The Complete Guide to Soccer Betting
Of all sports, soccer is probably the most popular. With events like the FIFA World Cup bringing countries from all over the world together to compete for the much-coveted trophy, the experience that comes with watching soccer games is nothing short of spectacular. Even better, fans can bet on their favourite teams and get lucky enough to win from them.
Soccer betting is pretty popular in most parts of the world. And thanks to the advancements in technology, you can bet on this sport from the comfort of your home. And the good thing is that getting started with soccer betting is nothing difficult. In fact, you can learn how it works in a few minutes and bet like a pro in no time.
New to soccer betting? This is the right article to read. We will discuss the legality of soccer betting, the different betting types available for the sport, common mistakes to avoid, and lots more. So sit down, relax, and digest this comprehensive soccer betting guide specially made for you.
Is Soccer Betting Safe & Legal
Soccer betting is a form of gambling, so punters should be aware of jurisdictional laws concerning gambling. Depending on where you are located, sports betting may be allowed as part of gambling. If that’s the case, you should be able to bet on soccer legally at a licenced online sportsbook like Sportsbet.io. But is it safe?
The outright answer is yes. When you bet on soccer at a top-rated online sports betting site, you can expect a safe gambling experience. This is because the operator must adhere to its license’s rules and regulations. If a sportsbook fails to comply with these rules, its licence can be revoked, and it may face huge charges and fines.
However, despite soccer betting being safe for punters of legal gambling age within their respective provinces or countries, it is worth pointing out that it is still gambling. As a result, you stand a chance to win, but you can also lose. Therefore, we always recommend that you bet with money you can afford to lose.
How Soccer Works
We want to believe that you know how soccer works as a sport. But for those who don’t, the sport is pretty straightforward. A typical soccer game is between two teams, each with 11 active players on the field simultaneously. The 11 players include the goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders, and attackers. A soccer, a round leather object, is used in the sport. The goal is for a team to score more goals than its opponent before the 90 minutes of play run out. To do this, teams must come up with strategies and kick the ball with their legs to score goals.
The 90 minutes of playing time are divided into two halves: the first half, 45 minutes, and the second half, another 45 minutes. Depending on the competition, a soccer game can go into a 30-minute overtime period (15 minutes in the first half and 15 minutes in the second half) if there is no winner after 90 minutes. A penalty shootout is used to determine the winner if the game remains a tie.
Most Common Soccer Betting Types
To bet on soccer, you must understand the different betting types and markets available. When you choose the best online sports betting site, like Sportsbet.io, you can access a wide range of betting markets. But what exactly are these markets? Simply put, these are the predictions you can wager money on in a soccer game. With that said, let’s look at a few of the most popular soccer betting markets.
Point Spreads
Also referred to as “handicaps,” point spread betting is pretty common in soccer betting, especially among professional punters. A spread is a negative or positive advantage given to a team, and the idea is usually to balance the odds out and give punters more options to wager on. To better understand how this option works, let’s use an example. Suppose Argentina is playing France in a FIFA World Cup competition. A sportsbook can offer Argentina a +2 handicap for the encounter. If you bet on Argentina to win with the handicap, your bet will win even if Argentina loses by a goal difference. If it’s a negative -2 spread, the team must score at least three goals to win.
Moneylines
Moneylines are available for almost every soccer event. It is one of the simplest betting options in soccer, which explains why it is popular among many punters. With Moneyline betting, you are wagering on the team to win a soccer matchup. There is also an option to bet the outcome of a soccer event to end as a draw. For instance, if the USA is playing against Croatia in an international friendly match, you can bet on the USA to win, Croatia to win, or the outcome to be a draw.
Over/Unders
Totals under/over is a soccer betting market where you bet on the total number of occurrences in a game. For instance, you can bet on the total number of goals to be scored in a soccer event to be under or over a specified value. So if you bet on the goals to be over 3.5, both teams must score at least 4 goals for your bet to win. In most cases, you can also place an under/over bet on just one team. For example, you can bet on the under/over booking points for one of the teams, and this option is usually available when you play at a top online bookmaker.
Draw No Bet
Draw No Bet (DNB) is a soccer betting option that is a bit similar to Moneyline. However, the idea behind this market is that you get your money back if the outcome ends in a tie. For instance, in an English Premier League game between Liverpool and Leicester City, you can bet on Liverpool to win DNB. If Liverpool wins, you get paid the winnings, while if the game ends in a tie, you only get your wagered amount back. However, if Liverpool loses the game, your bet loses.
