4 Biggest Sporting Events in the US for Sports Betting
Grabbing a beer and plopping down in front of a big screen to watch your favorite sports is one of the most relaxing ways to spend your free time. While that already sounds perfect enough, there is a way to improve the scenario – by enjoying some sports betting. Making wagers on football, hockey, and your other favorite games give you even more of a reason to binge-watch as many sports as possible (while potentially earning some big cash).
But what events should you bet on? We’ve compiled some of the most popular times for sports betting (i.e., the biggest sporting events in the U.S.) to help you know when you might stand to make the most profit. Jump into the action and try your hand at betting during these big events.
Top Sports Betting Events
NCAA Basketball Tournament
For a few weeks a year, everyone’s eyes turn to the courts to cheer on the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament in March – the most well-known basketball tournament in the world. And because of that, it has also become one of the top sports bets to try today.
For the 2019 championship, the American Gambling Association (AGA) estimated that Americans spent $8.5 billion on sports bets. Not only that, but about one in five adults ended up placing a bet. A majority of that money comes from betting on brackets, with 40 million people betting a sum of $4.6 billion in hopes that one of their 149 million brackets would be correct.
Keep in mind that not all of this betting was legal. The AGA estimated that 2.4 million people made an illegal bet with a bookie, while a further 5.2 million bet online through an illegal offshore site. Still, if you’re willing to do things the right way, like placing bets at a legal sportsbook, you stand to make a lot of money if you pick the correct bracket.
NFL Championship Game
It should really come as no surprise that the biggest football game of the year ranks as one of the most popular times to place a sports bet. It’s the most-watched sporting event in the world, so of course people are going to be throwing down some cash in the hopes that their favorite team wins.
In fact, the AGA estimated that Americans bet $4.76 billion on the NFL championship game in 2018. While this is a mind-boggling number, keep in mind that they estimated that 97 percent of this figure would be done under the table – think office pools, illicit local bookmakers, or offshore sportsbooks. Even with all this less-than-legal betting, there are still a staggering number of bets placed at legitimate venues. During the Big Game in 2017 alone, Nevada saw a total of $138.48 million in bets.
NBA Championship Series
Another one of the biggest sporting events in the U.S. is the NBA championship. During this seven-game series, the world’s best basketball players battle it out to see who will take home the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy. If you’re lucky, you can join the millions that make a profit off of this game.
According to Nevada sportsbook numbers from 2017, people bet over $1.4 billion on basketball (including both college and professional). While that doesn’t sound like a huge amount compared to some of the other events on this list, there’s still plenty of money to be had by putting cash on your favorite team. The NBA championship series is an ideal time to get started if you are a basketball fan new to sports betting.
MLB Championship Series
The big championship of the MLB is another time to get your bets in. This seven-game championship series offers players plenty of chances to place bets. While there aren’t exact figures available for the number of bets placed during this event, sportsbooks in Nevada in 2017 saw a total of $1.1 billion in bets on professional baseball. While some of this probably took place throughout the season, a majority of it likely came through for the final games since these are the most-watched.
If you followed the championship series 2019, you might have even heard about how Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale placed a $3.5 million bet on the Astros to win it all – one of the largest bets ever taken by a U.S. bookmaker. Unfortunately for him, the Astros ended up losing – though if they had won, he would have earned a net $7.7 million.
Try Your Luck at Circa Sports
Whether you’re in town for the Big Game or for some horse races, why not place a bet at the newest Las Vegas sportsbook, Circa Sports? Located at the D Las Vegas, the Circa Sports sportsbook offers the perfect opportunity for you to finally put your endless sports knowledge to good use. Check out some of the top sports bets today and see if you can walk away a winner.
If you’re in Las Vegas, but not at one of the two host casinos, you can actually access the mobile sportsbook through the Circa | Sports app. From there you can access a diverse menu of betting options, right in the palm of your hand. The app works for both Android and iOS.
Whether in person or on the app, join Circa Sports for your premier place to bet on basketball in Vegas.
