If you’ve hit a losing streak with your sports bets or your favorite sports just aren’t available yet, then it might be time to try something new.

There are other things you can bet on during live wagering, too. You can bet on the next team to score, the next player to score, and sometimes you can bet on whether the next play will be a run. Betting and/or not much of a football fan, then there are a few things you should learn before you start placing bets on football games. Firstly you really need to understand the basics of what sports betting is all about, and what’s involved with placing wagers. These basics are relatively straightforward, so. You can also bet on these random things Your guess is as good as anyone’s with these wildly fun bets. What will be the first Gatorade colour dunked over the winning coach? Orange (2.20) Yellow/Lime/Green (3.75) Red (4.00) Blue (8.00) Purple (9.00) Clear/White (10.00) Who will the MVP mention first in his speech? Teammates (1.90) God (3.00. BET’s flagship popular music series which featured the hottest R&B and hip-hop stars. The final show aired on December 19, 2014. Relive the show's best moments now!

How Long Will It Take Eric Church To Sing The U.S. National Anthem at the Super Bowl?

But the suggestions I’ve made on this page aren’t just your average baseball or basketball bets. This list is made up of some of the most bizarre things you can bet on. If you’re sick and tired of your usual routine, then these might be worth a shot!

Below, you’ll find 10 strange events and “sports” you can and always have been able to bet on legally.

1 – Wife-Carrying

Wife-carrying. It sounds like a guy that can’t let go of his ex, maybe? But it’s an actual sport that started in Northern Europe.

In Ireland, this is a professional sport that gamblers legitimately bet on. Paddy Power is the title sponsor of the All-Ireland Wife Carrying Championship. The Irish love to bet on this event.

Other countries like Estonia, Australia, and Finland are also big wife-carrying countries. Residents here also bet on the bizarre sport. Finland happens to be the home of the Wife Carrying World Championship.

2 – The Next Pope

Betting on the next Pope seems like playing with fire, especially because religion and gambling don’t usually mix. As a matter of fact, when gambling is made illegal in a specific jurisdiction, it’s usually because of the majority of the population’s religious beliefs.

But that’s irrelevant to this bizarre bet. Apparently, it’s perfectly legal to bet on the next Pope. In case you’re not aware, the Pope is basically the “president” of Catholicism.

Most American sportsbooks are taking bets right now on who will become the new Pope. At the time of writing, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines is the current favorite.

No other betting event has more mystery and secrecy surrounding the outcome.

3 – Proof of Intelligent Life on Another Planet or in Space

Let’s keep the vibe going with topics that are bigger than us humans. You can bet on whether there is proof of intelligent life somewhere besides Earth. How would we even prove this?

We have our hands full with this planet already, as well as trying to get humans to the moon as a vacation destination.

You have to dig around, but some online sportsbooks take bets when a sitting president of the United States tells the American public that we have proof of intelligent life outside of our planet. The Pentagon currently has a UFO task force, but no top government official has outright and explicitly stated the existence of intelligent life on another planet.

So far, all sightings of UFOs have been alleged. But can you imagine the return on getting that bet right, especially during your lifetime?

4 – The Royal Family

You should be getting the idea that nothing is off the table when it comes to legal betting. Okay, this is not entirely true, but you can go ahead and lay down a bet on just about anything that has to do with the Royal Family.

Some bets we’ve come across in the past include the following:

• Will Harry and Megan lose their titles?
• Will Megan and Kate ever be friends?
• How long will Queen Elizabeth’s reign last?

Just about any American sportsbook is taking bets on all things Royal Family. Look around, and find a quirky topic you like. Then, just go for it! Betting on one of the most prominent families in world makes betting feel a little bit more exciting.

5 – Celebrity Deaths

Like most of us, I’m not a fan of death, nor am I a celebrity follower. But betting on celebrity deaths has its own niche community.

While betting on the death of a human is illegal in the United States, you can bet for points on Doug Stanhope’s Celebrity Death Pool. The site is obvious in their terms and conditions that they don’t support, nor is it legal to bet on, celebrities’ deaths. Please don’t think you can make money off this site.

But if you have a darker side or simply have a strange gut feeling about the next celebrity death, this would be a fantastic option. Maybe it’s a spooky event you can take part in for the Halloween season.

The betting teams are called funeral homes. And I’m sure some of you will love the dark playfulness to this site. We told you this list was full of bizarre bets!

6 – Bog Snorkelling

The British love bizarre events to bet on, and that’s definitely evident here. Enter the Rude Health World Bog Snorkelling Championship.

