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Football Betting Strategy Guide – How to Bet on Football and Win
A sustainable football betting strategy should focus on making long-term profits. Whether it is BTTS, Bet Builders, cards, or corners, you can combine several smaller strategies for football or simply focus on one or two basic types. In this guide, we cover multiple strategies that could enhance your chances of winning your bets.
General Football Betting Strategies That Work
There’s no such thing as a single best football betting strategy for every bet, as too many variables are involved. Furthermore, it’s not a good idea to apply a one-size-fits-all approach to football betting. But when wagering on the best betting sites, these general strategies for football bets are a good place to start.
Research and Analysis
With free and instant access to players’ scoring records, stats on form, team news, and tactical setups, researching football bets has never been easier. Even with some basic analysis, you can identify value bets from football odds and markets that others might not.
Of course, building a successful football betting strategy requires an understanding of odds and markets. Whether you are betting on the Premier League or the MLS, match what you think happens on the field with compatible bets. As informed bettors, it’s always crucial to leverage such information before wagering.
Take Advantage Football Betting Promotions
While football free bets can be a great way to boost your potential profits, they can’t be relied on for long-term success. Other football betting promotions at top bookies, however, can be suitable for a more stake-minded betting approach. When learning how to bet on football, look for ones that are ongoing and offered routinely.
You can get your single bet stake back as a free bet if a player is sent off before halftime, for example. Other offers include Acca insurance, first-goal scorer insurance, and promos that pay out your entire bet if your team goes 1 or 2 goals up. These betting promotions can be excellent once used correctly.
Value Betting
This basic strategy involves looking for bets that pay better than they probably should. In other words, identifying bookie odds that are higher than the implied probability of the event occurring. For example, Manchester City may be priced at 6/4 at one bookie to beat an injury-plagued Real Madrid, despite being 1/1 on football betting sites elsewhere.
Value betting is one of the more popular football betting systems that work. But it can sometimes be time-consuming. You must compare odds across multiple sites and have reliable knowledge of the event you’re betting on. Without this, you lack the information required to identify perceived discrepancies in betting markets.
Best Football Betting Systems for Accumulators
Accas, or football accumulator bets as they are more commonly known, allow you to combine multiple selections into one large bet. While there is potential for large returns from accas with small stake sizes, they are high-risk football bets. You must win all selections, such as in the following example, to be paid out.
| Match | Selection | Bet Result |
| Chelsea vs Arsenal | Chelsea to Win (5/4) | Win |
| Sheffield United vs QPR | QPR to Win (2/1) | Loss |
| Barcelona vs Real Madrid | Real Madrid to Win (11/10) | Win |
| Newcastle vs Liverpool | Draw (5/2) | Win |
| Man Utd vs Ipswich | Man Utd to Win (2/5) | Win |
It takes just one result to ruin what could be a huge payout. So, to give yourself a better chance of winning your accas success with accumulators, look at varying your betting activity with markets you include.
- Diversify Selections – Consider a Both Teams to Score (BTTS) bet with a 1×2 betting market selection. Diversifying bet types may reduce risk when compared to choosing results in a five-fold acca, for instance.
- Play it Safer – Instead of making several outlandish selections at high odds on football teams from unfamiliar leagues, look to smaller, smarter bets with less risk. Combined, all selections can make for a solid bet with a decent payout when using the simplest football betting system.
- Cash Out and Hedging/Laying – If you’re relying on one final result bagging you an accumulator win, be sensible and check the cash out price offered before the game starts. If this isn’t possible, consider hedging or laying your bet at a betting exchange to guarantee a profit either way.
Best Betting Strategy for Football Bet Builders
We love that Bet Builders allow you to create a customised wager by combining several selections from the same event. Like accumulators, the odds can be significant but it’s tough to predict so many different outcomes. However, you can apply strategy to increase the chances of winning Bet Builders at online sports betting sites.
Here are some strategies for Bet Builders that you can apply to help you get the results you’re looking for.
- Informed Bets Only – You should be able to apply knowledge and consistent analysis to the selections you make. Consider team selection, formation and strategies, and the likeliest outcome from a clash of strategies.
- Consistency in Selections – The smart approach to creating Bet Builders is to combine well-researched markets that complement each other. For instance, a win, over 3.5 goals, and similar bets for free-scoring Liverpool to beat Man Utd.
- Look for Value in Each Selection – You may find more attractive odds in Both Teams to Score (BTTS), over/under goals, or cards. Or maybe there’s more juice in the number of goals or corners won by one team.
Just like accas, if you are relying on one win for all selections to pay out, consider cash out or heading options. The same applies if you sense the overall flow of the game may negatively affect the different outcomes chosen in your Bet Builder.
Effective Football Corner Betting Strategy
Although one of our favourite niche markets, you should approach football betting on corners cautiously. One certainly requires a decent understanding of the tactical side of football to consistently win these wagers. Before we get to our strategy tips for betting on corners, here’s what to consider.
| Factor | How It May Affect the Volume of Corners |
| The Role of Team Tactics | Teams set up for wide/wing play, or use attacking full-backs, tend to win more corners. More crosses and attacking runs from the flanks may lead to more corners. |
| Long Range & Set Piece Specialists | The number of corners in a match can be affected by dead ball specialists and even players with a tendency to shoot on sight/from outside the box. |
| Injuries | Sides lacking key attacking players may not get as many shots away, leading to a reduction in expected corners. Meanwhile, injuries to key defenders may lead to an uptick in volume. |
| Specific Player Tendencies | Keep an eye on goalkeepers who aren’t confident or dominant in the air. Some defenders may also concede more corners with conservative play. |
| What Do the Stats Say? | There is scope to predict a ballpark number of corners based on stats and data. Recent head-to-heads, for example, may be worth examining. |
The first part of your corner strategy in football betting is to tackle the factors above. Then, use these tips to back your bets with knowledge.
