Everyone knows rugby is New Zealand’s favorite sport. The All Blacks rule rugby—3 World Cup trophies, 20 Rugby Championships, and 10-time Rugby Team of the Year awards. While rugby is by far the most popular sport in the country, NZ is home to dozens of other sports. For example, we have a thriving ice skating community. We have players competing in international ice hockey leagues, European soccer competitions, and table tennis players in China.
If you love sports betting, you ought to watch different competitions in the country. In this article, we’ll highlight some of the best sports to make money from as a bettor. Let’s get started.
#1: Rugby
Rugby has all the ingredients of a good sport for betting. It’s popular. It has multiple competitions and more than enough ways to make you money. It is also the country’s favorite sport, so you’re certain to fall in love with it at some point.
If you’ve never bet on rugby but watch the sport regularly, you’ll have an easy time betting. Here’s why. You know how the sport works. All you need is to find great sports betting providers in New Zealand and place your bets.
Rugby is a point-based system. This means you can bet on the estimated total number of points in a match. You can pick the winner, predict the first player to score a try or predict the leading team at halftime.
Generally, experts advise against betting on your favorite team. But considering NZ’s dominance in the sport, backing the all blacks during international competitions isn’t a bad idea.
#2: Soccer/Football
Soccer is the world’s most popular sport. This means one thing. It’s also the biggest moneymaker in the world of sports betting. If you love to make money in gambling, you must love the beautiful game.
Domestically, the Men’s National League is the most popular football competition. It consists of 10 teams that compete for a championship after winning vital regional competitions.
While the NZ football league might have a different format from the English Premier League, the sport is similar. That means you can bet on the same outcomes.
For example, you can bet on match winners. You can pick totals, parlays, propositions, and handicap bets. In fact, football has so many bet types that you have to specialize in a few of them.
Then there’s the sport’s countless tournaments. From the domestic league in NZ to the Champions League and the World Cup, you’ll have no shortage of sports to bet on if you love to bet on sports.
#3: Cricket
The ICC ranks New Zealand fifth in its list of the best cricket teams in the world. Australia ranks first. India is second, while England and South Africa rank ahead of NZ. The national rugby team performs incredibly well during major competitions like the T20, WTC, and the CWC. It has been to the finals of the CWC twice, won the ICC CT once, and the WTC competition in 2021.
The team is nicknamed the Black Caps in honor of the all blacks. That said, cricket is different from every other sport in the country. It involves batting and scoring runs. The game is divided into periods called innings. Each side has 11 players—one bowler and ten field players. Learn more about this sport before you place your bets. You can only bet if you understand its rules and can predict competitions successfully.
#4: Basketball
New Zealand performs extremely well in basketball despite its small population size. It has produced players in the NBA and top European and Australian basketball leagues. While it has never beaten the US, Spain, Germany, or Serbia in a major competition, the national team has won three FIBA Oceania Championships. It has also made appearances at the Olympic Games and in the FIBA World Cup.
Obviously, New Zealand’s basketball performance has nothing to do with how you bet. You could specialize in the NBA entirely. Or, you might focus on local basketball leagues in Kiwi land.
Betting on basketball is relatively easy. Pick any two teams and analyze each side’s chances of winning. Usually, teams with top-rated, in-form players tend to dominate the NBA. Also, the NBA is a point-driven league. Most games end with more than 100 points scored. That’s not always the case in Europe. European leagues are more defensive.
#5: Boxing/MMA
We know. New Zealand isn’t exactly known for producing hard-hitting boxers. But that's not to say people don't bet on the sport. In fact, a lot of people bet on Mixed Martial Arts. And yet, it's a relatively small sport.
Sure, Israel Adesanya has played a big role in promoting MMA in the country. He’s even dominated the UFC’s Middleweight division in the past. Nonetheless, New Zealanders have always loved boxing and MMA.
If you’re a punter thinking of betting on either sport, we have some good news for you. Boxing and MMA attract quality odds on betting sites. If you can predict who’s likely to win in UFC Main Card, you can make some decent profits in the sport.
To be clear, there are more options for betting than predicting winners. For example, you can expect how a fight ends—knockouts, decision, or technical knockouts.
#6: Horse Racing and Golf
New Zealand’s ties to the UK are to thank for the popularity of both horseracing and golfing in the country. Horserace betting has been around longer than the online betting sector has existed.
Betting on horses can be complicated for beginners. That’s because all the major competitions take place overseas. Secondly, horseracing has been losing its popularity over the years.
That said, determined horseracing fans are in shortage of competitions to bet on. They include the Kentucky Derby in the US, the UK's Royal Ascot, and the Dubai World Cup. When it comes to golfing, you need to know the best players. Tiger Woods might be famous globally. But he’s no longer at the helm of the sport. Discover the new players dominating the sport. And you might succeed in golf betting.