What is a Futures Bet? Futures Betting Explained

A futures bet in sports betting is when you bet on an outcome to be decided at a later date. Unlike betting on specific games, futures betting focuses on betting on competitions or events, taking place over an extended period of time.

Futures betting can provide excellent value and high potential payouts. It is a popular sports betting method across the US, for sports including NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, soccer, and more.

What is a Futures Bet?

By betting a futures sports bet, you are betting on the result of a competition, tournament, or event, rather than a specific game. Examples of futures bets include betting on the Super Bowl winner or the NBA MVP before the season starts.

Fanatics Sportsbook offers futures betting markets across a range of sports and competitions. Don't have a Fanatics Sportsbook account? Click 'CLAIM NOW' below to access Fanatics Sportsbook's futures markets and get $350 in bonuses when you bet $20.

Popular Types of Futures Bets

Sportsbooks offer futures markets across popular US sports including NBA, NFL, and more. Futures bets are available across both team and player markets, including Championship Winners, to Make the Playoffs, NBA MVP, Rookie of the Year, and more.

Championship Winners

Championship Winners is a popular futures betting market across the NBA and other sports. This market is where you are betting on a team to win a competition outright at the end of the season. The market name may vary depending on sport, for example, for NFL bettors, Super Bowl Winners would be the equivalent of this market, with MLS Winners the correct market for soccer fans.

Outright moneyline markets are the most popular method of sports futures betting, and are widely accessible across US sportsbooks, including with Fanatics Sportsbook.

Playoffs

Playoffs futures bets are another popular betting market across the US. Playoffs are a key betting opportunity across several sports, including NFL, NBA, soccer, and more. Playoffs markets can be a good alternative to betting on moneyline winners, as several teams make the playoffs, rather than just one eventual winner.

With Fanatics Sportsbook, you can place playoffs futures bets across a range of sports, as well as combine different playoffs futures bets into parlays to track across the season. Fanatics Sportsbook offers odds on the NBA playoffs, NFL playoffs, MLS playoffs, MLB playoffs, and more.

Player Awards

You can also bet on player awards when placing futures bets. Player futures have grown in popularity in recent years, and can provide high potential payouts. Popular player futures include NBA MVP, NFL MVP, and MLS Top Goalscorer.

You can bet on player futures across NBA, NFL, soccer, and other sports and leagues with Fanatics Sportsbook.

Futures Bet Examples

Here are some examples of futures bets across popular US sports:

How Futures Odds Work

Futures odds work in the same way as in any other sports betting market. All futures odds are priced as positive (+) or negative (-), across team and player futures markets.

Positive odds indicate the potential profit on a $100 stake. For example, a futures bet at +200 would yield a profit of $200 from a $100 stake, and a total payout of $300.

Negative odds indicate the stake required in order to make $100 profit. For example, a futures bet at -250 would require a $250 stake to make a profit of $100, with a total payout of $350.

Futures Bets vs Traditional Bets

Futures bets are different from traditional sports bets, in that they are live over an extended period of time, rather than on one specific game or event. Both betting methods have pros and cons, which are explained below.

Futures Bets Pros & Cons

Pros

• Long-term entertainment - you can track futures bets for several months
• High potential payouts
• Early value opportunity
• Hedging opportunity

Cons

• Bad luck - an injury or poor form can damage your bet
• Money is tied up for the season if cash out is unavailable
• High juice - sportsbooks can provide less value on futures bets due to these markets having high juice, which is a commission that sportsbooks charge to give them an edge

Traditional Bets Pros & Cons

Pros

• Wide range of markets available
• You can claim your winnings soon after an event or game
• Beginner friendly and simple to understand

Cons

• Less early value opportunity
• Shorter-term entertainment compared to futures betting
• Less hedging opportunity

Futures Betting Strategies

There are several factors and strategies to consider when planning and wagering your sports futures bets, including picking the right time to place your futures bets, as well as hedging your futures bets to try and secure a profit.

