As a football fan, you probably follow your favorite team or your favorite league closely. You watch every match. You know all there is to know about each individual player. And you probably cannot stop talking about it. Are we right? You know we are! Have you ever thought about putting your money where your mouth is? Why not start football betting and make the game that more exciting?
Football is by far the most popular sport in the world. And it is also the most popular sport to bet on.
There are many different competitions and, during the season, multiple matches are played each day. This is why betting on football can be such a thrill. With so many games being played, bookmakers rely heavily on statistics for their odds. Especially when it comes to the lesser-known teams and leagues, your hard-earned knowledge might give you an edge when placing your bets.
Even if your football knowledge is a little rusty, you can still bet on football. All you have to do is find a good betting group or tipster. They can provide you with tips and betting advice. Not surprising, the majority of tipsters, especially the European ones, provide football tips.
We will help you get started by giving you an overview of the ins & outs of betting. What types of bets are there? How do you place a bet? What do you need to watch out for? Where to find legit betting groups or tipsters? Read on to find out more.
How to bet on football
Now that you have decided to give football betting a go, what comes next? First things first. To place a bet, you will need a bookmaker. Most bookmakers can be found online. On their website, you can find an overview of all the ongoing and upcoming matches. The odds can vary between bookmakers, so comparing bookmakers is always a smart choice.
To place a bet with a bookmaker (also known as a bookie), you need to register an account as a bettor (a.k.a. someone who places a bet) on their website. Next, you have to put money in your bookmaker’s account. Ensure the website’s privacy statement and use a safe banking option (e.g., credit card transfer, PayPal, etc.).
Once you have done that, you are free to place a bet. Select a match, choose your stake, and follow the instructions. If you lose your bet, the money will automatically be deducted from your bookmaker’s account. Did you win? Congratulations! The money will be deposited in your bookmaker’s account shortly.
Of course, you are always free to pick a random match to place your bet. But what is the point? Knowledge is power when it comes to betting. The more you know about the sport your betting on, the better. Everything you know about your chosen league. About the teams in it. About the managers of those teams. Their players. The state of their stadium. Their fans. All that knowledge will give you an edge when placing your bets.
When placing an online bet, you can never bet more than the amount of money you have put in your account. Make sure to only play with money you can afford to miss. Betting is never a sure thing. Losing the money you need for other things is just plain stupid.
Betting on Football for beginners
Now that your account is in order let’s place a bet! Keep in mind is that the odds are always stacked in favor of the bookmaker. They are in it to make money too. When placing a bet, you are betting against them. And they sure hate to lose! That’s why they will spend a lot of time and effort into calculating their odds. An experienced bettor knows how to read those odds. They are on the lookout for any possible ‘mistakes’ the bookie might have made. They are not betting on their favorite team to win but on the bookmaker to get it wrong.
Start with what you know and go for the simple options. Choose a match-winner you are reasonably sure will win. It doesn’t matter if the odds aren’t very favorable. Just bet a small amount and see how it plays out. Compare bookmakers to see who gives you the best value on your chosen bets. Once you have done that a couple of times, change it up and try different types of bets. Work your way up to an accumulator. Just have some fun and try betting on various outcomes.
Football Betting Groups can Help
If you are unsure where to begin, it is always a good idea to join a betting group. Betting groups are an excellent way to share information, tips, and tricks. Joining will help you get a feel for the betting world’s terminology, customs, and realities. Start by simply reading the comments and maybe compare the outcome of a few matches with the group’s tips. Place a few bets based on the tips that appeal to you. A lot of tipsters will explain their decisions. Read what they have come up with and add your changes before placing your bet. See how it goes.
Another important tip: leave your supporter’s hat behind when placing bets. Do not let your love for your team blind you. Just because you want them to win doesn’t necessarily mean this is likely to happen. Betting is a game of statistics of gathering facts and calculating a specific outcome’s chances.
Type of Football Bets
You can make your bets as simple or complicated as you like. Here is an overview of the most common types of bets to get you started.
1×2 (full-time match result):
This is the quintessential bet. You bet on a team to win the match. If your team loses or the game ends in a draw, you lose the bet. If your team wins, you just made yourself some money.
Double chance:
There are always three possible outcomes in a football match. 1. The home team wins. 2. The away team wins. 3. A draw. A double chance bet is perfect for those times you fancy a team’s chances but are not sure they will go all the way. With a double chance bet, you can spread the risk. You win the bet when either your team wins or the game ends in a draw. The odds for this bet are lower, but you will still make some money. Especially if your favorite team is the underdog, this is a good option.
