What Happens if a Player Gets Injured on a Sports Bet? You Lose.

ByJames Dorn Last Update on

If you place a wager on a player prop or team futures bet, and that player subsequently suffers an injury, the cold hard truth is that you will lose that bet in most cases. While disappointing, player injuries are an unavoidable risk in sports betting. Read on for a detailed breakdown of how sportsbooks grade bets around injuries.

Player Injury Rates: The Hard Numbers

Player health is never a guarantee. Here are injury incidence rates in some major pro sports leagues (per athletic trainer data):

  • NBA: 5.1 injuries per game
  • NFL: Roughly 10 injuries per team per week
  • NHL: 5+ injuries per team per month
  • English Premier League (soccer): 1.5 injuries per team per game

So injuries occur very frequently across most sports, especially high-intensity ones like football, hockey, and basketball. This inherently impacts wagers.

Sportsbook Policies on Injured Player Bets

Every sportsbook uses official league injury reports to determine if a player bet should stand as-is or get refunded. But their rules can differ slightly:

Site            Pre-Game Bets      Individual Props     In-Play Bets
---------------------------------------------------------------  
FanDuel       Stand unless listed   Voided if DNP      Stand at time of injury
                  as OUT

DraftKings         Always stand       Voided if DNP      Stand at time of injury  

PointsBet       Stand unless listed   Voided if DNP      Stand at time of injury
                  as OUT

So most sites won‘t void a bet just because a player got injured. Bets are only voided if the player is officially inactive or does not play at all.

Examples: When Bets Stand vs Get Voided

  • Stand: Betting on Giannis Antetokounmpo props then he rolls an ankle mid-game → Bet still grades based on his partial-game stats.
  • Void: Betting on Alvin Kamara TD scorer → He‘s later announced as OUT and never plays → Bet is refunded.

For futures bets, if your player gets injured early and misses the full season, don‘t expect a refund months later. Sportsbooks consider injury risk part of the equation when pricing futures odds.

The Murky Injury Report Process

A player‘s status can change right up until game time. Teams don‘t have to formally submit injury reports until hours before tipoff or kickoff. This can lead to late scratches and chaos for sports bettors.

The most transparent injury timeline comes from the NFL, which mandates detailed practice participation reports multiple times per week. The NBA also requires timely public injury updates.

Meanwhile, the NHL injury report system draws criticism for lack of detail on ailments and timetables. The MLB has no formal injury reporting rules at all. This opacity around injuries breeds information asymmetry in those sports‘ betting markets.

Managing Injury Risk and Uncertainty

Players getting hurt, unfortunately, comes with the territory in sports betting. But there are still best practices bettors can use:

  • Fade betting on players with extensive injury histories.
  • Follow beat reporter updates leading up to games.
  • Bet conservatively before official inactive lists are out.
  • Consider hedging in-game if a star exits hurt.

While fluky injuries can ruin well-handicapped bets, shrewd bettors account for health uncertainty in their process. It‘s key for long-term profitability.

The Takeaway: Injuries Are an Inherent Betting Risk

As both an avid sports gambler and industry analyst, I can conclusively say that bets stand for injured players in many cases. Sportsbooks bake that risk into their models.

Could refunds or bet cancellations for injuries help some bettors? Sure. But allowing customers to "take backsies" would undermine critical betting integrity measures.

While brutal in the moment, unexpected injuries are part of sports‘ innate drama. The best bettors learn to stomach those bad beats and bounce back stronger.

James K. Dorn, a passionate gamer deeply immersed in the world of video gaming. My journey in gaming is not just about playing; it's about exploring every facet of the games I love. I am particularly fascinated by the intricate worlds of role-playing games like "The Witcher" series and "Elder Scrolls: Skyrim," where every decision shapes the story.

As a strategy game enthusiast, I spend hours devising tactics in games like "Civilization VI" and "StarCraft II," always eager to share my strategies with fellow gamers. I'm also an ardent follower of the ever-evolving landscape of indie games, finding gems like "Hollow Knight" and "Celeste" that offer unique, compelling experiences.

My content isn't just reviews; it's about deep dives into game mechanics, storytelling, and the art of game design. I love dissecting the narratives of games like "The Last of Us" and discussing the innovative gameplay of titles like "Death Stranding."

Being at the forefront of gaming news, I eagerly anticipate and share insights on upcoming releases like the next big open-world adventure or the latest in the "Final Fantasy" series. My goal is to build a community where we not only play games but also appreciate the artistry and effort behind them. Join me in this gaming journey, where every session is an adventure, and every game is a story waiting to be told.

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