Underdog Predict and Other Apps Like It - A Few Quick Basics
Let’s start out with a brief review of what Underdog Predict is, how it (and other, similar apps out there) work, and what you ought to know before getting involved with prediction trading yourself. But don’t worry, guys - I’ll keep this section short and sweet.
While, of course, those of you who already know the drill here are more than welcome to skip ahead to my comparisons and reviews of similar prediction market apps like Kalshi and Polymarket, which you’ll find further down on this page.
What Are Apps Like Underdog Predict - And How Do They Work?
In a nutshell, Underdog Predict and the other apps I’ll be talking about today are prediction trading platforms, which offer Commodity and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regulated prediction trading.
How this all works is a little simpler than it initially sounds. Although as we are talking about derivatives-style trading in a market-based environment here, I feel I do need to warn you guys straight up that prediction trading isn’t for everybody. It carries significant risk, and it’s definitely an absolute must to do your homework before giving it a go.
Anyhow, Underdog Predict and apps like it are all about buying and selling predictions - often called “event contracts” - that are tied to actual, real world potential event outcomes. Like whether Donald Trump will get reelected, for example. Or if France (or maybe Spain) will win the World Cup.
Many of the most popular prediction trading apps cover politics, sports, economics, pop culture and the like, and operate on a basis where:
- Event contracts ask binary, “yes” versus “no” questions - such as “Will the LA Rams win the Super Bowl?”.
- “Yes” and “no” contracts come priced between $0.01 and $0.99, depending on how likely the market thinks the outcome stated will occur.
- Contract prices shift up and down as more and more people buy and sell - something you can do right up until the very last minute.
- If the predicted outcome you bought into occurs, the contract will settle at $1 when the prediction’s proved true. But if it doesn’t occur, the contract will close at $0, resulting in a loss.
And that’s about the gist of it. Although of course, Underdog Predict and like-minded apps may also offer multiple choice contracts, with several potential outcomes listed, or range based ones, too - such as “how many times will Elon Musk tweet this week?”, perhaps with “200-220” and “221-250” listed as possibilities, for example.
As it stands, Underdog Predict has a lot to offer, to be fair. Although the app does currently lack a new customer bonus, and comes with a few other key cons that might leave you wanting to look into competitors’ offerings instead.
Trading derivatives involves risk and may not be appropriate for all. For more information visit: https://www.nadex.com/rules and https://underdogfantasy.com/rules. For Crypto.com Predictions, the term “pick" refers to a product traded on CDNA.
What Does Underdog Predict Do Well - And Not So Well?
Okay, now I’ve covered the basics of event contract trading for you guys, let’s look at why Underdog Predict specifically is getting a lot of attention right now - as well as why you might want to check out alternative apps like Polymarket or Crypto.com instead.
Reputation and Sports Focus
Underdog Predict is a more recent offshoot of the long-established Underdog brand, which is best known for sports betting and daily fantasy sports (DFS) games. Although it’s important you guys are crystal clear that prediction trading has absolutely nothing to do with either of these things - as we’ve seen, it’s all about buying and selling event contracts in a CFTC-regulated, stock market style environment instead.
Naturally, Underdog Predict’s rep in the prediction trading sector can be interpreted in two different ways, then. On one hand, it’s an established DFS brand that knows more than a thing or two about sports, and is now offering a fun new way for fans to participate in their favorite ones, and also trade predictions across politics and a handful of other new event categories, too.
While on the other, it’s a total newcomer to market-based prediction trading - which has long been dominated by the likes of Kalshi and Polymarket, both of whom cut their teeth in the trading biz specifically, and generally cover a much broader mix of event categories.
Prediction Market Coverage
Let’s talk more about market coverage, then. Unsurprisingly, Underdog Predict is incredibly broad when it sports event contracts - it covers pretty much all major North American and international sports leagues for prediction trading purposes at the time of writing. This includes:
- NFL
- NBA
- MLB
- Soccer
- Tennis
- And more.
All this quite rightfully makes Underdog Predict’s app very popular among sportier types. But if you’re more interested in, say, second guessing Federal Reserve economic decisions or global presidential election outcomes, you’re probably gonna find more trading options for the taking on these with other apps like Kalshi, or perhaps even Polymarket, instead.
Underdog does offer these markets at the time of writing, they’re just not quite as fleshed out as what some of their longer-established competitors cover.