Correct Scores
Like in most sports, you can bet on the correct score of a soccer event. This outcome offers high odds since it is pretty difficult to predict. Correct score betting is just as it sounds. You are betting on what the exact outcome of a game will be. However, if you are new to sports betting, you may want to start with easier markets and options.
Parlays
Also called accumulators, a parlay is a betting option, not a market. It simply means combining more than one event into a single betting slip. But why do that? With parlays, the odds of each event are multiplied, so it offers players a chance to win big. However, if one of the events on your betting slip loses, the bet also loses.
Futures
Futures betting is available in soccer, as it is in most other sports. It refers to betting on an outcome that will be settled much later. For instance, you can bet on the team that will win the World Cup right at the beginning of the competition. You can also bet on the player who will score the most goals in the UEFA Champions League. Because this bet will be decided much later in the future, the odds are usually higher, but predicting them is also trickier.
Prop Bets
Proposition bets are also an option in soccer betting, especially when you play at one of the best sports betting sites, like Sportsbet.io. With prop bets, you are betting on an outcome that has nothing to do with the final score of a soccer game. For instance, you can bet on the first team to score a goal, the player to have the highest booking points, and so on. However, it is worth pointing out that these betting markets are more advanced, which is why they are not common among rookie sports bettors.
Live/In-Game Betting
Generally, you can place two types of soccer bets—pre-match and live betting. With pre-match betting, you place your bets hours, days, or weeks before the match is played. This is inarguably more convenient, and you can enjoy higher odds for some soccer events when you place them earlier. However, one issue with pre-match betting is that it is impossible to factor in occurrences after you place your bet, which may affect the game’s outcome.
Live betting is entirely different. It refers to betting on an event that is currently in play. If you miss wagering on a game as a pre-match bet, you still have the option to bet on it when it is in play. With live betting, you can make decisions based on what is currently happening in the game, and you may even be able to take advantage of the fluctuating odds associated with this form of betting. Not just that, some special markets are usually available in live betting, such as the team that will score the next goal.
Most Common Soccer Betting Mistakes
Betting on soccer is fun, but there are a couple of common mistakes you must learn to avoid if you want to boost your chances of winning. The truth is that no guaranteed strategy can offer you a 100% winning rate. However, you need to learn how to avoid chasing losing streaks and look at the important factors that matter. This section will discuss some of the most common mistakes punters make in soccer betting, which you should avoid.
Picking Favourites
It is often easy to go with a favourite team in a soccer encounter, but this can be a grave mistake and lead to a losing streak. While it may make sense to want to follow your favourite team each time, it is critical that you do your own research and not just bet on a team because other people are. Similarly, we’ve seen cases where punters use emotion instead of logic when betting on soccer events. For instance, fans of a particular team may bet on their team even when it is obvious that they are the underdog. Such emotion can lead to chasing a losing streak, and you should always avoid it.
Not Setting up a Budget
Planning is essential if you want to succeed in anything. The same applies to soccer betting. The first thing you should plan on is setting the right betting budget. Take your time to think about the amount of money you can spare to bet on soccer within a period that won’t affect you even if you lose. Once you have a figure in mind, the next step is to split this amount into smaller chunks to allow you to cover more bets. Technically speaking, the more bets you place, the more likely one of them can win. Failure to set a budget and plan how you want to place your bet can make you chase a losing streak and lose yourself in gambling.
Not Playing at the Right Sportsbook
Truth be told, there are thousands of online sports betting sites out there. However, not all of these sites have the players’ best interests at heart. Also, the quality of service they offer differs from one to another. If you choose the wrong sportsbook, your soccer betting experience may be terrible, which can be disappointing. We’ve heard of cases where an online sports betting site carts away players’ winnings or blocks their accounts after making a deposit. To avoid this, always pick a top-rated and trusted betting site like Sportsbet.io. Consider factors like licensing, betting markets, soccer competitions and events covered, bonuses, and so on.
Boosting Your Chances of Winning Soccer Bets
We’ve discussed common mistakes you should avoid when betting on soccer. Now, let’s talk about the important factors to consider to boost your chances of winning soccer bets. But remember, no betting strategy offers a 100% winning rate.