What’s bog snorkelling, you ask? It’s pretty much what you think it is. Contestants are simply racing through a bog via snorkelling.

It’s tougher than it seems. Bogs can be tricky, murky, and present the swimmers with some obstacles that are tough to navigate. If you’re planning to take part, keep in mind that the champion has been the favorite for a few years.

7 – Bingo With Animals

This one is a twofer. There’s cow patty bingo and ferret bingo. I couldn’t locate any American laws against the following sports. I also couldn’t locate any official web pages. So, bear with me.

Ferret Bingo – No, that isn’t a typo. People bring their pet ferrets and let them loose in cages that have tunnels. The adorably stinky rodents go through the tunnel mazes (they each have their own identical maze).

The ferret that gets out of the maze first wins. And you can bet on it for some extra excitement.

Cow Patty Bingo – This one has got to be popular all over the world. Gamblers bet on where the cow is going to do her business in a field.

It’s more like playing roulette than bingo, actually. I personally think it’s intriguing. It must be stinky, but it’s definitely fascinating.

Again, I could not find any legislation that outlaws this sport, so I guess the rules are wide open. But, as with most gambling, if it’s illegal to bet in general, you probably shouldn’t don’t do it in your jurisdiction.

Last but not least, make sure you don’t step into the winning patty!

8 – Kim Jong Un

Paddy Power is back at it again. The sports gambling giant takes bets on anything having to do with Kim Jong Un.

What’s weird and sketchy about betting on this elusive leader is the fact that the North Korean government is so tight-lipped about his life. They’re notorious for making up “stories” about his unwavering health and just not being truthful to the public in general.

The untrustworthiness of the private country makes this bet a volatile one at best. At worst, we don’t really know what’s going on most of the time.

Do we even really know if he’s still in power?

9 – Cheese Rolling

The UK is back at it again. In Gloucester (a southern region in England), they host the Cheese Rolling Competition every spring.

The sporting event is straightforward. Contestants roll oversized wheels of cheese on a hill. The first cheese roller to cross the finish line with their cheese in tow wins. Bets are legal on this simple sport, of course. What harm could a bet on a cheesy sprint bring to the public?

The winning cheese is usually the prize, but on a serious note, who wants a beat up 70-lb. wheel of cheese? I guess the winning bettor is the real prize winner here.

10 – The End of the World

Paddy Power is aware we will place a bet on just about anything, including when the end of the world will be.

I see a major problem with this bet. First of all, how will you know if you win the bet or not?

The world would be over, right? I wonder if you can bet on when the world will quit betting on silly things. The best odds were 500 to 1 that it would be before 2019. Here we are, more than halfway through the worst year on record, and it still hasn’t ended.

Talk about a volatile bet!

Conclusion

This list of 10 crazy bets is just the tip of the iceberg. I didn’t even look at the illegal bets that people out there are still actively betting on.

Have you bet on any of these events? And would you? Let us know your thoughts about our list in the comments below.

If you’re new to football betting and keen to get involved
then you’ve just come to exactly the right place. On this page
we will teach you all the basics of betting on football, and
make sure that you are on the right track from the moment you
place your first wager. If you feel like you’re ready to dive right in, here are the top football betting sites we recommend:

In our opinion this is one of the most useful beginner’s
guides to football betting you’ll find anywhere on the internet.
It covers everything you need to get started, and yet you don’t
need to worry about getting overwhelmed with detail as we keep
our explanations as simple as possible.

For those who are only really interested in wagering for a
bit of fun, you’ll be ready to go as soon as you’ve finished
reading this page. For those of you with ambitions of making
long term profits, we also point you towards a wide range of
additional information and advice that will help you to achieve
such goals. We’re not promising that we’ll make you an instant
expert, but we’ll certainly give you the chance to become one.

If you’re simply just looking to bet on football games right now we have
listed our top recommendations for online betting sites below. These
are sites that we have found to be trustworthy with our money and
offer football bettors true value.

We recommend reading through this whole page from start to
finish, but we’ve listed the various topics we cover below if
you’d prefer to skip straight to something specific.

How to Bet on Football: Page Contents

Before You Start: Recommended Reading

If you’re already familiar with how sports betting works, and
know a thing or two about football, then please feel free to
skip this section. If, however, you’re completely new to sports
betting and/or not much of a football fan, then there are a few
things you should learn before you start placing bets on
football games.

