Futures Betting Explained – Guide to Betting on Futures
Futures betting is a strategic, long-term approach to wagering that allows you to bet on sporting outcomes months or even a full season away.
With futures, you could be forecasting the winner of the Super Bowl before any clashes on the gridiron or the winner of the Stanley Cup before a single puck has been hit.
It’s not just about picking winners however, it’s about spotting early value, locking prices in and riding the bet out. In this guide, we’ll drill down into the market, the type of futures you can back and the pros and cons involved.
What is Betting on Futures & How Does It Work?
Bets on futures, as the name suggests, involve placing a wager on the outcome of a sporting event that won’t resolve until sometime in the future.
Just about every sport you can bet on will have a range of futures markets to browse and the wagers can revolve around teams, individual players, championships/tournaments, player accolades and much more besides.
Unlike standard money line bets on single games or a basic wager on an event, futures betting ties your stake to broader timeframes, which can span full seasons in some cases.
The aim here is to create a high-reward dynamic where you secure the best possible price before odds start to shift during the campaign, based on performance, injuries, trades or other variables.
You can usually find a sport or competition’s range of futures markets listed within clicking distance of the other bet types. The section that contains them will be clearly marked with “futures” or “outrights”.
Online sportsbooks and betting sites release outright odds well ahead of time, allowing you to lock in your prediction at potentially favorable odds.
For example, you might back the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl at +800 odds during the offseason. Backing Brazil to win the World Cup in 2026 would also be an example of a futures bet.
Similarly, you might back Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford to win the NFL’s MVP Award or Darryn Peterson to be the number one draft pick in the NBA.
With futures, there is no shortage of variety and bets are just as easy to place as more traditional lines.
Pros & Cons of Futures Sports Betting
With futures betting, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and the lengthier timeframes involved and amount of patience required won’t suit every bettor.
However, for those who love a bit of strategy, rewards are there to be earned. Below, we’ve broken down the upsides and drawbacks to futures to help you decide if wagering in this format is for you.
Pros
- Higher Potential Payouts: With futures, you tend to get longer odds to reflect the extended uncertainty at play. Overperforming underdogs can really shine here if you manage to pick them out. With the right mix of foresight and fortune, futures bets can reap hefty dividends.
- Season-Long Engagement: Your wager turns passive viewing into high-stakes drama that can keep you tuned in for the entire season. There is a nice blend of interest and investment with futures that can add a layer of excitement to your favorite sporting pursuit.
- Hedging Opportunities: As odds evolve during the campaign, you can place counter-bets to guarantee profits. For example, if your early World Series pick surges to favorite status, back their opponent in the finals for a locked win.
- Value in Early Lines: With offseason betting on futures, you can catch sportsbooks on the back foot. More generous odds are common before new seasons start and before bookmakers get a proper handle on things.
Cons
- Tied-Up Capital: With futures/outrights, your stake is locked in for months, which limits flexibility. Sports betting is volatile and having your money tied up elsewhere can sting if better prices arise elsewhere.
- High House Edge: Futures sports betting tends to carry a steeper vig and the bookmaker’s commission can be as high as 20-25% in some cases. That’s much higher than single-game bets, eroding value over time.
- Unpredictability: This is a big one. Injuries, trades or slumps in form can completely derail even the most reasoned picks. The volatility of sports can always scupper even the best laid plans. Only one team can win the championship, and in essence, that means that most futures wagers are destined to lose.
Type of Futures Betting by Sport
You’ll find futures markets tailored to every mainstream and niche sport. From major sports like the NFL, NBA, soccer and horse racing, to more niche disciplines like college basketball futures, US bettors have layers of outright options to explore.
Below, we’ve spotlighted some of the futures markets on offer for higher-profile sports.
NFL Futures Betting
The NFL boasts one of the largest futures markets in sports betting, with billions in handles annually thanks to its massive community of football fans and punters.
Common outright wagers include Super Bowl winners conference champs and division victors (e.g. the Cowboys for the NFC East at +150). Player props are plentiful here too, from MVP to Offensive Rookie of the Year or even NFL betting futures on regular season sack and passing leaders.
All the top NFL betting sites also routinely offer odds boosts and enhanced price promos for futures in the off season, allowing you to squeeze even more value out of your long-term bets. Simply put, the NFL has one of the largest betting handles, so expect futures markets for football to have a broader field.
NBA Betting Futures
The NBA is another hotbed for betting futures. Basketball bettors typically swarm towards the NBA Championship, Western/Eastern Conferences and MVP lines before each season starts.
Over/under regular-season victory totals for individual teams are also popular, while NBA futures betting markets like Rookie of the Year, Clutch Player of the Year and Coach of the Year also draw plenty of attention each year.
Like other sports, NBA futures odds are available year-round, with prices adjusting to reflect developments on the court. Playoff futures odds are also worth looking out for, with bet boosts the norm when the action heats up.
NHL Futures Betting
Ice hockey futures markets are also ripe for plundering each year. Alongside standout lines for the Stanley Cup, you’ve got outright odds to scan for the Pacific Division and Atlantic Division, as well as for the Eastern/Western Conference winners.
