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2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee Odds and Picks

The Scripps Spelling 2025 marks the 100th edition of the annual competition. There is no better way to celebrate 100 years of the Bee than by wagering on this year’s festivities.

This guide will highlight the best prop bets for the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee. I will tell you the latest odds from top Scripps Spelling Bee betting sites and give my prediction for this year’s spelling bee.

When Is the Scripps Spelling Bee?

The 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee will bring together the best spellers from around the country to compete for a $50,000 grand prize.

This year is also the 100th anniversary of the event. However, due to World War II, no competitions were held between 1943 and 1945. It was also cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, so this is only the 97th edition of the Bee.

Here is everything you need to know about this year’s event before the competition starts.

• Scripps Spelling Bee dates: May 27th-29th
• Number of competitors: 243
• Number of rounds: 4

This year’s competition can be streamed on ION.

Scripps Spelling Bee 2025 Odds

Thanks to secure sports betting sites like BetOnline, you can wager on the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Betting on the winner is easier said than done, especially with a field of over 240 spellers.

Luckily, there is a variety of prop bets for you to choose from in this market. These props are much easier to predict than identifying the winner outright.

Want to know more about BetOnline? Read our free, in-depth BetOnline review to find out more about this highly-rated sportsbook.

Age of Winner

• Over 12.5 years old (-150)
• Under 12.5 years old (+110)

One of the most popular Spelling Bee props every year is the over/under on the age of the winner. BetOnline has the over/under set at 12.5 years old for this year’s Scripps champion.

The over is a -150 favorite, while spellers younger than 12.5 years old are +110 underdogs.

For reference, the youngest winner was Nihar Janga, who was just 11 when he tied for first place in 2016.

This year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee contestants range from the ages of eight to 14 years old. Nearly 150 of this year’s contestants, just over half the field, are 13 or 14 years old.

In addition to having a slight numbers advantage, older spellers also have the experience edge. They have had more years to study and compete in similar competitions. Many of the older spellers have even competed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee before.

With experience and numbers on their side, I am siding with the competitors over 12.5 years old in this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Length of Winning Word

• Over 9.5 letters (+110)
• Under 9.5 letters (-150)

Another exciting prop wager for the annual Scripps Spelling Bee is this bet for the length of the winning word.

The length of this year’s winning word is set at over/under 9.5 letters. BetOnline has the under as the -150 favorite, while a word longer than 9.5 letters is listed as the +110 underdog.

Check out the table below to see the winning words from recent editions of the Bee.

Year	Winning Word
2024	Abseil (6)
2023	Psammophile (11)
2022	Moorhen (7)
2021	Murraya (7)
2018	Koinonia (8)
2017	Marocain (8)

There were eight winners in 2019, with words ranging from six letters (odylic, palama) to 13 letters (bougainvillea).

The majority of winning words since 2017 have been in the single digits. Based on the current odds, the under has an implied win probability of 60%. Based on the recent winning words, the favorite is the way to go in this prop wager.

State the Winner is From

• Texas (+150)
• Florida (+250)
• California (+400)
• Kansas (+600)
• New Jersey (+600)

BetOnline also lets you wager on the state that the winning speller is from. All 50 states are represented in this year’s Bee, and there are spellers from multiple other countries as well.

Texas is the favorite at +150, followed closely by Florida (+250). California has the third-best odds at +400, with Kansas and New Jersey tied for fourth at 6-1 each. 

Other options in this wager include New York (+800), Ohio (+1600), and a non-US resident (+1200).

More populated states have an advantage in this wager, as they can produce more contestants. Texas, for instance, has 22 spellers competing in this year’s Bee. There are also 12 competitors from Florida and 20 from California.

The Sunshine State has fewer competitors than Texas and California, but Florida has also produced back-to-back spelling bee winners.

Texas, on the other hand, has had at least one winner in three of the last six Scripps National Spelling Bees. Three of the eight winners in 2019 were from Texas.

I think the best strategy for this bet is wagering on as many spellers as possible. The Lone Star State has 22 competitors, and I think the winner of the 2025 National Spelling Bee will be from Texas.

Winner to Have Braces

• Yes (+100)

Another interesting prop wager for the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee is this bet for the winner to have braces. There is no option to wager against the winner having braces. However, the yes option is available at even money.

Many previous winners have had braces, including Zaila Avant-garde, who won in 2021.

Without accurate numbers on how many contestants have braces, it is challenging to form any type of strategy for this wager. On the other hand, given that the majority of the contestants are between the ages of 12 and 14, I think this even-money prop wager is worth the risk.

Winner Wears Glasses

• Yes (-150)
• No (+110)

Rounding out my list of the best 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee props is this wager for the winner to have glasses.

The yes option is a -150 favorite, while non-glasses wearers are available at +110.

Two of the last four winners of the Bee wore glasses. Multiple winners in the eight-way tie in 2019 also sported spectacles.

One important note for this wager is that the winner does not need to wear glasses during the entire competition. However, they must have glasses on during the trophy presentation for the “yes” option to win.

Spelling Bee Betting Tips

Here are three tips to help you be more successful when betting on the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Research Spelling Bee Trends

Research is an important step in any successful betting strategy, and betting on the Bee is no different. The good news is that Scripps makes it easy to research your bets for the annual spelling bee.

You can view the profiles of every contestant on the Scripps website. There, you will find information about the contestants’ ages, hometowns, and more.

Experience is Important

Another tip to consider when betting on the National Spelling Bee is to consider the level of experience of the competitors. Older spellers have had more time to prepare and are usually more experienced.

Many spellers from previous years will continue to compete as many times as they can. Spellers who have come close to winning in the past are great bets to win this year. These repeat competitors tend to be older, too.

Shop for the Best Odds

A third tip for getting the most out of betting on the annual Scripps Spelling Bee is to shop for the best odds. Prop wagers are a popular option for this event. Many sportsbooks offer similar props, but the odds can differ from one sportsbook to another.

Finding the sportsbook that offers the best odds for the wagers you want to bet on is essential to maximizing your potential winnings. The best way to do this is to compare odds at our top sports betting sites to see which ones offer the most bang for your buck.

Are You Ready to Bet on the Scripps National Spelling Bee?

The Scripps Spelling Bee 2025 will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first national spelling bee. As if the centennial celebrations were not exciting enough, you can make this year’s festivities more thrilling by betting on the competition.

Read the guide above for the latest odds for the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Then, sign up at BetOnline to wager on your predictions for this year’s event. New members who use the code FREE250 when making their first deposit can get a 50% match worth up to $250 in free bet funds.