Best Sports Prediction Markets 2026: Where to Trade the NFL, College Sports, UFC and F1
How we make money: we earn a commission if you sign up for Polymarket or subscribe to KalshiSpy through our links. We earn nothing from Kalshi, Robinhood, FanDuel, DraftKings, Novig or OG. Rankings are not for sale. Full disclosure
Just want the picks? Jump to the verdict. Coming from a sportsbook? Read how prediction markets differ from sportsbooks first. New here? Read how event contracts work.
Sports are now the biggest category in US prediction markets, and the most legally contested. Our ranking follows our platform scores: Kalshi (4.6/5), Polymarket US (4.5/5), Robinhood (4.0/5). Kalshi has the deepest US sports catalog and about 76% of tracked volume across all categories. Polymarket US is close behind on headline events and global sports. Robinhood is the easy option for existing customers. FanDuel Predicts, DraftKings Predictions and Novig are also worth knowing; we have not scored them yet. The catch for all of them is your state: sports contracts are blocked or contested in more than 20 states. Scores are explained in our methodology.
The picks at a glance
| Rank | Platform | Score | Best for | Main caveat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kalshi | 4.6/5 | Game-by-game US sports, props, combos | Sports blocked in Nevada, Michigan and Washington; contested in many more |
| 2 | Polymarket US | 4.5/5 | Headline events, global sports, futures | Not available in AZ, IL, MA, MD, MI, MT, NV, OH |
| 3 | Robinhood | 4.0/5 | Big games and futures inside an existing account | No sports for Maryland or Nevada residents; no new sports in Michigan |
| n/a | FanDuel Predicts, DraftKings Predictions | Not scored | Sports fans in the 18 states where they list sports | Non-sports only elsewhere |
| n/a | Novig | Not scored | Sports-focused exchange, no fee on pregame trades | 21+, check state |
By type of trader:
- US sports trader who wants every NFL, college, NBA and UFC game → Kalshi
- Trader focused on Super Bowl, World Cup, Champions League and championship futures → Polymarket US or Kalshi
- Robinhood customer who wants the big games → Robinhood
- In one of the 18 FanDuel and DraftKings sports states and already a customer → their prediction apps are worth a look
Prediction markets and sportsbooks are different products
- Sportsbooks (DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM, Caesars) sell fixed-odds bets. The book is your counterparty, sets the price and builds in a margin (about 4.5% on a standard -110 line). They are licensed as gambling by each state.
- Prediction markets (Kalshi, Polymarket US, Robinhood) list YES/NO contracts on an exchange. Another trader is your counterparty, prices move with the order book, the exchange charges a fee, and you can sell before the game ends. They are regulated by the CFTC.
The line has blurred. Kalshi now lists point spreads, totals, player props and multi-leg "combos," which a federal appeals court described as parlays in September 2026 (SBC Americas). Several courts have ruled that states can treat sports contracts as gambling.
If you want the sportsbook-versus-exchange comparison in detail, read best sports betting alternatives.
Bellwether comparison dashboard: sports market depth across Kalshi, Polymarket and Robinhood
How sports took over
Before 2025, prediction-market sports coverage was thin: a Super Bowl winner market, a World Cup market, some championships. Kalshi began listing sports contracts in January 2025 and built out:
- NFL game outcomes, every week of the season and playoffs
- college football games and championships
- NCAA basketball tournament games and outcomes
- NBA games, series and Finals
- UFC fights
- F1 races and championships
- tennis, golf and soccer
- Super Bowl winner, MVP, halftime and game props
- point spreads, totals, player props and combos
The scale showed at Super Bowl LX in February 2026. DeFi Rate tracked $833.2 million of Super Bowl-related volume on Kalshi and $795.3 million on Polymarket. Kalshi's own count, which includes custom combos, was over $1 billion (DeFi Rate). Earlier versions of this page said Super Bowl volume was "over $50 million." That figure was out of date by a factor of more than ten.
