Football: What is it and how do you bet on it

The fact that football is the most popular sport in the world is something that no one can doubt. Naturally, bookmakers pay more attention to this sport. The football line is traditionally larger than it is in other sports, in addition, it more often has a smaller margin and higher betting limits. What does someone who wants to bet on football need to know? How do you bet on football matches online? We are here to give you only the most important things you need to know. 

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The popularity of betting on football, of course, entailed all sorts of “lessons “on the art of betting: all sorts of tips and forecasts can be found all over the internet. It is worth bearing in mind that these lessons come in varying degrees of relevancy, as well as with a varying degree of knowledge attached to the specialists. 

The line on football betting includes a variety of options: bets made on the outcome (victory of one of the teams, on the number of goals (from 0-0 up to “hockey results”), and on various other odds such as bets on the exact score, the number of corners, yellow caps, fouls, shots on goal, on the outcomes of the first or second halves, etc. Betting on football is popular all over the world, and a good bookmaker will offer more than 100 options for each match of a typical football championship. There are not too many options for players on more modest league matches, but the most popular ones will be necessarily presented in the line. 

The virtues of betting on high betting limits in football

Given the fact that football is the world’s most popular sport, the football line traditionally boasts the highest betting limits. Large offices allow bets on one match to be up to £50,000. Even in the representation of less important matchups, one is allowed to bet higher than they could on main events in other sports.

Low margin:

In the face of fierce competition, bookmakers are forced to overstate their odds on football, in order to stand out among other offices. Thus, in many bookmakers, the quotes for football are 5-6 points higher than, for example, hockey or volleyball.

Wide mural:

No matter the bookmaker we are talking about, his line on football will almost certainly be larger than the size of other sections, even when combined. At the most important events, such as the World and European championships or the Champions League, the presentation of one match can take up two or three pages of the line. In the list containing ‘types of bets,’ you can find a variety of unexpected offers, including bets on things like which team will be the first to be knocked out of the contest.

A large number of television broadcasts:

Among other things, football is also the most broadcasted sport in the world, so you will always have the opportunity to watch your bet on television. This opens up a great opportunity to play live mode, which qualified players will no doubt appreciate. The strategy of betting on live football is not much different than live betting on other sports; as in football, you will also need to have excellent knowledge, closely monitor the broadcast of the match, notice any game changes and quickly respond to them with a timely bet or a cancellation of a previous option that initially seemed successful.

The advantage of team sports:

Due to the fact that football is a team sport, unpleasant surprises such as a player’s illness or weak run of form will often not be as evident as in a sport like a game of tennis. This is why many experts consider bets on football to be less risky than on sports such as tennis, where if a situation like the illness of a player arises, you can lose all of the money you put down in an instant.

Lack of football betting

A number of so-called “values” (inflated coefficient). Due to the increased popularity of betting on football, bookmaker’s analyses pay special attention to the betting odds. After the release of the morning line, offices will begin to constantly look at others’ lines, regularly levelling the quotes, and because of this, you will very rarely see inflated odds in football, except perhaps in third-rate tournaments, where the top limit bets will still be small. 

Rapid response to changes in pre-match layouts. This flaw occurs for the same reason that there are few big changes in the football line. The reason is that bookmakers react extremely quickly to any changes in pre-match summaries, including “knee-deep” games, unexpected illnesses, injuries, etc. that even deep insiders find it difficult to make a bet before adjusting the line.

The main types of football bets

Betting on the outcome. This includes all of the results from the full time of the match: the victories of one of the teams or a draw. The main outcomes are often offered the highest odds and the lowest margins. It is here that the greatest number of bets are placed. And if the projected winner of the match is more or less unclear, then betting on the draw may require consideration. The strategy of betting on a draw in football is significantly different than other sports. In many sports, for example, hockey and basketball, results of a draw are nonexistent. In football, they can be quite common and therefore require the bookmaker’s attention.

You can also bet that the game will not end up a draw, but rather that one of the two teams will win. This is the answer to many novice bettor’s questions about what “12 bets” mean in football. The answer: ‘bet 12’ is a bet placed predicting that one of the two teams will win and the other will lose. You are betting that the game will not end up a draw.

There is another type of bet on the outcome of a football game called a “strong-willed victory”. This is a live bet predicting the victory of a team who has been losing for a significant period of the match. 

