{"id":1981,"date":"2026-06-10T17:31:06","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T16:31:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/?page_id=1981"},"modified":"2026-06-12T13:30:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T17:30:08","slug":"futures-betting","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/betting-guides\/futures-betting\/","title":{"rendered":"Futures Betting Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2303\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/sites\/15\/2026\/06\/11113930\/future-betting-explained.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/sites\/15\/2026\/06\/11113930\/future-betting-explained.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/sites\/15\/2026\/06\/11113930\/future-betting-explained-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/sites\/15\/2026\/06\/11113930\/future-betting-explained-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/sites\/15\/2026\/06\/11113930\/future-betting-explained-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/sites\/15\/2026\/06\/11113930\/future-betting-explained-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/sites\/15\/2026\/06\/11113930\/future-betting-explained-356x200.jpg 356w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/sites\/15\/2026\/06\/11113930\/future-betting-explained-107x60.jpg 107w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/sites\/15\/2026\/06\/11113930\/future-betting-explained-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/sites\/15\/2026\/06\/11113930\/future-betting-explained-132x74.jpg 132w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Futures betting<\/strong> is a wager on a long-term outcome, settled at the end of a season or tournament rather than after a single game. Think Stanley Cup winner, league MVP, top scorer, or the World Cup 2026 champion. You place the bet, your stake is locked in, and you wait for the market to settle.<\/p>\n\n<p>This guide explains how futures work, why prices move across a season, and where the value tends to sit. It is part of our wider <a href=\"\/ca\/betting-guides\/\">betting guides<\/a> hub. Examples lead in American odds (+150, -110), with decimal noted as the alternative.<\/p>\n<p>Futures markets are posted year-round. Compare the <a href=\"\/ca\/bet\/betting-sites\/\">best Canadian sportsbooks<\/a> for the widest long-term markets, or check out <a href=\"\/ca\/bet\/betting-sites\/new\/\">the newest betting sites<\/a> for early-season prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>What is a futures bet?<\/h2>\n<p>A futures bet is a wager on an event decided in the future, usually weeks or months away. Instead of betting on tonight&#8217;s result, you bet on a season-long or tournament-long outcome.<\/p>\n<p>Common futures markets include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>League champion<\/strong>: Stanley Cup, MLS Cup, Super Bowl, World Cup 2026 winner.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Division or conference winner<\/strong>: which team tops its group.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Awards<\/strong>: MVP, Rocket Richard (top goal scorer), Golden Boot.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Season totals<\/strong>: a team&#8217;s total wins, over or under a set line.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The key trait: your stake is committed until the market settles. You cannot get it back if your pick looks shaky in March. That single fact shapes every decision below.<\/p>\n<h2>How futures odds work<\/h2>\n<p>Futures are priced like any other market. Private sportsbooks default to American odds; provincial lottery products default to decimal.<\/p>\n<p>A plus number shows the profit on a $100 stake. <strong>+800<\/strong> means $100 returns $800 profit. A minus number shows the stake needed to win $100. <strong>-150<\/strong> means you risk $150 to win $100. The same +800 is <strong>9.00<\/strong> in decimal, where your stake is included in the return.<\/p>\n<p>Long-shot futures carry big plus numbers because many outcomes are possible. Early in a season, dozens of teams can still win a title, so prices stay generous. As contenders separate from the pack, the favourites&#8217; numbers shorten and the rest drift longer. For more on reading prices, see our <a href=\"\/ca\/betting-guides\/betting-odds-explained\/\">betting odds explained<\/a> guide.<\/p>\n<h2>Worked example: a preseason Stanley Cup future<\/h2>\n<p>Say you back a team to win the Stanley Cup before the season starts, priced at <strong>+800<\/strong>. You stake $50.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Detail<\/th>\n<th>Value<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>American odds<\/td>\n<td>+800<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Decimal equivalent<\/td>\n<td>9.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Stake<\/td>\n<td>$50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Profit if it wins<\/td>\n<td>$400<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Total return<\/td>\n<td>$450<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The math: $50 x (800 \/ 100) = $400 profit, plus your $50 stake back, for $450 total. In decimal it is simply $50 x 9.00 = $450.<\/p>\n<p>That $50 is locked from the day you place it. If your team is leading the standings by January, the price may shorten to +250, but your ticket stays at the +800 you secured. A future can win nothing for months and still pay out at the end. There is no guarantee it lands, so only commit what you are comfortable tying up.<\/p>\n<h2>Why betting early can hold value<\/h2>\n<p>The main appeal of futures is locking a longer price before the market tightens. A contender at +1200 in the preseason might be +400 once they prove themselves. If you read the field early, you bank the bigger number.