The legal context. Kalshi argues sports contracts are federally regulated swaps. States disagree, and in 2026 the federal appeals courts split. The Third Circuit ruled for Kalshi in New Jersey (April 6). The Ninth Circuit ruled against it in Nevada (August 28), and the Sixth Circuit ruled against it in Ohio and Tennessee (September 25). New Jersey has asked the Supreme Court to decide (OddsShopper, October 15, 2026). Sports access can change in your state with little notice.
1. Kalshi: best for US sports (4.6/5)
Best for: traders who want depth on NFL, college sports, NBA, UFC, F1 and props.
Kalshi lists more US sports contracts than any other CFTC-regulated exchange and had about 76% of tracked prediction-market volume, all categories, from September 16 to October 15, 2026 (DeFi Rate).
What Kalshi lists:
- NFL: every game, division winners, playoffs, Super Bowl winner, MVP and props
- College basketball: tournament games, conference championships
- College football: games, conference titles, playoff and championship markets
- NBA: games, series and Finals
- UFC: fight winners and method
- F1: race winners, podiums and championship
- Tennis, golf and soccer
- Spreads, totals, player props and combos
Fees. The taker fee is 0.07 × contracts × price × (1 − price). At 50 cents that is about $1.75 per 100 contracts, or roughly $3.50 per $100 put in. Some markets use a lower multiplier (DeFi Rate fee guide). Kalshi pays a variable 3.50% APY on balances of $250 or more (Kalshi help center, October 2026).
State limits on sports (October 15, 2026):
- Blocked: Nevada (sports, election and entertainment, geofenced), Michigan (injunction since September 1), Washington (court order since August 13)
- State may now enforce: Ohio, Utah
- Contested but open: Massachusetts (injunction stayed), New York (state suit), Connecticut, Maryland (enforcement paused), and others
- Protected by court order: New Jersey, Arizona, Illinois (partial)
Visit kalshi.com → (we earn nothing from Kalshi sign-ups)
Full review: Kalshi. Head to head: Kalshi vs Polymarket.
2. Polymarket US: best for headline events and global sports (4.5/5)
Best for: traders focused on the Super Bowl, World Cup, Champions League, championships and season-long futures.
Polymarket's Super Bowl LX volume was close to Kalshi's ($795.3 million against $833.2 million, per DeFi Rate), which shows its strength on the biggest events. Across all categories it had about 12% of tracked volume on the US app and 5% on the international exchange from mid-September to mid-October 2026 (DeFi Rate). The US app runs on QCX, the CFTC-licensed exchange Polymarket bought in July 2025.
What Polymarket US is good for:
- Super Bowl winner and NFL futures
- World Cup, Champions League, Premier League and other soccer
- F1 championship and race winners
- tennis Grand Slams
- NBA Finals and college tournament futures
- UFC (lighter coverage than Kalshi)
Fees. Since July 1, 2026 the US app has charged takers. The current fee is 0.0695 × contracts × price × (1 − price): about $1.74 per 100 contracts at 50 cents, or about $3.48 per $100 put in. Makers earn a rebate (Polymarket US fee schedule, October 2026). Earlier versions of this page quoted a 0.75% sports fee and "0% on most markets." Neither applies to the US app now.
State limits. Polymarket US is widely reported as unavailable in Arizona, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada and Ohio (OddsShopper). Funding is in dollars by card, bank transfer, wire or Apple Pay.
Open a Polymarket account → (affiliate link: we earn a commission if you sign up)
Full review: Polymarket.
3. Robinhood: best for big games in a brokerage app (4.0/5)
Best for: Robinhood customers who want NFL, NBA, college and World Cup markets next to their stocks.
Robinhood routes sports contracts to KalshiEX, ForecastEx, Rothera (its joint-venture exchange with Susquehanna) or Crypto.com's North American Derivatives Exchange. World Cup contracts began trading on Rothera in June 2026 (Robinhood).
What to know:
- Commission is 10% × price × (1 − price) per contract (5% with Gold), capped at $0.01, plus exchange fees of up to $0.01.
- Maryland and Nevada residents cannot trade sports contracts; Michigan residents cannot open new ones since September 9, 2026 (Robinhood). Robinhood has also stood down in Washington, and a Connecticut order applies (our Robinhood review).
- You must be 18.
- The menu is smaller than Kalshi's: big games and futures rather than every prop.
