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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. 

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. 

Futures 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:

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.

Below, we'll dive into popular futures markets within each major sport. 

The NFL offers the widest variety of futures markets, from season-long team goals to individual player awards.

With only a few dozen true contenders, college football futures are popular for both title odds and awards.

The NBA futures market runs from preseason through playoffs, covering championships and player honors.

College basketball futures peak around March Madness, but bettors target teams and awards all season.

Baseball futures focus on championships, pitching awards, and seasonal achievements.

Soccer’s global schedule provides year-round futures on both tournaments and individual honors.

Golf futures revolve around majors and special team events, often posted months in advance.

Hockey futures combine team championship odds with individual player awards.

Though most UFC betting is fight-to-fight, futures markets cover champions and title paths.

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. 

There 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. 

Minimum $10 deposit required. Minimum odds -500 of greater. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. New customers only. T&CS, time limits and exclusions apply.

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