Now that you’ve got a better idea of the pros and cons of singular vs. multiple sports betting, you can make a decision as far as what’s best for you. There’s no wrong answer. For some people, betting on lots of different sports is the best strategy. For others, digging deep into one sport and all its nuances can be the best option.
If you do decide only to bet on one sport, it’s important to know which seasons run short and which leagues produce games and contests that last much longer, plus all the other reasons that make each sport a good or bad candidate to focus solely on.
American Football (NFL)
Even though the NFL is arguably the most popular sport for betting in North America, it poses some problems if it’s the only sport you want to bet on. The biggest challenges are the relatively short season and a small number of games but NFL football is also one of the hardest and most competitive sports to be successful betting on.
Nevertheless, the NFL thrives on betting, and every Sunday throughout autumn is a gambler’s delight. More than ten games take place on one day, making every Sunday an extravaganza of betting action.
Unfortunately, similar to baseball, the season comes quick and fast for football fans. The NFL regular season only runs for four months of the year, from the beginning of September until the end of December. Playoffs extend the season for another month, and the Super Bowl takes place on the first Sunday of February.
That leaves those who solely bet on the NFL without an outlet for betting for seven months of the year. With daily fantasy football betting along with traditional sports betting, the NFL is a fun league to bet on.
Basketball (NBA)
The NBA isn’t a bad choice if you want to limit your betting to just one sport. The season is relatively long and there are lots of games to work with.
NBA training camps take place towards the end of September, and by mid-October, the season is underway. There are 82 games in a season and the regular season goes until the latter half of April. Playoffs then take place from April to June, meaning that there are only three months of the year when betting on the NBA is a no-go.
Compared to other major professional sports leagues, basketball offers a good season length and volume. It’s also not too heavy all at once like baseball which has twice as many games but also has an offseason that’s nearly twice as long.
Hockey (NHL)
When it comes to season length and volume of games, hockey and basketball are nearly identical for sports bettors. Since one is played on ice and the other on wood, that’s where most of the similarities between the two games end.
The NHL and the NBA run parallel to one another all year long. The NHL starts just two weeks before the NBA season and ends right around the same time, depending on how the playoffs play out. Just like the NBA, the NHL has 82 games in a season, and a number of prop and in-game bets are available in both.
Another benefit they both share is that both sports run during times of the year when the weather isn’t very nice in many parts of the US. Summer months often aren’t the most popular for sports betting, and both of these leagues take a hiatus in July and August.
Baseball (MLB)
This one is right on the borderline of being good or bad for singular sports betting, and it’s largely due to its relatively short but very high-volume season.
If you’re looking to bet on a professional sports leagues with the most game action, then the MLB is your best bet. With 162 games in a season, there is a huge amount of volume for bets in the MLB.
Aside from all the games, there are a ton of prop bets and in-game bets that you can make during each game. During the season, every team plays almost every day, so it’s important that you stay within your bankroll if you like making lots of bets.
The downside to baseball? There’s a huge volume in a short period of time. Betting on baseball is like binge drinking. You consume a lot in a short period of time and before you know it, it’s all over. The season begins in April and ends in October, meaning that there is a five-month hiatus for fans and bettors of the sport.
If you’re restricting all your betting to MLB, hopefully, you don’t wake up with a financial hangover after the World Series.
Another reason why baseball might be a bad sport to bet on? Sports betting usually increases outside of the summer months when people are often going on vacation or spending more time outdoors. Baseball follows the weather and doesn’t offer sports bettors much entertainment during the winter months.
Cricket
Having cricket in the category of good sports to bet on comes with the caveat that cricket fans will watch leagues of all different types.
Cricket is a sport that certainly isn’t popular in America, but there are notable leagues on most other continents. Europe, Asia, and Australia all boast popular leagues, with the benefit being that they run during different times of the year. In England, the cricket season runs from mid-April until September, whereas in Australia the cricket season goes from October until March.
If you’re a fan of cricket, that means year-round betting opportunities.