What is Futures Betting? How to Read & Bet Futures
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What is a futures bet? Well, it's just that.
A futures bet is making a wager on an outcome to be decided at a later date. For example, wagering on who will win the Super Bowl during the NFL preseason or who will win the NBA MVP on opening night of the NBA regular season.
Essentially, it is a long-term bet that bettors will follow throughout the year, and a bet that will not be paid out until the outcome is determined at a later date, more often than not months into the future.
Futures bets usually involve popular events (Super Bowl, NBA Finals, College Football Playoff, etc.) or popular players.
Futures Betting at a Glance- Bet Type: long-term wager on a season, tournament, or award outcome.
- Popular markets: championship winners, division winners, MVP awards, season stat leaders.
- Odds Format: American (+500), decimal (6.0), or fractional (5/1).
- Payout Timing: only paid out after the event or season ends.
- Risk Level: risk varies due to long-term uncertainty and potential injuries/trades.
- Hedging: possible; you can place offsetting bets later in the season to lock in profit.
- Best For: bettors looking for season-long engagement or value on underdogs.
Since futures are one of the most popular wagers among bettors, Sportsbooks often post odds well before an event begins, whether it’s "Who will win the Super Bowl?" or "Will a team make the playoffs?"
Those odds don’t stay set. They shift based on team performance, injuries, trades, or even how much money the public is betting on a certain outcome. For example, if a star quarterback gets hurt, that team’s Super Bowl odds will lengthen almost immediately.
When it comes to payout, timing depends on the market. If you bet on a team’s odds to make the playoffs, you could get paid as soon as their spot is mathematically clinched. On the other hand, a "win the championship" ticket won’t cash until the final game is over.
It’s important to know that futures bets don’t void if a player gets hurt. If you took a preseason MVP bet on a player who goes down in Week 3, the wager still stands—you just take the loss. Similarly, if you back a baseball team to win the World Series and their star pitcher is traded midseason, that’s part of the risk.
Another common example: betting on a golfer to win a major tournament months in advance. Odds might look great early, but once the field is set and recent form is factored in, those same odds can shrink quickly. For this reason, knowing when to place a future is a key component for a successful wager.
How to Read Futures OddsFutures markets use the same American odds format you see with regular bets. Positive odds for a futures wager means sportsbook think this event is not likely to happen, while negative odds mean they think it's favorable. For example, if the Buffalo Bills are listed at -200 to make the playoffs, a $100 bet would return $50 in profit if they come through. If the New York Jets are posted at +400 just to make the playoffs, a $100 bet would return $400 in profit.
You can also use the odds to understand implied probability—the sportsbook’s estimate of how likely an outcome is. The formulas are simple and shown below:
- For positive odds: 100 / (odds + 100) × 100 = implied probability; example: +800 is equal to 100 ÷ (800 + 100) x 100 = 11.1% chance.
- For negative odds: odds / (odds + 100) × 100 = implied probability; example: -120 is equal |120| ÷ (|120| + 100) = 54.5% chance.
Keep in mind: the farther out an event is, the longer the odds usually look. That’s because there’s more uncertainty over a full season, with events like injuries, trades, and surprise teams all possibly shifting the market.
Popular Futures Markets by SportBelow, we'll dive into popular futures markets within each major sport.
NFL FuturesThe NFL offers the widest variety of futures markets, from season-long team goals to individual player awards.
- Super Bowl odds: Bills +800, $100 bet wins $800.
- Conference Winner Odds: 49ers +350 to win the NFC, $100 bet wins $350.
- Division Winner Odds: Cowboys +150 to win the NFC East, $100 bet wins $150.
- MVP Odds: Patrick Mahomes +600, $100 bet wins $600.
- Defensive Player of the Year Odds: Myles Garrett +200, $100 bet wins $200.
With only a few dozen true contenders, college football futures are popular for both title odds and awards.
- College Football Playoff Title Odds: Georgia +300 to win the national championship, $100 bet wins $300.
- Heisman Trophy Odds: Cade Klubnik +400, $100 bet wins $400.
- Conference Champion Odds: Michigan +200 to win the Big Ten, $100 bet wins $200.
- Biletnikoff Awards Odds: Jeremiah Smith +100 to win, $100 bet wins $100.
- CFP Odds: Miami +300 to make CFP, $100 wins $300.
The NBA futures market runs from preseason through playoffs, covering championships and player honors.
- NBA Finals Odds: Celtics +500, $100 bet wins $500.
- Conference Winner Odds: Nuggets +250 to win the West, $100 bet wins $250.
- NBA MVP Odds: Nikola Jokić +400, $100 bet wins $400.
- Rookie of the Year Odds: Cooper Flagg +200, $100 bet wins $200.
College basketball futures peak around March Madness, but bettors target teams and awards all season.
- NCAA Tournament (March Madness) Odds: Duke +1200 to win the national title, $100 bet wins $1,200.
- Final Four Odds: Kansas +400 to make the Final Four, $100 bet wins $400.
- Conference Winner Odds: Arizona +250 to win the Pac-12, $100 bet wins $250.
- Wooden Award Odds: A.J. Dybantsa +400 to win Player of the Year, $100 bet wins $400.
Baseball futures focus on championships, pitching awards, and seasonal achievements.
- World Series Odds: Dodgers +500, $100 bet wins $500.
- League Pennant Odds: Yankees +300 to win the AL, $100 bet wins $300.