<\/p>\n<p>The trade-off is information. Early prices reflect uncertainty: injuries, trades, and form swings have not happened yet. You are paid more because you know less. Betting later gives you cleaner data but shorter odds.<\/p>\n<p>A balanced approach treats early futures as a small, speculative slice of your roll, not the core of it. Pair this with our <a href=\"\/ca\/betting-guides\/value-betting\/\">value betting<\/a> guide to judge whether a price is genuinely generous or just a long shot dressed up. And keep stakes sensible using <a href=\"\/ca\/betting-guides\/bankroll-management\/\">bankroll management<\/a> principles, since futures money is parked for the long haul.<\/p>\n<h2>How futures prices shift across a season<\/h2>\n<p>Futures are not static. The number moves as results, news, and money come in. A few drivers:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Results<\/strong>: a winning streak shortens a favourite; a slump lengthens them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Injuries and roster moves<\/strong>: a star injury can send a contender&#8217;s price drifting overnight.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Betting volume<\/strong>: heavily backed teams get their odds cut to balance the book.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eliminations<\/strong>: once teams are knocked out, the remaining field&#8217;s prices adjust.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Because you hold the price you took, timing matters. Some bettors place a future, watch it shorten, then offset it with other markets nearer the finish. That is more advanced and not something to force as a beginner.<\/p>\n<h2>Futures markets relevant to Canada<\/h2>\n<p>Canadian bettors have plenty of futures to follow across the calendar:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Stanley Cup winner<\/strong>: the headline NHL future, with a Canadian team&#8217;s title drought adding interest each year.<\/li>\n<li><strong>World Cup 2026 winner<\/strong>: co-hosted across Canada, the US, and Mexico, with outright winner, group, and golden boot markets.<\/li>\n<li><strong>MLS Cup winner<\/strong>: with three Canadian clubs in the league, plus Supporters&#8217; Shield and top-scorer futures.<\/li>\n<li><strong>CFL Grey Cup winner<\/strong>: a long-running Canadian futures staple.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Single-event betting has been legal Canada-wide since August 2021 under Bill C-218. Provincial lottery products carry futures too: PROLINE+ in Ontario (OLG), Sport Select across Western Canada (WCLC), PlayNow (BCLC), and Mise-o-jeu (Loto-Quebec). For the legal picture, see <a href=\"\/ca\/bet\/betting-sites\/is-sports-betting-legal-in-canada\/\">is sports betting legal in Canada<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Futures vs other bet types<\/h2>\n<p>Futures sit at one end of the time spectrum. A <a href=\"\/ca\/betting-guides\/moneyline-betting\/\">moneyline<\/a> bet settles in a few hours; a future can take eight months. That long horizon is the main difference.<\/p>\n<p>Futures also overlap with <a href=\"\/ca\/betting-guides\/prop-bets\/\">prop bets<\/a> when the market is about a player rather than a result, such as a season MVP or top-scorer award. Those are sometimes called award futures or season-long props.<\/p>\n<p>Quick comparison:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Moneyline<\/strong>: single game, settles fast, lower odds.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Prop<\/strong>: a specific occurrence, often within one game or season.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Future<\/strong>: season or tournament outcome, stake locked, often longer odds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>None is better than the others. They suit different goals, and many bettors run a mix.<\/p>\n<!-- sqgap:table -->\n<h2>Types of futures bet<\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Type<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Example<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">How it settles<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Championship<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Stanley Cup or World Cup 2026 winner<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">When the title is decided<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Division or conference<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">A team to win its division<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">End of the regular season<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Award<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">League MVP or top scorer<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">When the award is announced<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Season win total<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Over or under a team&#8217;s wins<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">End of the regular season<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<!-- sqgap:sections -->\n<h2>Hedging a futures bet<\/h2>\n<p>The appeal of a futures bet is the long price you lock in early. The catch is that your stake is tied up for months, and the closer your pick gets to winning, the more tempting it is to protect the position. That is where hedging comes in.<\/p>\n<p>Hedging means placing a second bet against your original pick to guarantee a profit whatever the result. Say you backed a team to win the Stanley Cup at +1200 before the season. If they reach the final, you can bet on their opponent at the much shorter final-series price, sizing that second bet so you come out ahead either way.