Timing Your Bet

Timing your futures bet correctly is one of the most difficult challenges in sports betting. Betting on futures markets early can get you more value, but means you are exposed to unknown variables including trades, transfers, injuries, and more. If you wait too long to place your futures bets, you may miss the value.

Betting on futures markets before the season begins is a popular method with sports bettors, as higher odds and potentially bigger payouts are available. However, many futures markets remain live deep into the season, and it's recommended to wait until you can properly assess team and player form, before placing your futures bets. Of course, the longer you wait, the longer the market has to correct itself against mispriced pre-season odds.

It's a cat and mouse game with no definitive right or wrong method, but, by waiting for the season to begin before wagering your futures bets, you'll be able to gather more information and knowledge across team and player form, trends, and more.

Hedging Your Position

Another strategy with futures betting is hedging bets, which involves placing a wager on an opposite outcome in an attempt to guarantee profit and a return. You might have wagered $100 on the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl at the start of the season at +1500. They are having a strong year and reach the Super Bowl, where they'll play against the New England Patriots.

The Patriots are currently priced at +170 to win the Super Bowl against the Chiefs. Given that you have already wagered a futures bet on the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl at +1500, now presents an opportunity for you to hedge your wager to guarantee some profit.

Your $100 bet on the Chiefs at +1500 would pay out $1600 if they win, therefore, by placing a $300 bet on the Patriots at +170, which would pay out $810 if they win, you guarantee yourself profit, regardless of which team wins.

Total amount staked - $400 ($100 on Chiefs, $300 on Patriots)

• Chiefs win = $1600 payout / $1200 profit
• Patriots win = $810 payout / $410 profit

Additional Betting Insight & Explainers

The Fanatics Sportsbook blog offers further insight to sports betting markets, terms, and methods, including:

• What Is a Middle Bet in Sports Betting
• What Is Live Sports Betting?
• What Is a Prop Bet? A Beginner's Guide to Sports Prop Betting
• What Is a Point Spread?
• What Is Line Movement in Sports Betting?

Futures Sports Betting FAQs

How do sports betting futures work?

Sports betting futures are sports bets that are placed on long-term markets or competitions, rather than specific games. A traditional sports bet might look at an NFL game from this weekend, while a futures bet could be on a team to win the Super Bowl in several months' time.

Futures betting ensures your bets stay live for an extended period of time, with futures markets available across team and player lines at a range of US sportsbooks.

Can you cash out a futures bet?

Yes, you can typically cash out futures bets at various stages during the season, depending on how your futures bet is doing. If your bet shortens in price as the season progresses, you could cash out for a profit. But, if the team or player you back in a futures market gets bigger in price, your cash out option may be lower than your initial wager.

Are futures bets worth it?

Yes, futures bets can provide excellent value and potentially high payouts. The key benefit to futures betting is that your wager stays alive for an extended period of time, keeping you engaged throughout the season. Futures betting can make following a team or player fun and exciting.

There are risks with futures betting, for example, you could wager on a player to be NBA MVP during pre-season, and that player gets injured early on in the season. If the player misses several games, this could have a major impact on his chances of winning MVP. It also depends on each person's betting preferences. Some bettors enjoy betting on games, while others enjoy tracking futures bets across a season.

Which sportsbooks offer futures betting?

Fanatics Sportsbook offers a range of both team and player futures markets across the NFL, as well as the NBA, soccer, MLB, and NHL. You can also access a wide range of team and player prop lines for individual games and events, as well as profit boosts, bet & get offers, and more with Fanatics Sportsbook.

When should you place a futures bet?

There is no right or wrong answer to when you should place a futures bet. You could get bigger odds if you place your futures bets early, but if you fail to do your research, you could place your futures bet too early and make the wrong wager.

Futures markets tend to stay live during the season, therefore, it is advised to analyze team and player performance in pre-season, as well as trades and transfers, before placing your futures bets.

Reviewed by Fanatics