With the introduction of online sports betting, more sports leagues are to follow and become interested in. Niche sports that never had a large following but have a dedicated fan base have now gone global, and millions of players can get involved and place wagers on them.
This article will outline some of the most interesting smaller sports out there that are worth your time and that you’ll grow to love as soon as you get into it, learn the rules, and find teams to support.
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Badminton
Badminton is a racket sport played by either two or four opposing players. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racket so that it passes over the net and lands in their opponents’ half of the court, just as with tennis.
Badminton has been an Olympic sport since 1992 but has never become truly popular worldwide. There are countless possible wagers players can make since there are national leagues, international matches, and a variety of potential bets. For instance, players can make wagers on the number of points scored for both players combined, on winners of individual points or sets, and on how long the game will take.
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a winter sport with roots in skiing, surfing, and skateboarding, where the primary activity is riding down any snow-covered surface. The sport was developed in the 60s and became an Olympic sport in 1998.
The biggest events in snowboarding include the X games, which are also dedicated to other extreme sports. The US Open, a yearly event happening at the end of winter, and The New Zealand Open, attracts snowboarders worldwide.
Cricket
It’s strange to call cricket a niche sport since it has literally hundreds of millions of fans, but it is a niche sport in the West, where it’s followed in the UK alone. However, over the years, cricket has become one of the most popular sports in India as well, and it has a cult following.
For fans of cricket betting, the main events to follow include the ICC World Test Championship, the ICC Cricket World Cup, the ICC T20 World Cup, and the ICC Champions Trophy. There are also national championships both in India and the UK. As with most sports, with a clear winner and a point system, one can make many bets for an individual match.
Fencing
Fencing has ancient roots in the world of sword fighting. It’s an elegant sport that requires a lot of athleticism, strategy, and mental acuity. Fencing has been an Olympic sport since the first modern Olympics, including Men’s and Women’s Épée, Sabre, and Foil.
Players can wager on the winners of individual matches tournaments, but also on total points scored, specific moves executed, or even the duration of bouts. With the use of modern technology, betting on fencing has become more scientific, and it has become easier to analyze matches and make accurate predictions.
Frisbee
Frisbee was a pastime, but it became a popular and professional sport. Played between two teams, Ultimate Frisbee aims to score points by catching the Frisbee in the opposing team’s end zone. Players cannot run with the disc; they must pass it to teammates.
The biggest tournaments include College Championships, Club Championships, and the Professional Premier Ultimate League (PUL). The World Flying Disc Federation organizes the World Ultimate Club Championships, World Ultimate, and Guts Championships. Wagers that can be made on Frisbee are the same as those made on any other sport that has two teams and a clear score.
Judo
Judo isn’t the most popular martial art, but it’s an incredible sport that requires a great deal of athleticism and much more strategy than it initially seems. Making wagers on judo can be complicated because there are many different ways to win at a judo match (scoring an ippon, scoring two waza-aris, opponent receiving a hansoku-make penalty for a serious rule violation, and opponent receiving four shido penalties for minor rule violations.)
However, it can also be as simple as predicting who will win and who will lose and making wagers based on it.
Surfing
Surfing is the latest addition to the world of Olympic sports, and the Paris Olympics will be the second to feature this sport. Surfing has a long tradition as a skill and a pastime, but it became a competitive sport with clear rules in the 1960s.
It’s somewhat difficult to wager on a surfing event other than just picking the winner since scoring is similar to ice skating. There’s a panel of judges that scores the performance based on their own preferences and style. They score each wave on a scale of one to ten, with two decimal places. The outcomes aren’t really predictable unless you’re a longtime fan and an expert.
Bowling
Bowling isn’t often seen as a professional sport, and even though there are many leagues, there are clear rules, and it’s possible to make wagers on the outcome of events. Ten-pin bowling is the most popular version of this recreational sport, and there’s even a World Cup with real sponsors and very competitive players.
There are many different ways to wager on the outcome of a bowling game. The two most common wagers the players make are a bet on who will win outright and an over/under bet where the players wager on the score itself.
Table Tennis
Table Tennis is a professional and Olympic sport, with national and international games and leagues taking place almost any time. It’s a niche sport with a small following, but it has all the qualities of professional sports, which means that the players can use the available data to predict outcomes with great precision.
It’s possible to choose the winners of individual games or sets, but also to predict the number of points, make over and under wagers, and even predict how long the match will take. A great thing about table tennis is that even with all the data out there, players can still surprise you and win against the odds.
Cycling
Cycling, a sport celebrated for its endurance and tactical prowess, encompasses various disciplines such as road racing, track cycling, mountain biking, and BMX. The Tour de France stands as the pinnacle of road cycling, spanning three weeks with demanding stages across France. Other events include the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España, the UCI Track Cycling World Championships, and the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup series.
Players can place wagers on who will win and over/under bets on the finishing time for the race or individual laps.
A point About Betting on Niche Sports
Following and placing wagers on niche sports can be fun and a great way to earn some extra cash. However, the same rules apply to the bigger and more popular events. It’s best only to make wagers if you understand the sport, the team, and the odds.
Players should also have practices put in place to prevent them from chasing their losses. Setting up a stop loss is usually the safest way to go. It also helps to start with smaller wagers before you get the hang of things.