This could be you if you play your cards right. Photo: Tony Heff//WSL
Sports betting is a big business, but up until now, surf fans in select states haven’t been able to legally bet on events like the WSL Surf Ranch Pro.
The Surf Ranch, as you no doubt are aware, is a very particular wave. It’s one that takes away the vagaries of Mother Nature and allows surfers to compete on a relatively equal playing field. That makes betting on the Surf Ranch event a little different than betting on, say, an event at Sunset. Bettors don’t need to take into account a particular surfer’s wave reading skills — instead, they can simply look at a surfer’s wave riding skills.
The Surf Ranch Pro runs May 27-28 in Lemoore, California. It’s the first event after the mid-season cut, so bettors have already had their options pared down drastically.
DraftKings has released the odds for the event winner and head-to-head matchups. Those favored to win are not much of a surprise, especially when considering where they’re competing. DraftKings is offering a bonus for anyone who signs up on worldsurfleague.com.
So how do you go about putting a few dollars down? First, you need an account with a sportsbook that offers bets on WSL surf competitions. A few good ones are Betfred and DraftKings — and, just a pro tip for anyone new to betting online — it’s wise to sign up for a few different sportsbooks, since they often offer different signup bonuses, deposit promotions, and varying odds or betting markets. A lot of the time, a sportsbook will offer a bonus on your first bet, so be sure to take advantage of those should they be available. Depending on your state, you can sidestep traditional sportsbooks and go the Fantasy route. StatHero is a platform that allows users to compete only against StatHero and not the other players in a contest.
DraftKings is available in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Betfred is for those in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. And StatHero is for bettors in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Now, let’s look at the odds, which will of course be updated after Day 1 is finished. Heading the field are three top contenders: Filipe Toledo, Gabriel Medina, and Italo Ferreira.
There’s a good chance you’ll do okay if you bet on one of these guys. Image: WSL
“Toledo, with odds at +320, is the firm favorite for the event,” Alt Sports Data, a sports betting information platform, wrote in a press release. “A bet on Toledo can yield significant returns without straying too far into risk territory. Medina, the 2022 World Champion, is not far behind at +398. The Brazilian superstar is known for his innovative and fearless style, making him a strong choice for bettors. Ferreira, another Brazilian talent, offers more value at +871, but his explosive performances could bring a surprise win.”
You may, perhaps, be feeling a little riskier. Willing to gamble a bit more for a bigger payout. If that’s you, here are some outsider bets to consider:
Feeling risky? Put a few bucks on one of these surfers. Image: WSL
“Ethan Ewing, with odds of +2226, is a promising outsider pick,”Alt Sports Data continued. “A $100 bet on Ewing could yield a return of $2,326. Leonardo Fioravanti and Griffin Colapinto, with odds of +3746 and +3900 respectively, are also worth considering. A $100 bet on Fioravanti could result in a $3,746 return, while the same bet on Colapinto could net $3,900. These surfers may not be the top favorites, but they have the potential to surprise and provide a significant return on investment.”
Of course, one cannot talk about betting on surfing without looking closely at John John Florence. While the odds may not put him in the top three favorites, his history proves that you can never count him out. His pre-event odds are sitting at +1150.
“Florence has a history of impressive performances and could very well outperform the odds,” wrote Alt Sports Data. “A bet on him could prove to be a smart move for those seeking a balance between risk and potential reward.”
Check out Alt Sports Data to learn more.
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