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Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world. And it’s no wonder why soccer bets are one of the most voluminous in most betting sites.
A lot of punters make money out of soccer bets mainly because they don’t run out of matches or markets to bet on. Some are well equipped to make their own bets because of experience and their familiarity with the sport of soccer.
If you want to start betting on soccer but don’t know where or how to start, then we have you covered. Just read on as we discuss the basics of soccer betting for your consumption.
Types of Bet
The 1X2 bet is the most common bet in soccer as it is in other sports. Don’t be fooled by it’s name, It’s just betting on which team wins a particular match or it’s the moneyline bets in other sports like basketball, baseball and football. In soccer terms, 1X2 is simply betting on whether the home team wins (1), the match ends in a draw (X) or the away team wins (2). The only difference between the 1X2 and the moneyline bet in other sports is the “X” because in soccer, standard matches that end in a tie score at the end of regulation period are ruled a draw unlike in basketball or baseball where there are extra periods or innings.
Handicap betting is similar to 1X2 because you have to pick which side you want to bet on. However, the difference is that in this bet a goal or goals handicap is added to level the playing field. The betting favorite in the 1X2 market is given a negative goals handicap while the betting underdog is given a positive handicap advantage. In other sports, this is known as the spread bet ( in basketball or football) or the runline bet ( in baseball). Because soccer is a low-scoring sport unlike basketball, American Football or baseball, the handicaps in this game are generally lower so don’t be surprised if a heavy underdog is just a +2 goals against a big favorite. In order for the handicap bet to win, the team with the negative handicap must defeat its opponent by a winning margin larger than its negative handicap.On the other hand, a bet on the team with a positive handicap wins if that team wins the match outright or if they lose the match by a margin smaller than their positive handicap.
Totals betting is betting on whether the total combined goals scored by two teams in a give match will be over or under the total number of goals set by the betmaker. This is a type of bet that is not related to who wins the match. Rather, it’s dependent on how prolific or not the teams are in putting the ball through the nets. This bet is also found in other sports and it’s absolutely the same. In totals betting, there are instances when the total set by the oddsmaker is a whole number or one with a .5. When the total set is a whole number, there is a possibility that you bet neither wins nor loses. This is called a push when the actual score total is the same as the betting totals. If there is a fraction or a .5, then there is going to be no push because there will always be a winner and loser under this bet. There is a modification of this bet as some bet makers also put first half totals instead of the full-time score totals.
Prop Bets are also bets that aren’t dependent on the winner of a particular match. These are proposition bets where the betmaker proposes a certain bet not related to the outcome of a game. For example, the betmaker makes a bet on which player scores the first goal of the match or the first goal for a particular team. There are also bets that ask questions related to the game like how many corners will be awarded or how many free kicks will be given to a particular team or both teams. Prop bets usually pop out during big tournaments and big games like the World Cup or the UEFA Champions League and the likes. So for example when the World Cup comes, expect plenty of proposition bets to come out.
Futures betting happens when the betmaker makes a bet on who wins a future event, game or tournament. For example, months before the World Cup, the bookmakers will come up with a market on which team is going to win that particular World Cup. There are also futures bets on who wins Footballer of the Year and other individual awards that will be given during a big tournament.
Once you get used to the different types of soccer bets, then you may want to graduate from pre-game betting to live-game betting. Under this type of betting, the bets work the same way except that you can make these bets while the match or matches are underway, hence live betting.
Developing A Strategy
If you are to make money in soccer betting, then you must learn the basics of the game and then know how to read the various factors surrounding a game. For instance, you need to do some research on what form the teams are in. You can do this by taking a look at a team’s previous results and comparing them with that of their opponents. Likewise, head to head meetings may be important because there are teams who play better against a particular team as compared to another. Injuries also affect the outcome of the game hence it is also important to know if the team has players in the injured list.
There is a saying that goes “Styles make fights” and that doesn’t just apply to boxing or the fight game. Teams have different playing styles and preferences and it’s important to know that some styles work well with a particular opposing style than others. This needs some reading too and while you think it’s difficult, you’ll get the hang of it once you’re used to it.
Although there is no guarantee that it’s going to be absolute, using past performances and statistics are helpful because you can gauge how good or bad a team is. Head to head stats are also crucial as they show you an idea of how two teams have performed against each other, historically.
It’s always easy and convenient to just read some expert’s analysis and go with that tipster’s bet but remember that it’s always better to make your own conclusions and just use the tipster for reference or comparison. Like in any sports bet, there is no such thing as a sure bet in soccer. Learning how to handicap matches and coming up with your own bets takes time but it’s going to be worthwhile in the long run.
