Sports fans from all around the world are in a lucky situation because there never seems to be a shortage of games and news to follow. All it takes to diversify one’s interests and instantly plenty of exciting events, leagues, tournaments, and cups to watch and enjoy. Of course, some sports are far more popular than others. Certain regions and countries have their national sports and disciplines they are good at. Others are unique and even famous worldwide for more obscure ones that are played in only a handful of areas. Still, there often comes a time when the fans want something new, a new sport to obsess over and learn about.
When a moment like this happens, there is an overwhelming feeling that fills us. Where do we start? How can I just start watching a new sport without knowing anything about it? Where would I even find new sports and wouldn’t I have already known about them by now? It makes sense to at least hear about them, right? Well, if they are played close to you, sure. But what about across the world, at the other end of the globe? For example, not a lot of people know about cricket and rugby, but most people on the planet know football. Basketball and tennis, despite being immensely popular, are still not followed and beloved everywhere.
When someone needs a new sport to watch or bet on. They need to get out of their comfort zone and try something radically different. In this article, we talk about a sport that is very big in India, kabaddi. If you have never heard of it, do not worry. You will get to learn everything about it so that you can eventually place some sports bets on the Pro Kabaddi League in India and win some money from your sports betting hobby. Read on to learn about this fascinating sport and who knows? Maybe it will become your new favorite!
What is Kabaddi?
Kabaddi is a contact team sport that has its origin in ancient India, hence its continuous popularity in this country and its neighbors of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and others. It is played between two teams of seven players and the objective is for an offensive player (raider) to run into the opposing team’s half of the court and touch as many of their players as they can, returning to their half without being tackled. All of this needs to be done in 30 seconds. Right from the start, it can easily be seen how dynamic and exciting this sport can be. All you need to do is run to the opponent’s side, touch the players, and get back without them tackling you.
Sounds easy, it has obvious parallels to NFL and rugby, but it is so different as there is no ball.
The points are scored for each player the raider touches. The defense can also score a point if they manage to stop them. When touched or tackled, the players are taken out of the game and return after a point has been scored and the next offense is run. The subcontinent of India adores this game but the surrounding countries have also adopted it. As mentioned, it is an
ancient game but it only became popular during the 20th century. Nowadays, it is second in popularity and watchtime only to cricket. In Bangladesh, it is a national sport, while many Indian states have it as their national sport. Also, there are two main disciplines of kabaddi. The first, Punjabi kabaddi or circle style, has traditional forms and is played on a circular outdoor field.
The standard style, which is the second type, is played indoors on a rectangular court and is the one that major professional leagues and international competitions utilize.
The Pro Kabaddi League
As an Indian sport, it makes sense that the best Kabaddi league in the world is located in India. Not only that, but it is also the second most-watched sports league in the subcontinent, with only the Indian Premier League (cricket) in front of it. The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) was launched in 2014 and is therefore a rather new competition. The sport was played before but this was the official start of a country-wide competition where the best players play for the best teams and play in the most competitive games. The format of the tournament is a double round-robin league with playoffs that follow.
There are 12 teams, the current champions are the Puneri Paltan, this being their 1st title. The most successful team so far with 3 titles has been the Patna Pirates. A great thing about it is that all teams are from different cities and states with no local derbies. Therefore, each has its stadium, the biggest being the Netaji Indoor Stadium of the Bengal Warriors in Kolkata, West Bengal. It has a capacity of 15,000, while none of the others exceed 5,000.
The league was made following the immense popularity of the sport at the 2006 Asian Games. Teams need to pay US $250,000 to join and right from the get-go, it was a success. The first season was followed by 435 million viewers, which was even second only to the 2014 Premier Cricket League with 552 million. It was an astonishing success and it has only grown since then, becoming a very popular online betting sport. At the end of the league phase when each team has faced the other twice, the best move on to the playoffs. There, they play in eliminators and finals with the two remaining teams playing in the ultimate final match. Individual awards also exist, mainly the Most Valuable Player (MVP), Best Raider (offensive player), and Best Defender.
Current Season: Standings and Recent Fixtures
At the moment, after 11 games played in the ongoing season, the Haryana Steelers are at the top of the standings. They have 41 points which have come from 8 wins and 3 losses. Their point difference is 37, which is only 3rd in the league. Right behind them are the U Mumba with 39 points, 7 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw. However, they have a negative point difference of only
-2. The Jaipur Pink Panthers are third with 35 points from 6 wins, 3 losses, and a single draw. Their point difference is second in the league with 39. Puneri Paltan who are the defending champions is currently 4th with 34 points after 5 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws. They have the
league-best point difference of 57, which is truly amazing. Rounding up the top 5 for now are the Patna Pirates with 6 wins, 4 losses, and 33 points in total.