Draw no bet:
Similar to a double chance bet but with one big difference. You do not win if the match ends in a draw. Instead, you will get your original bet refunded. So, even if you did not make any money, you also did not lose any either.
Both teams to score:
You are not picking a winner. You are betting that both teams will be able to get at least one goal in a bit more tactical than only betting on the possible winner but still an easy pick.
Over/under with goals (corners, cards):
This is a more tactical type of bet. One that requires a bit more knowledge of both teams’ past results. Do they have players that are likely to score? How good is their goalie? You are not betting on the match’s outcome, but the number of goals scored during the game. So, you are betting, for instance, that during the game, both teams combined will achieve more than 3.5 goals. Why 3.5 and not 3? Well, what if they score three goals? Who wins the bet?
It is also possible to bet on the number of corners taken during a match. The principles are the same. Again, you will need a fair bit of knowledge of both teams’ past results to make an educated guess.
Asian Handicap:
Ready to get even more tactical? This is where your knowledge will give you an edge. An Asian handicap allows you to provide a team a virtual advantage (or disadvantage). This gives you a bit more control over the chances of your bet. Doing the math might take some getting used to, but using a handicap will even the odds in your favor.
You can add (or detract) anything from a 0.25 or ¼ to a 2.00 goal advantage (or disadvantage). The odds for this type of bet differ. They are calculated based on the handicap of your choice. The handicap set a goal difference advantage or disadvantage for one of the teams. You can a complete overview of the handicap payout at the bookmaker.
Accumulators:
or acca’s for short, are very popular with the more experienced betters. They are several bets rolled into one. Instead of betting on a single match, you bet on several games at the same time. You only win if all the bets that make up your acca are successful. Of course, you could place separate bets, but by combining them, you increase your odds – and your winnings – significantly.
Usually, an accumulator is made up of a selection of 3 – 5 different bets. You can add one or two more to make a killing. But remember, if one choice fails, the entire acca falls apart, and you lose the bet.
Football Betting Odds
Are you ready to crunch some numbers? This is the tricky part when it comes to betting: how to read the odds. What are the odds exactly? Odds calculate the likelihood of an event happening compared to the probability of the event not happening.
For instance: a football match has three possible outcomes: 1. The home team wins. 2. Away team wins. 3. A draw. Statistically speaking, the chance of the home team winning is one in three. This outcome is what we call the odds.
Easy right? If only things were this easy all the time. When calculating the odds, other factors have to be taken into account as well. Which team has the better players? How many matches have they won already? Is it the end of the season? How many star players are injured? The list goes on and on.
When placing a bet, you like to have an idea of your possible winnings, don’t you? So being able to read the odds is pretty essential. You need to know if a bet is a good value before you stake your money on it. To make things even more interesting, odds are displayed in three different ways: decimal, fractional, and Moneyline.
Decimal Odds:
These allow you to calculate precisely how much money you will get paid by the bookmaker if you win. For instance:
If you place €10 on a bet with 1.50 odds, you will get €10 x 1.50 = €15 in return. If your gamble pays off, of course.
€15 (your return) – €10 (your original stake) = €5 (your profit).
The decimal odds are very popular because they are easy to understand. They are most commonly used on the European continent, which is why they are sometimes called European odds.
Fractional odds:
These odds show you how much profit you will make if you win.
If you place that same €10 on a bet with 1/2 odds, you will make a profit of 10:2 = €5 if you win.
The bookmaker will pay you €5 (your profit) + €10 (your original stake) = €15 (your return).
Fractional odds are most commonly used in the UK and Ireland.
Moneyline odds:
There are positive and negative Moneyline odds. The favorable odds show you how much you will win from a $100 stake. The unfavorable odds show you how much you need to stake to win $100.
For instance: if you place a $100 bet on +500 odds, you will make a $500 profit.
If you are looking to win $100 you will need to place a $500 on a bet with -500 odds.
In a bet involving two teams, the match favorite players are displayed as negative Moneyline odds and the odds for the underdog are displayed in positive Moneyline odds.
Moneyline odds are also known as American odds or US odds because they are most commonly used in the USA.
Betting sites spend a lot of time, money, and efforts on calculating their odds. They need to make a profit after all. If you are comfortable reading these odds, you will compare their calculations with your expected outcomes. If your predictions are better than theirs, you stand to make a nice little profit.
Professional tipsters have turned this into an art form. To them, it doesn’t matter who is playing who. They are only looking for any miscalculations the bookmakers might have made and place their bets accordingly.
You can also try tennis, mma or horse-racing if football is not your game of choice.