MLB
A game nearly every day from late March to September, then the October playoffs and the World Series. The run line is baseball's version of the spread.
US sport and draws
America Plays. You Bet In Rand.
The NFL, the NBA, MLB and the NHL, the American majors and the two giant US lottery draws, on South African time.
Bet on US sportAmerican sport and the US draws, bet from South Africa
American sport plays while South Africa sleeps, and that is most of what you need to know to bet it well. The NFL fills Sunday evenings and the small hours of Monday, the NBA tips off between 01:00 and 05:30, and the two giant US lottery draws land before breakfast. Scorebet prices all of it in rand.
This page covers what you can bet, when it happens on South African time, and the Scorebet guide to read for each before you stake. Everything here is open to Scorebet players in South Africa aged 18 and over.
When US sport and draws happen in SAST
US Eastern time is 6 hours behind SAST from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, and 7 hours behind for the rest of the year. Where a time below has two options, the first applies in the US summer and the second in the US winter.
| Event | US Eastern | SAST |
|---|---|---|
| NFL Sunday, early games | 1:00 pm | 19:00 or 20:00 Sunday |
| NFL Sunday, late games | 4:05 pm and 4:25 pm | 22:05 to 23:25 Sunday |
| NFL Sunday Night Football | 8:20 pm | 02:20 or 03:20 Monday |
| NBA evening games | 7:00 pm to 10:30 pm | 01:00 to 05:30 the next day |
| US Powerball draw (Mon, Wed, Sat) | 10:59 pm | 04:59 or 05:59 the next morning |
| Mega Millions draw (Tue, Fri) | 11:00 pm | 05:00 or 06:00 the next morning |
NFL
The NFL season runs from September to the Super Bowl in February, with most games on a Sunday. Start with the point spread: the favourite usually wins, so the bookmaker handicaps it by a number of points and you bet the margin, not the winner.
Bet on the NFLNBA
A long regular season from October to April, then the playoffs and the Finals into June. Games tip off in the South African early hours, so the sharp way to bet the NBA is to do the reading the evening before and place the bet before bed.
Bet on the NBABaseball, hockey, the majors and the UFC
NHL
Ice hockey from October, with the Stanley Cup playoffs running into June. The puck line and totals carry most of the betting.
Golf majors
Three of golf's four majors are American: the Masters at Augusta in April, the PGA Championship and the US Open. Each-way betting suits a big field.
US Open tennis
The last Grand Slam of the year, played in New York at the end of August and into September, with night sessions that finish after midnight in South Africa.
UFC
The biggest promotion in mixed martial arts, with numbered events and title fights through the year. Method of victory and round betting pay on a big card.
College basketball
March Madness packs 67 games into three weeks of upsets, and a bracket you can bet one round at a time.
The two big US lottery draws
Scorebet's Lucky Numbers let you bet on the outcome of a lottery draw at fixed odds. There is no ticket and no shared prize pool: you choose your numbers and your stake, and the price is agreed before the draw.
US Powerball
Five main numbers from 1 to 69 plus a Powerball from 1 to 26, drawn on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights in the US. You back between one and five numbers to be drawn and the price is fixed when you bet, so a record jackpot changes nothing about your payout.
Mega Millions
Five main numbers from 1 to 70 plus a Mega Ball from its own smaller pool, drawn on Tuesday and Friday nights. Its days fall opposite Powerball's, so between them there is a big US draw five nights a week.
Common questions
What time do NFL games start in South Africa?
The early Sunday games start at 19:00 SAST in September and October and at 20:00 from November, when the US clocks go back. The late games follow about three hours later, and Sunday Night Football starts at 02:20 or 03:20 on Monday morning.
Can I bet on US Powerball from South Africa?
Yes, as Lucky Numbers. You do not buy a US ticket: you place a fixed-odds bet with Scorebet on the numbers you think will be drawn, in rand, and you are paid at the price agreed when you bet.
Do I need dollars to bet on American sport?
No. Your Scorebet account, your stakes and your winnings are all in rand, and deposits and withdrawals run through South African payment methods.
Why do US start times move by an hour during the year?
The United States moves its clocks forward in March and back in November, and South Africa does not change its clocks at all. US Eastern time is six hours behind SAST from March to early November and seven hours behind for the rest of the year.
Can I bet with Scorebet from the United States?
No. Scorebet is licensed by the Northern Cape Gambling Board and takes bets from players in South Africa who are 18 or older. This site is for South African punters following American sport.