Sports and betting on sports has grown exponentially in the last few years alone. There are now so many more options for bettors – different leagues to bet on, ways to bet on specific players, betting live or before games. So even if you don’t consider yourself the biggest sports fan out there, it’s still possible to enjoy sports betting!
One of the biggest things betting on sports adds to watching sports is an increase of stakes! When you have money in the game, you’re going to be more invested in the match. Whether it’s on the result of the match itself, who scores, what the score itself is – there are plenty of ways to up the ante on a regular sports game.
Here are a few more ways to get into sports betting if you aren’t already an avid sports fan!
Bet on Your Alma Mater
College Sports have absolutely sky rocked into popularity over the past few years. This has been helped along by increased coverage in the media, more accessibility to watch games nation-wide, and NIL helping connect more brands to athletes. Despite the fact that sports like NCAA basketball get the MOST hype around March Madness (the National Championship Tournament), there is usually college sports happening at most times of the year.
Most sports books have options for betting on things like college football and basketball. Below you can see some of the current odds on Bet365 for NCAA football:
One way to enjoy betting on NCAA sports is to place a bet for your alma mater team. Maybe you’re already following their stats and standings, or just catching a game or two when you can. This could also be an opportunity to get the college crew back together for a Friday night game!
If your own alma mater doesn’t have odds available, or they aren’t performing well enough to put your money on, try your hometown or home state team!
Pick a Player to Support
There are always going to be those players that perform night in and night out. If there is a player you enjoy following, and know they can be trusted to hit their over, it could be fun to bet on them. You can also bet on the odds for future awards in many sports leagues. For example, in the NBA you can vote for awards like Rookie of the Year or Most Valuable Player.
Placing an early bet for a player award gives you incentive to follow them and their stats all year. Especially in a tight race like Rookie of the Year, where Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder could pull ahead of the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama at any point. It’s still early enough in the NBA season where these awards are still anyone’s for the taking.
Watch a Documentary
You may be thinking “how does watching a documentary relate to betting on sports?” Great question. Sports Documentaries are extremely popular. Think Break Point (about the WTA and ATP tennis players), Drive to Survive (about Formula1 drivers), Last Chance U (college football), Full Swing (PGA golf), the list goes on and on.
These documentaries do an incredible job at bringing you inside the world of the sport, helping you understand the day-to-day lives of the athletes, and the stakes of these matches they play. From there you can begin to follow them as they continue to play, bet on their odds, and understand the mechanics of the sport better.
For example, many of the tennis players featured in the Break Point documentary will be competing in the upcoming Australian Open Grand Slam. Here are a few of their odds to win the Slam:
ATP Australian Open Winner:
- Carlos Alcaraz (+240)
- Stefano Tsitsipas (+1600)
- Nick Kyrgios (+1800)
WTA Australian Open Winner:
- Iga Swiatek (+300)
- Aryna Sabalenka (+450)
- Ons Jabeur (+2000)
(if you don’t know what these numbers on, we have a guide that explains betting basics).
Try any of these methods if you’re looking to get into sports betting but aren’t sure how to start! You may just surprise yourself by the sports fan lurking within.
