Betting on Gymnastics - How and Where to Find the Best Odds

Gymnastics is a broad term used to refer to a wide range of disciplines at the Olympics. Over recent years, betting on gymnastics has become a popular option, with people getting the hang of such wagers. As people anticipate watching the likes of Simone Biles and Kohei Uchimura do their thing on the field, they also line their betting accounts with good money. But before you also follow suit and start wagering on your favorite gymnasts, let’s look at what gymnastics betting entails:

What is Gymnastics Betting?

Girl doing gymnastics

Are parallel bars gymnastics? What of uneven bars? All these are forms of gymnastics, a term used to cover a wide range of events. From vault to floor to trampolines to pommel horse, tons of things are considered gymnastics. Some of the sports are even team-based. So, wagering on gymnastics would require you to choose any of these options, do some research, and place a bet. That’s the first thing you need to know about this betting market on the up and up.

But rather than focus on each sport by itself, we will work with the umbrella term and let you do the digging later. However, all the information you find in this piece will be adequate to help you zero in on a niche and excel at it. The niche can be in aesthetic gymnastics, dance gymnastics, free dance, or even rhythmic gymnastics. In some cases, it can feature a combination of these elements.

Want some examples? Let’s consider a few. Artistic gymnastics is like the trampoline event where the gymnast puts on a routine lasting on the trampoline. It features two sets of ten routines with somersaults and is quite breathtaking. On the other hand, rhythmic gymnastics feature women putting on a show for between 75 and 90 seconds using an object of their choice. Be it a ball or a rope; the aim is to wow the judges. On the group side of things, five gymnasts perform for two sets, each taking up about 135 seconds. The judges base their decisions on how well executed the routine is and its complexity level.

You can think of gymnastics as artistic performances where athletes showcase how good they are at executing routines. But of course, it is much more than this, as you will see when you start researching individual sports.

Can You Bet on Gymnastics?

Betting has come a long way, and you can bet on almost anything. Luckily, this also includes gymnastics which has become a popular sport with stars like Simone Biles! You will love that it has a wide range of betting markets. Some bookies offer very specific niches. But to help you get started, we will cover the most popular options, which include:

The Winner

How hard is it to guess who will win the outcome of a tournament or competition? Quite hard! That’s why it’s always better to research the participants and base your decision on hard facts. Once you’ve done this, the possibility of picking a winner only increases. As the bet implies, all you need is to be right about your prediction to get paid.

Place Bets

Ever seen a good gymnast but could not quite figure out if they would win? Maybe they show a lot of promise but don’t have what it takes to clinch the top position for sure. Rather than placing a wager that will probably not go through, you can use a place bet. It’s quite easy to understand. Here’s an example. You can bet that gymnast A will make it to the top 5. That way, you have not set yourself up for failure if they do not win. Instead, if they clinch any position between 1 and 5, you can win. Or you can use an each-way bet for a strong gymnast. It allows you to cash in if they clinch the first or second position! How nice is it to sit on the fence and still get a payday?

Handicap Bets

It takes a while to master the odds under this betting strategy. However, once you do, you realize that you can get much more out of favorites and underdogs than you previously thought. So, what’s the trick here? The favorite gets negative points while the underdog gets positive points. If the favorite wins and you had backed them, the points get subtracted from the final score, and you get the difference. Makes sense? No? After a few tries, you will realize how paid you can be with this one technique- if you get it right!

Match Up Bets

Remember how the place bets allowed you to cash in without making tough decisions? Here’s a similar opportunity. Suppose gymnast A shows stronger promise than gymnast B, yet you cannot decide if gymnast A can clinch the first position. With a match-up bet, you do not have to think about who will finish first. Instead, you can focus on matching two gymnasts and predicting who of the two will do better. In this case, you can bet on gymnast A and if you’re right, guess who gets paid?

Total Points

Gymnasts score points when they perform. Of course, it’s hard to determine the exact number of points they will garner over the rounds. But you can bet on an average number and compare it with the totals. How? Bookies will set a number and ask you to bet over or under it. So, if you think that your preferred gymnast can score higher points, you go with an over bet. But if you do not think they can reach those points, you go with an under bet. It’s easy to understand this kind of bet which often pays off quite well.

Live Bets

Have you ever placed a bet and wished you had made a different one once the action started? Maybe your gymnast walked into the field looking much stronger than you expected. Or you watched a routine and realized that your gymnast could do one better. Live bets allow you to bet on events that are underway. Of course, such bets will reflect real-time odds and might not have the same payouts as pre-bets, but they allow you to get a second chance. If you have a keen eye for small changes with big impacts, such bets can help you offset any losses you would have otherwise suffered.

These are a few of the betting options available in the market. You will come across more variations of these as you delve deeper into gymnastics betting, giving you more opportunities to exploit.

How Should You Bet on Gymnastics?

Man doing gymnastics

Betting on gymnastics is not that different from other types of bets. You must prepare for each wager by researching the specific niche you want to wager on. For example, if you’re going with a trampoline event, how much do you know about the sport? Which gymnasts have performed exemplarily in the past? Consider the past and present stats and look up injuries, changes in coaches, and form. Watching smaller tournaments can give you a glimpse of what to expect from gymnasts during the big tournaments. You can see how the gymnasts vary their routines, how well they execute their performances, and if they look up for the task ahead. Also, consider whether the gymnast has had enough time to practice their routine. Of course, this calls for a deep dive into their current training schedule. You will need to watch many performances before you can confidently back any gymnast with facts and a bit of subjective knowledge about them. Otherwise, you can wager on someone who will not perform as well as you might expect if you rely on face value alone.

Which Bookies Have the Best Odds?

The amount of money you take home comes down to the competitiveness of the odds from your bookie. If they offer low odds, you can have a good eye for opportunities but would not enjoy the returns that you would on another site. But even when looking at odds, you must also consider the site’s security, customer service, reviews, and licensing. Below are some of the bookies that have proven to be gems in the world of gymnastics:

  • William Hill: As one of the oldest bookies, this site offers some of the best bonuses and promotions in the market. It’s also at the forefront of offering gymnastics betting options and a range of markets. It now even offers live betting.
  • Unibet: This international bookie has a range of betting markets. Moreover, it has a ton of payment methods and is known for its competitive odds.
  • Bet365: Like other great bookies, this site has not been left out of the gymnastics betting craze and currently offers amazing welcome bonuses to its new clients. Customers can now access it via their smart devices, enabling them to bet on the go.

Other great sites include:

  • 888Sport,
  • PointsBet,
  • Betway,
  • Sugar House, and
  • Bet Rivers.

Olympics betting is not a new concept, but the popularity of gymnastics betting as a special niche seems to be growing on punters worldwide. Why not get in on it, too, and make some money while at it? Good luck!

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