Top 11 sports betting events

While not everyone who places matched bets is even an avid follower of sport, with our own system here at Profit Accumulator making it relatively easy for even complete newcomers to football, rugby or tennis to start generating steady funds, there's no question that it can be more fun to make money online from sports that you are at least loosely familiar with.

Here are 11 of the sporting events that you should keep an eye on if you wish to make money from betting.

1. Cheltenham Festival

The fact that the race prize money generated by the Cheltenham Festival is second only to the Grand National in the UK's National Hunt racing calendar tells you everything that you need to know about what is nothing less than the holy grail for matched betting.

Taking place every March at Cheltenham Racecourse, usually coinciding with Saint Patrick's Day and consequently attracting many Irish visitors, this is one event where you wouldn't mind having the 'luck of the Irish' when placing matched bets.

2. Premier League

Does the Premier League require any introduction? It is one of the biggest sporting money-spinners on the planet, with many millions of fans watching with bated breath to see whether last season's champions - Chelsea - can fend off the renewed challenge of such giants as Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal.

The Premier League also just happens to be the most popular sport for matched bets, making it a great event for newcomers to take a punt on.

3. Wimbledon

While tennis is undoubtedly a little more advanced than football as far as matched betting is concerned, the sheer prestige and popularity of 'The Championships' - spurred on yet further in recent years by Andy Murray's 2013 triumph - will always make it an obvious port of call for those seeking to make money from betting.

4. The Ashes

The Test cricket series between England and Australia has seen its fair share of heroic and dramatic moments since it first took place in 1882-3 - and the age-old rivalry shows no sign of relenting for many years to come. It is held alternately in England and Australia. The two nations meet roughly every two years. Both teams play a series of five test matches, each lasting up to five days. It's a popular betting event globally, but especially in the Southern Hemisphere. Bookies such as Tab NZ feature odds for this event.

5. Formula One

The pinnacle of motorsport has always been a source of fascination for those interested in the latest and greatest automotive technology, and thanks to the recent title-winning feats of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, it continues to fire the imaginations of British watchers, too.

6. Rugby World Cup

Rugby's top international teams may have only been competing for the William Webb Ellis Cup since 1987, but there's no question that the competition being hosted in England this autumn gives little away in prestige to its longer-established cousin in the football world.

7. FIFA World Cup

Did we say football? Yes, the FIFA World Cup will always provide plentiful opportunities to make money online for those who play their cards right, and there's simply no international sporting competition that is as eagerly anticipated.

8. UEFA EURO

Can't wait until the World Cup's return in 2018? Well, get your matched bets ready for its European equivalent next year in France, where Roy Hodgson's newly-qualified England team and goal-scoring record breaker Wayne Rooney will be hoping to star in Euro 2016.

9. ICC Cricket World Cup

How could we fail to mention the flagship event of international cricket? It may not be the most obvious event to place matched bets on, but that doesn't make it any less lucrative for those who know their way around the championship last won by Australia this year.

10. Summer Olympics

Amid all of the fuss about UEFA EURO 2016, it's easy to overlook the return of the world's biggest international multi-sport event next year. Hosted this time in the Brazilian capital of Rio de Janeiro, it is simply a must-watch for anyone with even the vaguest interest in sport.

11. Tour de France

The Tour may have hit the headlines for the wrong reasons at times in the last few years, but we are at least lucky enough to be able to look on a period of previously unlikely British domination. How could you not have a flutter on Chris Froome completing his hat trick in 2016?