Eric Uribe
BMX racing was first introduced into the Olympic Games in 2008, however, this year will be the first-ever time a freestyle event is a part of the mix (alongside the usual racing competition). The first-time addition is a golden opportunity for bettors looking for value. This article has our full predictions for the BMX freestyle — both on the men and women’s side.
Some of you reading might be thinking to yourself, “what the hell is BMX freestyle anyway?” It’s not a dumb question and in fact, we’ll begin our betting guide by answering it.
BMX Freestyle At The Olympics Explained
For the most part, cycling is pretty straightforward. You drive a two-wheeled cycle and try to beat out your competitors to the finish line. There may be some variation in where the races take place — perhaps a dirt course, maybe in the mountains, or inside a track — but the end goal is the same: drive faster than the rest of the field.
BMX freestyle, however, isn’t nearly as traditional. There are no finish lines and speed doesn’t really matter. What does matter are the “tricks” you can perform while riding and flipping the bike mid-air.
Freestyle competitors have 60 seconds to execute the best series of tricks possible in that timeframe. The course includes rails, walls, and box jumps to help heighten the moves and spark creativity in the riders. In the end, a panel of five judges score the trick routine from a 0 – 99.99 scale and based on the usual factors — degree of difficulty, uniqueness, height ascended, and so forth. Pretty much like the skateboarding made famous by Tony Hawk, only with bikes rather than boards. Simple enough, right?
Men’s BMX Freestyle Betting Pick
Betting odds are available for the entire nine-rider field. Right now, these competitors have the highest odds of winning, per online sportsbooks:
| Player |  |  |
| Logan Martin (Australia) | -110 | +120 |
| Rimu Nakamura (Japan) | +250 | +300 |
| Nick Bruce (USA) | +300 | +400 |
| Justin Dowell (USA) | +500 | +600 |
| Daniels Dhers | +800 | +1400 |
Australia’s Logan Martin is the “gold standard” of this relatively new sport. He’s won every championship there is to win at BMX freestyle — world titles (given at the annual UCI Urban World Championships), X-Games gold medal, and a slew of other honors. We’re betting Martin adds another piece of hardware to his collection in Tokyo and the shiniest one of the bunch — gold.
One thing worth pointing out about betting on Martin: does anyone notice the odds table above, specifically the noticeable difference between the Aussies’ line on BetUS and BetOnline? On the latter, you can get him at plus-money, while BetUS has him at -110. We’re all about maximizing betting value and in this case, that’s betting Martin on BetOnline. This is why “line shopping” is important so you can always have the best odds in your favor.
Women’s BMX Freestyle Betting Pick
| Player | | |
| Hannah Roberts (USA) | -325 | -330 |
| Charlotte Worthington (Great Britain) | +500 | +900 |
| Perris Benegas (USA) | +600 | +700 |
| Nikita Ducarroz (Switzerland) | +375 | +900 |
The betting odds aren’t nearly as close on the women’s side. That’s due to Hannah Roberts’ sheer dominance in the sport.
Where do we start? Maybe with her three world titles? Or the fact she qualified first to Tokyo because of how large her lead in the USA cycling rankings was? The gold medal at the Pan American Games?
You get where we’re going with this. Roberts is the no-brainer bet to make here. The 19-year-old is the face of the women’s side and we’d be shocked if that changes in Tokyo or the foreseeable future. At this ripe age, she’s only just getting started in the rising sport of BMX freestyle.
How To Watch & Bet BMX Freestyle At The Olympics
The BMX freestyle goes down at the newly-created Ariake Urban Sports Park. This outdoor park was built specifically for the 2020 Olympics and is located inside of Tokyo and not far from the Athletes’ Village.
Both the men’s and women’s events take place during a two-day span starting on July 31. The first day is only heats, followed by the final on August 1.
Per usual, event start times aren’t favorable for viewers from the United States due to the steep time difference in Japan. However, they will air live on tape delay on the Olympic Channels (NBC Sports Network and USA Network). Streamers can watch replays and analyses on NBC’s streaming app, Peacock.
For wagering, you have a litany of options, but few compare to online betting sites like the ones listed in the table below. These bookies have all Olympic odds and bets under one roof. You can bet whenever and wherever you like with just a few taps of your phone or computer mouse.
Not only is the convenience factor there, but it also pays to bet — literally! You see, these betting sites all have their own sign-up bonus available to new players. As the name suggests, it’s a special promo that’s unlocked upon signing up for an account (and making a deposit into it).
When maxed out, bonuses can reach up to $1000 in free play. That’s one grand for you to wager on the Olympics or any other sport of your choosing. If getting money for free sounds good to you, hit the “play now” button in the table below to begin the sign-up process. Not kidding, it takes a matter of minutes to seize the deal and be ready to bet!
