When it comes to online sports betting in the USA, the NFL is king. Estimates are that some $350 million in wagers are handled on NFL games at online sportsbooks like BetMGM, DraftKings sportsbook Caesars each week during the regular season. Any wonder then why the NFL was opting to extend the regular season from 16 to 17 games?
Next in line in terms of betting handle would be college football, college basketball and the NBA. So you can rest assured that if you are planning to bet on any or all of these sports, the betting lines will be about as exact as they could be. Oddsmakers at the leading NJ online sports betting sites will be investing hour upon hour to come up with the lines for these events. Simulations will be run into the thousands, and algorithms analyzed countless times.
You know that when you bet on these sports, you’re getting the best of the best setting the odds. However, that might not be the case if you are someone who bets on say, rugby union, or cricket, or Australian Rules football, or even darts or esports for that matter.
Even sports such as hockey, auto racing, boxing and UFC are still categorized as niche sports in terms of the betting handle they deliver. While the followers of these sports are certainly zealous and passionate, they don’t number anywhere near the masses of those who follow and bet on the NFL.
That being the case, they also don’t generate the revenue in terms of betting handle that the major sports do, so it’s not as likely that oddsmakers are going to be devoting as much of their day to setting the odds for any of these niche sports.
Betting on Niche Sports: Opportunities and Considerations
However, if you are among those passionate followers of any of these less-popular games, that knowledge could pay off handsomely.
Just as sportsbooks aren’t spending as much time assessing these lesser games, there are some that will be better in terms of the betting markets they are offering on such niche sports. So if you’re going to bet on rugby, or hockey, or boxing, you’re going to want to know which online sportsbook is going to best service your sports betting needs and deliver the most betting lines for each of these niche markets.
Top Sportsbooks for Niche Sports Betting
- DraftKings sportsbook: canoeing, climbing, cornhole
- bet365 sports: field hockey, gymnastics, table tennis
- BetRivers NJ sportsbook: water polo, track and field
- Caesars Sports bet app: weightlifting, lacrosse
Here’s our list showcasing the best NJ sportsbooks for niche betting in various sports:
Rugby Betting: Bet365
- Specializes in European sports.
- Extensive markets on domestic rugby leagues and international competitions.
- Prop bets on events like the Cricket World Cup.
When it comes to searching for an online sportsbook to wager on niche sports, the best place to start out is at Bet365. As a British-based company, they are well-versed in popular European sports such as soccer, rugby, cricket, snooker and darts. Rugby bettors will find regular markets for domestic loops from the UK, Ireland and France, as well as major international competitions such as the Six Nations and World Cup. The depth of the Bet365 prop bets offered on the Cricket World Cup included first wicket method, highest individual score and most runs in a single over.
Esports Betting: BetRivers
- Provides betting lines on popular games such as Call Of Duty, CS:GO, and League Of Legends.
- Offers a variety of betting options including live betting and futures.
If it’s esports that you’re into, check out the offerings at BetRivers. This sportsbook offers lines for such games as Call Of Duty, CS:Go, Dota 2, Valorant and League Of Legends, with pre-event, futures and live betting markets available for wagering. Bet on such outcomes from overall game winner to first person shooter, next kill, first to 10 kills, total kills, and map betting.
UFC Betting: DraftKings
- Offers a wide array of UFC betting lines.
- Known for fight props, round props, and method of victory bets.
- Experience in offering UFC markets since before the legalization of sports betting.
DraftKings is a sportsbook known for its diverse menu of sporting offerings and certainly, when it comes to UFC wagering, they can’t be beat. They were already offering UFC action at their daily fantasy site before getting into the legal and regulated sports betting industry in 2018, so they are well aware of the growing popularity of this sport, especially among the coveted demographic of young males. DraftKings provides UFC betting lines on fight props, round props, winning method, even fight parlays.
Hockey Betting: BetMGM
- Offers extensive future markets in hockey.
- Bets available on team and individual awards and player futures.
- Win totals for goalies and rich lines on other hockey betting options.
Should you want to bet on hockey, look no further than BetMGM. The future markets at BetMGM alone are massive. You can get rich lines on all the major team and individual awards, as well as player futures on goals and points totals, as well as win totals for goalies.
Auto Racing Betting: Caesars Sportsbook
- Covers a wide range of auto racing events including Formula One, NASCAR, and IndyCar.
- Offers moneylines, podium finishes, and head to head driver matchups.
- Provides future markets on series championship winners.
Whether you’re into Formula One, NASCAR or IndyCar, you’ll find that Caesars Sportsbook is capable of meeting all your auto racing betting needs. Betting markets are provided on race by race driver moneylines on the race winner, podium finish, top-five finish and top-10 finish, head to head driver matchups, winning constructor, and future markets on winners of the series championship.
TOP NJ Sportsbooks for Niche Betting With Bonuses
bet365 Sportsbook
BetMGM New Jersey
BetRivers Sportsbook
