It’s easy to get lost in the thrill of gambling. Most people, once they get sucked in, never give up the chance to win a quick buck. Not to mention, the opportunities are practically endless whether you’re looking for a sportsbook recommendation or a guide to online casinos in Ontario. And since sports fans already dedicate much of their time to watching the game and following the news, getting even more invested by raising the stakes is a natural progression.
Yet not all sports are equal in the betting world. Some are much harder to bet on, meaning that no matter how stellar your intuition is or how strategic you think you’re being, they’re just downright unpredictable. The outcomes might depend on too many variables or the trajectory could change in a split second rather than over a lengthier period.
Especially if you’re a novice bettor, you’ll want to read on to learn which sports are the toughest to bet on. However, while they might be challenging, they could produce big returns on your investment.
Baseball
Baseball is a unique sport. Not only does each team play an ungodly number of games per season (162!), but the game is overloaded with statistics. With information on everything from batting average to field independent pitching and wins above replacement, it can certainly be overwhelming if you’re trying to place informed bets based on historical trends and raw statistics. There are also far fewer factors you can rely on. Home-field advantage is a lot less significant, the sheer number of games makes it hard for teams to enjoy winning streaks, and there’s a huge dependency on the starting pitcher. But even the most elite pitchers will have unfortunate performances. Just think of Clayton Kershaw in the 2017 World Series. Despite being one of the best pitchers in the MLB, he gave up a three-run home run to Yuli Gurriel.
Golf
Professional golf is an enigma for many casual sports fans. It’s a sport that features over 100 players in a tournament, all relying on their individual skills to finish among the top ranks. Golf betting markets often focus solely on leaders and finishes, with bets like outright winners and top 5 finishers. However, there are also player propositions like whether a player will hit a hole-in-one or who’ll hit the longest drive. With so many players to choose from and high variance based on the environment, the course being played on, and the exhausting back-to-back nature of matches, it’s hard to figure out what betting markets have the most value.
Tennis
With fewer players to worry about, a one-on-one or two-on-two game like tennis might seem like a more surefire sport to bet on. The issue is that this means a greater reliance on individual performance, much like golf. Any unpredictable changes in a player’s mental state (they’re only human after all), form, physical condition, or even their inherent skills on specific surfaces can all affect the outcome of a match. These variations mean that head-to-head records aren’t a good predictor of future results. One player could have a winning record against another based on a certain set of factors, but the unpredictable ones could end up playing a bigger role in specific matches. Tennis can also be a long game, lasting anywhere from 1.5 to over 4 hours. Rather than having a set period to play like hockey or football, matches continue until players win the required number of sets.
Hockey
Hockey is one of the fastest-paced team sports in the world. Players simply jump on and off the ice when lines change, the puck doesn’t stop moving unless the whistle is blown, and goals can be scored on a whim. In just three 20-minute periods, a lot can happen. Hockey scoring is a lot like soccer—it’s a low-scoring game where one goal can make all the difference. Unlike soccer, however, where single-player substitutions are made, entire lines change, which means the game’s dynamics shift dramatically. Players constantly rotate, and the line combinations can truly influence what happens on the ice. While you could rely on goal streaks, point streaks, and a player’s current form, the many variables are incredibly difficult to account for.
Soccer
Soccer is one of the few sports where you can bet on a draw, making even the simplest bet—the match winner—difficult. Instead of just two options to choose from—home or away—there’s also the Draw option, which happens more often than you’d think (just look at Juventus). Playing conditions have also long influenced the game, with the weather and pitch conditions playing big roles in outcomes. Soccer is also arguably the lowest-scoring sport out there, with matches often ending 1-0 or 2-1. That means just one poor defensive play or one lucky pass could decide the winner. Referees also have a major impact on matches, where they have the power to issue yellow and red cards, award a penalty, or make controversial calls.
MMA
MMA is a dramatic and intense sport. Put two people in the octagon with some of the best fighting credentials in the world, and one takedown, strike, or punch could end the fight. We’ve seen it time and time again in MMA, where an underdog suddenly makes a comeback in the final seconds of the last round with a knockout, and a high-stakes bet is completely nullified. We’ve also seen seasoned veterans experience declines in their careers, fighters with career-ending injuries, and those undergoing weight cuts and struggling to fight afterward. MMA’s most lucrative and popular bet is the fight winner, and it’s not uncommon for some (obviously wealthy) people to place hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars on an underdog. But it comes at a huge risk.
