Football Bets Explained
www.EuroFootballTrader.co.uk
If you are new to football betting, or have never previously bet on specialist markets such as, Corners, Bookings, Goal Times, Handicaps, etc., this guide gives you a detailed explanation of how all football bets work – and how you can cash-in.
Betting on Match Results
Full Time ResultTypical Odds Team A win 10/11 Draw 9/4 Team B win 3/1 Bet Guide
This is a straightforward bet on which team is going to win the match (or whether it will finish a draw). Teams playing at Home (always listed first) will normally be shorter odds favourites – unless the visiting Away team is very strong.
Double Chance
Typical Odds
Team A and the Draw 1/5 Team B and the Draw 5/6 Team A or Team B 2/7
Bet Guide
This bet gives you two chances to win out of the three possible outcomes. You can either back a team to win AND the match to be a Draw (so you only lose if your pick loses). Or if you can bet on both teams to win (so you only lose if the match ends a Draw). Because you are covering more options, the odds are shorter than on Match Results.
Draw No Bet Typical Odds Team A 4/11 Team B 2/1 Bet Guide
This is a straight win/lose bet – with the bet voided if the match is a Draw.
Handicap Result
Team A (minus 1) 5/2 Team B (plus 1) 13/5 Tie (Team B plus 1) 5/6
Bet Guide
Handicaps can create a betting opportunity when it wouldn't otherwise exist – either making two teams more even, or getting better odds on short-priced favourites. You will see handicap bets applied to Goals (see Asian Handicaps) and Corners - the team with a 'minus' handicap having to overcome their deficit in order to win the bet.
So, for example, if a top team were awarded a (minus 2) handicap against a lesser team – they would need to win the actual match by at least 3 Goals to win the bet: Bet: Team A (-2) v Team B
Actual result: Team A wins 1-0 = bet loses Actual result: Team A wins 2-0 = bet loses Actual result: Team A wins 3-0 = bet WINS
Asian Handicap (sample)
Team A (minus 0.5 Goals) 2.0* (Evens) Team B (plus 0.5 Goals) 1.73*
(8/11)
* Bookmakers often use decimal odds for Asian Handicaps
Bet Guide
This is a popular way of betting in the Far East (hence the name), offering a potentially better chance than straight forward Match Result bets.
Handicaps are awarded (in brackets) that the winning team must overcome. These handicaps can vary from match to match – and are sometimes shown in 'fractions' of Goals. Of course you can't have 0.5, or 1.5 of a Goal – it is simply a means to decide winning margins. Below is a list of example handicaps and their outcomes:
A team with a (-0.5) handicap must: Win the match by any score. Any other result and the bet is lost.
A team with a (-1) handicap must: Win the match by 2 Goals. By 1 Goal and the bet is void and stakes are returned. Any other result the bet is lost.
A team with a (-1.5) handicap must: Win by 2 Goals. Any other result and the bet is lost.
Split Handicaps
You may also see a 'split' Handicap, such as: (0, -0.5) – which splits the bet into two, for example:
- A team with a (0, -0.5) handicap must: Win the match by any score. If the
match is a Draw – half the stake is refunded, half is lost. Any other result and the bet is lost.
- A team with a (-1, 1.5) handicap must: Win by 2 Goals. Win by 1 Goal and half
the stake is returned, half lost. Any other result and it's a loser. And so on…
There are also 'plus' split handicaps. For example, a team may have a (0, +0.5) handicap. If they win the match, the bet wins. If they draw, half wins and half is returned (if they lose, the bet loses).
Half Time Result
Team A 6/4
Draw 6/5
Team B 7/2
Bet Guide
You can also bet on the outcome of just the First Half of a match – as you would a Match Result.
Half Time/Full Time
Team A – Team A 15/8 Team A – Draw 16/1 Team A – Team B 40/1 Draw – Team A 7/2 Draw – Draw 4/1 Draw – Team B 8/1 Team B – Team A 28/1 Team B – Draw 16/1 Team B – Team B 13/2 Bet Guide
This allows you to bet on the result at Half Time AND Full Time – twice as difficult as predicting the outright winner, but offering bigger odds.
Betting on Goals
Betting on Goals allows you to win money without having to predict who will actually win the match. The number of Goals produced per match is a much more reliable – and profitable – strategy than predicting who will score them.
The following Goals bets are available with most bookmakers…
Total Goals
Typical Odds
Under 2.5 Goals 10/11 Over 2.5 Goals Evens
Bet Guide
This is a straightforward bet on the match producing Under or Over 2.5 Goals in total during the game (both teams' totals added together). Of course, you cannot have 0.5 of a Goal – this simply means there has to be a definite outcome.
Matches with 2 goals or less means an Under 2.5 bet wins. Matches with 3 goals or more means an Over 2.5 wins.
So scores of 0-0, 1-0, 1-1 = Under 2.5 Goals. Scores of 2-1, 2-2, 3-1, 3-2 and so on = Over 2.5 Goals. Goals Brackets 0-1 Goals 15/8 2-3 Goals 15/8 4+ Goals 11/4 Bet Guide
This asks you to be more specific with your Goal predictions, paying out at better odds.
