To look beyond the daily scorecard and focus on the ultimate prize, bettors turn to futures bets. This type of wagering involves placing bets on long-term outcomes rather than the final score of a single game.
Futures betting is becoming an increasingly popular way to get in on the action, giving bettors a fun way to sweat and cheer on teams and players for an entire season rather than just one night.
So, are you ready to make a bold call on who will win championships, end-of-season awards, or how many wins a team will finish with? Below, we’ve assembled a complete guide to futures betting that includes everything you need to know about placing long-term wagers with Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook.
What are Futures Bets?
With a futures wager, you are taking a stance on an outcome that will not be decided for an extended period – typically weeks or months, depending on when you place the wager. Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook will set the odds for various long-term results, and bettors can choose which team or player they believe will ultimately succeed at the end of the campaign.
The most common futures bets involve the eventual champion of a specific league. For example, a futures market for the NFL will list odds for every team to win the Super Bowl before the season even begins. Bettors then predict which team will hoist the Lombardi Trophy. However, that’s not the only way to bet futures.
The variety of futures bets extends well beyond just championship winners. Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook offers futures wagers on several different season-long narratives and statistics, with a robust menu available for every sport. You can bet on individual player awards like the MVP or Rookie of the Year, or predict the over-under on a team’s season win total. For each, Hard Rock Bet establishes the odds or projected total, and bettors speculate on the final result of the long haul.
Placing a futures bet gives you something to keep track of throughout the season. You’re no longer just watching a game for a few hours; you’re tracking narratives, potentially across an entire season.
How futures odds work
Futures odds operate like any other sports bet, with the main difference being that your bet is locked up for an extended period of time. Still, if you are new to sports betting, knowing how to understand odds is key when evaluating these long-term wagers.
Positive odds display the profit you’d stand to make on a $100 bet. For instance, if a team has +650 odds to win a championship, a $100 wager would return $650 in profit if they win, plus your original $100 stake. Negative odds indicate how much you’d need to bet to win $100 in profit. If a player has -180 odds to win MVP, you’d need to bet $180 to profit $100, plus your original $180 stake.
Futures odds are dynamic, meaning they change throughout their lifespan. Team performance, injuries, and trades all cause these prices to shift throughout the season.
Betting earlier in the season often presents different value opportunities, as outcomes are less certain. As the season progresses and the picture becomes clearer, odds will adjust to reflect the changing probabilities.
Most Common Futures Betting Markets
Futures betting covers a wide range of long-term outcomes and is available for every sport, giving you plenty of options to find a market that leverages your sports knowledge.
Below are the different types of futures wagers you will find at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook.
Championship Winners
Betting on who will win the championship is the most popular type of futures wager. This means picking the team that will ultimately claim the title in their respective league. Think major events like the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series, or the Stanley Cup. You can back an underdog with appealing odds early on and follow their season-long quest for glory.
You can also wager on conference titles, division titles, and more. Division winner futures involve picking which team will finish first in their specific division. These markets often present more accessible odds than championship futures, offering a different blend of season-long competition.
Player Awards
Individual player awards offer other ways for futures bettors to get in on the action before and during the season. These markets focus on a player’s season-long performance and accomplishments. You’re betting on who will be recognized as the best in their field over an entire season.
Common player award markets include Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young Award for pitchers, and even leadership awards like Manager or Coach of the Year. These bets add personal storylines to your sports season, as you track individual statistics and performances that could help decide your wager.
Season Win Totals
Win totals provide a distinct way to bet on a team’s overall performance. Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook sets a projected number of wins for each team, and you decide if they’ll finish over or under that total. This market makes every regular-season game count towards your bet’s outcome, ultimately giving you bigger bang for your buck.
Popular Futures Bets to Watch
Certain futures markets consistently capture the most attention and betting action, keeping bettors and oddsmakers on their toes before the season even begins:
National Football League (NFL)
The NFL season provides some of the most popular futures markets and volatile NFL odds in American sports.
- Super Bowl Winner: The most common futures bet, where you predict which team will ultimately hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February.
- AFC/NFC Conference Winner: Wager on which team will win their respective conference title and advance to the Super Bowl.
- NFL MVP: A highly popular player award market, predicting which player will be named the league’s Most Valuable Player for the season.
- Season Win Totals: A long-term over/under bet on the final number of regular-season wins for a specific team.
National Basketball Association (NBA)
NBA futures allow bettors to track the league all season long, which features significant shifts in championship odds throughout the 82-game season.
- NBA Finals Winner: Predict the ultimate champion of the NBA season, a market available almost year-round.
- Conference Champions: Wager on which team will represent the Eastern or Western Conference in the NBA Finals.
- NBA MVP: Bet on which player will receive the Most Valuable Player award, often a competitive market driven by both individual statistics and team success.
- Rookie of the Year: Predict the top-performing first-year player in the league, allowing basketball bettors to find value early in the season.
Major League Baseball (MLB)
With a lengthy 162-game baseball season, MLB futures require patience.
- World Series Champion: Predict the winner of baseball’s championship series.
- AL/NL Pennant Winners: Wager on which team will win the American League (AL) or National League (NL) title to advance to the World Series.
