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Futures

Bets on outcomes that resolve later in a season — championship winner, division winner, MVP, win total, etc. Vig is usually higher (15-25%) than game lines because the field is wide and the time horizon long.

Futures bets resolve at a future date, often weeks or months after you place them. Common futures markets:

- League championship (NBA Finals winner, World Series winner, Super Bowl winner) - Conference / division winner - Season win total (over/under N wins) - Individual awards (MVP, Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year) - Tournament outright (PGA Championship winner)

Futures markets have wider vig than game lines because: 1. The field is wider — 30 NBA teams competing for one trophy vs 2 teams in a game 2. Books take on long-duration risk (can't easily hedge an 8-month liability) 3. Public action is concentrated on a few popular names, inflating their prices

This is why Kalshi often offers better value than sportsbooks on futures: Kalshi is a pure exchange (no book vig) and contracts settle at $1 or $0 with just a small per-contract fee.

SportsBookISH groups futures under event_type values: championship, conference, division, mvp, award, win_total, playoffs, record_best, record_worst, trade.

Worked example

Scottie Scheffler to win the 2026 Masters. DraftKings: +500 (implied 16.7%, no-vig probably ~12-13% after the field's vig). Kalshi: 12¢ YES. Kalshi is essentially fair-priced and saves you the book vig.

By Kenny Hyder · SportsBookISH glossary

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