User Friendliness and US Availability
Underdog Predict has pulled in some pretty rave usability reviews. It’s fast, available on both iOS and Android, has a sensible layout and may even feel pleasantly familiar to those of you who’ve used Underdog’s other services before. However, prediction trading isn’t for everyone, of course. While there’s no denying that Underdog’s app lacks some of the nifty analytics features and market-tracking tools popularized by Kalshi and other prediction trading hubs in recent years, too.
And then there’s state by state availability. As it stands, Underdog Predict is available across a pretty solid 32 US states, with the following parts of the US currently off limits:
- Arizona.
- Colorado.
- Connecticut.
- Delaware.
- Illinois.
- Iowa.
- Kentucky.
- Louisiana.
- Maryland.
- Massachusetts.
- Michigan.
- Nevada.
- New Hampshire.
- New Jersey.
- New York.
- Ohio.
- Pennsylvania.
- Tennessee.
Sometimes, other apps like Underdog Predict - such as Kalshi, Crypto.com and Polymarket - might be available in parts of the US where you simply can’t access Underdog from. Which, of course, is another big reason to pick one of these popular alternative apps instead.
Is Prediction Trading With Apps Like Underdog Predict Legal in the US?
Simply put, yes. And usually in most US states, too. But like most things in life, it’s a bit more complicated than that.
At a basic, federal level, buying and selling “yes” and “no” prediction contracts is legal from anywhere in the US, so long as you’re using a CFTC-regulated exchange such as Underdog Predict, Kalshi or Crypto.com, to name just a few. However, as we’ve seen already, sites will set their own state by state eligibility rules and restrictions, which you’ll need to consider before trading, too.
While in recent months, some states - such as Nevada, New Jersey and Maryland - have seen strong pushbacks against prediction trading in general, leading to ongoing legal disputes involving prediction market operators and the CFTC.
As a general rule of thumb, then, you need to exercise a certain level of caution before registering with a prediction trading app, or using one to buy and sell event contracts. Most importantly, you should:
- Check any sites or apps you’re interested in are CFTC-regulated.
- Read through their T&Cs for mentions of any prohibited US states, or other local restrictions.
- Keep up to date with the latest legal news regarding prediction trading in your state before getting involved.
Please be aware that, as it stands, things can change very quickly - and with very little warning - in this industry.
What Other Apps Like Underdog Predict Are Out There?
Right then, now for the bit you’ve all been waiting for - the three most prominent and popular apps like Underdog Predict right now are of course Kalshi, Crypto.com and Polymarket - and here’s how they compare:
| Similar app/site | Prediction markets covered | App available? | Standout features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalshi | Elections, politics, sports, culture, crypto, commodities, climate, economics, finance and more. | Yes - both iOS and Android. |
|
| Crypto.com | Politics, economics, sports, finance, culture and more. | Yes - both iOS and Android. |
|
| Polymarket | Politics, sports, crypto, esports, finance, geopolitics, tech, culture, economy, weather and more. | Yes - both iOS and Android. |
|
Best Apps Like Underdog Predict - A Closer Look
So, Kalshi, Crypto.com and Polymarket all offer comparable event contract trading apps to Underdog Predict right now. These apps come with iOS and Android compatibility, and competitive market coverage to boot - with sports and several other popular prediction categories currently up for grabs with all three.
But which apps like Underdog for prediction traders are best for first timers? Or more established users? Or those simply seeking the best and broadest market coverage? Well, here are my thoughts on what key features each of the above apps has to offer, individually.
Kalshi - Best for Reputation, Bonuses and Serious Traders
Kalshi scores big points for brand reputation. It’s been going since July 2021 - making it much longer in the tooth than Underdog Predict. While as it stands, the app describes itself as the largest federally-regulated prediction market app in the US, which is easy to believe once you start browsing the ample trading categories available on their site, and highly-rated iOS and Android apps.
As it stands, Kalshi’s most popular markets range from sports, elections and commodity prices, to city-by-city weather forecasts. The sports section more than matches up to what you’ll find at Underdog Predict, too, with NHL, soccer, tennis, golf and a whole bunch of other sports up for grabs at the time of writing. While Kalshi’s politics and economics sections push things much further, covering both American and geopolitical events. And you can even trade crypto price predictions here, too.
Last but not least, Kalshi is renowned for offering more robust market analytics tools than competitors, making it especially good for more experienced traders. While unlike Underdog Predict, which doesn’t currently offer any bonuses, Kalshi was advertising a £25 refer a friend offer at the time of writing, too.
