Many big-time sportsbooks reported their overall sports betting figures at the end of 2021. We’ll review highlights from these figures, including which games, teams, and individual players earned customers the most winnings and losses.
Teams and games with the highest number of total bets placed
Certain games generated a lot of action regarding the total number of bets placed. Of course, the Super Bowl naturally raked in the most bets overall.
Second, other NFL games pulled in more than their fair share of bets to the big game. Tom Brady’s Buccaneers faced off New England in October for the first time since Brady left the Patriots. That game was another with heavy bets.
The NFL’s Week 6 was a big winning week for sports bettors, according to BetMGM. In particular, games that earned customers the most cash were Cowboys vs. Patriots, Chiefs vs. Washington, Rams vs. Giants, and Packers vs. Bears.
Week 7 also saw a lot of winnings, with the Indianapolis Colts beating the 49ers by 12 points.
Caesars reported that its 2021 games with the highest number of bets were:
- Bills vs. Titans on 10/3
- Rams vs. Cardinals on 12/13
- Eagles vs. Cowboys on 9/17
Caesars also reported the teams that raked in the most bets in 2021:
- Buccaneers
- Chiefs
- Packers
- Dodgers
- Rams
When it came to college football, BetMGM says the games with the most bets taken were:
- Alabama vs. Georgia SEC Championship on 12/4
- Michigan vs. Ohio State game on 11/27
- Alabama vs. Ohio State national championship in January
Teams that won the most for sports betting customers
There were certain teams that stood out when it came to earning customers the most money on wagers.
DraftKings reported that Tampa Bay’s Buccaneers earned their customers the most winnings in 2021. Closely behind the Bucs were the Suns, the Packers, the Chiefs, and the Nets.
However, when it comes to women’s sports, the Chicago Sky of the WNBA earned the most winnings for wagerers.
College teams also raked in the winnings for customers in 2021, and WynnBET was able to provide some figures on college sports winnings.
Moreover, Baylor vs. UCLA at Gonzaga and the Alabama vs. Florida football game on September 18 were among the college-level games earning the most cash for customers.
Players that made bettors the most money
Sportsbooks that ranked players did so by measuring how they fared on prop bets and whether they met the predicted level of performance.
In fact, one of the players that generated the most winnings in 2021 across the board was Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who scored a touchdown 11 weeks in a row up until Christmas Day.
DraftKing’s head of sportsbook, Johnny Avello, said:
“Every week he’s being bet on to score a touchdown, and almost every week he does. His odds are the lowest of any guy I’ve seen in a long time, and players are piling on him.”
According to DraftKings and BetMGM, other players that generated high numbers of winning bets were:
- LA Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani
- Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans
- Bills receiver Stefon Diggs
- Packers receiver Davante Adams
- Tampa Bay running back Leonard Fournette
- Pelicans forward Zion Williamson
In addition, for women’s sports, DraftKings said mixed martial artists brought in many winning bets this past year. Athletes with the most winning bets were MMA artists:
- Rose Namajunas
- Julianna Pena
- Marina Rodriguez
Other notable female athletes that generated a lot of winnings for customers were golfer Nelly Korda and tennis player Naomi Osaka.
Customers lost big with wagers placed on these teams and players
DraftKings reported the teams that generated the most customer loss in 2021 as:
- LA Lakers
- Seattle Seahawks
- Buffalo Bills
- College football’s Clemson
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce brought in the most losing bets in 2021 out of all players, according to DraftKings. Furthermore, following close behind Kelce were:
- Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot
- Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson
- Nets guard James Harden
- Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill
- Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey
However, the losses generated by McCaffrey are mainly due to his injuries incurred during the season.
DraftKings’ Avello commented on the Chiefs’ performance this season and how it impacted betting losses:
“The Chiefs didn’t have a very good start to the season, and Kelce wasn’t doing his part, and then when the Chiefs got rolling, they were using other weapons than him,” He said. “He was their go-to guy; now they’ve found other guys to go to.”
Furthermore, BetMGM issued their list for the teams and players with the highest number of lost bets, and Nets guard James Harden was at the top of that list. Following close behind were:
- Nuggets center Nikola Jokic
- Suns center Deandre Ayton
- Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady
- Suns guard Devin Booker
When it comes to women’s sports, while the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team earned the highest number of overall bets, they also lost customers a lot of money.
A notable female athlete with a high number of losing bets is MMA artist Weili Zhang, a rival of Namajunas. Other athletes in women’s sports that saw a lot of negative betting action were:
- MMA artist Amanda Nunes
- MMA artist Megan Anderson
- Tennis player Serena Williams
- Tennis player Aryna Sabalenka
Of course, DraftKings and several other large sportsbooks didn’t report specific amounts lost or won by each player. Other sportsbooks did not rank players at all and only reported sporting events that generated high numbers of bets.
However, FanDuel didn’t provide any statistics when it came to sports betting results.