Firstly you really need to understand the basics of what
sports betting is all about, and what’s involved with placing
wagers. These basics are relatively straightforward, so
thankfully it doesn’t take long to get up to speed. It’s
definitely advisable to familiarize yourself with them though.
Our beginner’s guide to sports betting is the perfect resource
for this. Here’s a selection of some of the topics it covers.

In addition to knowing the basics of betting, you should also
know at least the basics of football too. It’s likely that most
people reading this are big sports fans, and fully understand
it, but that’s not necessarily the case for all our readers. We
like to cater for everyone, so we’ve written the following two
articles explaining all about the game at both professional and
college level.

Different Types of Football Bets

One of the first things you should understand about betting
on football is the fact that there are several different types
of wagers that can be placed. You won’t necessarily use all the
different types, depending on what strategies you employ, but
it’s still advisable to learn at least a little about each one.

Below we look at the two most popular types of wagers, some
of the other commonly used options, and the various options for
wagering on multiple games with a single bet.

The Most Popular Types of Football Bets

There are two types of football bets that are used far more
than any other. Many people who bet on football place only the
following wagers.

• Point Spreads
• Totals

Some readers will already know all about these and how they
work, but we’ll explain a little about them for those that
don’t.

Point Spreads

A point spread is effectively a handicap that’s used to
create a 50/50 wagering proposition. For example, a bookmaker
may offer the following point spread on a football match between
the San Diego Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts.

What this spread means is that, for the purposes of wagering,
the Chargers will have 3.5 points deducted from their final
score. For a bet on them to be successful, they would therefore
have to win by four points or more. The Colts, on the other
hand, will have 3.5 points added to their final score. A bet on
them would be successful if they won the game, or lost by 3
points or less.

You can read more about point spreads on the following page.

Totals

Totals are just as easy to understand. With these, the
bookmaker posts an expected total for the amount of points
scored by both sides. On the previously mentioned match between
the Chargers and the Colts, for example, they might set the
total at 48.50. You then have to decide whether to bet on the
over or the under.

A wager on the over will win if the combined score from the
two teams is 49 or over (e.g. Chargers 29, Colts 24). A wager on
the under will win if the combined score from the two teams is
48 or less (e.g. Chargers 19, Colts 17).

We explain totals in more detail on the following page.

Bet On Weird Things

Before we go onto explain some of the other types of wagers
you can place, there’s some very important information that we
need to mention.

The basic principle of point spreads and totals is that you
have roughly a 50% chance of winning, so technically a “fair”
return on these types of wagers should be equal to the amount
staked. However, they are usually priced up by bookmakers at
odds of -110 (1.91 in decimal odds format, 10/11 in fractional
odds format), which means for every $110 staked you stand to win
$100. You don’t have to stake as much as $110 of course, but the
point is that a successful wager will only return 90% of the
amount staked (plus the initial stake of course).

This is because bookmakers are in business to make a profit,
so they effectively charge a commission for taking wagers. This
commission is known as the vig, short for vigorish, and it’s one
of the ways that bookmakers stay profitable. They don’t charge
it just for points spreads and totals either, as it’s built into
the odds for every wager that they offer.

If you have any ambitions of being a
successful bettor, we strongly recommend reading our article
explaining vig and how bookmakers make money.

Other Common Football Bets

In addition to point spreads and totals, there are three
other types of bets that are commonly used for wagering on
football. These are as follows.

• Moneylines
• Props
• Futures

We’ll now provide a brief overview of each of these, and
point you towards some additional information on each one too.

Moneylines

A moneyline wager is very simple. It involves simply backing
a team to win a match, with no point spread involved. The odds
for moneyline wagers are based on each team’s relative chance of
winning. For example, the moneyline on a game between the San
Diego Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts might look like this.

Things To Bet Your Boyfriend

The Chargers are the favorites here, and the odds of -175
mean that a stake of $175 is required to win $100. To put it
another way, every $1.75 staked stands to win $1 if the Chargers
win. Initial stakes are returned too of course.

The Colts are the underdogs, so backing them means the
potential for higher payouts relative to the amount staked. The
odds of +155 mean that every $1 staked stands to win $1.55 if
the Colts win (i.e. a $100 wager stands to win $155 if the Colts
win). Again, initial stakes are also returned.

For more information on moneylines, and the strategy involved
in placing them, please see the following article.

Props

Props, short for propositions, are wagers on outcomes that
are decided during a football game, but are not necessarily
directly linked to the final result. Some examples include the
following.

• The first team to score.
• The distance of the longest touchdown.
• The total passing yards of a quarterback.
• The number of field goals kicked.