Crypto.com - Best for Newer Prediction Traders
Crytpo.com also offers an app-based interface that’s not too dissimilar from Underdog’s - with a sleek, dark mode theme, minimalist buttons and no-nonsense navigation. It’s been downloaded more than 50 million times on Google Play, and holds a 4.5 star rating. While on Apple’s App Store, it holds an even higher average of 4.7, which is quite something.
At the time of writing, I found that you can start trading here with a minimum deposit of just $10, too - which, when combined with the brand’s big focus on usability, makes Crypto.com one of the more first timer-friendly prediction trading apps out there right now.
Just a few things to note here, mind - all the site’s prediction markets are strictly prohibited in New York and Arizona. While if you live in Nevada, Ohio, Michigan, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey or Illinois, sports markets only are off limits.
Elsewhere, Crypto.com is legal, secure and well established - all its prediction trading opportunities are facilitated through Crypto.com Derivatives North America (CDNA), which is fully CFTC-regulated. While market coverage is ace, too, with sports, politics, economics, culture and more all available.
Polymarket - Best for Broad Market Coverage
Polymarket is another app-first prediction trading platform. And I found that this one shines real bright in terms of the sheer number and variety of different trading markets it makes available to users in permitted US states.
Similarly to apps like Underdog Predict and Kalshi, major sports and political events get particularly detailed coverage over here - with the World Cup, for example, having its own dedicated trading tab entirely at the time of writing. While with Polymarket, you’ll also find that esports, tech, culture, weather and other less common prediction markets get regular short and longer-term contract updates, too.
Day and week-end commodity and crypto price contracts are a very popular feature here, for example. While super short term 15-minute markets also make regular appearances on the app, too.
The downsides here, then? Polymarket’s prediction trading website isn’t currently permitted in the US, making this strictly an app-only trading option for Americans at the time of writing. While as it stands, outside of their “Liquidity Rewards Program”, which offers bonuses to more competitive traders, there aren’t really any promotions currently available with Polymarket, either.
Pros and Cons of Using Popular Underdog Predict Alternatives
Pros
- Discover broader market coverage.
- Find more user-friendly apps.
- Enjoy better market analytics tools.
Cons
- State by state restrictions apply.
How to Register With Underdog Predict-Alike Apps
If you think prediction trading sounds like something you’d enjoy, and you’re happy to take on the risks involved, you can sign up with any of the apps like Underdog Predict that I reviewed on this page by following the steps I’ve outlined for you below. While other prediction trading apps, like Robinhood for example, can be joined via very similar sign up steps, too.
Here’s how to get involved:
- Click the banners here to reach the official site for Kalshi, Crypto.com or Polymarket.
- Tap the “Sign Up” button on your preferred site - or download their iOS or Android app to register there.
- Read through the T&Cs very carefully before accepting them - paying extra special attention to any state by state trading restrictions.
- Enter your email address, or sign up via your Apple or Google account.
- Set up a username and a strong password.
- Verify yourself via email or SMS.
- Submit some ID and proof of address info to satisfy any Know Your Customer (KYC) checks. These are typically required as part of standard CFTC regulations.
- Link a payment option or crypto wallet to fund your account.
- Browse available prediction markets, and purchase event contracts priced between $0.01 and $0.99.
- Sell your contracts (or buy more) as much as you like right up until the last minute.
- Correct event contracts will close at $1 each if the event occurs. Incorrect ones will settle at zero.
And that’s about all there is to it. Just remember that prediction trading always carries risk and won’t be the right choice for everybody. While in the US, using CFTC regulated trading platforms only - and following any state by state restrictions that apply in your area carefully - is an absolute must if you want to trade in a safe, secure and legal environment.
Final Thoughts - Try Out One of These Apps Like Underdog Predict Today
Prediction trading is popular in the US for a variety of reasons right now. And Underdog Predict itself is a solid option for event contract trading, too - offering comprehensive sports coverage, a user friendly app, and full CFTC oversight.
But in many cases, alternative apps like Underdog Predict are worth considering, too. Kalshi offers comparable sports coverage, alongside other popular prediction markets, on a more data and analytics-driven platform that might be a better fit for more experienced traders, for example. While Crypto.com’s cleverly designed trading app has excellent ratings, and first timer friendly functionality. And, last but not least, Polymarket covers an incredibly broad range of both popular and niche prediction markets, and offers competitive “Liquidity Rewards” to longer-term traders, too.
If you’re curious about any of these prediction trading apps, you can download them and register a new trader account today using any of the banners displayed here. Although this is subject, of course, to state by state and other eligibility rules.