<\/p>\n<p>The trade-off is that hedging caps your upside in exchange for a sure return. It also points to the other side of futures: the built-in margin is steep, often 20% or more across a full field, which is the price you pay for betting so far ahead.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-futures-betting-1\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What is futures betting?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Futures betting is a wager on a long-term outcome that settles at the end of a season or tournament, such as the Stanley Cup winner, league MVP, or the World Cup 2026 champion. Your stake is locked in until the market settles.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-futures-betting-2\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">How does futures betting work in Canada?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">You pick a long-term outcome and place your stake, which stays committed until the event is decided. Single-event and futures betting are legal Canada-wide since Bill C-218 in 2021. Provincial options include PROLINE+ in Ontario, Sport Select in Western Canada, PlayNow, and Mise-o-jeu.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-futures-betting-3\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Are futures odds shown in American or decimal?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Both. Private sportsbooks usually default to American odds like +800, while provincial lottery products default to decimal like 9.00. They describe the same price, just in different formats.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-futures-betting-4\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Why bet a future early in the season?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Early prices are often longer because the outcome is more uncertain. Backing a contender before they prove themselves can lock a bigger number than waiting. The trade-off is less information, so it carries more risk and there is no guarantee it lands.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-futures-betting-5\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Can I cash out a futures bet before it settles?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">It depends on the operator. Some offer a cash-out feature on certain futures, but many require you to hold the bet until the market settles. Always assume your stake is tied up for the full season unless cash out is clearly available.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-futures-betting-6\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What is a worked example of a futures payout?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">A $50 stake at +800 returns $400 profit plus your $50 stake, for $450 total. In decimal, 50 times 9.00 equals 450. The price you take is the price you keep, even if the odds shorten later.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-futures-betting-7\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What does it mean to hedge a futures bet?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Hedging is placing a second bet against your original futures pick as it nears winning, sizing it so you lock in a profit either way.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-futures-betting-8\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Why is the margin on futures so high?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">A futures market spreads its hold across a whole field of outcomes, so the built-in margin is often 20% or more, steeper than a single-game bet.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-futures-betting-9\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">When do futures bets pay out?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">A futures bet settles when the outcome is decided, which can be the end of the regular season, the playoffs, or when an award is announced.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Betting should be entertainment, not a way to make money. Set limits before you start, take breaks, and never bet to recover losses. If gambling stops being fun, free, confidential help is available: <strong>ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600<\/strong> (Ontario), <strong>BC Responsible Gambling 1-888-795-6111<\/strong>, or your province&#8217;s helpline.<\/p>\n<p><em>19+ (18+ in AB\/MB\/QC) | Please play responsibly | Odds approximate at time of writing | ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (ON) &#8211; see your province&#8217;s helpline for resources elsewhere.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Futures betting is a wager on a long-term outcome, settled at the end of a season or tournament rather than after a single game. Think Stanley Cup winner, league MVP, top scorer, or the World Cup 2026 champion. You place the bet, your stake is locked in, and you wait for the market to settle&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3591,"featured_media":2303,"parent":1915,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"futures betting","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Futures Betting Explained: How It Works | Squawka","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Futures betting explained for Canadian bettors: how season-long markets like Stanley Cup, MVP and World Cup 2026 winner odds work, with a worked +800 example.","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1981","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Futures Betting Explained: How It Works | Squawka<\/title>\n<meta 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