Tom Daniel on the Player Prop Revolution: Why Bettors Are Choosing Athletes Over Teams

As sports betting continues to evolve, one trend is becoming impossible to ignore: the rapid rise of player props. Bettors are increasingly shifting their attention from teams to individual athletes, driven by changing media consumption habits, the influence of superstar personalities, and the rise of stat-driven fandom.

To unpack this shift and what it means for both U.S. and European markets, we sat down with Tom Daniel, SVP of Trading at Huddle, to get his take on why player-centric betting is resonating with today’s audiences - and where it’s heading next.

Why have player props become so popular in the U.S., and how does the nature of American sports and media consumption contribute to this trend?

It’s absolutely fair to argue that the rise of player props in the U.S. is closely tied to the nature of American sports, where there’s a stronger emphasis on individual players over teams - particularly in media coverage.
As the media landscape evolves, so too should the sports betting industry. Moreover, the emergence of superstar athletes transcending leagues and teams has reshaped fan loyalty dynamics.

In essence, fans are becoming less loyal to the team and more loyal to the player because of this, and that’s creating greater opportunities for betting.

The structure of U.S. sports lends itself naturally to this. Games are typically composed of a series of discrete, repeatable events - like pitches in baseball, possessions in basketball, or plays in football. This makes it easier to isolate and measure individual player actions. As a result, fans have developed a deeply statistical mindset and a strong culture of analyzing player performance using a shared set of metrics.

Take baseball, for instance - Sabermetrics has been around since the 1970s, and fans have long been accustomed to breaking down every aspect of a player’s performance. This analytical culture has heavily influenced how media present sports content in the U.S., often focusing on player stats and achievements.

In the NFL, the relatively short season means fewer games, so media coverage is built around maximizing engagement with each one. This results in detailed discussions about player performance, which further drives interest in player-specific statistics. This demand for player props aligns with how U.S. sports fans already consume content: through data, performance metrics, and individual narratives.

We’re also seeing similar trends in other sports that share these characteristics-like cricket. The IPL, for example, is a stats-heavy league with a short season and a limited number of matches, making it a prime candidate for player prop engagement. The structure of the game and the way fans consume it makes it ideal for individual player markets.

Another, related aspect of the US sportsbetting market is the history and prominence of Daily Fantasy Sports. Many of today’s sportsbetting will have played DFS, and so will be extremely familiar with assessing and taking an opinion on player performances across a range of metrics and scoring systems. This, naturally, then easily crosses over into betting on the actual metrics themselves once they have the opportunity to do so.

Are you seeing similar trends around player props in Europe, particularly with the growing emphasis on individual athletes in sports like soccer?

The focus on individual personalities in sport is no longer just a U.S. phenomenon - it’s increasingly present in European sports as well, particularly soccer. Players are becoming brands in their own right, with massive social media followings and influence that often transcend the sport itself. This cultural shift naturally translates into betting behavior.

We’re seeing a growing demand for player-specific markets in Europe, driven by fans who want to bet on the athletes they follow and engage with most. This is where player props come into play. They provide a more personalized, immersive experience and align with how younger audiences consume sports today - through highlights, player narratives, and moments rather than full matches. So yes, the rise of player-centric engagement is definitely signaling a greater importance for player props in the European betting landscape.

What are the popular types of player props in US and European terms? Are there differences?

They are broadly similar, with some variations by sport. Basketball remains the top US sport among European punters, and unsurprisingly, Player Points continues to dominate as the most popular market on both sides of the Atlantic. Assists, 3-Pointers, and Rebounds follow closely behind. We’re also seeing growing engagement with Milestone markets, while Double Double and Triple Double bets stand out as a fan-favorite in Europe.

Baseball and Football also show aligned behavior between US and European audiences. In MLB, Strikeouts and Total Bases drive the bulk of the action, while the NFL sees a more even distribution of turnover across the full player props board.

To supercharge the playoff betting experience, Huddle has rolled out a powerful lineup of brand-new player prop markets for the NBA, designed to deepen engagement and elevate every game:

• Player Blocks
  
• Player Steals
  
• Top Scorer
  
• Top Assister
  
• Top Rebounder
  
• Top 3PT Scorer
  
• Head-to-Head and Combo Markets
  (e.g. Player A vs Player B in Points, Rebounds, Assists, or 3s – or combos like Player A + Player B totals)

Baseball and Football fans in Europe have similar states to those in the US. For MLB, the most popular markets are strikeouts and bases while for the NFL, there is a very wide distribution of turnover across all the player prop markets.

Hockey tends to be similar to Soccer, with the most popular player prop market being betting on players to score.

How Bettors Are Building Their SGP, check here!

Does the rise of player props help explain some of the popularity of BetBuilder?

Bettors are increasingly drawn to individual player performances over traditional team-based bets. Markets such as passing yards, rushing touchdowns, and receptions are gaining immense traction, aligning with a broader industry shift towards player-centric betting. Our data further reinforces the dominance of Player Props, with six of the top seven most popular SGP markets are focused on individual performances. Player Props overwhelmingly dominate the SGP landscape, representing approximately 70–75% of all bets placed in this category - according to our analysis.

SGPs (Bet Builder) amplify this appeal by allowing bettors to string together multiple outcomes involving their favorite players into one high-stakes, high-engagement wager. It creates a tailored betting experience that mirrors how fans already consume sports content-tracking multiple player stats, following highlight reels, and participating in fantasy sports.

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