Fun and Creative Sports Bets to Make With Friends

Placing friendly wagers on sports with your buddies is one of the best ways to add excitement to watching the big game. Whether you're betting money, drinks, food or just bragging rights, sports bets up the thrill factor and give you a rooting interest. Here are some creative sports bets to make the next time you and your friends get together to watch the action.

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Straight Bets

The most basic sports bet is picking the outright winner of a game or event. You can bet on:

Who will win a football, basketball, baseball or hockey game

Who will win a UFC fight

Who will win a golf tournament

Who will win an auto race

With straight bets, you are simply picking one side to win. Odds are set by the sportsbook on each team or participant's probability to win. Payouts are higher on underdogs and lower on favorites.

Point Spread Bets

With point spread bets, also known as handicap bets, you aren't necessarily picking the winner of a game. Rather, you are betting on a team to win by more or less than a set margin of victory.

Common point spread bets include:

Betting on an NFL team to win by 7 points or more

Betting on an NBA team to win by 5 points or fewer

Betting on a football team to win by 2.5 points or more

This type of bet adds excitement to lopsided matchups. If two friends take opposite sides of the point spread, they'll both have an intriguing rooting interest throughout.

Over/Under Total Bets

Rather than picking a winner, over/under bets allow you to wager on the combined score of both teams. Sportsbooks set a benchmark total score line, and you can bet whether the final score will be over or under the set total.

Some examples of over/under bets:

Betting whether both teams will combine to score over or under 48 points in an NFL game

Wagering on NBA teams to combine for over or under 220 total points

Betting MLB teams to combine for over or under 7.5 runs scored

Over/under bets add suspense throughout the game, not just at the end. Every possession and scoring chance matters. This bet is fun when friends have conflicting views on whether a game will be high or low scoring.

Prop Bets

Prop bets allow you to wager on specific outcomes within a game outside of just the final score. They can cover player performances or event occurrences. Common prop bets include:

How many touchdown passes an NFL quarterback will throw

If an NBA player will score over or under a points benchmark

If a baseball player will hit a home run

What player will score the first or last touchdown of a football game

Prop bets make watching sports more engaging and captivating from start to finish. Having action on specific outcomes gives you added incentive to pay close attention.

Live Betting

With today's mobile sportsbooks, you can make sports bets even after a game starts. This allows you and friends to wager in real-time based on how a game is unfolding.

Some examples of fun live bets:

Betting on whether a football team will convert a pivotal 4th down late in a close game

Wagering on whether a basketball player will hit both free throws when at the line

Betting on what team will score the next touchdown or goal

Live betting allows you to capitalize on shifting momentum and make wagers you may not have considered before the game started. It provides non-stop engagement.

Parlay Bets

Parlays involve combining multiple bets on different games together into one larger bet. All legs of the parlay must win for the bet to cash. The risk is higher, but so is the potential payout compared to betting each game separately.

Some creative parlay bets with friends:

Combining moneyline bets on 3 football games into one parlay

Betting the over/under total on several basketball games in a parlay

Parlay betting UFC fights with NFL and college football games together

Building a fun parlay card together with friends makes a full slate of sports action even more gripping. Hitting on a long parlay pays a big reward.

Betting Futures

You can make sports bets and wagers on events way into the future. These are called futures bets. Common futures bets include:

Betting which team will win the Super Bowl before the season starts

Wagering on who will win March Madness months in advance

Predicting who will win MVP and other end of season awards

Futures are fun to make with friends at the start of a season. You can get great odds and have action riding all year long on your bets.

Making Side Bets During Games

Once you start watching a game together, you can make additional side bets with friends:

Bet on who will score the next touchdown or goal

Wager on how many 3 pointers a basketball player will make

Bet whether a football coach will go for it on 4th down

Challenge friends on yes/no outcomes like will there be a safety

Having side action makes engaging with friends while watching sports even better. You'll have mini-bets going constantly.

So spice up the next big game by placing some friendly wagers with your buddies. Whether betting money or pride, sports bets take the thrill of competition to another level!

I (AKA CatBurg) have a lifelong passion for sports, especially football and basketball. I enjoy the thrill and excitement of sports betting and everything in between. My teams are (Packers #GoPackGo) and who I am betting on!