When it comes to picking a sport to place bets on, there are a vast number of codes and disciplines within the available selection.

Perhaps you are a fan of a particular sport already and just want to deepen that association by betting on it - or maybe you're new to sports and betting and require knowledge of both.

Football

Football is a massively popular sport around the world - and even more so ahead of and during the World Cup. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar turned up a couple of big upsets early in the tournament, when Saudi Arabia beat Argentina and Japan outdid Germany. The best online sports betting site in the United Kingdom or elsewhere in the world would have big odds available on the minnows winning those fixtures.

Cricket

Cricket is also hugely popular to bet on. With markets for top batsman and top bowler, player of the match and many other categories available, the sport of cricket presents 100s of options to bet on per match. Betting on cricket is especially big in India, where millions of fans place bets on tournaments such as the Indian Premier League, T20 World Cup, Cricket World Cup and more. When Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and others are in action, it can make the betting all the more interesting for Indian fans. The same goes for English punters, who seek out good odds on markets involving Ben Stokes, Jos Butter, Joe Root and other national stars.

Rugby

Rugby is another sport in which one can bet on one team or the other winning, or the match being drawn. Besides individual match outcomes, there are also outright tournament winner markets to place bets on. For instance, ahead of the 2023 World Cup in France, one can place bets on the tournament hosts winning the final or South Africa claiming another title. There will be many teams involved in the World Cup and therefore several options to consider. And it's not just about the big teams either, as there are several lesser-fancied sides to bet on as well.

Basketball

Basketball, more specifically the NBA, can be highly entertaining to bet on. There are quarter winner, conference winner, race to 30 points, final result and many other markets to bet on for any given game. And you can bet on the games while they are happening as well, not just prior to the start.

In the United States of America and elsewhere around the world, the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and other teams are big for betting. Of course, the States also have the NHL, MLB and NFL to bet on as well. These are also popular options for fans of ice hockey, baseball and American football alike.

There are other entertaining sports to consider as well. These include horse racing, boxing, tennis, snooker and more. And these can be all the more special when the Grand National, Wimbledon and other big events turn up on the calendar.