Visit Robinhood prediction markets → (we earn nothing from Robinhood sign-ups)
Full review: Robinhood.
Also worth knowing (not yet scored)
FanDuel Predicts. Lists sports contracts in 18 states (AK, AL, CA, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, MN, ND, NE, NM, OK, RI, SC, SD, TX, UT) and non-sports contracts in all 50 states and DC, 18+ (RotoWire, Sep 30, 2026). Contracts come from CME Group and, since June 2026, Crypto.com.
DraftKings Predictions. Available in 48 states (not Maine or New Hampshire), sports in the same 18 states, on its own DKeX exchange launched June 24, 2026. Fees are $0.01 per contract at 1–19 cents and 97–99 cents, and $0.02 at 20–96 cents (SI, Oct 16, 2026). About 3% of tracked volume.
Novig. A sports-focused exchange, CFTC-designated since June 16, 2026, 21+. No fee on pregame straight trades; live trades pay a taker fee with a 0.03 multiplier ($0.75 per 100 contracts at 50 cents) (Action Network, Oct 8, 2026). About 2% of tracked volume.
FanDuel Predicts → · DraftKings Predictions → · Novig → (we earn nothing from any of the three)
Comparison table
| Feature | Kalshi | Polymarket US | Robinhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 4.6/5 | 4.5/5 | 4.0/5 |
| NFL game-by-game | Every game, plus spreads, totals, props | Headline games and futures | Big games |
| College basketball | Tournament and regular-season games | Tournament futures | Tournament markets |
| UFC | Fight cards | Lighter | Limited |
| F1 | Races and championship | Championship and key races | Limited |
| Super Bowl LX volume | $833.2M (DeFi Rate); over $1B (Kalshi) | $795.3M (DeFi Rate) | Not reported |
| Global soccer | Growing | Strong | World Cup on Rothera |
| Sports state limits | Blocked NV, MI, WA; contested elsewhere | Not in AZ, IL, MA, MD, MI, MT, NV, OH | No sports MD, NV; no new MI |
| Fee at 50 cents, per $100 put in | ~$3.50 | ~$3.48 | Up to ~$4.00 |
| Funding | ACH, debit card, wire | Card, bank transfer, wire, Apple Pay | Robinhood balance |
Sources: DeFi Rate, OddsShopper, Polymarket US fees, Robinhood, October 2026. We removed an app-rating row because we could not verify current figures for every platform.
Coverage by sport
NFL
- Kalshi: every game, every week; spreads, totals, props, combos; Super Bowl markets.
- Polymarket US: Super Bowl winner, playoff and division futures, headline games.
- Robinhood: big games, Super Bowl and division markets.
College basketball
- Kalshi: tournament and conference games, ranked regular-season games.
- Polymarket US: championship and Final Four markets.
- Robinhood: tournament markets.
UFC
- Kalshi: major cards, fight winners and method.
- Polymarket US: mostly title fights.
F1
- Kalshi: every race winner, podiums, championship.
- Polymarket US: championship and selected races.
Soccer
- Kalshi: MLS, Premier League and selected Champions League.
- Polymarket US: Champions League, Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, World Cup and MLS.
- Robinhood: World Cup contracts on Rothera.
NBA
- Kalshi: games, series, Finals and MVP.
- Polymarket US: Finals and championship futures.
- Robinhood: playoff and Finals markets.
Tennis and golf
- Kalshi and Polymarket US: Grand Slams and golf majors.
Fees on a $100 trade at 50 cents
| Platform | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kalshi | ~$3.50 | 200 contracts × $0.0175; 3.50% APY on balances of $250+ |
| Polymarket US | ~$3.48 | Makers earn a rebate |
| Robinhood | Up to ~$4.00 | Commission plus exchange fee, each capped at $0.01 per contract |
| DraftKings Predictions | $4.00 | 200 contracts × $0.02 |
| Novig (pregame) | $0 | Live trades pay a taker fee |
Kalshi and Polymarket US now cost almost the same at 50 cents. Earlier versions of this page said Polymarket's sports fee was the cheapest in the category; that is no longer true. For sports traders who trade before games, Novig's zero pregame fee is the outlier.
