A new year always brings about discussion on what to expect, and sports betting fans frequently discuss the best sports to bet on for the coming year.
It’s impossible to know what’s going to happen for certain in sports, but we can hazard a guess at which sports are going to be lucrative in the betting world. William Hill New Zealand has started ramping up its offerings for the new year and you’ll find more than 30 different sports available to bet on, including New Zealand events and leagues, like the New Zealand Football Championship, NZRL, and Super Smash.
In this article, we’ll look at the top sports that are likely to be lucrative in the betting sphere for 2023.
Football
No one will be shocked to see football come up as a top sport to bet on! After all, it has always been popular, and this isn’t expected to change next year. Football is lucrative because, compared to other team sports like soccer, it’s more of a level playing field due to how the teams are selected.
Betting on football, therefore, requires strategic thought, so it’s ideal for those who enjoy really examining the potential of individual players and their teams.
There are lots of different types of bets too, just two examples are betting on whether you’re going for first to score or the winning team.
Soccer
Second, only to football is soccer. Betting on soccer has become increasingly popular after the December 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. After the Argentine national team won the competition, they’re even thinking about putting Lionel Messi on their banknotes in Argentina.
Soccer is arguably the most popular sport worldwide, and there has even been talking about this eventually becoming the number one sport in North America, too!
Soccer is a volatile game, as we saw in the World Cup Final, as a team (or individual player even) can score lots of goals in a short space of time.
In terms of betting odds, you’ll see different notations, but the most common type is decimal odds. The lower the number, the greater chance the event has of happening. If one team’s odds are 2.00, for instance, they have a 50-50 chance of winning.
Basketball
As basketball is fairly predictable as a sport, you can use this to your advantage. Gamblers choosing to bet on this sport can pick a range of different wagers and, if you’re a beginner, it’s actually one of the easiest sports to get your head around when it comes to betting. However, you will need to have some knowledge of the game and the teams involved if you’ve got any chance of making accurate predictions and, therefore, making winnings!
Hockey
Hockey is a popular sport to bet on, particularly in North America as it is the national pastime of Canada. Each winter, players from all around the world take to the ice⎯and lots of spectators watch them eagerly.
Whenever there’s a sport with lots of fans, there’s sure to be a good betting range for punters, too. There are lots of different ways to bet and make money with hockey. Punters can choose to wager on the winning team, their victory margin, when the teams will score, and more.
Unlike basketball, hockey is quite unpredictable, which means that even the most unlikely of bets might come true. If you know a little about the sport, however, you can make betting on it very profitable.
UFC
The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is getting more and more popular among bettors. This sport is gaining traction and has huge events, competitive odds, and intense fights.
The UFC has an advantage over other, more traditional, sports⎯such as boxing⎯because it has planned fights and a set schedule. This means that people can do their research and plan how they are going to bet.
With UFC betting, you can choose a range of wagers, including whether the victory will occur in the first round and how the victory will occur.
Final Thoughts on the Best Sports to Bet on in 2023
Now is the time to research the sports that you’re going to bet on in 2023. The New Year often comes with resolutions galore but lots of bettors are using this time of reflection to plan their budgets and research their teams and strategies. Now that you know the best sports for 2023, you have a good starting point for your research. Happy New Year and good luck!