Learn more about betting on outcomes

Handicap. The handicap represents the necessary advantage or disadvantage placed on the teams and put into effect in the final score. This is a set difference of goals scored between the teams before the game even begins. The handicap can be either plus (for example, 1.5) or minus (-1.5). In the first case, in order to win your bet, the team cannot lose the game by more than one and a half goals (i.e. even if they lose by one goal you will still win your bet). In the second case, it is necessary for this team to win by at least two goals, in order for you to be successful. In these instances, you will either add or subtract (depending on the + or -) the handicap to the initial match score (0-0). To win the bet it is necessary for the team to overcome the handicap reflecting in the final score at the end of the game.

The value of the handicap can not only be represented in decimal form (1.5/-1.5), but also as a whole number. For example, what does a handicap of one mean in football? Like other plus-odds, it represents either a margin for error for one team or an obstacle to overcome for the other. The difference between this and a decimal handicap such as 1.5, is that with a whole number a bet can end with you neither winning nor losing, but instead with you simply getting your money back. This happens if say a match ends 1-0, and you bet on the lose with a handicap of +1. With the addition of the handicap, the final score will instead be 1-1, a draw. In this case, you have not won or lost your bet, so there will simply be a refund of your money.

Zero odds: what a player needs to know

Total. What is the total when betting on football? This is the total number of goals scored in the match. The bookmaker indicates the value of the total, and you can bet on a smaller or larger amount relative to that value. For example, when placing money on a total less than 3.5, you will have to hope that the total number of goals scored by both teams does not exceed three (one more scored would be four).

What totals mean in hockey, basketball, football and tennis

Exact score. As it is not difficult to guess from the name, putting money on the exact score means you are trying to accurately predict the final score of the match. It is very difficult to do this, so the odds placed on exact score bets are very high.

Other suggestions. Depending on the bookmaker’s office, the length of the rest of the line may include two or three positions, as well as several hundred original offers. Bets available could include betting on the result of one of the halves, whether one or both of the teams will score (Oz), The number of yellow and red cards, substitutions, fouls and offsides, the scored of the first goal and many, many other amusing options.

Pre-match analytics: what to look for when choosing a bet

There is no single answer about how to bet on football and how to guess the outcome of a match. However, it makes it much easier to have all of the necessary information before the start of the game. Pre-match analyses and analyses of football games are much easier to create than in singles sports like tennis, but that does not mean they should be treated lightly. No matter which sport you bet on, pre-match analyses should be an integral part of your predictions. It is even more important to know what specifically to look for in these analyses before your first bet.

The opponent’s current form. As with any other sport, the current forms of the teams should be the key factor influencing your bet. In order to assess the current form of a team, it is best to watch the last few matches they played. If that option is not available, try to the look at the numbers instead. Pay special attention to the teams last home game if they will play at home or the last away game if the game is away. Evaluate similar performances of the opponent. Watch the last three or four matches of the teams, read the official interviews of the coaching staff representatives and leading players.

History of face-to-face matchups. Naturally, the concept of an “unfamiliar opponent” in football is quite an uncommon one, and, therefore you should certainly read this information. It is common that after viewing the history of two teams’ previous confrontations, your prediction or outlook on a certain match can do a complete 180. Remember to pay special attention to the teams’ face-to-face meetings for both home and away matches.

Tournament position and motivation. Motivation is sports has always been the main factor for a team’s result, and football is no exception. This is especially true for tournament competitions, where a much better team who has already qualified can end up losing points to a smaller team trying to earn entry into the competition.

List of injured or disqualified. The main difference between football matches and singles sports is the need for pre-match analyses of the teams’ line-ups, or rather, losses suffered by these teams. Injuries, suspensions and illnesses should all be considered in your prediction.

Match referee. Despite this seeming like an unimportant factor, it would be foolish to ignore the refereeing style that will be seeing the game. It is important to compare the playing style of the teams (rough or clean) with the referee’s style or refereeing (tough or lenient). It often happens that some teams’ victories are difficult to predict due to their style not matching up with the referees. It is no secret that there are offensively minded teams and teams who prefer to defend. At the same time, there are referees who will give fouls for minimal contact, and referees who allow a fairly physical game. That is why, when placing a bet, it is important to consider the style of refereeing that will be supervising the game.

All of the above factors, coupled with personal experience, are taken into account by the forecasters of our site: they are not always right, but the reasoning and knowledge of these experts can help in selecting a correct outcome in football.


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