Read the Statistics
Statistics are very important in soccer and can give you an insight into the best bet to place. So before you wager money on any soccer event, you should take your time to check the head-to-head information of both teams involved. If a team has a good history of winning an encounter against another team, there is a high chance that it may be able to pull off the same feat. Apart from the head-to-head statistics, you should also consider the current form of both teams. For example, a team in good form with a 5-game winning streak playing against another team with a 3-game losing streak may have a better winning chance.
Team News
While reading the statistics of a game can give you an insight into what may likely happen, it cannot tell whether a team will win or not. For this reason, you should also consider other factors, such as team news. If an important player on a soccer team is injured, such a team may struggle to perform well. The same occurs when players get transferred in or out or if there is a change in the coaching staff. Reading the team news of a soccer match informs you of what to expect in the game.
Fatigue
While some people may argue this, fatigue can also play an important role in determining the outcome of a soccer game. For instance, in club matches, we see some clubs play three or more games within a week, and they may also have to travel. This can contribute to stress and fatigue and lower their performance. This is why most coaches rotate their squad to help some players rest and recover for future games.
Rivalry
Derbies are always thrilling to watch since the soccer teams often share some history. The same goes for other rival teams. We’ve seen cases where a top team loses to an underdog because they are bitter rivals. So when placing a soccer bet, take into account the history and bad blood between both teams and use that information to determine the best outcomes to place the bet.
Importance of the Game
Some soccer games are more important to some teams than others. And this factor can also influence the outcome of a soccer encounter. For instance, if a team that has already won its local league has a UEFA Champions League encounter much later, it may decide to rest most of its important players in a local game in preparation for the encounter. This means that the team may struggle to win the local game, but it wouldn’t matter much since the game is unimportant to them. If you bet on such a game without enough details, even when the team is the favourite, there is no telling what may happen.
How to Bet on Soccer
Betting on soccer is pretty straightforward, but some basic steps are involved in getting started. The good news is that with online sportsbooks, you can bet on soccer anywhere and anytime, so long as you are in a location where sports betting is legal. Let’s take you through the different steps involved in betting on soccer.
Choose and Register with a Top Sportsbook
The first step in soccer betting is choosing a top sportsbook such as Sportsbet.io. You must ensure that the betting site you choose has a license to operate legally in your jurisdiction and offers overall top-notch service. Once you’ve decided on your preferred sports betting site, the next step is to create an account with it. This involves clicking a Sign-Up/Register button and filling out a registration form with required details like your name, email address, etc.
Fund Your Betting Account
Once you have an active account with a sportsbook of your choice, the next step is to fund the account. Thankfully, the best operators accept many betting markets and options, such as credit/debit cards, e-wallets, bank transfers, and cryptocurrencies. Click on the deposit button in your betting account, select your preferred deposit method, specify the amount you want to deposit and complete the payment.
Select the Soccer Event to Bet On
Next, go to the sports section of the betting site and select the soccer tab. You should see a list of all the available countries and soccer competitions to bet on, such as Major League Soccer, the English Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, and so on. After that, choose the competition or event you want to bet on. This should display the available markets and the corresponding odds. Fill your bet slip with your preferred selection according to your prediction.
Place Bet
Lastly, specify the type of bet you want to place: single, accumulators/parlays, or round robins. Once you do that, you can enter the amount you want to wager and submit the bet slip. You should see a notification to let you know if your bet has been placed successfully, and you can also check your bet history to see the slip.
FAQs
Is soccer betting legal?
Yes. If you live in a country or area where sports betting is legal, you can bet on soccer. However, you must be of legal gambling age according to your country’s gambling laws to gamble.
Can I win money betting on soccer?
Yes. You can win money betting on soccer if you bet real money and your prediction wins. However, note that if you bet using a bonus, you must fulfil the required wagering conditions before collecting your winnings.
Do soccer betting sites offer bonuses?
Yes, they do. Top betting sites like Sportsbet.io offer bonuses like welcome bonuses, free bets, cashback bonuses, and so on that can be used to bet on soccer.
What is the best bet to place in soccer?
It depends on your preferences as a punter. You can place bets on Moneylines, under/over, correct score, both teams to score, and so on.
Can I bet on live soccer games?
Yes. This is called live soccer betting, and it is available at most online sports betting sites.