Futures bets involve predicting outcomes for events scheduled in the coming months or beyond. By checking some of the most popular futures bets for 2026, we can see who the favorites currently are in some major sporting events set to take place next year.
The FIFA World Cup
The soccer World Cup is set for North America next year, with the final to be played at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19. Which team will claim the trophy on that day? Current odds list Spain as the favorite at +500, followed by England, Brazil, and France, with defending champions Argentina at +900. The USA and Mexico are both at +9900, while you can get Canada at +19900. Suriname is the biggest outsider, although this team still has to get through the Play-Off Tournament in March.
With several months remaining before the tournament begins, there’s still time to bet online on national and international games scheduled ahead of the World Cup. Leagues like the MLS and the EPL are featured, together with the Champions League and international fixtures. With most of the 48 teams now qualified, it’s becoming easier to follow their results and check their form before deciding who to bet on.
The NBA Finals
The NBA Finals are scheduled to begin on June 4, 2026, with a possible seventh game decider to take place on June 21. In last season’s Finals, we saw how the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers over seven games in the Finals. The seventh game marked only the 20th occurrence of the NBA Finals reaching this stage.
This year, Oklahoma is the favorite, at +180 at the time of writing, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 37 against the Portland Trail Blazers, who have earlier inflicted their only defeat of the season to date. The Denver Nuggets and the Cleveland Cavaliers are closest to them in the odds, although there are still a lot of games to be played before we find out who will be playing in the Finals.
The Super Bowl
The NFL gives us one of the first major sporting events of 2026, with Super Bowl LX to be played in February at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Last season’s big football game was between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, with the Eagles winning 40-22.
The regular season runs until January, with the playoffs to begin on January 10. The Los Angeles Rams are currently favored at +400, following a strong performance since their return to California. Philadelphia are close behind in the odds, as they look to claim the Super Bowl again. The Chiefs are in third place, as they look to go one better than last year and earn their fifth title.
2026 is set to offer some huge games and competitions. Analyzing future odds and team performance offers an engaging way to follow upcoming competitions.
