Sports fans are spoilt for choice in 2024, with the upcomingcalendar packed with a host of top-class events taking place across the world.
For anyone inclined towards betting, this will generate a vast array of opportunities to go head-to-head with leading online bookmakers.
With that in mind, we look at some of the unmissable betting events taking place next year, starting with one which is hugely popular in Australia.
Australian Tennis Open
The first tennis Grand Slam of the season is one of the biggest betting events of the year in Australia, and the latest edition is sure to attract loads of traffic on online sportsbooks.
All of the world’s top male and female players will participate in their respective tournaments, creating competitive ante-post markets in each event.
Carlos Alcaraz looks an intriguing proposition at odds of 3.50in the men’s singles, while Aryna Sabalenka could be one to watch at 6.00 in the women’s tournament.
With match betting, set betting, over/under markets and more, the 2024 Australian Open will get the New Year off to a perfect start when it is staged in January.
NFL Super Bowl
More than 50 million American adults wagered on this year’s Super Bowl, and millions of other NFL fans placed wagers on the big game around the world.
The NFL’s championship decider offers punters a ton of ways to bet including which team will win, the winning points margin and the total number of points scored in the game.
Proposition bets are hugely popular on individual player performances such as predicting how many touchdown passes a quarterback will throw or how many rushing yards a running back will accumulate.
Punters can even wager on seemingly inconsequential events such as whether the opening coin toss will be heads or tails or will a performer in the half-time show have a wardrobe malfunction.
UEFA Champions League Final
While American Football fans will argue the Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event of the year, it fades into the background when compared with the global appeal of the Champions League final.
The match to decide the best football (soccer) team in Europe is the most-watched single-day sporting event in the worldand generates a ton of interest in sports betting circles.
Reigning champions Manchester City will be a popular pick with punters given the talent in their squad, although odds of 3.00 are pretty skinny given the strength of the competition.
Real Madrid could be the value bet at 7.50 as they strive to lift the trophy for the 15th time, while Bayern Munich and Arsenal are also worth considering in the outright betting.
UEFA European Championship
International football will take centre stage during the summer as the prestigious UEFA European Championship is staged in Germany.
The tournament offers punters a wealth of wagering opportunity including the outright market, match betting, top goalscorer, group winners and many more.
England are favourites with several online bookmakers to lift the trophy, but it would be a brave move to back them given manager Gareth Southgate’s overly cautious nature.
The value bet could be France, who qualified for the tournament without breaking sweat and have a squad packed with world-class talents.
The Melbourne Cup
‘The race that stops the nation’ has grown in stature in recent years, with the increased number of international horses in the event giving it far greater global appeal.
The top betting sites in Australia already have odds on next year’s race at Flemington Racecourse, despite it not taking place until the first Tuesday in November.
As highlighted by MyBettingAustralia, a respected comparison platform for online sportsbooks, the Melbourne Cup is a race that generates a massive number of bets worldwide.
One lucky punter though was in clover after the 2023 edition of race after placing a whopping $80,000 on winner Without A Fight at odds of 7.50.
PDC World Darts Championship
The annual PDC World Darts Championship at the iconic Alexandra Palace in London has become a staple part of the festive sporting calendar in the United Kingdom.
The tournament offers tons of wagering opportunities, with the outright market undoubtedly one of the most popular with sports bettors worldwide.
Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen often attract plenty of support from punters, while Michael Smith and Luke Humphries are other players who will likely be in contention.
Damon Heta is generally well backed by Australian bettors, although the Perth-born darter is yet to progress beyond the last-32 at the tournament.
