Cleveland Betting Guide

Cleveland Betting Guide: Which Teams Can You Back?

Ohio is home to many teams competing at the top level, with representatives in the NFL, NBA, MLS, and MLB, among other major leagues. Cleveland is a sports-mad city, with the Browns and Guardians, in particular, receiving international coverage and fandom. And with sports betting now legal in the Buckeye State, we run through the different Cleveland sports teams you can back each week in this article. 

Cleveland Betting: The Big Three

The sporting landscape in Cleveland, Ohio, is dominated by the big three teams in the city: 

Cleveland Browns (NFL)

Cleveland Guardians (MLB)

Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA)

The Browns, Guardians, and Cavs dominate the sports pages and are the main teams you can bet on in the city. As participants in three of the biggest sporting leagues in the country, there are so many markets and betting types you can place on the big three, including moneylines, point spreads, totals bets, parlays, teasers, and several others.

So, whether you’re a football, baseball, or basketball fan, you can back our native teams in the NFL, MLB, and NBA, respectively. But what if you want to dig a little deeper when looking for betting value in Cleveland? 

Other Sports Teams in Cleveland

As well as the big three, Cleveland is also home to two minor league affiliates that serve as developmental teams for bigger franchises in the major leagues, namely: 

Cleveland Monsters (AHL - affiliates of the Columbus Blue Jackets) 

Cleveland Charge (NBA G League - affiliates of the Cleveland Cavaliers) 

Cleveland is also home to Cleveland Crunch, a team competing in the Major Arena Soccer League 2. The AHL is growing in popularity every year, and you have so many betting options and great odds when it comes to backing the Cleveland Monsters, with betting types rivaling the NHL for variety. 

While the G League isn’t as widely covered as the NBA, you can still back the Cleveland Charge in the lead-up to their weekly fixtures, which is a great way to look for better value in a less competitive league.

What About College Teams in Cleveland?

In NCAA Division 1, Cleveland State currently has 16 varsity sports teams competing in the Horizon League, with the Cleveland State Vikings basketball teams (men and women) perhaps the pick of the bunch. While Cleveland doesn’t have a D1 college football representative, the Ohio State Buckeyes occasionally play games in Cleveland, and there is a huge Buckeyes fanbase in the city as a result. 

So, if you’re keen to back Cleveland’s college representatives, there’s no reason why you can’t place some NCAA bets if you want to mix things up a little on your betting slip.

Recap: Cleveland Betting Guide

While most sports bettors focus on Cleveland’s big three, when you scratch the surface, there are several other Cleveland-based teams to back on your betting slip, from minor league representatives to Cleveland State University’s teams. 

Of course, as a Cleveland native, you can also back teams from neighboring cities, be it Columbus or Cincinnati, provided that you can put your rivalries aside for the sake of potential profit!