We have looked into the future, and what we see are an abundance of betting opportunities. Future bets have become the candy-coated treat of sports betting, because like a Tootsie Roll, they last a long time. Now, they aren't always going to pay off - in fact, the vast majority of them never will - but when they do, man what a great feeling. As the team you bet on at the start of the season wins it all, not only do you get bragging rights among your buddies, you also earn a handsome payout from the sportsbook.
Can You See Into The Future?
Sometimes, those payouts can be astronomical. Sportsbooks sweated the 2017-18 Stanley Cup final, as the Washington Capitals faced the first-year Vegas Golden Knights. There were a few hearty souls who had backed the expansion Golden Knights to win the Cup in their inaugural season, something no team has ever done, and they did so at odds of +50000, meaning a $100 bet would garner them a $50000 payout.
It didn't happen - the Capitals captured the Cup handily in a five-game final series - and sportsbooks breathed a sigh of relief. But even that close call showed how intoxicating a future wager can prove to be. Back at the start of the 1999-2000 NFL season, those faithful fans who backed the St. Louis Rams to win Super Bowl XXXIV at odds of +30000 seemed foolish. You better believe that they were happy when quarterback Kurt Warner led the Rams to a 23-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans in the big game at the end of that season.
The same goes for the lucky folks who saw Leicester City winning the 2015-16 English Premier League soccer title, something the side had never done. In fact, the Premier League was so lopsided - Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea had captured 22 of the previous 23 titles - that oddsmakers were forced to offer ridiculous lines to encourage punters to put money down on the supposed no-hopers.
One of those was Leicester City, which was given odds of +50000 to win the title entering the 2015-16 campaign. When The Foxes, as the Leicester City side is known, came up winners, those sly enough to wager on that outome occurring combined to take home a whopping $15 million from British sportsbooks. One sportsbook alone was required to pay out $4.35 million.
At the start of every season, bookmakers post the future odds on every league's championship. Here's a look at what Bovada's future book odds for Super Bowl LIII looked like:
If you had looked at these odds prior to the 2017-18 NFL season, you would have seen the Philadelphia Eagles listed at +5000 to win Super Bowl LII, which they did by a 41-33 count over the defending champion New England Patriots. Should you have been savvy enough to put $100 down on the Eagles at that juncture, you would have collected $5000 when back-up quarterback Nick Foles outdueled Tom Brady and the mighty Patriots.
It Isn't Only Championships
The future book at any sportsbook is filled with opportunities to wager on the outcome of just about any race. In Major League Baseball, for instance, of course you can bet on the World Series outcome. But you can also drop down a future wager on the National and American League Championship Series, and each of the six divisional races - AL and NL East, Central and West Division winners.
In the FIFA World Cup, you can put money on the country you think will win the Jules Rimet Trophy, but you also can wager on which countries will emerge victorious in each of the eight group stages of the competition.
Some sportsbooks go deep in their future book wager offerings. BetOnline allows you to wager on which golfer will be the leader after each round of a PGA Tour event.
BetOnline also offers future bets on the NHL entry draft, including which players will go to certain teams in the first round and over/unders on the total players chosen from each position on the ice, as well as their league or country of origin. Bovada offers future wagering on who will win all of the NHL's individual awards - the Hart, Vezina, Selke, Bill Masteron, Calder, Jack Adams, Lady Byng and Norris Trophies. In the NFL, you can make pre-season wagers on who will be the league MVP or its offensive rookie of the year.
Or perhaps you are a cricketer. Who do you like to win the next ICC World Cup? Why wait? You can wager on that right now. For the horse racing fans, there are also future books wagers available on all major stakes races worldwide.
If auto racing is your sport, you can wager on which driver is going to win the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup or the Formula One world championship. You'll also find future book odds at all sportsbooks on every major event on the PGA Tour - the Masters, PGA, U.S. and British Opens - and each of the tennis grand slam events - Wimbledon and the Australian, French and U.S. Opens. With so many competitors, hitting on a winner in any of these events can result in a very healthy win ticket for you to cash.
This is the inherent beauty of the future book wager. Yes, the odds are not in your favor. Unlike a game, where you are basically in a 50-50 position in terms of winning or losing wagers, the future book bet is a true longshot. The chances of hitting it are better than hitting the lottery, but not by much. But when you do, oh my how sweet the feeling will be. Imagine playing the Buffalo Bills at +10000 to win the Super Bowl, and it actually happened? OK, maybe not the Bills. But what about the New York Jets at +20000? Wouldn't that be something?
Joe Namath might not guarantee that you will win, but if you win, we guarantee that your future will be a bright one.