- MVP Odds: Shohei Ohtani +600, $100 bet wins $600.
- Cy Young Odds: Gerrit Cole +700, $100 bet wins $700.
- Rookie of the Year Odds: Jackson Holliday +600, $100 bet wins $600.
Soccer’s global schedule provides year-round futures on both tournaments and individual honors.
- World Cup Odds: Brazil +400 to win, $100 bet wins $400.
- Champions League Odds: Manchester City +250, $100 bet wins $250.
- Euro Odds: France +500, $100 bet wins $500.
- La Liga Golden Boot Odds: Kylian Mbappé +600, $100 bet wins $600.
Golf futures revolve around majors and special team events, often posted months in advance.
- Masters Odds: Rory McIlroy +1200, $100 bet wins $1,200.
- U.S. Open Odds: Scottie Scheffler +800, $100 bet wins $800.
- Ryder Cup Odds: Team Europe +150, $100 bet wins $150.
Hockey futures combine team championship odds with individual player awards.
- Stanley Cup Odds: Oilers +900, $100 bet wins $900.
- Conference Winner Odds: Rangers +400 to win the East, $100 bet wins $400.
- Hart Trophy Odds: Connor McDavid +200, $100 bet wins $200.
Though most UFC betting is fight-to-fight, futures markets cover champions and title paths.
- UFC Title Odds: Islam Makhachev -110 to retain lightweight belt, $110 bet wins $100.
- Next Champion Odds: Alex Volkanovski +250 to be next lightweight champ, $100 bet wins $250.
- Performance Bonus Odds: Jon Jones +150 to win Fight of the Night, $100 bet wins $150.
- Type of Win Odds: Max Holloway +100 to win by knockout, $100 bet wins $100.
So, what are the pros and cons of futures betting?
One pro is that there could be larger payouts if you are betting on a long-shot or a player/outcome that the public hasn't caught on to just yet. For example, if a bettor put $100 on Anthony Edwards to win NBA MVP next season at FanDuel (+2500), they could stand to win $2,600 at season's end. Those are relatively long odds for a player that could have a good shot at winning the award, as opposed to a futures bet on Nikola Jokić to win MVP. His odds are at +310, meaning a bettor would stand to win $410.
Futures bets also tend to keep bettors engaged throughout the season regarding a team or player, so it could simply make the NFL or NBA season more fun to follow if you have some skin in the game.
A major con about futures betting is tying up money at a certain point and not seeing the potential of that money for weeks or months, assuming you see that money again at all. Also, futures bets tend to be difficult because there is so much unpredictability as time goes on.
For example, if you bet Edwards to win MVP, and he has a hot start to the season and becomes the favorite, then suffers an injury that sidelines him for a few weeks midway through the season, that could have a major impact on his chances to win the award.
Best Sportsbook Promotions for Betting on FuturesThere are several sportsbooks where you can place futures bets, with most of them offering special promos and welcome bonuses tailored for this specific type of wager. These benefits can often reduce risk, boost payouts, or even give you additional bets.
FanDuel- Welcome Bonus: Get $300 in bonus bets if your first wager of $5 or more wins.
- Futures Use: offers "Futures Day" for example, where they drop profit-boost tokens specifically on futures markets like Super Bowl odds, playoff chances, division winners, and player milestones.
- Recurring Promos: regular odds boosts, "Futures Day" specials, and profit‑boost tokens on Super Bowl, division winners, and player props.
- What Makes It Good: user-friendly interface, market-leading coverage, and strong promotional events like "Futures Day" boost token drops.
- Welcome Bonus: Bet $5, get $300 in bonus bets, plus over $200 off NFL Sunday Ticket.
- Futures Use: regularly releases "NFL Futures Profit Boosts", letting you supercharge futures payouts.
- Recurring Promos: odds boosts, parlay enhancements, and integrated fantasy-sports promotions.
- What Makes It Good: massive reach across sports, seamless app experience, and strong synergy with fantasy betting.
- Welcome Bonus: if your first bet loses, you get it back as bonus bets (up to $1,500) with promo code; in select states, there’s also a "bet $10, get $150 if you win" variant.
- Futures Use: if your longshot futures pick loses, you’ll still receive bonus bets, essentially reducing your downside; this makes it a prime use case for high-risk, longer-term wagers.
- Recurring Promos: frequent booster deals, leftover promos like the "PGA 3‑Ball Challenge," and loyalty benefits through MGM Rewards.
- What Makes It Good: trusted MGM brand, broad markets, loyalty perks, and a flexible welcome option for futures bettors.
- Welcome Bonus: Bet $1, Double Your Winnings Your Next 20 Bets
- Futures Use: boost tokens can apply to futures bets if the max wager ($25) matches your futures size; best used on mid-range futures where doubling your payout gives solid uplift.
- Recurring Promos: regular odds boosts, Super Boosts, and generous loyalty flow via Caesars Rewards.
- What Makes It Good: strong branding, in-app live streaming, and ample loyalty-driven value (especially in-person or across casino partnerships).
- Welcome Bonus: bet $5, get $$200 in bonus bets (win or lose).
- Futures Use: if you pick the bet-and-get option, you can wager on futures and still get your bonus once it settles (regardless of result).
- Recurring Promos: same-game parlay boosts, early payouts, and a wide array of markets; in-app promo tab refreshes frequently.
- What Makes It Good: high flexibility, in-depth betting options, pro tools like in-play streaming—especially strong on global sports.
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