Sportsbook Fans See NBA as More Popular but Not as Profitable. The NBA is definitely more popular at the sportsbook than the NHL but you might be surprised to learn that the NHL is the more profitable league. According to Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis who is in the process of buying the Washington Wizards, the NHL is a far more profitable league. Fans at the online sportsbook don’t give the NHL much of a look but when it comes to money the NHL is making it while the NBA is not.
Sportsbook NBA odds get a lot more attention than NHL odds and NBA games are simply more popular than NHL games. The two leagues are the opposite though when it comes to profitability. Leonsis said that he has looked at the financials of both leagues and there is no question the NHL is far more profitable than the NBA. The NHL has a hard salary cap while the NBA does not. Teams like Dallas can spend money foolishly and it costs them in terms of profitability. Leonsis said that a lot of teams in the NBA are losing money. The NBA is looking at changing their salary cap after next season and a lockout could happen if the players don’t agree to the changes.
Leonsis is an owner who knows all about spending too much money. He bought the Capitals in 1999 and spent too much money when the NHL did not have a hard salary cap. That changed after the NHL lockout in 2004-2005 and since that time Leonsis built the Capitals into a winning team on and off the ice and against the odds at the sportsbook. Leonsis is planning to rebuild the Wizards into winners starting with the first pick in the NBA Draft next month. Leonsis is considered an excellent NHL owner and the NBA needs some good ownership. Too many teams are not well run.
Many public bettors look at the NBA and want to make wagers at the sportsbook on the sport since it has a higher profile. Other bettors will look at the NHL because it goes under the radar a little bit in terms of sportsbook odds. It doesn’t really matter where the wagers come from as long as they are profitable. That is something to keep in mind as you look at wagering on NBA and NHL odds at the online sportsbook.