Illinois Sports Betting

Sports in Illinois

Although colleges and their sports teams are throughout Illinois, professional sports teams are all in one area, and this is the focus of sports betting in Illinois. The Chicago sports teams are represented in each major league. What is Chicago’s greatest sports team? It’s tough to say as they each have a long history of achievements.

NFL – National Football League

Chicago Bears

Established in 1920, they are only one of two original NFL franchises still in the league. The other is the Arizona Cardinals which also had their start in Chicago. They have the second most recorded victories in the NFL behind their long-standing rivals, the Green Bay Packers. In their early years, they were very successful, garnering eight NFL championships before the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. They had one Super Bowl Championship in 1985 with coach Mike Ditka. 

NBA – National Basketball Association

Chicago Bulls

Established in 1966, the Bulls have one of the greatest dynasties in the NBA. They won all six of their championships between 1991 and 1998, led by Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and coach Phil Jackson. The Bulls are the only team to win multiple championships but never lose an NBA Finals series. They were the first team to win 70 games or more in a season and held the record for most wins (72 games during the 1995-1996 season) until the Golden State Warriors reached 73 wins during the 2015-2016 season. Their success during the 1990s improved the NBA’s popularity worldwide.

MLB – Major League Baseball

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox started in 1900 as the Chicago White Stockings. They were one of the American League’s eight charter franchises. In 1904, they shortened their name to the White Sox. They won their first World Series against the Chicago Cubs in 1906 and their second in 1917 against the New York Giants. They next appeared in the World Series in 1919 as the heavy favorites against the Cincinnati Reds. They lost in what is known as the Black Sox Scandal, where eight members of the White Sox were thought to conspire with gamblers to lose. They were acquitted, but the MLB commissioner banned all of the players for life. It took until 2005 before they won their third World Series against the Houston Astros – a total of 87 years. That’s the second-longest MLB championship drought of all time. Who has the longest?

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs were established in 1876 as a founding member of the National League. They started as the White Stockings, changing their name to the Cubs in 1903. That means Chicago had two professional baseball teams named the Chicago White Stockings from 1900 till 1903. They won two World Series Championships in 1907 and 1908, being the first team to win back-to-back championships. They have a total of three World Series Championships. The last was in 2016, ending the longest World Series droughts of 108 years. 

NHL – National Hockey League

Chicago Blackhawks

Founded in 1926 as part of the expansion of the NHL, the Blackhawks joined the league along with the Detroit Cougars (now the Detroit Red Wings) and the New York Rangers. They are considered part of the original six teams of the NHL. Their first owner was Chicago coffee tycoon Frederic McLaughlin, a commander in the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 86th Infantry Division during World War I. His infantry was nicknamed the Black Hawk Division after a Native American named Black Hawk, who was well-known in Illinois. They have six Stanley Cups.