Single-game bets tend to dominate the spotlight in sports gamblingā€”moneylines, point spreads, and over/unders draw most of the action. Futures betting, while used less often, remains hugely popular. It involves predicting outcomes well before they occur, such as division, conference, or championship winners. Futures can take many forms, and while our ultimate betting guide covers every wager type in detail, this section focuses specifically on how to approach futures betting.


How Betting Futures Works

As we noted earlier, futures betting is about wagering on an outcome thatā€™s still far from being decided. Examples include predicting NFL division winners, college football bowl champions, NBA Finals victors, World Series champions, Stanley Cup winners, and more.

The odds for these predictions are expressed as moneylines, since youā€™re picking an outright winner. So if youā€™re checking the current odds for the NFL Super Bowl LX and decide to back the Buffalo Bills (+650), that means for every $100 you risk, youā€™d earn $650 in profit if they win. (Note: you donā€™t need to bet in $100 increments.)

Futures can also be presented as an over/under. This is exclusive to when youā€™re betting on win totals.

Perhaps youā€™re looking at NBA odds for the upcoming season and see that theĀ Los Angeles LakersĀ have a win-total over/under of 53.5. This is actually a future bet because the wager will not be completed for months. In this case, choosing the over would mean the Lakers have to win at least 54 games, while the under would mean they cannot win more than 53.

Compared to championship futures, win-total futures generally offer smaller payouts. In many cases, the odds are close to even money (around āˆ’110 on each side), similar to what youā€™d see on a single-game over/under, though exact pricing can vary by sport and sportsbook

This is why more people gravitate toward the division, conference, and title futures. The possible profits are enormous. But so is the risk. Because so much happens after you place your betā€”injuries, shifts in the competitive landscape, unpredictable drop-offs, etc.ā€”thereā€™s never such a thing as a virtual lock. It doesnā€™t even matter if youā€™re investing in a recognized dynasty. They eventually fall off. Ask people who bet on the Denver Nuggets to repeat as NBA champions after their convincing 2023 title run.

Something else to consider with futures betting: Not all experiences are created equal. Thatā€™s always the case, but single-game moneylines, point spreads, and over/under odds are usually at least almost consensus and offered everywhere. Not all sportsbooks provide win-total or championship futures on a regular basis, at least not for every sport. But donā€™t worry about this; weā€™ve put together a list of sportsbooks that have everything you need when it comes to betting futures:

When Does It Make Sense to Bet Futures?

Many other bet types are viewed as either-or optionsā€”alternatives to one another. Futures are different. They bet types that should be made in conjunction with others rather than as the meat and potatoes of your sports-gambling palate.

Sure, technically, you can just work win-total and championship futures and nothing else. But you're trafficking in such big-picture, long-shot scenarios that you're not going to feel a win or loss for some time.

The latter point is especially important. Aside from win-total over/unders, all futures should be treated as long-shot investments. Even if you back a heavy favoriteā€”say a Super Bowl contender priced at āˆ’200ā€”youā€™re still betting before 31 other teams have had the chance to compete

Future Betting Vector

The field of possibilities is so huge that even favorites should be considered underdogsā€”and they often are. Unless you're dealing with a truly dominant force or league dynasty, most championship futures will payout better than 1-to-1. You'll face less lucrative odds when dealing with conferences and divisions, though.

Ultimately, futures can be worth considering at any timeā€”the real question is when to place your wager. Many futures markets open before the season begins, often months in advance, but the exact timing depends on the sport and league

Jumping on these odds immediately is usually the play. If you're waiting for injury, trade, or free-agency news, then that's fine. But sportsbooks typically wait for the same before releasing win-total and championship lines. Pouncing early is a twofold philosophy:

First, you are ensured access to the initial odds as opposed to the adjusted ones that come after sportsbooks have had time to see where a majority of the action is going. Second, and most importantly, access to futures only declines as the actual season approaches and eventually starts.

Some websites will remove futures odds entirely from their ledger once the year begins.Ā This is most common with win totals. Division, conference and championship lines will still be available, but they get tinkered as the season wears on and will promise far less lucrative payouts as the competitive landscape continues to take a more discernible shape. So if you're going to invest in future linesā€”particularly division and conference winners, where the field is slightly smaller to begin withā€”it's best to do so before the league in question begins its season.

Should You Parlay Future Odds?

Parlay betting remains one of the more underused features in sports wagering. By combining multiple bets into one slip, you increase the risk of losing, but you also amplify potential payouts without raising your initial stake. Itā€™s a strategy worth considering for bettors looking to stretch small investments.

The same logic applies to futures in 2025. While not every sportsbook allows parlays on long-term betsā€”and you canā€™t stack two championship picks from the same leagueā€”futures parlays are increasingly available and can create big upside when used strategically

Still, if you're looking to wade into the betting waters with minimal overhead, parlaying not just overall wagers, but futures is an extremely shrewd move. And it's not complicated to do. It's just like any other parlay.

Say you want to make the following future bets, all in your current year: The Lakers to win the NBA Finals at +500; theĀ St. Louis CardinalsĀ to win the World Series at +700; the Patriots to win the Super Bowl at +650; and theĀ Tampa Bay LightningĀ to take home the Stanley Cup at +400. You can make ample money by placing separate wagers, in which case you're protected against losing your bet because one of the four teams you've chosenĀ does not win a title.

On the flip side, though, the payout on this hypothetical bet slip is 1,800(ish)-to-1. Seriously. No joke. Promise. So why not throw a five-dollar wager on this long-shot outcome? If you lose, you can more than withstand the hit. If you win, well, you're looking at a payout of...$9,000. This is, again, not a joke.

Future Betting Vector

All of this clearly sounds great. But we'd be remiss not to note that this is not one of those strategies to be taken lightly. Small amounts will mean different things to different people. Only lay down the money you have zero attachment to. You should also stick with outcomes that you actually deem possible. Taking the Lightning in this scenario, for instance, might be attractive because of the 4-to-1 odds, but if you don't consider them actual Stanley Cup contenders, then it's pointless. Put another way: It is better to lose on the merits of what you think is plausible rather than chasing the gaudier payout of a parlay you don't actually have any faith in.

And look: you donā€™t have to reach for the most extreme futures odds. You could go with something more digestible, like division winner bets early in the 2025-26 campaign. Letā€™s say you build a parlay of these predictions in the NFC (mixing favorites and slight underdogs):

  • NFC North: Green Bay Packers (-125)
  • NFC West: San Francisco 49ers (+120)
  • NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles (-160)
  • NFC South: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-250)

None of those outcomes seem wildly unlikely ā€” theyā€™re plausible picks, some favorites, some with moderate risk. Yet if you parlay them, the payout could be quite spicy. A small $5 bet with those combined might return roughly 12-to-1 or more. You get value by sticking to realistic options, rather than chasing huge payout odds that are unlikely to hit.