BBC SPOTY Betting Predictions 2023

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year (or SPOTY) is awarded annually to the most successful British athlete. It takes place every December, close to Christmas, where one contender will lift the distinguished trophy. Going back to 1954, some world-class athletes like Andy Murray, Lewis Hamilton and Mo Farah are among the most notable winners. Combine the award's prestige with the Britons’ love for betting, and you can see why the BBC SPOTY odds have become a hot topic.

Before placing your next wager, you might wonder, which are the most critical factors in a sportsbook? We aim to give you a complete and definite answer by shortlisting the best bookies in odds, markets and bonuses. To make the most of them, we also provide you with high-value SPOTY betting predictions that come from extensive research and will give you a great shot at winning.

Latest SPOTY Betting Odds 

The best place to start is by checking this year's favorites and underdogs for the award. Of course, depending on the current events, the SPOTY odds on all candidates will fluctuate. In any case, in the table below, you can find the prices of the top 10 frontrunners this year.

BBC SPOTY Betting Preview 2023

Award Ceremony: 21/12/2023

Venue: Media City, Salford

Candidates: 10+

The idea of giving an award to the best British athlete came to fruition in 1954 due to the magazine Sportsview. Collaborating with BBC, they asked for a public vote which favored Christopher Chataway over Roger Bannister and named him the first winner. Over the years, the ceremony has changed shape several times. Nowadays, an expert panel shortlists the best representatives of UK sports and lets the public be the judge. One thing that remained the same is the date, which is always near Christmas. 

Aside from the Sports Personality of the Year, more awards are given, albeit the main event overshadows them. These include Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, World Sport Star, Young Sports Personality of the Year, Unsung Hero and Helen Rollason Award.

BBC SPOTY Betting Predictions

The king of the awards is the Sports Personality of the Year. There are several upsides for the punter first being the popularity of the contenders, so you likely know how well they performed. Next, the list of nominees is announced a couple of weeks before the ceremony, thus giving you time to prepare. If you add our BBC SPOTY betting predictions to the above, you could very well look at a nice profit.

SPOTY odds for the Favourites 

The UK has always been successful in individual and team sports. Furthermore, the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2023 saw the Brits getting 65 medals in total. As a result, the favorites list is expectedly packed. However, looking into the British public’s reception of individual performances, we can pick the SPOTY odds for the likely winner. At this time, Beth Mead and Harry Kane are way ahead of the competition. 

Beth Mead

Mead is Arsenal's and England's Women's National Team main striker. She brought victory to her home country in the Women's 2023 European Championship while also winning the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament award. She was already named BBC Women's Footballer of the Year earlier in 2023 and was also runner-up in the Ballon d'Or vote. Based on all these, it is not surprising that she is the frontrunner for the award. Nevertheless, the low odds do not really make it worth your while. 

✔️ Beth Mead ⏩ to win the BBC SPOTY 2023 Award @1.14 (1/7)

Harry Kane

Well, this is where SPOTY betting becomes interesting. At the moment of writing, the Tottenham star is way behind Mead in terms of odds. However, this is bound to change if he manages to lead England to World Cup glory. This award is awarded to a player that brings honor to the UK and there is nothing that the Brits want more than lifting the men's World Cup. For that reason, Harry Kane is the most value-for-money SPOTY bet. 

✔️ Harry Kane ⏩ to win the BBC SPOTY 2023 Award @11.00 (10/1)

SPOTY odds on Underdogs

Now that he evaluated the favorites let’s jump onto the riskier part. You might want to test your luck on a dark horse with fewer chances but much higher odds. Upsets are not unlikely in SPOTY history, and 2023 could bring another one. After all, the earlier you bet, the higher the odds you will receive. Let’s assess the highest-valued underdogs on SPOTY bookmakers.

Ronnie O' Sullivan

Number three in the running is snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan. The seven-time world champion managed to equal Hendry's record in the Crucible earlier in 2023. Even though he has been nominated several times, he has never won the award. As he claimed in an interview, he would have won it multiple times if snooker was recognised as much as tennis or golf. The truth is that we have to agree; He seems too big of a long-shot to back. 

✔️ Ronnie O'Sullivan to win the BBC SPOTY 2023 Award @19.00 (18/1)

Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes is another key part of an English National team, this time cricket. He was named as the Test cricket team's captain in April. he helped his team beat Pakistan in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Final in November. Notably, he scored 52 consecutive runs. To be fair, the SPOTY odds on Stokes seem too big at the moment and we expect them to drop considerably as we move closer to the award ceremony. If you are looking for a dark horse, he is the one.  

✔️ Ben Stokes ⏩ to win the BBC SPOTY 2023 Award @21.00 (20/1)

BBC Sports Personality of the Year Betting Offers

The promotions part can be tricky in such an event. Firstly, it is a ceremony with shortlisted candidates and secondly because it is run on a single day. We can distinguish the best BBC SPOTY betting promos in Enhanced Odds and Free Bets. The former can boost the prices of a particular candidate, especially if they are somewhat low. For example, Beth Mead could get a Price Boost from 1.14 to 1.40. On the other hand, a Free Bet could reward you if you select a candidate who wins. In action, a Harry Kane win could be accompanied by a $/€10 gift. 

How to bet on the BBC SPOTY 2023

You can easily see a clear frontrunner for winning first place in 2023. However, some SPOTY bookmakers offer additional markets. These include a top-3 finisher or to win without the favourite. Moreover, a strategy than just some outright tips can serve you in every annual ceremony since the principles remain the same. Level of competition, popularity and type of sport are the main factors dictating how to bet on the BBC SPOTY.

Evaluate the competition level

The winner has to face some strong opponents on the road to win a title, international in particular. If he or she is an underdog and cause an upset, even better. The SPOTY betting odds will always favor an athlete who dominated foreign opponents and helped the British flag rise to the top. That explains the nominations of Mead, Kane & Stokes, who excelled on the highest level.

Check the sport’s popularity and acceptance

The athletes who rank first in BBC Sports Personality of the Year betting sites always come from sports with a big fanbase. After all, the public votes for the winner, even if a committee shortlists the nominees. So, sports with high ratings and a broad audience in the UK are where the winner will be chosen from.

Opt for individual sports over team ones

While there have been winners from team sports like football or cricket, most titleholders come from individual sports. Lately, Andy Murray and Lewis Hamilton have won multiple times, competing in tennis and Formula 1. Furthermore, the 2023 candidates will show that all but one competes in non-team sports.

BBC SPOTY Past Winners