Correct Score Team A
Win Draw Team B Win
1-0 11/2 0-0 9/1 1-0 8/1 2-0 13/2 1-1 6/1 2-0 22/1 3-0 14/1 2-2 12/1 3-0 14/1 3-1 16/1 3-1 40/1 Etc Bet Guide
Here you're betting on the actual score of the match. This offers attractive odds, but can be very difficult to predict.
Half-Time Correct Score Team A
Win Draw Team B Win
1-0 11/4 0-0 8/5 1-0 5/1 2-0 9/1 1-1 7/1 2-0 22/1 2-1 18/1 2-1 25/1 3-0 40/1 3-0 50/1 3-1 80/1 Bet Guide
The same bet, but predicting the Half Time Correct Score.
Half with Most Goals
First Half 21/10 Second Half Evens
Tie 11/4
Bet Guide
This bet gives you the chance to pick which Half will have the most Goals in it (both teams’ Goals added together).
Clean Sheet
Team A to keep a Clean Sheet
(Team B not to Score)
4/5
Team B to keep a Clean Sheet (Team A not to Score)
11/5
Bet Guide
This bet is backing one team not to concede any goals.
To Win to Nil
Typical Odds
Team A to Win To Nil 4/5 Team B to Win To Nil 11/5
Bet Guide
You're betting on one team to win the match, and not concede a goal. For example: 1-0, 2-0, 3-0 etc…
First Team to Score
Team A 4/7
Team B 13/8
No Goals 9/1
Bet Guide
A straightforward bet on which team will score the first Goal in a match, with the option to cover No Goals.
*Tip*
This is often better odds than the Correct Score 0-0 – sometimes as much as 9/1, compared to 7 or even 6/1, for exactly the same bet.
Time of the First Goal Bet Guide
You can bet on what period of the match the First Goal will be scored (by either team). The most common market is Before/After 27 minutes.
But some bookmakers will let you bet on 10 minute blocks as well: 0-10
11-20 21-30
Etc, up to 90.
There is a greater element of lottery about these bets, but you will get bigger odds.
Shirt Numbers
Total (all scorers from
both teams) Odds
0-36 5/6
37 and over 5/6
Bet Guide
You can bet on the estimated total from adding up the shirt number of all the Goal Scorers, from both teams. So, if there are 3 Goals in a match scored by 3 separate players wearing the numbers: 7, 10 and 23. The total would be 7 + 10 + 25 = 24. If the player wearing number 10 had scored all 3 Goals, the total would be 10 + 10 + 10 = 30.
You might also see the following options…
Total (all scorers) Odds
Under 36 10/11
Over 36 4/5
Total (all scorers)
0-21 6/4
22-42 inclusive 11/5 43 or over 6/4
Bet Guide
The above examples let you bet on the bookmakers’ ‘middle’, or divides the options into tighter brackets. This offers slightly increased odds but restricts your betting options.
Goalscorer Bets
Player First Last Anytime
Player from Team A (most
likely) 11/2 11/2 6/4 Player from Team B (most
likely) 11/2 11/2 6/4 Player from Team A 6/1 6/1 13/8 Player from Team B 13/2 13/2 7/4 Etc, down to…
Player from Team A (most
unlikely) 50/1 50/1 14/1 Player from B (most
unlikely) 50/1 50/1 14/1
No Scorer 9/1
Bet Guide
Bookmakers will allow you to bet on any player from either team to score either: 1. the First Goal in the game
2. the Last Goal in the game
3. to score at Anytime during the game
The First and Last scorer bets are more difficult to predict, but offer bigger odds. Some bookmakers will offer Each-Way odds on First Goalscorer bets, paying out a fraction (usually 1/3 or 1/4 of the odds) if your pick is the second or third scorer.
Scorecast
First Scorer Result Odds
Player A 1-0 to Team A 16/1 Player B 1-0 to Team B 18/1 Player A 2-0 to Team A 20/1 Player B 2-0 to Team B 22/1 Etc… Bet Guide
This is essentially a combination of a Correct Score bet and First Goalscorer bet -placed as a 'double'. You can choose any score and any player, but both must be correct to land a winner. A very popular but difficult bet to land, can pay out at
very big odds.
Betting on Corners
To some people, betting on Corners might sound risky. But in fact there are good grounds for saying that it’s a safer option than many other football markets. Bookmakers’ research is often nowhere near as thorough as it should be. Sometimes using odds templates based on teams’ Match Result performance – totally inaccurate for predicting any other aspect of the match.
The following Corners bets are available with most bookmakers…
Total Corners
Under 10 Evens
Over 10 Evens
Exactly 10 15/2
Bet Guide
This is the most straightforward of the Corners bets that bookmakers offer - simply whether the match will have more or less than 11 Corners in total (including both teams' totals). You'll usually find 11 is the most common marker, but sometimes 10.5 and even 10 on occasion.
First Half Corners
Under 5 5/4
Over 5 Evens
Exactly 5 9/2
Bet Guide
This is the same bet as a Total Corners bet, but settled at Half Time (with the lower total of 5 Corners being the marker).
