Professional wrestling is sports entertainment at its best, which is why it has so many devoted fans worldwide. Entertainment betting has gained popularity in recent years, with bettors placing wagers on television shows, including Game of Thrones, Big Brother, and Dancing With The Stars.
Professional wrestling falls into the category of entertainment betting. When professional wrestling federations host large events, sportsbook operators open bets on these matches. While you are unlikely to make a fortune on professional sports betting, it is an amusement that might yield a pleasantly surprising profit.
Why bet on professional wrestling?
Many bettors will not spend their money placing wagers on professional wrestling because they regard it as fake. However, as insiders will tell you, matches are scripted but authentic. Professional wrestling is a tight-knit circle, and leaks about potential outcomes of bouts are rare. Performers, writers, and other staffers might know the result of a fight but remain contracted to keep such information confidential or risk losing their jobs.
Sports betting and entertainment betting on professional are two different concepts, say relevant experts. While the former might increase your bankroll, the latter is more about confirming your prediction of a match’s outcome based on events leading up to it.
Types of professional wrestling bets to consider
Given the shift to online gambling Nevada residents and tourists can bet on professional wrestling, other entertainment forms, and sports without venturing into one of the state’s many casinos. This could not have come at a better time for sportsbook operators, given the devastating effect COVID-19 has had on the gambling industry.
Professional wrestling bets are not limited to match outcomes. There are other betting options to explore, such as a first-time winner, first to appear, the bout outcome, and longest ring time appearance. A bout outcome bet does not include predicting the winner, but betting on how a match will end, such as count-out or submission. For elimination events, you can also bet on which wrestler will finish having taken the most opponents out when the event concludes.
Betting strategies
If you want to take a strategic approach, consider several factors. Bearing in mind that matches are scripted, do not put yourself in the contender’s shoes. Instead, think about the scriptwriter. What perceptions have they created around the wrestler’s personality in the run-up to this match?
It can seem relatively easy to determine a likely winner based on the build-up to an event. However, writers like to lull you into a false sense of security, letting you think you know what will happen and then hitting you with a curveball out of nowhere.
Factor in the odds of a plot twist. Professional wrestling is about creating hype, suspense, and drama, as are other reality shows, such as those mentioned previously. You need to decide whether to buy into it or not.
Like all humans, writers are creatures of habit. Despite their best efforts, they develop patterns and biases that you can read into by examining the results of past events similar to the one you want to bet on.
How to make money on professional wrestling bets
Sportsbook operators tend to limit bets on entertainment wagers, such as professional wrestling. Therefore, most use a standard maximum wager of $100. Professional wrestling bets are certainly not going to sate the appetites of high-rolling gamblers. But they provide a safe way without overspending, which is ideal for bettors who get a bit carried away at times.
Gambling against the odds is also not always your best approach. However, if you see that a sportsbook operator has placed the odds highly in favor of a participant, they might have some insider information. Experienced professional wrestling betters recommend that you only bet against the odds if they put an underdog at less than +250.
There is also a bit more money to be made in triple threat or team events as they give writers more creative latitude for the ending than conventional one-on-one matches do. Individual titles do not usually pass hands in these matches, so the odds-on favorite can endure a loss without sacrificing their coveted belt. Therefore, these matches have many twists and turns, often with unlikely outcomes.
