Betting Guide for the Crossfit Games
The CrossFit Games feature some of the most impressive athletes from all over the globe. They’ve proved popular with sports fans every year since 2007.
Some online sportsbooks offer odds on the event, creating some interesting opportunities to bet on the CrossFit Games for real money.
This guide can help you make the most of those opportunities. We offer useful gambling tips and detailed information about the tournament, and we’ve also selected the best CrossFit Games betting sites.
Contents of Our Guide to Betting on the CrossFit Games
Where to Bet on the CrossFit Games Online
Finding where to bet money on the CrossFit Games can be a challenge. Although the event is quite popular, it’s not widely covered by sportsbooks.
Some online bookmakers do have CrossFit Games betting odds, but they’re not always available. The following sports gambling sites are the most likely to offer betting markets for the competition.
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Offering the option to bet on the CrossFit Games for money was our main criterion when selecting these recommendations. They also offer have many other perks, like bonuses, fast payments, and strong security.
The good news is that they also deliver the best apps for betting on the CrossFit Games online. Some have dedicated software for devices like iPhone, iPad, and Android. The alternative would be to use their responsive sites for mobile CrossFit Games betting with real cash.
The available wagers are limited and you can usually only gamble on the winners of the different divisions. We’ve seen CrossFit Games props for some editions, too, and these are worth looking out for. There’s often better value to be found in the prop bets than in the outright winner market.
Can You Make Money Betting on the CrossFit Games?
Picking the top online betting sites for the CrossFit Games is a good step in the right direction. Making money from the event is not easy, though.
There isn’t much readily available information about the competitors, so preparing your CrossFit Games picks is not like working on predictions for traditional sports.
On the bright side, the bookies are also in a tough spot. They don’t have the large sets of data they use for other events, so it’s more likely for them to make mistakes with the CrossFit Games odds they offer.
If you dig really deep, you can definitely make money gambling on the competition. While it’s not easy, we do have some betting tips for the CrossFit Games that can help.
Check the Previous Winners
A good starting point for your CrossFit Games betting strategy is to look at the list of previous winners of the event, and other athletes who have done well.
It’s rare for an athlete to appear out of the blue and destroy everyone else in any competition. The CrossFit Games is no exception, so make sure to take a look at the top ten performers from the previous few years.
The next winner is very likely to be an athlete who already showcased his abilities in the past, and you should consider that when you bet money on the CrossFit Games.
Follow the Qualifiers for Rising Challengers
The top five performers from the previous edition of the CrossFit Games receive an invitation for the finals. Other top athletes might be invited, too, but the rest of the field has to earn the right to challenge for the title.
We explain how the qualifiers work later on this page. For now, it’s just important to understand that following them might help you recognize the future winner if you plan to bet on the CrossFit Games.
Athletes that are in top form in the early stages of the competition usually go on to perform well in the finals too.
Follow the CrossFit Community
You can find a ton of information sources for more popular sporting events but researching for your CrossFit Games wagers is usually tough.
Arguably the best way to find information is to become a part of the CrossFit community. Here some useful resources to check out.
- Official CrossFit Games Website – The official website of the competition features videos, news, key dates, and many other useful facts that can help your preparations for CrossFit Games betting online.
- Official CrossFit Games Facebook Page – You can find similar stuff here, along with plenty of people commenting on the games and sharing their thoughts.
- CrossFit Games Reddit – There’s a dedicated Reddit thread where CrossFit fans discuss the games and share their opinions on the athletes. You can easily improve your knowledge of the contestants, but don’t just blindly follow anyone’s stance. Be sure to double-check everything before you place your CrossFit Games bets online.
You should remember that even the best sites for betting on the CrossFit Games online don’t have access to a lot of information. Going the extra mile can help you beat them.
Examine the Latest Rules
The CrossFit Games are a relatively new event, and the hosts are still looking for the right formula. We’ve seen changes in the rules, the qualification system, and the divisions almost every year.
Most of them haven’t affected the competition too much, but you should still take a look at the latest guidelines before you gamble on the CrossFit Games. A new rule could impact the results, so taking five minutes to make sure you are informed is well worth it.
Format of the CrossFit Games
If you want to bet on the CrossFit Games for real money, you should learn how the format works first. It’s a little complicated, but we’ve tried to simplify the whole thing and focus on the main facts you really need to know.
Let’s begin with the different stages of the CrossFit Games.
- The WorldWide Open – Anyone who’s at least 14 years old can enter the WorldWide Open. The top 10% of the athletes in each division from every continent proceed to the next phase. There’s also an Affiliate Cup competition for teams and the top 25% of them go to the next stage for each continent.
- Quarterfinals – The second stage of the competition is online. The best individuals and teams, each consisting of two men and two women, qualify for the next phase.
- Semifinals – The remaining field competes in events across six continents. At least one athlete from each region has a representative at the finals.
- Last-Chance Qualifier – Athletes who did well but just failed to reach the CrossFit Games are given one last chance.
- CrossFit Games – The best athletes compete for the ultimate honors in the sport.
Here’s how the final numbers of contestants look like, once all the qualifiers are done.
Division | Number of Entrants |
Men | 40 |
Women | 40 |
Masters | 240 |
Teenagers | 80 |
Teams | 40 |
The final stage is when the top sites and best apps to bet on the CrossFit Games start covering the event. The athletes who reach this stage are ranked based on a scoring system.
CrossFit Games Scoring and Disciplines
One of the most exciting parts of the CrossFit games is that the disciplines are not fixed. They change every year and they even change between the different stages.
