How to Bet on PFL (Professional Fighters League) Predictions
If you’re a fight fan, you know that the big action takes place any given Friday or Saturday night. The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is the newest contender in the mixed martial arts (MMA) scene and is taking a novel approach to the sport.
This is good news for people interested in sports betting. Sports betting is a nearly 77% industry that is growing at 10% over the next few years. The PFL provides a constant stream of fights in multiple weight classes, which means good practice for anyone learning to bet.
How can you get started? We’re happy to help. Here’s how you can bet on PFL and find a system that works for you.
Learn the Professional Fighters League (PFL)
Before you dive deep into Professional Fighters League betting strategies, you need to familiarize yourself with the league. While organizations like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator, and ONE Championship all have set divisions with champions that fight based on rankings.
Bookers consider the rankings, valuation of contenders, and big fight popularity potential when scheduling their bouts.
PFL takes a different approach from this traditional booking, and instead, runs their league similar to a team sports organization, like the National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA).
Each weight class gets a season, in which fighters are booked on a set schedule, and they fight each other throughout the season until a champion is crowned. The champion not only gets the title belt at the end of the season but also the coveted $1 million prize bonus.
As another twist, fighters are awarded points in their bracket for knockouts and submissions, with more points being given for quicker finishes. All of these variables are a recipe for plenty of betting opportunities.
Get to know the different weight classes in MMA. They’re arguably more important in PFL than any other organization, since the league holds entire seasons for each weight class.
Here are the men’s and women’s MMA weight classes that PFL utilizes:
- Featherweight – 145 pounds
- Lightweight – 155 pounds
- Welterweight – 170 pounds
- Light Heavyweight – 205 pounds
- Heavyweight – Over 205 pounds, 265 pounds limit
These divisions feature stars like 2x Olympic gold medalist judoka and undefeated PFL lightweight champion Kayla Harrison, former UFC Lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, and 2x boxing Olympic gold medalist, and multiple champion in three different weight classes Claressa Shields.
Understand the Types of Bets and Odds
Learning about the different types of betting options will help you out whenever a fight weekend rolls around. In PFL fights, you’ll start by considering the odds that each fighter is favored to win. When a matchup is booked, Las Vegas oddsmakers determine who they think has the best shot to win.
These odds are listed as either plus or minus numbers, with the minus number going to the favorite. For instance, if a fighter is a -250 favorite, it means that they’re so favored to win that you need to bet $250 to win $100.
Conversely, a fighter that is a +250 underdog would win you $250 if you put $100 on them and they win.
There are also plenty of other odds that will be released before a fight that you can get action on. A few of these examples include:
- Whether a fight ends by a decision, KO, TKO, submission, or DQ
- The round that a stoppage occurs
- Which fighter lands the most strikes or takedowns
- The type of strike or submission that ends a fight
- The length of time that a fight lasts
The possibilities are endless with Professional Fighters League betting, especially once you start deep diving into the different styles and circumstances.
Study the Game Within the Game
When you’re just learning to bet, every little detail is likely to jump out at you. Before placing Professional Fighters League bets, make sure that you get an understanding of the martial art, fight sports as a whole, and what variables can drastically affect a fight’s outcome.
This is crucial, since styles make fights, and the smallest variables can change someone’s chances of winning. Pay careful attention to weight cuts. Fighters that struggle to make certain weights will generally come in more sluggish with worse cardio, and less able to take punishment.
Consider different fighters’ styles, and what accolades they have in their respective disciplines. Fighters come into the PFL and MMA fights with accolades like:
- Former boxing titlists
- Olympic, national, and collegiate level wrestlers
- Olympic level judo
- Championship-level karate, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and other disciplines
- World championship level or high belt accolades in jiu-jitsu and other forms of grappling
Consider what camp they come from, and what other big names fight with that camp. This reveals what kind of training partners they have available to them, and whether or not they have the coaches that can help them put it all together.
Find a Quality Sportsbook
Start checking out some online or in-person casino sportsbooks that will help you place bets on the PFL. They will require you to follow the sports betting laws of your state so that you can legally place wagers on fighters.
Test out the betting platform and make sure that it’s safe and secure, with all measures taken. Most sportsbooks will also give you a trial period so you can find out whether it’s right for you or not.
FanDuel is one of the biggest sportsbooks in the world right now. It’s legal in the following states:
- Virginia
- Arizona
- Wyoming
- West Virginia
- Colorado
- Tennessee
- Pennsylvania
- New York
- New Jersey
- Michigan
- Louisiana
- Iowa
- Illinois
- Connecticut
- Indiana
You can place bets either online or at FanDuel in-person locations.
Keep Learning and Doing Your Research
If you’re serious about sports betting, know that your learning is never done. You need to stay up to date on the current and future crop of PFL fighters, and should also watch other organizations so that you’re already up to speed when new fighters sign.
Subscribe to some MMA podcasts that break down matchups and cards in-depth. This will help you make intelligent betting decisions that can earn you money consistently.
Bet on PFL Action
These tips will help you bet on PFL action in a way that makes sense and potentially earns you some money. It’s an exciting league to watch whether you’re an MMA fan or someone who just loves a good sports wager.
The Mad Lab MMA is your go-to resource for all things MMA and fight bets. Take time to reach out on our website to learn more.