Arbitrage. Prices on the same game sometimes differ across platforms. Check that both contracts settle the same way (overtime rules, voided games, official source) before treating a gap as free money.
State availability for sports contracts
| State | Kalshi | Polymarket US | Robinhood | FanDuel / DraftKings sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | Available | Available | Available | Yes |
| Texas | Available | Available | Available | Yes |
| Florida | Available | Available | Available | Yes |
| New York | Available (state suit pending) | Available | Available | No |
| New Jersey | Available (Third Circuit win) | Sources conflict | Available | No |
| Illinois | Available (partial injunction for Kalshi) | Not available | Available | No |
| Massachusetts | Available (injunction stayed) | Not available | Available | No |
| Nevada | Blocked | Not available | No sports | No |
| Michigan | Blocked | Not available | No new sports | No |
| Washington | Blocked | Available | Stood down | No |
| Ohio | State may enforce | Not available | Available | No |
| Arizona | Federal injunction protects Kalshi | Not available | Available | No |
| Maryland | Enforcement paused | Not available | No sports | No |
Sources: OddsShopper Kalshi tracker (October 15, 2026), OddsShopper Polymarket guide, Robinhood, SI. For all states, see are prediction markets legal?
State guides: California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada.
Verdict
Kalshi (4.6/5) is our top pick for sports: the deepest US catalog, spreads and props, and most of the volume. Check your state first.
Polymarket US (4.5/5) is a close second and a strong choice for the Super Bowl, global soccer and futures, in the states it serves.
Robinhood (4.0/5) is the easy option for existing customers who want the big games.
If you live in one of the 18 FanDuel and DraftKings sports states, their prediction apps and Novig are worth comparing on price; we will score them once our reviews are complete.
Where to sign up
- Kalshi: visit kalshi.com → (no commission to us)
- Polymarket US: open an account → (affiliate link)
- Robinhood: prediction markets on Robinhood → (no commission to us)
- Opening several? See our sign-up guide.
Optional tool: KalshiSpy → is a paid third-party analytics service that tracks large Kalshi traders. It is not Kalshi, and we earn a commission if you subscribe.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best sports prediction market in 2026?
Kalshi, by our scores (4.6/5), for its US sports depth. Polymarket US (4.5/5) is close on headline events and global sports. Robinhood (4.0/5) suits existing customers.
Are sports prediction markets the same as sportsbooks?
Not quite. On an exchange you trade against other people, can sell before the game ends and pay a fee rather than a built-in margin. But Kalshi now offers spreads, totals, props and parlay-style combos, and several courts have ruled that states can treat sports contracts as gambling.
How much was traded on Super Bowl LX?
DeFi Rate tracked $833.2 million on Kalshi and $795.3 million on Polymarket in Super Bowl-related markets. Kalshi reported over $1 billion by its own count.
Why are sports contracts blocked in some states?
States argue they are unlicensed sports betting. Courts in Nevada, Michigan and Washington have agreed enough to block Kalshi's sports contracts there, and the Ninth and Sixth Circuits have ruled for states. The Third Circuit ruled for Kalshi in New Jersey.
What sports does Kalshi cover?
NFL, college football and basketball, NBA, UFC, F1, tennis, golf and soccer, with game winners, spreads, totals, player props and combos.
What does Polymarket US cover best?
The Super Bowl, global soccer, F1 championships, Grand Slams and championship futures.
Can I arbitrage sports markets between Kalshi and Polymarket?
Sometimes, but check settlement rules on both sides and remember you pay fees on both legs.
What are the fees?
At 50 cents, per $100 put in: Kalshi about $3.50, Polymarket US about $3.48, Robinhood up to about $4.00, DraftKings Predictions $4.00, Novig nothing on pregame trades.
What welcome offers are there?
They change often and vary by state. Each platform shows its current offer during sign-up. See our dated promo code pages; we do not list amounts we have not confirmed.
Are sports prediction markets legal where I live?
It depends on your state. See the table above and are prediction markets legal?
Keep reading: Kalshi review · Polymarket review · Robinhood review · Kalshi vs Polymarket · is Kalshi gambling? · best sports betting alternatives · best election markets
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