You might have heard about a “futures” bet while you begin learning about sports betting. What is it? As it sounds, a futures bet is a wager on an event or outcome that will be determined in the future. It’s for wagers beyond the week or even the regular season. Let’s break it down and give some examples.
What is a Futures Bet?
In sports betting, a future is a wager on an event or outcome down the road in the future. This type of wager can be for player awards, championship winners, and more. It is different than your traditional spread or moneyline because you are placing a wager that might not have a result for months.
Odds for Futures Bets
The odds for futures bets can vary and they change often throughout the season based on how teams or players are performing, injuries, and more. Since futures are bets for down the road, you will usually see all of the odds at even money or better. Now, this isn’t always the case depending on the sport. Here’s a look at some odds for what team will win the Super Bowl.
| SB Winner | Odds |
|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | +550 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | +600 |
| Baltimore Ravens | +950 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | +1300 |
| Detroit Lions | +1300 |
| Buffalo Bills | +1300 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +1400 |
| Dallas Cowboys | +1500 |
| Houston Texans | +1600 |
| Green Bay Packers | +1900 |
| Miami Dolphins | +2300 |
| Atlanta Falcons | +2400 |
| New York Jets | +2700 |
| Los Angeles Rams | +3200 |
| Cleveland Browns | +4000 |
These odds are from May but it still allows bettors to wager on who will win the Super Bowl in February 2025. These odds will change once the season begins based on many factors.
Popular Types of Futures Bets
There are several different types of futures bets including player awards, team championships, and more. Let’s look at a few of the most popular.
Major Awards
With popular sportsbooks, you can wager on what players will win the major awards. You can place future bets on MVP, Rookie of the Year, and more in all sorts of sports. For example, you can bet on the AL Cy Young Award winner. Check out some example odds.
| AL Cy Young | Odds |
|---|---|
| Corbin Burnes | +330 |
| Tarik Skubal | +350 |
| Logan Gilbert | +1000 |
| Pablo Lopez | +1200 |
| Luis Castillo | +1600 |
| Cole Ragans | +1600 |
| George Kirby | +1600 |
| Kevin Gausman | +3000 |
| Joe Ryan | +3000 |
| Jose Berrios | +3000 |
| Bryce Miller | +4000 |
| Framber Valdez | +4000 |
In this case, Corbin Burnes is the favorite at +330. If you bet $100 on him and he wins the AL Cy Young at the end of the year, you would win $330.
Team Championships
Another popular futures bet is what teams will win championships. You can bet on what team will win the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, NBA Finals, and more at any point during the season. Check out some example odds for teams to win the NBA Finals.
| Finals Winner | Odds |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | +105 |
| Denver Nuggets | +480 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +600 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +800 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +950 |
| New York Knicks | +1000 |
| Indiana Pacers | +4600 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +6500 |
These odds are from May 6, 2024. The NBA Playoffs are in the second round and as you can see the Celtics are the favorite to win it all at +105. Earlier in the season, you might have seen the Celtics at +350 or +400. The odds have shifted because fewer teams are left and we are closer to the NBA Finals.
21+ and Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Visit morethanagame.nc.gov in NC.