Corner Handicap (sample)
Team A (minus 2) 5/4 Team B (plus 2) 5/6 Tie (Team B plus 2) 13/2
Bet Guide
It is possible to bet on which team will win the most Corners – taking into account a plus or minus handicap. The size of the handicap is determined by the bookmakers and will change for every game.
The team with a 'minus' handicap having to overcome their deficit in order to win the bet.
So, for example, if a top team were awarded a (minus 2) handicap – they would need to win at least 3 Corners more than their opponents to win the bet… Bet: Team A (-2) v Team B
Actual result: Team A wins 6 Corners, Team B wins 5 = bet loses Actual result: Team A wins 7 Corners, Team B wins 5 = bet loses Actual result: Team A wins 8 Corners, Team B wins 5 = bet WINS
First/ Last Match Corner
Team A 4/6
Team B 11/10
Bet Guide
You can also bet on which team will be awarded the First Corner, and the Last Corner in a match (these are two separate bets) – but this can be something of a lottery.
Multi-Corners
Total (First half total x second half total)
Under 28 4/5
Over 28 10/11
Exactly 28 33/1
Bet Guide
Multi-Corners are available in Fixed Odds and Spread Betting versions. Totals are calculated by multiplying the number of first half Corners by the number of second half Corner (in total, from both sides).
So if there are 4 Corners in the first half and 8 in the second, the total would be: 4 x 8 = 32.
You might also see Multi-Corners bets available per team.
In the Spread Betting version (not available with regular bookmakers) profits/ losses are open ended. You will choose a stake per 'point' – and your profit/ losses are based on two things:
A. whether your bet won or lost
B. the margin between your bet and the actual result.
So, using the above example, if you bet 'Over 28' for £5 per point – A, your bet is a winner, and B, you profits are calculated on the margin between your bet (at 28) and the final result of 32: 32 – 28 = 4 x your stake of £5 per point (= £20).
If you had bet 'Under 28' – A, your bet is a loser. And B, your losses are calculated on the margin between your bet and the final result: 32 – 28 = 4 x your stake of £5 (= £20).
X-Corners
Total (Home team total x Away team total)
Under 33 4/5
Over 33 10/11
Exactly 33 33/1
Bet Guide
X-Corners are also available in both Fixed Odds and Spread Betting versions. Totals are calculated by multiplying the number of Corners won by the Home team, by the number of Corners won by the Away team.
So if the Home team won 7 Corners and the Away team won 5, the total is: 7 x 5 = 35.
The Spread Betting version works in the same way as Multi-Corners. You need to choose Under or Over, then decide on your stake – bearing in mind that your potential profits/ losses will be calculated on the margin between your bet and the actual total.
Betting on Bookings
In the same way that betting on Corners makes good sense, betting on
Cards/Bookings Points can be a reliable money maker - because success often relies on the 'character' of a team, which often remains constant whether they win or lose.
Aggressive teams pick up lots of Bookings, regardless of form. This gives Booking Points/ Cards bets a degree of 'shock-proof' reliability – and that should be music to every bettor's ears.
Note: Most bookmakers use the same 'points' system for Bookings: Yellow Card = 10 points
Red Card = 25 points
2 Yellows resulting in an automatic Red = 35 points
Alternatively, Bet365 bet on 'Cards' – using the following distinction… Yellow Card = 1 card
Red Card = 2 cards
Total Booking Points
Under 35 5/6
(Exactly 35 6/1)
Bet Guide
This is a bet on the total number of Bookings Points accumulated by both teams. The marker will generally vary between 30 and 50. This is a straightforward bet on the total being Under or Over that marker.
You might also see…
Under 21 11/5
21 – 45 2/1
Over 46 11/10
Bet Guide
Some bookies prefer to provide three 'bands' – restricting the options, but offering better odds.
There are five ways that you can win with this middle banding (21-45), if the total value of cards comes to any of the following: 25, 30, 35, 40, or 45.
And there are six card combinations that could produce those five totals… 1 Red = 25
3 Yellows = 30
1 Yellow/Yellow Red = 35 1 Red and 1 Yellow – 35 4 Yellows = 40
2 Yellows and 1 Red = 45
Alternatively, some bookmakers will offer markets on Cards…
Number of Cards in a Match
Under 3.5 5/6
Over 3.5 5/6
Bet Guide
Some bookmakers bet on purely the number of Cards – including both Yellow and Red. The marker will usually be set around 3.5 – 5.5 Cards and you can bet Under or Over that marker. (Of course, there is no such thing as 0.5 of a card, this simply means all bets have to go Under or Over.
First Card
Team A 21/20
Team B 4/5
No Cards 12/1
Like Corners and Goals, you can bet on which team will get the First Card (Yellow or Red).
Booking Match Bet – who will get the most Cards
Team A 5/6
Team B 8/11
(Tie 4/1)
Bet Guide
You're betting on which team will get the most Cards/Bookings Points.
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If you're looking to cash-in on the widest possible range of bets and to get the best value prices, it pays to have accounts with more than one bookie - so you can shop around.
Visit our Recommended Bookies page to find out which bookmakers you should have an account with.
Yours in Sport, Matt Nesbitt