- Target Teams with High Corner Counts – There’s plenty of free data available on this throughout the season. You can find Premier League corner stats per game, for instance, which may help you make more informed betting decisions.
- Consider In-Play Corners – Betting live gives you a chance to feel the game out before placing your wagers. This can be beneficial in games that are tougher to predict before kickoff.
- Look for High Stakes Opportunities – Always back for more corners when teams adopt an all-out attacking strategy. More shots on goal can often translate to more corners.
Remember, although your football corner betting strategy must be relative to the match you are betting on, stats and data from other games can be useful. Also, it can be counterproductive to go too far back into history as dynamics change with player changes/squad turnover. this is another thing to keep in mind.
Best Strategy for Football Betting on Cards
Betting on cards means making predictions for the number of bookings shown to teams or even to players. You can also fund specialised markets that focus on when cards will be shown, or which half will see more given. Bookies continue to offer odds and prices that can be appealing.
Building a successful football betting strategy for cards begins with identifying trends. For instance, the disciplinary record of both sides and how that may affect a match between two sides. Here are three tips to get you started.
- Examine Disciplinary Records – Look over both team and players’ records for yellow and reds and combine them to create an average. Recent form is more important, so exclude bygone records that aren’t reflective of modern times.
- Context of the Game – Derby games like Celtic vs Rangers or Boca Juniors vs River Plate are always heated affairs that produce above-average card counts. On the contrary, friendlies or Europa League games with less at stake often have fewer.
- Factor in the Variables – You must always account for dirty players, whistle-happy refs, divers that draw fouls, and other points of concern. Also, look at a more physical approach from lower-league teams in the likes of FA Cup games or friendlies during the international break.
It’s a simple fact that some players’ styles and temperaments can lead to increased card counts. But not always – the stakes of a match often play a big part in team discipline. Also, aggressive tactics can lead to more cards when smaller teams try to unsettle those of a higher standard.
Handicap Football Betting Strategy That Works
Some bettors prefer handicap betting when there is a sizeable gulf in quality between two teams. The majority of bettors will pass on 1×2 football betting markets with poor odds for the favourite, and instead look to handicaps. Bookies offer odds to account for this and even the playing field, applying virtual goal advantage to the underdog and a handicap to the favourite.
European handicaps aren’t always straight forward but most punters typically pick one team or the other. This is despite the three-way result – with either of the football teams winning or a draw – being a possibility. Use these football betting strategy tips for handicaps to cast your net wider.
- Consider Asian Handicap Odds – The chance of a draw is eliminated in Asian handicaps, which reduces risk significantly. Instead of losing your bet in the case of a (European) handicap draw, stakes are often returned (push) for this bet type.
- Identify Underdogs with an Advantage – Sports betting sites don’t always get it right with football bets and that means there’s scope to find better odds. Find underdogs in cup competitions that might exceed bookies’ expectations.
- Size Up Different Handicap Prices – Instead of backing the price boost odds for a one-goal handicap, look to the markets likely to draw less interest. You may find more value in 2, 3, or even 4-goal handicaps. Just make sure you can rationalise why the bet can work.
Another popular strategy for handicap betting is to take early odds. For example, Arsenal is scheduled to play a weaker team like Blackburn Rovers in a domestic cup tie. But they have a huge match against Manchester City two days later. Logic says they’ll field a weaker team, so you can take advantage of this before teams are named.
Effective Football Correct Score Betting Strategy
We’d love to say it’s easy to win consistently when betting on the correct score of football matches. Although the nature of the bet is simple – predict the score and put your money on it – it can be challenging to regularly get right. With that in mind, here are some football correct score betting strategy tips to think about.
| Strategy | How it Works |
| Size Up Attack and Defence | Study attacking and defensive records to paint a picture of how the match might go. Hot-form attackers and measly defences can often cancel each other out. |
| Factor in Head-to-Head History | Analyse previous, recent matchups between sides for insight into any potential trends you can work with. Some patterns will repeat in certain games. |
| Aim for Group Score Betting Markets | Instead of backing Liverpool to beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-0, look for good group score odds that pay out if they win 3-1 or 3-2 as well. |
Always consider data that can help you paint a better picture of what the final score may be. For example, goal and result stats for La Liga are free to read. They are perfect for digging into when you want to try your hand at this market. Beef up your strategy with logic, such as backing lower scores. You can do this in matches in the Champions League or World Cup finals.
In-Play Football Betting Strategy That Works
Most bookies these days offer live football betting odds, which allow you to pick bets during the match. These can provide a whole new dynamic when it comes to wagering on football. Especially when used alongside football betting offers and promos.
Hedging bets placed prematch is among the most popular strategies for in-play football betting. Napoli may be getting getting the better of Aston Villa in their European tie, for example. You could back the Italian side to win by hedging or dutching. Ultimately, this can offset losses on the likes of single or acca bets.
Everyone knows winter football in the UK is unpredictable in harsh conditions. For example, heavy rain (or even snow) can limit attacking football and lead to bore draws. Bookies and punters often change betting patterns in anticipation of poor weather. Now, this can create good opportunities for live betting if you are on the ball.
Finally, perhaps the best live football betting strategy available, at least in some cases, is to refrain from prematch bets entirely. In cases where you can’t separate two teams, you can instead wait for the match to unfold. This will give you a better sense of the team likeliest to win. Furthermore, you may also find goal scorer or card betting opportunities.
FAQs
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