- AL/NL MVP: Individual player awards for the Most Valuable Player, split between the two leagues.
- AL/NL Cy Young Award: Predict the most outstanding pitcher in each league for the season.
National Hockey League (NHL)
NHL futures are dominated by the quest for hockey‘s most prestigious trophy.
- Stanley Cup Winner: The primary futures market, predicting the team that wins the grueling NHL playoffs.
- Conference Winner: Wager on which team will claim the Eastern or Western Conference title before the Stanley Cup Final.
- Hart Memorial Trophy: The official league MVP award, tracking a player’s season-long impact for their team.
- Vezina Trophy Winner: Predict the league’s best starting goaltender.
College Sports (NCAAF & NCAAB)
College sports consist of massive pools of teams, making championship futures markets particularly challenging and rewarding.
- College Football (CFB) National Championship: Predict the winner of the College Football Playoff (CFP).
- CFB Heisman Trophy: The most recognized college football award that goes to the sport’s most dominant player.
- CFB To Make the College Football Playoff: Bet yes/no on whether a specific team will be selected for the final championship bracket.
- College Basketball (CBB) NCAA Tournament Winner: Predict the winner of March Madness, the largest single-elimination tournament in sports.
- CBB To Make the Final Four: Wager on a team to advance to the final weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
Golf (PGA/Major Events)
Golf futures focus heavily on predicting the individual winner of the sport’s most important annual events, known collectively as the Majors.
- The Masters: Predicting the winner of the first major of the season, held annually at Augusta National Golf Club in April.
- U.S. Open: Wager on the champion of this major, known for its challenging course setups and rigorous competition typically scheduled in June.
- Open Championship: Predict the winner of the oldest golf tournament, also known as The British Open, held internationally, usually in July.
- PGA Championship: The second major of the year, this tournament draws top-tier PGA professionals and often offers interesting futures odds and value if you bet on it earlier in the season.
- The TOUR Championship: Predict the winner of the FedEx Cup and the PGA Tour season finale, determining the best player of the year in the fall.
Tennis (Men’s and Women’s)
Tennis futures focus on individual performance in the sport’s most prestigious tournaments, known as the Grand Slams, offering outright winner markets for each of the four majors.
- Wimbledon: Predicting the winner of the grass-court Grand Slam, held annually in the UK, one of the most historically significant tournaments.
- US Open: Wager on the champion of the final Grand Slam of the year, played on hard courts in New York.
- French Open: Predict the champion of the challenging clay-court major, often referred to as Roland-Garros, held in Paris.
- Australian Open: The first major of the tennis season, played on hard courts in Melbourne each January.
Soccer
Soccer offers diverse futures markets across major international competitions and top-tier domestic leagues globally, providing action on tournaments that run every four years.
- International Tournament Outright Winner: Predict the champion of major global competitions like the FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship (Euros), or Copa America.
- League Champion (Outright Winner): Predict the winner of major domestic leagues like the English Premier League (EPL) or the UEFA Champions League.
- Top Goalscorer / Golden Boot: Predict the player who will score the most goals in a specific league or tournament.
- To Finish Top 4 / Relegation: Wager on a team to finish in a specific standing (e.g., qualifying for the Champions League) or to be relegated out of the top division.
How to place a futures bet at Hard Rock Bet
Now let’s go over the nuts and bolts of how to place a futures bet with Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook.
- Sign into your Hard Rock Bet account on desktop or the top-rated mobile app, where you will find immediate access to hundreds of available futures markets.
- Find the sport you want to make a futures bet on (e.g., NFL, NBA). Once you’ve landed on the main sport page, look for designated futures tabs such as Team Futures, Awards, or Season Win Totals.
- Click on the specific market you are interested in, and go on to select the team or player you want to wager on.
- Once the selection is populated into a bet slip, enter the amount you’d like to wager, double-check the odds and payout, and lock in your bet.
FAQ about futures betting
Still have questions about futures betting? We’ve got answers.
Can I cash out a futures bet?
Yes. Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook may offer cash-out options on futures bets as the season progresses. This feature allows you to secure a portion of your potential winnings before the final outcome, though the amount offered will be less than the full payout.
What happens if a player gets injured or traded?
Futures bets remain active regardless of player injuries or trades. Your original wager stands based on the terms when you placed it, and any subsequent changes to player status do not affect the bet’s validity.
How long do futures bets take to settle?
Futures bets settle when the official outcome is determined. Championship bets settle after the final game, while award bets typically settle when the official announcement is made, which can be immediately after the season or several weeks later, depending on the sport or league.
What sports offer futures betting?
Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook offers futures markets across nearly every professional and college sport, including football, basketball, baseball, hockey, golf (with extensive golf betting markets for majors and tournaments), tennis, and soccer. Each sport provides various championship, award, and season total markets.
Do futures bets count toward Legendary Reward Drops and Unity points?
Yes, every futures bet you place contributes to both Legendary Reward Drops progress and Unity by Hard Rock points. Your long-term wagers keep the rewards rolling in all season.
Can I track my futures bets during the season?
You can follow all your active futures bets in the “My Bets” section of your Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook account. This provides updates on odds shifts and potential payouts as the season unfolds.
