^
Usually sports fans bet on their favorite team and watch the live broadcast somewhere in a bar with friends who are the same fans. They do it not so much to earn money as to entertain themselves and they bet among themselves without any service. So I don't think they'll choose to play cards.
That's why most of the sports bettors lose their money as bookmakers are very smart on attracting the fans to bet on the favorites. Based on the analysis I read, favorites usually lose the game if based on spread, so we should be smart enough to evaluate if the odds are fair or just a trap.
Betting on the favorites all the time is blindly betting.