Sports betting isn’t just for men. Over the years, more and more women have joined the action by betting on sports through Bodog’s online sportsbook. This typically shines a light on our wide variety of women’s sports leagues. High-profile athletes like Serena Williams, Amanda Nunes and Allyson Felix have paved the way for women in sports, and people take notice. We’re going to outline some of the most popular options for women’s sports betting that are available in our sportsbook, including tennis, basketball, UFC, and the Olympic Games. Buckle up and enjoy the ride as we prime you for the basics in female sports leagues.

Women’s Tennis Betting

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) is the organizing body that governs professional tennis for female players. This is where you’ll find player rankings for its 1650+ players and the tournaments on schedule for any given season. The biggest events are classified as Grand Slams and include the Australian Open (January), the French Open (May-June), Wimbledon (June-July) and the US Open (August-September). WTA betting is available for all four events.

Outside of those high-profile tournaments are 50 events that take place all across the globe, and this year we also saw women compete in tennis matches for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. At press time, there are three WTA events available for betting. 

The court playing surface is always a consideration in tennis betting. Download the WTA Tour Calendar for 2021, and you’ll see the playing surface for each event. Once you have an idea of who you want to back in women’s tennis betting, you have the option of using the spread, moneyline, and total just like with all other major leagues in North America.

Women’s WNBA Odds 

Inaugurated in 1997, the Women’s National Basketball Association is into its 25th season and has 12 teams, some of which are direct counterparts to the NBA. Regular seasons run from May to September and consist of 36 games (18 home and 18 away). The Finals take place in September and October, and a championship trophy is awarded to the winners. Three teams that have been part of the league since the very beginning and are still running include the New York Liberty, Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury.  

Plans to implement a Commissioner’s Cup in-season tournament in 2020 were derailed by COVID-19. This free-standing best-of-five series has the top two teams in either conference face off for $500,000 in prize money and the status of Cup Champion.

Throughout the entire season (and offseason) the WNBA betting market is open for those who want to take a flyer on who the next champion will be. Seattle Storm has been a force in the league in recent years and has won two of the last three championships. 

Women’s College Basketball Odds

College sports provide a great opportunity to see who the next generation of athletes will be—and that’s certainly the case with women’s NCAA DI basketball. Bet on all of the top schools for single games throughout the regular season and on the annual tournament that takes place every March. We’ll run you through how that tournament is formatted.

The 32 teams that win their respective conference tournaments earn an automatic berth to the tournament and make up half of the overall teams that qualify. The other half are invited through a selections committee. The bracket is broadcast on ESPN through the Selection Show at the end of the regular season, and this is where bettors get their first insight into the tournament pool.

The tournament is single-elimination and begins with the first and second rounds. The 64 qualifying teams are divided into 16 groups of four. Those four teams take part in the first round, and the two winners of that round face off in the second round. The winner moves on to the Regionals.

There are four regional groupings of four teams that face off; the two winners then face each other in the Regional Finals, with the winner of each Regional Final progressing to the Final Four. The Women’s DI college basketball Final Four tournament is typically held at the end of March/early April and through it, the two finalists are determined for the championship game matchup.

When betting on women’s NCAA DI college basketball, it’s important to consider which schools have traditionally dominated the sport. UConn is a well-established top competitor with 11 titles that span from 1995 to 2016, their most recent string of titles coming off the period that included Breanna Stewart—one of the most decorated athletes in the sport.

Women’s MMA/UFC Odds

UFC betting events always include woman-to-woman matchups, and they typically bring in lots of action on the betting lines. Powerful UFC/MMA figures that have dominated the scene over the years include Amanda Nunes, Cris Cyborg, Holly Holmes and Ronda Rousey. Nunes is the top female pound-for-pound fighter who currently holds the title in both the Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions and she’s undefeated in her last 12 fights. UFC fights are categorized as either Fight Nights, or as UFC XXX, which appears less frequently than the Fight Nights and typically features higher-profile fighters. You’ll find female UFC fighters competing in both events.  

Women’s Olympics Odds

Since the first Olympic Summer Games in 1900 that saw 22 female athletes compete in 95 events, more and more have joined the international event over the years. The 2016 Summer Olympics saw 5,095 female athletes included in 300+ events. The 2020 Olympic Games wanted to draw even more female athletes by offering the very first mixed-gender events. For the first time, A 4X400 mixed relay in athletics and a 4X100 mixed relay in swimming saw men and women compete side by side in Tokyo.

Other Women’s Odds Available 

Beyond these popular betting options, you’ll also find odds for women’s sports in soccer, entertainment, volleyball and golf as events appear on the calendar. More is getting added all of the time, so keep checking in with our sportsbook to see what’s available in the growing world of women’s sports.