Sporting Events You Didn’t Know You Could Bet On In The US

By Isaac Payne

The Super Bowl, the World Series, and March Madness are some of the largest sporting events in the USA, drawing thousands of bettors to the enticing lines each year.

But, while you’re waiting around for the next big event to kick off, take a look at some of the niche events!

These games and leagues aren’t nearly as popular as the NFL or NBA, but they still offer the opportunity to make a little cash while learning about a new sport.

Some of the best sporting events you didn’t know you could be on in the USA include:

• World Surfing League Championships (WSL)
• Professional Darts (PDC, ADO, CDC)
• The Puppy Bowl

Plus, most reputable gambling sites in the US offer betting on entertainment events as well, like the Oscars, Emmy Awards, and reality TV shows.

Before you start betting, be sure to dive in here to learn a few helpful wagering tips!

World Surfing League Championships

While most people might not think of surfing as a professional sport, it actually has a really robust professional scene. The World Surfing League (WSL) Championship usually takes place in May, and has both a men’s and a women’s circuit. Leading up to the Championship, you can watch the surfers compete in the WSL Championship Tour and the WSL Qualifying Series.

The Championship is formatted in rounds, each of which consists of a smaller batch, known as a “heat.” Surfers compete in small groups for who can hit the biggest wave with the most maneuvers and skill. Points are also awarded for speed, flow, and degree of difficulty.

Betting on the WSL Championships is pretty simple, with straight bets on which surfer you think will come out on top.

*Tip for betting on the WSL* – Do some research on the top surfers in the scene. Filipe Toledo and Carissa Moore are both recent WSL Championship winners, so their odds are lower in the 2023 competition.

Professional Darts

For some people, darts is a fun way to pass the time during commercial breaks at the sports bar. For others, it’s a professional sport.

US bettors can wager on a number of professional dart leagues, including the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), American Darts Organization (ADO), and the Championship Darts Corporation (CDC). These organizations have dozens of events each year, like the US Darts Masters, as well as international tournaments, like the World Series of Darts.

Most professional darts games start each player with 501 points and three darts per round. The player with the lowest score at the end, their official “checkout” score, wins.

Betting on darts is surprisingly simple. You can wager spreads, moneylines, and over/unders on individual matchups, as well as the exact score, highest checkout, or handicaps.

*Tip for betting on professional darts* - Make sure to familiarize yourself with the rules for each game, as some leagues operate on different protocols. Knowing the exact conditions for winning a match can help you place informed bets!

The Puppy Bowl

When it comes to niche sports, the Puppy Bowl is about as niche as they come. This cute event has taken place before the Super Bowl since 2005, and it airs on Animal Planet. The players of this mock football game are all shelter dogs, and it’s meant to bring awareness for animal adoption.

Aside from being heartwarming to watch, this event is a great opportunity for sports bettors! Since Puppy Bowl XI, the game has taken on a more structured format, with Team Ruff facing off against Team Fluff.

Just like in a traditional football game, you can wager moneylines on which team you think will win and which team you think will score first. These bets usually have the same odds, sitting around -120 at most sportsbooks.

Plus, you can also wager on which puppy will come out on top as the Most Valuable Puppy. The wagers for the MVP are broken up into two bets: puppies with names between A through J or K through Z.

*Tip for betting on the Puppy Bowl* – Unlike the Super Bowl, there are no stats to analyze for the Puppy Bowl, so don’t get too caught up in the logistics. This event is just a fun betting opportunity and is designed to be low risk.

Non-Sporting Events to Wager On

Not a fan of sports? Well, these events might be right up your alley! Popular sportsbooks offer lines on all manner of events, including award shows, elections, and even the stock market. With the right amount of research—and luck—these wagers can be just as profitable as NFL or MLB bets.

Here are some of the most interesting non-sports wagers you can place:

Bet on the Last Digit of the Dow Jones – This is a rolling wager, meaning you can place one every single day! You’re betting on the final digit of the Dow Jones when the markets close, zero through nine. Each number has the same odds, so it’s purely up to chance. You can also wager on whether the number will be odd or even.

The Bachelor and The Bachelorette – America’s iconic reality TV show comes to the best bookies! You can place future bets on which contestant will end up with the bachelor or bachelorette. Each week, the odds change based on the standings of each member.

US Presidential Elections – Leading up to the US presidential elections, you can wager on which candidates you think will become nominees, and then you can wager on who will become president. After each debate, odds change, so getting in early might be a good idea! You can also do a 50/50 wager with whether Republican or Democrats will win the election.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, betting on sports or entertainment events should be fun and exciting! These are just some of the games and leagues you’ll find betting lines on at the best US sportsbooks.

To get the most out of your experience betting on the WSL Championship or US Darts Masters, make sure you do a bit of research on the historic data, read about the top players, and make informed bets.