What Sport Allows for the Best Betting Odds?


Establishing the sport with the best betting odds can be hard because “best” is not an objective measure. Ultimately, people make sports wagers to win money. This article looks at the top sports in terms of potential returns on investment (ROI). This is the best way to compare major leagues and their profitability directly.

This guide compares betting on college basketball and football, the NFL, MLB, and the NBA.

To see which sport is most lucrative to bet on, experts averaged the returns on investment from the major leagues’ most profitable teams.

Defining Return on Investment

The ROI takes the impact of fluctuating odds into account. It allows for a reliable comparison that all gamblers will find helpful irrespective of how much they can afford to wager. By evaluating ROI, they can make an informed decision about the teams and sports to bet on.

Making bets on sports that offer higher potential returns translates to winning more cash with fewer wagers and risking less of your bankroll on each one.

There are also ways to improve your odds, for example, with a DraftKings promo code. Promo codes have benefited quite a number of gamblers.

Best Sports to Wager On

Across all bet types, baseball offers the lowest potential value. There is almost no difference between the NBA and NHL when it comes to potential ROI. The bet type doesn’t matter.

College football offers gamblers the best value regardless of bet type. The NFL is a close second.

Finally, NBA betting comes with a much lower potential ROI than college basketball.

The next sections will look at the best sports for spread, money line, and total bets ranked according to the ROI.

Best Sports for Spread Betting

  • College Football
  • NFL
  • College Basketball
  • NHL
  • NBA
  • MLB

Best Sports for Money Line Betting

  • College Football
  • NFL
  • College Basketball
  • NBA
  • NHL
  • MLB

Best Sports for Over/Under Betting

  • College Football
  • NFL
  • College Basketball
  • NHL
  • NBA
  • MLB

Clarifications and Words of Warning

College football may have the highest prospective returns, but it’s a very volatile investment because your prediction of the winner must be accurate for you to win. Football also comes with a lower risk of error because there are far fewer games per season than other sports.

Football is also the riskiest to wager on consistently, which is why it’s also potentially the most lucrative. In the long run, the returns on baseball are generally lower, but the teams play more than 160 games every season, while college football teams sometimes play as few as 10. Gamblers who distribute their funds evenly in the season enjoy a far more comfortable margin of error.

The Bottom Line

It’s impossible to say which sports allow for the best betting odds. This is because the riskiest bets usually come with the biggest potential wins, but the risk of losing money is even greater. Ultimately, it would be best if you bet on the sports you’re most knowledgeable about. A realistic evaluation of your know-how and in-depth research will take you the farthest.