In addition, forecasting is possible for awards with player futures odds for the Hart Trophy (MVP), the Vezina (best goaltender) and Calder Trophy (best player in first year).
You can dig even deeper with regular season points markets for each team (e.g. Boston Bruins over 84.5) and other stats-based options in the NHL betting futures.
MLB Betting Futures
The most popular MLB futures betting markets on baseball sportsbooks revolve around championships and major awards: the World Series title game winner remains the number one betting attraction, while division winners lines offer sharper, more predictable value despite shorter odds.
Player awards like MVP and Rookie of the Year have also gained popularity with the emergence of young superstars like San Francisco Giants first baseman Bryce Eldridge and Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Trey Yesavage.
Win-total Over/Unders (for both teams and pitchers) meanwhile, are underrated baseball betting futures markets, where smart bettors often find edges. MLB is a famed haven for stats nerds, you can find markets to match for just about every statistical angle.
Soccer Futures Betting
Soccer, which is easily one of the largest futures betting market sports, centers around competition winners, whether that’s stateside in the MLS or in Europe with globally-popular competitions like the Premier League, La Liga and Champions League.
In those divisions, long-term wagers and team futures odds are also available for relegation, top-four finishes and European qualification, while Golden Boot (top goalscorer), Player of the Year and Manager of the Year awards also come equipped with outright lines.
International competitions like the World Cup, European Championships and Copa America also get the futures treatment from soccer betting sites that cover those key events extensively well ahead of the actual tournament.
Horse Racing Betting Futures
Horse racing is all about following form and forecasting based on medium to long-term factors. That makes it perfect for futures, with ample opportunity to track potential as it develops.
From Kentucky Derby futures betting and other Triple Crown races the Preakness and Belmont Stakes in springtime and early summet, to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships come fall, horse racing sportsbooks allow you to bet on possible winners in major races months in advance.
Markets tend to explode with activity closer to race day, so using the horse racing futures lines can help you to secure bumper value before money starts to move prices in an unfavorable direction.
Other Sports & Political Futures Betting
Beyond the above, other more niche futures sports markets also thrive, as do lines around politics and other non-sporting specials.
Majors like the Masters and Grand Slam tennis tournaments offer winner props on golf betting sites, while combat sports like the UFC offer longer-term wagers on title defenses and next weight class champions.
For political futures, think presidential election outcomes, with odds affected by opinion polls, scandals and other developments on the campaign trail.
College Sports Betting Futures
Just like the majors, college sports futures target national championships (e.g. NCAAF betting sites for college football futures), conference winners and player markets/lines.
NCAA college basketball betting futures hype March Madness picks in particular, with that single-elimination 68-team tournament a major attraction for sports bettors every spring.
Heisman (football) and Naismith (basketball) awards round out player-focused bets, blending amateur passion with pro-level stakes.
Effective Futures Betting Strategy
To be an effective futures bettor, you’ll need to master timing, research and discipline. We’ve laid out some tips below that can be easily adopted into your own strategy.
Bet Early for Value
It’s always good practice to strike early in the off season when lines are softer. This is where the real value lies. Get your wager down on a fancied team before hype starts to build. Sorting out your bets early also gives you better hedging opportunities down the line, if and when things go your way. More on that below.
Shop Lines Across Sportsbooks
Like with every other betting market, odds for futures lines vary from bookmaker to bookmaker. Don’t be afraid to shop around for the best prices to boost your edge and potential profits. If one firm has the Bills at +350 for the AFC and another at +400, it makes sense to spend your money with the latter.
Odds vary: One book might list the Bills at +350 for the AFC, another at +400. This line shopping boosts your edge in team futures markets.
Hedge Smartly
As your pick advances, counter-bet opponents start to arise. Say, your +500 NCAA title future wager reaches the final, it might be an idea to lay the same team at -105 elsewhere to secure profit regardless of outcome. Weigh the scenarios up, work out the odds and start hedging bets for insurance.
Factor in Key Variables
In sports betting, data is king. Monitor injuries, trades, schedules and form. Basically, study anything that might impact your futures wager. Entire leagues can be decided by a single late hot-streak. A major quarterback trade can slash Super Bowl odds in an instant. You can use relevant info to pivot or even double down on undervalued picks.
FAQs
Does futures betting work like standard money line bets?
No, futures differ from money line bets, which are settled after one game. Futures are tied to season-long outcomes with longer odds and delayed payouts. They emphasize strategy over immediacy for future events, so a greater amount of patience is usually required to see bets through to payouts.
When is the best time to place a futures bet?
Generally, the offseason or early season is the best time to place a futures wager. Offseason odds can often have more value, while dips or injuries to key players in the early season can also create worthwhile betting opportunities. Payouts in sports betting for futures lines can be heftier, especially when you place bets early.
What factors influence futures betting odds?
Performance, streaks, injuries, trades, coaching changes and public betting volume all have the potential to impact sports betting futures and lines. These factors can both shorten and lengthen odds for futures.
Why do online sportsbooks offer futures bets?
Firms offer futures to boost engagement for popular events, lock in early action and ensure steady revenue. The higher payouts in long-term sports betting draw attention, while the house edge on these longshots keeps profits flowing.