No one knows exactly what the disciplines are before the event starts, which is not a great situation for the CrossFit Games betting websites.
The goal is to cover the following ten fitness domains one way or another.
- Cardiovascular/Respiratory Endurance
- Stamina
- Strength
- Flexibility
- Power
- Speed
- Coordination
- Agility
- Balance
- Accuracy
The athletes earn points in every discipline based on their rankings. Here’s how many points each position brings.
The athlete with the highest number of points collected after all disciplines are completed in each division becomes the CrossFit Games champion.
A quick look at the history of the competition shows that almost all winners finished at least in the top 10 of pretty much every discipline, so that’s something to consider when you place your online bets for the CrossFit Games.
We recommend focusing on versatile athletes who can score points in all disciplines. Even one weak performance could be enough to lose any chance for the title.
Divisions of the CrossFit Games
The hosts have pushed hard to include more and more contestants in the CrossFit Games which is why the number of divisions is constantly growing.
Right now, the following ones are part of the games.
Class | Divisions |
Individual | Men, Women |
Team | Affiliate Cup |
Masters Men | 35–39, 40–44, 45–49, 50–54, 55–59, 60–64, 65+ |
Masters Women | 35–39, 40–44, 45–49, 50–54, 55–59, 60–64, 65+ |
Teenagers Boys | 14-15, 16-17 |
Teenagers Girls | 14-15, 16-17 |
Adaptive Men | Eight Divisions |
Adaptive Women | Eight Divisions |
The best sites to bet on the CrossFit Games usually only offer odds on the individual men’s and women’s division. Some also cover the Affiliate Cup.
With all the key details about the CrossFit Games covered, let’s move on to the history of the competition.
Previous CrossFit Games Winners and Prize Money
The inaugural CrossFit Games was in 2007 and the competition has been running without interruptions since.
We already have legends of the sport that have dominated multiple events, as this table of previous winners in the main divisions shows.
Year | Men’s Winner | Women’s Winner | Team Winner |
2007 | James Fitzgerald | Jolie Gentry | CrossFit Santa Cruz |
2008 | Jason Khalipa | Caity Matter | CrossFit Oakland |
2009 | Mikko Salo | Tanya Wagner | Northwest CrossFit |
2010 | Graham Holmberg | Kristan Clever | CrossFit Fort Vancouver |
2011 | Rich Froning Jr. | Annie Thorisdottir | CrossFit New England |
2012 | Rich Froning Jr. | Annie Thorisdottir | Hack’s Pack UTE |
2013 | Rich Froning Jr. | Samantha Briggs | Hack’s Pack UTE |
2014 | Rich Froning Jr. | Camille Leblanc-Bazinet | CrossFit Invictus |
2015 | Ben Smith | Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir | CrossFit Mayhem Freedom |
2016 | Mathew Fraser | Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir | CrossFit Mayhem Freedom |
2017 | Mathew Fraser | Tia-Clair Toomey | Wasatch CrossFit |
2018 | Mathew Fraser | Tia-Clair Toomey | CrossFit Mayhem Freedom |
2019 | Mathew Fraser | Tia-Clair Toomey | CrossFit Mayhem Freedom |
2020 | Mathew Fraser | Tia-Clair Toomey | – |
The likes of Mathew Fraser, Tia-Clair Toomey, Rich Froning Jr., and several other athletes have been dominant champions. This has inspired multiple generations to train hard to catch up with them.
With the addition of more divisions, especially the ones for teens, the future generations join the CrossFit Games early and the event is growing bigger by the year.
This attracts more and more sponsors which can be seen by the way the prize pool has been growing. The $2.5 million total purse for the 2021 edition is the largest in history and will lead to great rewards for the top athletes in the most competitive divisions.
Here’s how much money will the top five athletes in the individual divisions earn.
Position | Prize Money |
1st | $310,000 |
2nd | $120,000 |
3rd | $80,000 |
4th | $55,000 |
5th | $40,000 |
There are prizes for the rest of the top 20 in the final standings too, as well as rewards for the individual disciplines.
Prize pools in the other divisions are smaller, but there are rewards for all of them. Here’s the full distribution of the CrossFit Games prize money. The overall expectations are that there will be more and more cash on the line in the future.
The growing popularity of the event would likely lead to more online CrossFit Games betting sites as well, so we expect to see more markets.
Other Competitions to Bet On
One of the best traits of competitions like the CrossFit Games is that the bookies don’t have enough information to work with. There’s not much hard data from previous years, the disciplines and the rules change, and evaluating the probabilities properly is so much harder than traditional sports.
That means great opportunities for bettors who prepare well. Here are some competitions that are similar in nature and can also bring interesting betting opportunities.
- X Games – This annual extreme sports competition gathers adrenaline junkies from all over the globe.
- World’s Strongest Man – The name says it all – the strongest men in the world gather to determine who’s THE strongest.
- WWE – You can bet on pro wrestling and there are plenty of events each year.
- Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest – The most famous hot dog eating contest in the world is often available for betting online.
- Miss Universe – If beauty pageants are your thing, you should try gambling on Miss Universe.
- National Spelling Bee – That’s right, you can even bet on the National Spelling Bee!
Of course, the betting options for all the above are limited. If you prefer more markets and more sources of information, you should probably stick to mainstream sports and competitions.
Our guides can help you build successful strategies, so go ahead and check them out if these are sports you wish to bet on.