The number of football matches being played has increased exponentially over the last few years, which may have upset the likes of Jurgen Klopp, but for the rest of us, it is music to our ears. The sport is popular on the international stage, with audiences all around the globe, and you can quite literally bet on any football game at any time of the year given that every league is covered, from the Premier League to the top flight in Japan.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that football gambling is one of the world’s favourite pastimes nowadays. But what is it all about and how exactly does football betting work? We’ll walk you through everything you need to know: here’s football betting explained.
Football betting match odds
Before you get started, it’s crucial you get the hang of some key terms that are often used when placing a bet on football games.
In terms of how football betting odds work, firstly, there are match odds, which are the prices given to both teams prior to a match kicking off. So let’s say, Liverpool are playing Everton, for example, we can say that the Reds will be at match odds of 4/6 to win whilst Everton will be at 3/1 and a draw is staked at 5/1. This means that Jurgen Klopp’s men are the favourites to win with Everton’s match odds suggesting that they will have to battle to beat Liverpool.
Draws always provide good value, as you can see with the odds that have been used as an example, but the best way to bet on football is to read the latest betting predictions before deciding to commit to a bet on a draw, as they are the least likely result.
How to bet in-play football
Football betting in-play is one of the most popular betting markets out there given how much flexibility live betting gives punters. In essence, in-play football betting lets you monitor developments in a match before deciding what to bet on. This helps a lot when an upcoming fixture is too close to call with both teams looking likely to cancel each other out. With in-play betting, you are able to see how the game develops before choosing what to bet on.
So if one team makes a barnstorming start to the game and you feel that they will win, then you can make an informed bet by heading to the in-play match odds and selecting them to come out on top. You can all of a sudden see why this is such a popular market as it gives you a chance to sample a piece of the action before betting.
Promotion football betting
Promotion is one of the most nerve wrecking aspects of football betting given how exciting the race for promotion is. Indeed, the desperate contest over nine months and four seasons to get promoted are always full of twists and turns, making this one of the most exciting football betting markets to use.
In fact, one of the best football bets to make is picking a winner for promotion before the season has started given how much value can be found in the promotion markets.
Naturally, betting on the tipped football favourites before the season gets underway is a wise practice, but it’s the teams that are priced as outsiders that come out of nowhere to get promoted that represent the best chance to return a healthy profit.
There’s always one team that surprises everyone but it’s not as speculative as you may think: the promotion betting tips will always list a few dark horses. Now, combine that expert opinion with your summer surveillance of all the teams during the preseason and you could stand to win big when the 40/1 outsiders get promoted.
Relegation football betting
Relegation is just as pulsating as promotion but in this instance, you are betting on who will finish at the bottom of the table seeing of the team being demoted from the league they are in, usually these are the teams that finish in the last three places in the league. The relegation odds before the season gets underway also offer a very respectable value, but it’s up to you to decide who the sinking ship in the league is.
A handy tip is to look out for cash strapped clubs and owners who are prone to firing their managers as that is the perfect storm for relegation when making your decision. Once you have, there is of course a certain element of schadenfreude that accompanies your viewing for the season as you hope these teams will lose every week in order to achieve a handsome return, come the end of the season.
Is football betting worth it?
Football betting is certainly worth it as long as you have an understanding of the beautiful game and a limit to what you want to spend. If you can answer yes to both then undoubtedly, there is a lot of satisfaction to be made from football betting. A helpful tip – if you support a certain club of football, try and steer clear from betting on them as you would be emotionally attached to that team and your judgment might be clouded.
What are the best football bets to make?
The best football bets to make are the ones where you have put the time in and understand the risks and rewards that your bet carries. Ideally, the best football bets to make will involve you betting on a team or league that you have a decent amount of knowledge about. Following this blueprint will mean that your chances of winning are a lot higher as opposed to betting on a league half the world away for a midnight kick-off.
Rather, focus on the leagues you watch regularly and soak up the information that you get from doing that. Once you’re armed with all the facts and probabilities, your chances of winning a football bet will dramatically increase.