It is not an unsafe assumption to say that almost everybody will be glad to see the back of 2020 in 
a couple of days or so. However, despite this there were still some fantastic sporting highlights in the year.
What is more, 2021 is promising to be even better with a massive number of global sports events taking place across the year, including a number that have been postponed until 2021 from this year.
The great news is that if you are a punter that likes to place their bet early on major sports events, then there is a perfect option for you. They are the futures or ante post betting markets and a number of these markets are already available on popular sports betting sites, such as bet365 Sport.
So, if you want to indulge in a little ante post or futures betting at bet365 on some of the different markets listed for the major tournaments and sports events outlined below, then what is the best way to go about this?
Well, as a new customer, this entitles you to a little added extra when you sign up with the sportsbook service and you can access this latest bet365 New Player Welcome Bonus offer by following the link and signing up.
Bet365 Sport Open Account Offer
Up to £100 in Bet Credits for new customers at bet365.
Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.
Once you are signed up you can visit the different sections of the site to check out what futures and ante post betting markets are available in addition to all of the options listed below.
If you live elsewhere in the world, perhaps where bet365 is not available, or if you live in a state of the United States where sports betting is allowed, then there are some alternative options open to you, all of which also offer futures market betting. In Pennsylvania for example, the latest BetRivers Sportsbook and Casino is a great option and you can join here using the latest BetRivers Promo Code that offers you a great deal when you sign up.
The same site also operates in Indiana too, but here you sign up in a slightly different way by using the latest BetRivers Affiliate Code. The code is “HOOSIERBONUS” and you enter this into the relevant promo box when signing up and depositng as a new customer joining up from Indiana.
Finally, in some other states where sports betting is permitted, another option is the DraftKings Online Sportsbook, which offers an extensive range of futures betting markets across a wide range of different sports.
Let us now take a look at some of the massive sports events scheduled to take place in 2021 that you can bet on right now in either the futures or ante post betting markets at bet365.
The NFL Playoffs & SuperBowl LV (Jan – Feb 2021)
With the final regular season game in the NFL taking place this weekend, we will begin 2021 with the start of the NFL Playoffs. Seven teams from each of the AFC and NFC conferences will make it through to the post-season, with the top seed in each conference earning a Bye week to the second set of games.
The remaining six teams in each conference play off against each other in seeded games, with the highest seed at home. That remains the case in the Conference Semi Finals and also the Conference Championship games. The two winners of the Conference Championship games then go on to Superbowl LV, which will take place on Sunday February 7 at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida.
The teams that qualify for the playoffs and their respective seed position, will be decided after the final week of games in many cases, but we do already know the defending Champions Kansas City Chiefs are the AFC number 1 seed, with Buffalo and Pittsburgh also confirmed in the AFC playoffs.
In the NFC, no top seed is yet decided but Green Bay, New Orleans, Seattle and Tampa Bay are already confirmed as participating in the playoffs.
The Cheltenham Festival (March 16 – March 19)
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the biggest horse racing meetings of the year and it always 
attracts huge attention both on the course and off it. With such a massive meet scheduled for early spring, bet365 is already well ahead of the curve thanks to its extensive ante post betting markets available for a large selection of key races at the four-day meeting.
Several of the big races for which ante post odds are available at bet365 are listed below:
- Cheltenham Gold Cup
- Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
- Arkle Chase
- Champions Hurdle
- RyanAir Chase
- Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle
- Marsh Novices’ Chase
- Mares’ Chase
- Triumph Hurdle
- Stayers’ Hurdle
- Mares’ Novice Hurdle and many more.
With a stellar field of runners and riders expected to be in attendance and live coverage on TV of each of the four days, it is easy to see why Cheltenham is such a huge date in the horse racing calendar each year.
Boxing – Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua (Summer 2020?)
There’s no doubt that if (or more likely, when) Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua lock horns for the undisputed World Heavyweight Championship (unless Joshua decides to drop his WBO belt in the meantime) that the bout will be one of the biggest sports events of not just 2021, but of the last decade or so.
After beating Kubrat Pulev in December, Joshua and his team are now locked in talks with Fury’s camp to get a deal done and that deal is reportedly close, with a date in late May 2021 being mooted as a potential date for the fight.
Bet365 are already taking bets on who will win the fight between the two giant heavyweights with Tyson Fury their clear favourite at the moment, although Joshua’s win over Kubrat Pulev hasn’t’ harmed his standing in the bookmaker’s eyes.
When confirmed, this will be one of the hottest sporting tickets of the year and a true super fight which will attract global interest and you can pick up some great odds on the fight in the futures market at bet365 right now.
Football – Euro 2020 & Copa America 2021
Delayed from last summer, 24 teams will be competing in the 2020 European Championships 
across several different venues this summer, with Wembley Stadium playing host to both semifinals and the final in June.
England, Scotland (who have been drawn into the same group in the opening phase) as well as Wales will be taking part from the UK along with a host of top sides from around Europe including defending Champions Portugal, World Cup Winners France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Poland and Russia to name but a few.
After the group stage, the worst 8 teams will be eliminated with the remaining 16 going on to contest the Round of 16, followed by the quarterfinals, semi finals and then the final.
Roughly around the same time as the European Championships, the Copa America 2021 tournament will take place too with 10 South American teams joined by invited guests Qatar and Australia in what promises to be an intriguing tournament with a host of star names involved from all the top leagues around the world.
You can enjoy pre-event betting on both these massive football tournaments with bet365 Sport right now.
Other Big Sporting Events with Futures or Ante Post Betting
Other events to look forward to throughout the year which have betting available on them right now with bet365 in the futures and Ante Post markets include:
- Horse Racing (Jumps) – Grand National
- Horse Racing (Flat) – 1,000 & 2,000 Guineas, The Derby, The Oaks
- Golf – The Ryder Cup, The US Open, The USPGA Championship, The Masters, British Open
- Tennis – Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open
- Football – Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League
- Basketball – NBA Champions
- Baseball – MLB World Series Winners 2021
- Cricket – T20 World Cup, Ashes Series 2021/2022
- Esports – League of Legends World Championships 2021
- Cycling – Tour de France Winner 2021
- NHL – To Win The Stanley Cup 2021
- F1 – to Win the Drivers & Constructors Championship 2021
- Snooker – The Masters and World Championship Outright Winners 2021
With so many great future betting markets to bet on, why would you bet anywhere else than bet365?