Football’s Betting Crossover: What Else Punters Bet On

For many football fans, the sport dominates their attention and schedules. Weekends are dedicated to prepping for the big match, making well-thought-out bets, travelling to the stadium, and post-game celebrations at the nearby pub. So, when there’s talk of a lucrative MMA fight night or an exciting horse racing fixture, you might catch a whisper or see an eyebrow raised. Those conversations often don’t seem to belong among football banter, almost like they’re pushed to the sidelines.

While there’s no denying the passion for and commitment to football, the reality is that many punters aren’t one-trick ponies. They diversify their betting portfolio and enjoy branching out to other sports and gambling formats. Especially when it’s the offseason, bettors love exploring the sports calendar and seeing what else is out there. Beyond football, here are the other sports and activities fans get involved with.

Online Casino Games

Punters looking for a thrill or entertainment beyond the pitch often turn to the ever-growing selection of online casino games. They offer a refreshing break from the monotony of betting, as these games typically deliver instant gratification and quick results. Players can spin the reels on a slot game or play a round of live roulette during halftime to wind down at home after a long day of eating, drinking, and being merry. Sites like BonusFinder New Zealand provide incredibly easy-to-access lists of casino bonuses, real-money casinos, and free spins to get new users started safely and legally.

Rugby Union

Football punters in countries like Ireland, the UK, and New Zealand see rugby as a natural crossover sport, considering the sports’ equally deep roots and strong cultural presence. While there are similarities, such as the team-based play, the varied betting markets, and the overlapping seasonal schedules, many differences keep bettors on their toes. Rugby involves nuances that make things interesting. 

Stoppages like scrums and lineouts create ample opportunity to place live betting, while distinct player positions make room for a wider range of player prop bets. Rather than scoring being limited to getting the ball into the opponent’s net, rugby has immense point scoring variety—conversions, drop goals, and more.

MMA and Boxing

Recently, MMA and boxing have taken over the world. With superstar fighters, a much more intense social media presence, and incredible fan engagement, more and more people around the world are dipping their toes into combat sports. These sports marry the high-stakes drama and electrifying energy that fans experience in football with the spectacle-like quality that they look for elsewhere. 

Title bouts and main events in Las Vegas, New York, Abu Dhabi, and beyond attract serious betting attention, especially as the moneyline itself is so lucrative on its own. The headline market is simple and straightforward, with other complementary bets adding extra layers for those more invested.

Horse Racing

Horse racing is similar to rugby union, where the sport has deep associations with the culture and traditions of many football punters in certain countries. Because weekend rituals often feature both a football match and a visit to the races, accumulators often blend bets from both sports.

In New Zealand, for example, race days like the Melbourne or Auckland Cup allow people to combine betting and socialisation. Big race meetings in Ascot and Cheltenham in the UK offer the same. Many bettors choose to simply bet on which horse will win the race, but others dive into place wagers and other exotic bets like tricasts and forecasts. 

Cricket

Cricket is for those who are in it for the long haul. Considering matches often last three to eight hours and even consist of multiple sessions, punters can explore plenty of markets and player performance bets that make for some engaging bets. 

While football does have a nice selection of betting markets already, cricket has a level of strategic depth that it can’t match. If punters want to take a more analytical approach, they can tap into some serious data and insights that allow them to make more informed bets. It’s similar to baseball, where granular statistics play a huge role in betting strategies, ideal for football fans who want to dig more into the numbers.

Tennis

With a full schedule of competitions throughout the year, the tennis calendar doesn’t take breaks. Bettors find that famous tournaments like the US Open and Wimbledon, as well as smaller WTA and ATP events, give them the engagement they want year-round. 

Despite having so many data points to check out, tennis has straightforward markets like set betting and match winner, making it easy to get invested. As a one-on-one (or two-on-two) sport, momentum swings are common, and the entire outcome of matches rests solely on these few players. Such an intense focus turns every play into a critical moment that can affect in-play odds on a whim.

Golf

Golf has the unique appeal of being slow-paced. It’s rich with analytics and combines an individual nature with a tournament-based structure. As golf is played over hours and days, bettors can constantly adjust their bets as performances change. There’s also a broad range of markets, like top-10 finishes, head-to-head matchups, and niche markets. It contrasts greatly with football, where the outcome is a team effort among 11 players on each side. While tennis also offers individual competitive play, golf boasts the slower rhythm that those coming off a football high often appreciate.