The previous weekend brought us 8 amazing games. We had lopsided affairs as well as matchups that went down to the wire. The Pirates beat the Bengal Warriors 52 – 31 in a rout. And Jaipur Pink Panthers beat the Gujarat Giants 31 – 24. Those were the two Friday games. On Saturday, November 16, Bengal Warriors lost to Tamil Thalaivas 31 – 46 while the Dabang Delhi won at home against Bengaluru Bulls 35 – 25. On Sunday, the league leaders Haryana Steelers won against Tamil Thalaivas 36 – 29 and the Pink Panthers won a nailbitter against the Puneri Paltan 30 – 28. In two Monday games, things were quite the opposite. The Telugu Titans routed the Haryana Steelers 49 – 27 while the Bengaluru Bulls lost a thriller to U Mumba 37 – 38.
Betting on Kabaddi
As mentioned earlier, Kabaddi is now a very popular online betting sport and not just in India. Around the world, fans have recognized the fun and excitement it provides and it is fascinating to many how a contact sport without a ball can be so great to watch and bet on. Therefore,
top-tier betting platforms like Stake now offer odds and forecasts for the latest games, especially for the best league in the world which is the Pro League in India. If you mean to bet on this sport though, you need to know about what kind of bets you can place and how best to approach the whole thing.
The moneyline bet, or the match outcome, is the most popular. Similar to other sports, it is straightforward as you pick the team you believe will win the game. Just pick the team you think has the better chance and wait for the outcome. Mind that many factors influence the games, mainly the form of star players, head-to-head records between the teams, and the venue, i.e. who is the host.
The over/under bet on points is another fan-favorite that most sports utilize in betting. In Kabaddi, it is even more popular than the moneyline bet. Predict whether or not the total points will be over or under the set number the sportsbooks have offered. Historical averages between the teams as well as their playing style and recent performances influence this number. For example, it can be 70, meaning you can say over if you believe they will score more or under if you believe otherwise. Players can also bet on scores for the halves, predicting the outcome of either the first or second half on their own.
The player bets revolve around top raiders and top defenders. You pick the best individual players on offense and defense and bet on them. The top raider bet favors someone to score the most points while the top defender is for the player who tackles the most players on defense. For this, you have to know the players and their form, agility, capability, and tendencies. Similarly, you can bet on the first raider or first tackle, betting on the players who you believe will score first points on offense or defense.
Season-long bets include outright wagers that you make during the season, or even before it. The most popular involves the eventual champions and can pay quite a lot of money if you guess correctly. Similarly, you can try to predict the MVP, the Best Raider, or the Best Defender of the season. All of these make the most sense before the season starts because the odds are the highest. They tend to change during the season as the players get going and it becomes apparent which teams are the best. Of course, you can place them at any point in the season and things may change dramatically midway through the campaign.
Upcoming Games and Odds
Let us take our attention to the upcoming games and the odds right now so that you can place Kabaddi bets on time and perhaps win. First off, the Puneri Paltan play the Up Yoddhas and are the favorites at home. Their odds right now are 1.63 over the Yoddhas’ 2.45. A draw is unlikely going to happen according to the bookies, evident by the 13.00 odds. Then it is the Bengaluru Bulls versus the Patna Pirates. The Bulls at 2.76 will have a tough time at home against the visiting Pirates who are favored at 1.52. Again, a draw is not a good bet in terms of probability, but the odds are quite high at 13.00.
Tomorrow, two more games await us. Firstly, the Dabang Delhi KC hosts the Gujarat Fortunegiants. The home team should take this as they are the bookies’ favorites. Their odds at the moment are sitting comfortably at 1.45 while the guests have theirs at 2.96. This is the biggest difference for this upcoming slew of games. The draw is set at 14.00. The second game of November 20 is a duel between the Telugu Titans and U Mumba. The Titans will be playing at home but they are the underdogs at 2.37. The visiting U Mumba have a better chance with 1.68 odds and are the favorites to take this matchup and points to their tally. The draw is the most likely out of all four games, with 12.00 odds.