapping.
BASKETBALL: Basketball enjoys international popularity as both a spectator and betting sport. It also works well for live betting. The fast pace does make it more difficult to book and bet but the relatively high and frequent scores makes up for it. There’s plenty of statistics and games and leagues all over the world.
HOCKEY: Offers many of the same live betting benefits as basketball. Fast moving and exciting sport engages fans and betting only enhances that. At the same time, it facilitates many of the same bets as soccer such as ‘next to score’ and other propositions.
BASEBALL: Baseball is a seriously underrated betting sport and that includes the live wagering component. Slow pace allows for plenty of time for updating odds and placing bets. Extensive statistical information available making it easy to set prices and handicap bets. With nine innings of play there are new betting opportunities all of the time. Lends itself well to proposition bets such as ‘next team to score’, game/inning/team totals, and on game events such as ‘will there be extra innings
This list just scratches the surface of the live betting options available online. Your best strategy is to check out the live betting interface at some of the better online sportsbooks and see what other sports and bet types are available. You might find you enjoy watching and betting a new sport like cricket or darts—both of which are easy to find on live betting boards.