Bet Types
Whilst most football bettors know the main types of bets that are available, there are so many bets that it is easy to neglect those that are not familiar. For newcomers, learning about the bets may seem daunting at first, but once the different types of bets are explained they are actually very easy to understand.
There are main bets that can be found on almost all matches and a good number of bets that are more advanced and may appear for matches played in the top tier domestic leagues or top international competitions.
Moneyline
This is one of the most commonly placed bets amongst football punters. It is a bet on the full time result of the match and punters can place their money on either team or on the match to finish in a draw at the end of 90 minutes. Odds will be offered on all three of the possible outcomes and it will be easy to spot which team is the favourite as they will have the shortest odds.
Spreads
If the odds offered on the favourite are too short, then spread bets are a good option. Here the favourite team is given a goal handicap, such as -1.5, and in that case they will have to win the game by at least 2 goals for the bet to win. The spread will lengthen the odds on the favourite, making it more worthwhile for the punter. The bet can also work for the bettors who want to place a bet on the underdog. If a +1.5 spread is placed, then anyone who places the bet will win if the team wins or loses by no more than 1 goal. The odds will be shorter, but the risk is reduced considerably.
Usually there will be a range of spreads, with values such as 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and so on, on offer. The odds offered on each team for the different spreads will represent how easy or difficult it is for the bet to win. Most punters like to use spreads because they can pick whether they want to place a riskier bet with longer odds, or a safer bet with reduced odds. These bets are definitely worth looking through if the bets offered in the match winner category do not have odds that are long enough or carry too much risk.
Totals
Totals are bets on how many goals will be scored during a game. They do not directly relate to which team will win, which is a great alternative bet when two teams are evenly matched and it is difficult to predict a winner, or it can be placed in addition to one of the bets mentioned above.
A value will be presented for the total bet such as 3.5 goals (which is known as the betting line), and there will be a bet for the game to end with over that value or under that value. This bet is on the combined score of both teams, meaning that if the match finishes 3-1 then those who bet over will have won.
In the same way as the spreads have multiple options, the totals also will have a range of bets that punters can pick from. Totals bets may have options for punters to bet on games that finish goalless or with one goal, all the way to games to finish with over 5, 6 or 7 goals. The odds for games to finish goalless between top teams will be long, as this seldom happens. The odds on games to finish with 5, 6, 7 or more goals will also be long, with increasingly longer odds.
Many More Bets
The games that are played in the top divisions such as the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga and so on, will offer many more bets for each game. There are bets that may be a combination of one of the main bets with other criteria to happen in the match or they may be completely different.
Double chance offers punters the chance to bet on two of the three different possible outcomes. Instead of betting on one of the teams to win or for the match to end in a draw, the double chance offers a bet on the home team to win or draw, the away team to win or draw, and the home team to win or the away team to win.
Halves/periods split a game into two halves, or with periods into segments of the game such as the 30 minute mark or 60 minute mark of a game. Bettors can place bets on which team will win the first half or 30 minute segment of a game, or whether the segment will be a draw.
Correct score prediction is difficult but the bookie knows this, which is why there are some incredible odds offered for punters who try this bet. The correct score bet can be specified by the punter and odds will be offered on their prediction.
There are many more bets that may focus on different aspects of the match, such as how many corners will there be, how many yellow cards, will both teams score, will one team keep a clean sheet, and more. These bets are easy to understand and they can be placed in parlays alongside one or more of the main bets, as long as they are not contradictory.
Some bets will sound more advanced but once explained they are easy to understand. Bets such as reverse the play, 3 goal sequence and correct result, first goal (interval 15 minute) and more, may be confusing to read at first but they are quite simple when broken down.
Reverse the play bets are on whether one team will be able to take the lead after going behind in the game. There are bets on whether either of the teams will be able to reverse the play, whether the home team will be able to reverse the play, and whether the away team will be able to reverse the play.
The 3 goals sequence and correct result are similar to the correct score bets, only here the punters will need to bet on the correct order of the goals scored.
The first goal (interval 15 minutes) is a bet on when the scoring will open during a game, with options to bet on every 15 minute interval in the match. Punters can bet on the scoring to open in minutes 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60, 61-75 or 76-90.
How to Research Bets
Betting on football can be great fun for fans who want to make specific predictions and enjoy watching the game, but for those who want to try to win consistently, there is a lot of statistical information that can be referred to prior to placing a bet.
There are factors such as the form of both teams, their most recent head to head clashes, which team has home advantage, are there any injured players in either of the squads and more information that can affect a game. Another factor to look out for are the head to head results between the two managers, as quite often managers will try to create a psychological advantage over the other manager.
While it is impossible to place a bet that is guaranteed to win, the more research you are able to carry out and the more carefully you choose your bets, the better your chances will be.