TOP-10 popular sports for betting

Below are the ten disciplines that form the lion's share of sports betting turnover in the world. For each - "why in the top," the main markets, what to look at when analyzing and typical mistakes of beginners.

1) Football (Soccer)

Why in the top: the largest audience, year-round calendar (leagues + national teams), a lot of markets from totals to cards.

Key markets: 1X2, odds/Asian handicaps, totals (match/time), both will score, corners/cards, goals of players, futures (winner of the tournament).

What to watch for: lineups/rotation, calendar density, xG/moment creation, style (pressure/low block), weather, motivation (survival/top 4).

Errors: overestimation of "high-profile" brands, playing against trending statistics (for example, the team hits a lot, but xG is low), ignoring Asian lines.

2) Tennis

Why in the top: individual sports, fast love turnover, clear logic of forms/covers.

Key markets: match winner, game/set odds, totals, tie-breaks, lucrative micro-markets in live (first break, next game).

What to look at: coating (hard/soil/grass), freshness after five-setters, H2H, quality of the second serve, balance of winners/unforced.

Mistakes: "Dogon" on favorites after losing a set, ignoring injuries/medical timeouts, blindly following the ATP/WTA rankings.

3) Basketball

Why in the top: high frequency of events and points, convenient live, developed prop-beta.

Key markets: totals, odds, quarters/halves, individual points/rebounds/assists, three-pointers, futures (MVP, champion).

What to look at: pace (pace), efficiency (eFG%), selection on the shield, b2b schedule, injuries to key "balance" players.

Mistakes: bet "by name" on star players, ignore rotations and load management, reassess the last 2-3 matches (small sample).

4) Esports (Esports)

Why in the top: young audience, constant online tournaments, patch cycles change the meta.

Key Markets: Series/Card Winner, Card/Round Totals, Round Handicap, First Blood/Baron/Roshan, Individual Metrics

What to look at: patchnouts/meta, map-pool, ban/peak, fatigue on LAN, underestimated shooting range-2 compositions.

Errors: transferring the logic of one game to another (CS ↔ Dota/LoL), ignoring the significance of cards and parties, betting on the "name" of the organization.

5) American Football (NFL/CFB)

Why in the top: the colossal US market, analytically saturated statistics.

Key markets: spreads, totals, moneyline, player props (yards, touchdowns), futures (Super Bowl, divisions).

What to watch for: DVOA, injuries (especially OL/QB), weather conditions (wind), scripts of first draves, coaching trends at 4th down.

Mistakes: underestimating the importance of offensive/defensive lines, betting "on highlights," ignoring line moves (CLV).

6) Horse Racing

Why in the top: historically strong betting discipline, short decision-making distances, mass pools.

Key markets: win/place/show, exacta/trifecta, each-way, runs spreads, fixed odds at bookmakers.

What to watch for: Horse class, trainer/jockey, ground/surface, post position, race pace, "drop in class."

Mistakes: chasing "long" without reading the form, ignoring road conditions, the lack of a bank for the variability of pools.

7) Baseball

Why in the top: volumetric season (MLB) and statistical depth, convenient for modeling.

Key markets: moneyline, fora (run line), totals, first 5 innings (F5), strikeouts of pitchers, hit/run/error.

What to watch for: starting pitchers (pitch mix, velocity), bullpens, splits left/right, park factors, series calendar.

Mistakes: Ignore F5 with strong start and weak bullpen, blind belief in "hot bits" without stable metrics.

8) Hockey

Why in the top: fast pace, many live opportunities, popularity in a number of countries.

Key markets: 1X2/drav, totals, odds, shots on target, points/goals of players, victory taking into account OT/shootouts.

What to look at: special teams (PP/PK), back-to-back and trips, collar (SV%), quality of throws, style (heavy physical vs high-speed).

Mistakes: underestimation of goalkeepers and special teams, betting on a "re-sitting" of removal, ignoring travel factors.

9) Martial Arts (MMA/Boxing)

Why in the top: eventfulness, simple outcomes, high interest in the chapters of maps.

Key markets: winner of the fight, way to win (KO/Submission/Decision), totals of rounds, exact round.

What to watch for: Styles (Drummer/Wrestler), Cardio, Weight Race/Recovery, Camp and Short Replacement Opponents.

Mistakes: betting on "invincibility" and hype, ignoring the style of couples, overestimating "home refereeing."

10) Cricket

Why at the top: Giant fan base (India, Pakistan, England, Australia), myriad formats (Test/ODI/T20).

Key markets: Match/series winner, run/gone wicket totals, better/bowler performances, overs, runs spread.

What to watch for: Format and its pace, pitch/weather conditions, lineups, tour schedule, power of catchers.

Errors: transfer of format logic (T20 ≠ Test), ignoring weather "breaks," overestimating a coin throw without a pitch context.

Quick market comparison chart

Sport	Main markets	Where live is especially strong
Soccer	1X2, Asian odds, totals, "both will score"	line changes on goals/cards
Tennis	winner, game odds/sets, totals	every game/mini-event
Basketball	totals, odds, player props	jerks, fouls, rotations
ESports	cards/rounds, prop events	ban/peak, economic cycles
American football	spreads, totals, props	two-minute drill, weather shifts
Jumps	win/place/show, pools	starting/cornering
Baseball	ML, run line, F5, props	changing pitchers, clutch innings
Hockey	1X2, totals, throws	removal, goalkeeper change
Single combats	result/method/rounds	in between rounds
Cricket	winner, total wounds	innings change, weather windows

Seasonality and calendar (simplified)

Football: year-round (EuroLeague: Aug-May; international summer/winter).

Tennis: January-November (tour of the worlds, peaks - helmets).

Basketball: October-June (NBA + National Leagues).

NFL: September-February (colleges wider).

MLB: March-Oct.

Hockey: October-June.

Horse racing/Cricket/Esports: Event-tournament structure all year round.

Practical checklist before bid

1. Are the format and regulations clear? (OT/shootouts, maps, innings, patches.)

2. Roster/injuries/rotations checked? (QB/goalie/pitcher/roster core.)

3. Is there a statistical base? (xG, DVOA, eFG%, splits, meta.)

4. Line and price - is there a value? (Market comparison, coefficient movement.)

5. Bankroll and limits set? (Flat or percentage of bank.)

6. Plan for live: in what event is the entry/cashout/exit?

7. Stop at emotions: there are no "dogons" and bets "for the sake of interest" without data.

Responsible play - the foundation

Betting is a way to increase interest in sports, not a source of stress. Keep the bankroll separate from the budget, use deposit/time limits, pause, record results and reasons for decisions. If you feel a loss of control, turn on self-exclusion and turn to specialized assistance. Your health and money are more important than any bet.