Cycling is one of the most fascinating sports in existence. It is extremely popular in Europe and Australia, but in recent years it has also gotten tractions in the Americas. If you love cycling, you might be able to earn some money through cycling betting.
But which bookmakers are the best for this particular sport, and what are the best ways to profit from betting on cycling? Those are some of the things we will look into in this article!
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Best bookmakers for cycling betting
Most bookmakers let you bet on cycling to some degree. But some sportsbooks have better game selections and odds than others. Here are our top recommendations.
Kambi
The bookmakers that get their odds delivered by the Kambi group are arguably the best ones to use for cycling betting.
You find a bit of everything with them – outrights, head-to-head, specials.
Kambi bookmakers are 888sport, Unibet, Mr Green, LeoVegas and others. They generally have the same odds. If you want to bet on cycling, try to sign up with either of these sites and try your luck. Odds are very competitive, selection is huge for most major events. The only problem is personal limitations – you might get your account limited and only be able to bet small amounts if you prove yourself as a long-term winner. If that happens, simply move on to a different Kambi bookmaker or one of the sites we are mentioning below.
Betfair
Betfair doesn’t offer any head-to-head between riders or teams. But when it comes to outrights, it is the best place to bet.
Of course, we are referring to the Betfair Exchange – where you bet against other gamblers. You can bet outrights on most major tours and events. So if you have a solid idea of who is going to win the Tour de France or the Vuelta á España, a Betfair account will help you massively.
SBO
SBO has the highest odds when it comes to H2H. This Asian sportsbook rarely offers any outrights or bets on stage winners. But it has many head-to-head options, and if that is your thing, this is the place to go!
Aside from offering great odds in cycling, SBO also has amazing lines in many other sports.
Cloudbet
Cloudbet has a bit of everything – just like the Kambi bookmakers. You can bet outrights and H2H on major events. The odds at Cloudbet are VERY competitive.
The thing is that Cloudbet is a Bitcoin sportsbook, so you need to use Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency. You bet anonymously, you only need an email address to sign up. Personal limits are rare, so if you get limited with one of the traditional bookmakers, this could be your refuge.
Cycling odds and variants
When it comes to cycling, there are several ways to bet. The most popular variants in the game selection are H2H and outrights.
H2H
Head-to-head, or H2H, is when the bookmaker selects two riders and puts them up against each other. You have to pick the one that will finish ahead.
Imagine watching the spring classics, and just before Liège-Bastogne-Liège, you see an H2H matchup between Julian Alaphilippe and Jakob Fuglsang. They are priced at odds 1,83 each. If you pick Fuglsang, you will win the bet if he finishes ahead of Alaphilippe, and you will lose if he finishes behind him. No other riders matter. Bookies might select any two riders and put them up for head-to-head odds.
Sometimes, bookmakers will also pick two teams and make an H2H between them. It works the same way, whichever one has the top rider who finishes ahead, is the one who gets registered as the winner of the matchup.
H2H matchups are super popular because it gives bettors a chance to use their knowledge and back specific riders. It’s arguably the best way to bet on cycling. It simulates the way you bet on other sports where two teams play against each other. In cycling, it will just be a matchup of two riders instead, selected by the bookies.
Outrights
Then we have outrights. This is when you bet for the overall winner of a stage or a full tour.
For example, if you bet on Primoz Roglic to win the Vuelta, or if you bet on Peter Sagan to win the green jersey in the Tour.
Outrights have high odds. You can win a lot if you pick the correct rider to be the victor of a stage or a tour. However, there is also a lot of variance since there are a lot of riders in the peloton, and it’s harder to predict a winner of a whole pack than it is to have a simple head-to-head matchup.
How to profit as a bettor
To make a profit from cycling betting, you need to have some specialized knowledge. You need to know the strengths and weaknesses of the riders. You should also look well into the terrain and weather of the stage.
Statistics can help, but they are not everything – remember that previous results aren’t always good for predicting future events. Knowledge comes above all else, and the more cycling you watch, the better your chances of winning.
So do your research, watch a lot of stages and races, look into the characteristics of each rider, and be sure to analyze the current situation before placing your bets.
Value betting and staking
Just like in any other sport, we recommend you to follow the value betting principle. This is what separates winning bettors from the losers. If you are able to spot value, you will profit in the long run.
For instance, let’s say you can get odds of 8.00 for Peter Sagan to win stage 4 of the Tour. If you believe there he has a probability of 15% to win, it’s a clear value bet (8*15=120). You take the decimal odds and multiply it with the estimated probability of your analysis. If the result is above 100, it’s a value bet. If it is below 100, it’s not a value bet.
Another example: In a matchup between Alaphilippe and Fuglsang, you believe Fuglsang has a 60% chance of winning. At odds 1.83, that’s also a value bet: 1.83*60=109.8. On the contrary, Alaphilippe would not hold value in this matchup if you believe he only has a 40% chance of beating Fuglsang: 1.83*40=73.2.
So you need to estimate the probability and see how it compares to the odds. Do that every time you bet, and you will be able to spot value.
Read our full guide to value betting here!
At the same time, you need bankroll management. Your staking should be conservative – especially in a high-variance sport like cycling.
We recommend betting only 1% of your bankroll on each bet. That way, you won’t lose all your money if you have a bad streak. And you will still profit a lot in the long run – just remember to keep re-adjusting your wagers based on the size of your bankroll. This week, your bankroll might be €1000, so each bet should be €10. If your bankroll increases to €1200 next week, your average wager should be €12.
Read more about bankroll management here!
Conclusion
Cycling betting is a great opportunity to earn money if you know a lot about cycling. There are several ways to bet on cycling, and if you visit a solid bookmaker like Cloudbet, Betfair or 888sport, you can get an overview of the option.
The key to winning is simply to have some specialized knowledge about the riders and the stages. But you should also follow the traditional principles of sports betting: Value betting and money management. If you do that, it should be very possible to get some nice winnings from betting on cycling!