The Five Best Sports for Beginner Bettors

Interested in sports betting but not sure where to start? Fear not, as even the hardiest sports betting high rollers would have asked themselves that same question… and you certainly won't be the last. 

Given the thousands of sportsbook betting markets and sports event contracts available, it's certainly a lot more daunting than it used to be. Nevertheless, fundamentally some sports are far easier for newbies to grasp, while others can take decades to master - you just need to know which sports are less intimidating to get up to speed with first.

What Actually Makes a Sport Easy to Bet On?

The first rule of sports betting if you’re new to it is to always start off where you’re most comfortable - ideally betting on a sports league or event that you're already passionate about. After all, when your hard-earned dosh is at stake, knowledge becomes power, so be sure to kick-start your wagering career betting on a sport you’re already familiar with, knowing firsthand how events might possibly unfold during a game.

For instance, if you've been watching the NBA for a few seasons now, you'll probably be able to recognize how previous form and a team's roster quality might dictate a likely gameday moneyline winner. Likewise in the English Premier League, if a striker in peak form is about to play a side with a leaky defense, you'll want to jump into the player props or total goal over/ under markets.

Key elements to look out for before placing a bet:

• Familiarity with the rules
• Simple outcomes and scoring systems
• Easy access to form tables and statistics
• Sports with widespread coverage for up-to-date player and team news

All this may not be instinctive yet, so you'll need to explore each market carefully. However, initiating your search around a sport you enjoy watching certainly makes it easier than trying to wager on one you don't really understand.

Top Five Sports That Are Easy to Learn Fast

Perhaps the most obvious starting point for North American punters is to investigate the NFL sportsbook markets. The reason being is that during the NFL season, everywhere you turn you can find vital team news, player statistics, and expert predictions that make the job of spotting betting value so much easier.

Likewise, in the MLB, the simple, low-scoring format of each game is a fantastic entry point to help you get started. Given the sheer number of games played throughout this popular sports season, even before every first pitch, you can study injury reports, potential pitching-batting mismatches, and historical matchups to evaluate the chances of a low- or high-scoring game.

That being said, the beauty of sports betting and prediction market trading is you don't have to stick to sports you enjoy watching - the reason being is that alternative leagues can provide a wealth of simplistic wagering points of entry for newbie bettors.

Sports With the Steepest Learning Curves

Breaking into sports betting is one thing, attempting to cut your teeth on some of the more complex sports is wholeheartedly inadvisable - even if you’re a seasoned fan. 

A prime example of this would be F1. This isn’t to say it cannot be conquered, but as a rookie starting out in sports betting, it’s almost impossible to master the wide-ranging variables that can impact each result. 

Equally with horse racing - wildly popular with sports bettors across the world, but also one of the hardest sports to wager on successfully. Always fast-paced and packed with eye-watering odds that can lure beginners in… but don’t be fooled, it’s one of the hardest sporting formats to navigate straight off the bat.

Nevertheless, while these sports are hard to predict, we’re not to say they’re impossible to turn a profit from - it’s just they can be a brutal baptism of fire for newcomers and, more importantly, a fast-track way to deplete your bankroll quickly if you get it wrong.

Start Simple, Then Explore - Why The Market Matters More Than the Sport

Even with a background familiarity of a sport, always start with the basics before you start venturing into uncharted territory, such as with dynamic same game parlays (SGPs) or live in-play betting. Sure, these markets can look tempting, and the odds are designed to seduce you, but sports wagering and event contract trading rely on solid discipline and a detailed understanding of each market's principles. 

Instead, start off with any of these core betting market favorites, including:

• Moneyline/ Match Winners
• Totals Over/ Under 
• Futures
• Double Chance

Wagering on these markets not only eases you into learning how to bet on a sport, but with time and experience you can start to identify patterns which you can incorporate into more exotic betting markets such as parlays and bet builders. Do it this way round and you’ll soon understand the benefits of toying with the user-friendly markets first, to help you navigate toward a wagering strategy you’re most comfortable with.

The Bottom Line

Let no one tell you that sports betting is easy, but get it right and it adds a completely new dimension to watching the sporting action unfold. 

A core principle of doing so is to always gamble responsibly and have realistic expectations - the ideal scenario being that it becomes a profitable side hustle for you. The reality is only a tiny fraction of punters ever make sizable long-term profits from sports betting, but easing your way into the nation's favorite pastime will definitely put you in good stead.