Here’s proof the NFL really is king of sports betting
The final weeks of the NFL regular season are here, and with the sports calendar soon flipping to the month of January, wagering activity across the best gambling apps figures to pick up, at least according to recent data released by BetMGM Sportsbook.
Unsurprisingly, NFL reigns supreme when it comes to betting activity. One-off events like March Madness draw substantial activity, and there’s no question the NBA and college football schedule also bring steady activity.
Most bet on games this year at BetMGM
So, exactly how deep does the dominance of the NFL run when it comes to sizing up overall activity? To put it in perspective, BetMGM disclosed this week that its 10 most bet contests of 2023 were each NFL contests.
John Ewing, who runs data and public relations at BetMGM Sportsbook, provided insights via X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday.
The full list:
- Super Bowl 57: Chiefs vs. Eagles (February 12)
- AFC Championship Game: Bengals vs. Chiefs (January 29)
- NFC Championship Game: 49ers vs. Eagles (January 29)
- AFC Divisional Round: Bengals vs. Bills (January 22)
- NFC Wild Card Round: Cowboys vs. Buccaneers (January 16)
- NFC Divisional Round: Cowboys vs. 49ers (January 22)
- AFC Divisional Round: Jaguars vs. Chiefs (January 21)
- AFC Wild Card Round: Ravens vs. Bengals (January 15)
- NFC Divisional Round: Giants vs. Eagles (January 21)
- AFC Wild Card Round: Dolphins vs. Bills (January 15)
Interestingly, 9 of the 10 games were played within a 14-day span, with the Super Bowl falling as the only contest outside of the month of January.
Also of note, it’s probably not much of a surprise that 8 of the 10 matchups featured at least one team existing within a legal online sports betting market. Three of the games featured the Bengals in the first day’s following the Jan. 1 launch of Ohio sports betting.
The only two exceptions featured the high-profile Cowboys in an isolated window.
The stars draw prop bet action
Ewing also disclosed some other data from BetMGM, including which players drove the most activity and which games scored the biggest payouts for bettors.
In terms of players who received the most player prop bets, Patrick Mahomes led the way in the NFL. Here was the list of top attention-getters in other markets:
- Nikola Jokic (NBA)
- Shohei Ohtani (MLB)
- Connor McDavid (NHL)
- Zach Edey (NCAAM)
Things didn’t finish well for Deion Sanders at Colorado this season, but he generated enough early-season success and buzz to be named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year. Sanders also generated cash for BetMGM players as his team was involved in two of the three games that made bettors the most money.
The Cowboys’ 41-35 win over the Seahawks on Nov. 30 led the way, while Colorado’s upset victory over TCU was second on the list, ahead of their blowout victory over Nebraska a week later.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is not an online gambling operator or gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.