These are just a very small selection of some props. Many
bookmakers offer dozens of different options, particularly on
high profile matches. Props are generally considered a fun type
of bet rather than a way to make money, but it is possible to
make consistent profits from them. We explain more about props
on the following page, where we also offer some strategy advice.

Futures

Futures are wagers on how teams, or individual players, will
fare over the course of an entire season. A wager on a team to
win the Super Bowl, placed at the start of the season, would be
considered a future. So would a wager on a team to be the
National Football Conference champions, or a wager on a player
to win the Most Valuable Player award.

There isn’t a lot more to explain about futures, and there
isn’t really much in the way of specific strategy for them
either. We do go into a bit more detail on them on the following
page though.

Betting on Multiple Football Games

A lot of people like to bet on multiple games at once, as
this can provide the potential for big payouts. It’s not
something we particularly advise beginners to get involved with,
but it doesn’t hurt to understand the options available. The
main ones are as follows.

• Parlays
• Teasers
• Pleasers

Let’s take a quick look at what these are all about.

Parlays

A parlay basically combines several different wagers into
one. For example, a parlay could be made up of five point spread
wagers on five separate games. The payout for such a wager could
be very attractive, but only if ALL the wagers were correct.
Just one wrong pick would mean the whole wager failing. That’s
why these are considered quite risky. They’re a bit more complex
than the previous wagers mentioned, but we won’t go into any
more detail here. We do on the following page though.

Teasers & Pleasers

Teasers and pleasers are essentially types of parlays that
use modified point spreads or totals. With teasers, the spreads
or totals are moved in the bettor’s favor. With pleasers, they
are moved in the bookmaker’s favor. There’s plenty more to
explain about these wagers, which we do on the following pages.

Where to Place Your Football Bets

Now that you know about the different wagers you can place on
football, the next step is actually placing them. The question
you’re probably asking now is “how and where can I do this?”
There are a few options, which we list below, but please be
aware that not all of these are available in all parts of the
world.

• Casino Sportsbooks
• Bookmaking Shops
• Telephone Betting
• Online Sports Betting Sites

Casino Sportsbooks

Many casinos around the world contain a sportsbook. They
usually feature several big screen TVs showing any live sports
action currently taking place, and computerized odds boards
displaying all the latest odds. There are typically cashier
windows where you can place your wagers with a real person, but
some books have interactive machines instead. Either way, these
are great places to place some bets and watch the games at the
same time. The problem for Americans, though, is that they are
only legal in Nevada. There are plenty of sportsbooks in Las
Vegas casinos, but not in other parts of the country.

Bookmaking Shops

Bookmaking shops are mostly like sportsbooks, they’re just
not inside a casino. They also generally have lots of TVs
showing sports, and a counter where wagers are placed. These
shops can be found in many countries around the world, but
they’re not legal in the United States.

Telephone Betting

A lot of bookmakers offer telephone betting services, and
they are usually very straightforward to use. It’s a simple
matter of calling the relevant number, telling the operator you
reach which wagers you want to place, confirming the odds, and
then providing your credit card details. Some bookmakers take
other payment methods too, and some even offer credit lines to
select customers.

This is another option that’s not available to Americans. Not
legally at least, as the Federal Wire Act of 1961 made telephone
betting illegal. You might be getting disheartened by now if you
live in the US, and wondering exactly how you’re ever going to
place any wagers. Don’t worry though, as we have one more option
to tell you about.

Online Sports Betting Sites

Using an online sports betting site is far and away the best
way to bet on football, or any sport for that matter. It’s the
most convenient and accessible option, and there are several
other advantages too. Best of all, it’s legal in the United
States. There are some laws against online gambling in the US,
but these mostly apply to companies and individuals providing
gambling services. There’s no law that states it’s illegal to
use a gambling site of any kind, so Americans are at liberty to
place football bets online if they so choose. We’ve written the
following page explaining things in more detail for those
interested, or you can just keep reading for a quick guide to
getting started online.

Using Online Betting Sites

Using sports betting sites to bet on football online is
relatively straightforward. It’s super easy to open accounts at
most sites, and the majority of them are very user-friendly.
Finding and placing wagers generally takes no time at all, and
can be done from the comfort of your own home with just a
computer and internet access. You can even use most sites from a
smartphone or tablet these days.

Please make sure that you use the right sites though. Most
places are pretty good, but there are some that are best
avoided. It’s vital that you use a safe and trustworthy option,
and you also want to use somewhere that is suitable for
football. We suggest taking a look at the following sites.

Our Top Ranked Football Betting Sites: