Soccer betting has over time experienced a whole lot of growth. At the advent of soccer betting, options to wager on were very limited. Currently, bookies are becoming conversant to the different outcomes that could be wagered on, hence creating room for newer options for the bettors’ satisfaction.
In this guide, we will be taking a walk through some of the popular types of betting featured in sportsbooks in recent times.
Win Bet
A win bet is the most long-serving kind of bet offered by sportsbooks. There was a time the only option available for soccer betting on sportsbooks was only restricted to Win bets. Win bets are quite straightforward.
You don’t have to be concerned with any other statistics asides from the outcome of the match. Interestingly, even with the flock of new options added to sportsbooks, bettors still have a preference for win bets.
With a winning bet, the bettor has to make themselves privy to the current form of the team to give themselves a better winning chance.
The odds for a winning bet are heavily dependent on the form of the individual teams. It’s only expected that the favorite team would have smaller odds compared to the underdog, as can be seen in the image below.
Handicap Betting
Handicap betting was designed by bookies to even the competition between a top-performing team and an underperforming team. Though handicap betting has been a staple amongst sportsbooks for a while now, bettors still struggle to understand it.
With handicap betting, the idea is that the bookie tries to create a level playing field between a stronger competitor and a weaker opponent by ensuring the former state with negative points like -1,-2,-3,-4. So, in this case, the favorite is presumptuously starting a goal(s) deficit and is required to win by a margin above the handicap to win the bet.
There are different types of handicap betting and we will be looking at the most popular ones below:
3-way Handicap Betting
Like the name implies, the options come with three options in one. With this option, players get the opportunity to bet on the handicap tie option.
For example a match between Brighton vs. Chelsea, the 3-way handicap margins could be offered below:
Brighton: +2
Draw/handicap tie: effectively -2
Chelsea: -2
A 1-0 final score would mean a loss for a bettor who backed Chelsea to win despite the handicap because the score-line would be 2-1. On the other hand, if you wagered on the handicap tie, you will still record a loss because you’d need the final score to be at least 0:1 or more for the bet to be valid. Also backing Chelsea to win will incur a loss too since they’d need to win by a two-goal margin for the bet to be valid.
No draw handicap betting
This option was created by bookies to eliminate the chances of a draw happening. Hence, there must be one winner.
So for example, let’s say Brighton is playing with Chelsea once again and Brighton is given a +0.5 handicap. What this means is that Brighton is already ahead, hence, let’s say the match ends in 1-1, and you backed Brighton, you’ve won your bet.
Asian Handicap
This is another handicap variation that has its root in Asia. It is quite similar to the other options discussed so far. However, the draw is eliminated for this one.
For example, let’s say you are betting on a match between Getafe and Granada and you bet on Getafe who are given -1 on the single handicap market against Granada.
In this case, you will only record a win, if Getafe wins by a 2 goal margin.
Totals/Over-Under
Asides the win bets, the over/under totals are one of the commonest bet types you can find around. It is also considered as one of the favorites by many simply because it is exclusive of the outcome of a game. The main concern here is the number of goals scored in that match.
Bookies have specific margins for their over/under total markets. The popular ones available on most sportsbook are: Over/under 0.5, over/under 1.5, over/under 2.5, over/under 3.5, over/under 4.5, over/under 5.5 and over/under 6.5.
If you are betting on over 0.5 totals for example, what this means is that for your bet to come through, there has to at least one goal in the match. On the other hand, Under 0.5 totals means that there has to be no goal in the match for the bet to come through. The option for over 0.5 is always very infinitesimal, simply because the chances of it happening are high. Elsewhere, the odds for under 0.5 is known to be higher because the chances of it coming through are way slimmer because matches rarely end in a goalless draw.
Props Bets/Specials
The introduction of specials has shown a different side to soccer betting that’s not been harnessed all these while. Soccer bets have opened the eyes of many bettors to other aspects of the game apart from the goals and win outcomes. Now, with exciting props like the shots on target and a whole lot others, sports betting has just gained a whole new perspective.
Outrights
Outrights are a particularly unique type of bet that’s totally based on the final outcome of a league or competition as opposed to individual games. The bets in this category take a longer time to get results and this explains why their odds are miles when compared to other types of bets that are based on individual games. With Outrights, you can bet on options like the winner of a competition, the highest goal-scorer in that competition or league, etc.
Parlays/Accumulators
Accumulators are simply a bet type that includes multiple selections of games. With this type of bet, you can carry as much options from different games as you’d like. This type of bet gets good reception from bettors because it is allows you to win massively with just little stake. A large statistic of people who win millions from soccer betting do so with Accumulators. The one downside of this type of bet is that since your bet is dependent on a large number of games going in your favour, the chances of losing are relatively higher.
Progressive Parlays
Progressive parlays are basically regular parlays with a distinction. This bet type also involves accumulating a number of games in a bet slip. However, it offers the bettor the chance to win and get some part of their winnings, even if all the games don’t win. Basically, the punter gets to set the margin of error in the betslip. In summary, the higher the margin of error set, the lower the payout becomes.
Full Cover Bets
Full cover bets is a type of bet similar to parlays that allows you cover all multiple combinations of important selections. In plain terms, when you bet full cover bets, you are trying to bet on several possibilities of an event, coupled with other events.
Let’s say you have a bet slip containing over 1.5 options of fifteen different matches, you could decide to add an option on one or two of the matches to help cushion the bets. So, if a Manchester United game is included in the Over 1.5 betslip, you can add Man United to win. In the event that Manchester United doesn’t play over 1.5 but wins regardless, your winnings would be calculated according to the selections that won.
One advantage about this type of bet is that it gives the bettor leverage. However, one glaring disadvantage about it is that the cumulative odds will end up being smaller.
Teasers and Pleasers
These types of bets are quite dicey and challenging but if done right could yield really reasonable returns for the bettor. In plain terms, teasers help you shift the spread or total in the bettors favour, while pleasers on the other hand move the spread in favour of the sportsbook. With pleasers, your potential winnings are relatively higher compared to the teasers and the reason is a no brainer.
If Bets and Reverse Bets
If bets can be very confusing but are not rocket science if one pays close attention to the specifics. One thing you need to know about if bet is that they are parlays or accumulators where the outcome of one wager determines if the others in the betslip will be placed.
How does If Bets work?
In your multiple selections, the first selection is expected to come through. If it comes through, your winnings are calculated whilst deducting the amount staked to place on the next bet in the selection. This goes on and on until it reaches a point where one game in the selection loses and the wager is cancelled entirely.
Reverse bets on the other hand are just a combination of if bets.
Correct Score
This is a rather difficult sports betting type that requires a great deal of accuracy to win the bet. It is harder to predict the final score line of a game compared to predicting the final amount of goals in a game. However, if the predictions are done right, the gains could be rewarding, given that correct score options have higher odds.
Double Chance
The double chance option is one popularly harnessed by bettors because it gives them soft landing. So their chances of winning are not dependent on one coming through but either of the two. Meaning, instead of expecting to win from a straight win game, you can wager on a double chance option that gives you a chance to win whether the team wins or draws. There are three variables of the Double chance option: Home win or Draw, Away win or draw and Home/Away wins.
1X2
This option encompasses three options. First is that the Home team will win (1). Second is that the match will end in a Draw (X). The last outcome here is that the Away team will win (2).
First Half Bets
This soccer betting category allows punters to bet on First Half markets as opposed to betting on the full-time market alone. The course of a match could change drastically after the First Half. A favorite might win in the First Half and draw after full-time. If the bettor had placed a bet on the favourite to win full-time, that’s a loss. It would have been avoided if the bettor had wagered on the favorite to win in the first half.
Interestingly, the first half markets are quite broad and are not restricted to win bets alone. Bettors can also try their hands on other outcomes like over/under, corner, still within the first half markets.
1st Goal
This type of bet is very straightforward. All the bettor should be concerned about here is the team that scores the 1st goal. So if you play a Home team to score the first goal in the game and that happens, your bet is valid.
Multigoal
Multigoal is like the Over option with a slight difference. The Multigoal option gives the bettor to wager on different goal margins and if the match you wagered ends within that margin, you’ve won your bet. The image below gives a sneak peek about how the Multigoal option is graded.
Corners
Corner betting involves all betting types that are specific to corners alone. In this case the final outcome of the match is the least concern. There are different corner bet types. Some of them include totals, Over/Under corners, Odd/Even corners, 1X/12/X2 corner, etc.
Cards
This is another unique bet type that specifically allows a bettor to take advantage of Card markets. In this case, one can bet on the range of cards a team could get, the overall number of cards in a match, to mention but a few.
FAQ
If a match is cancelled by a referee, the bookie counts that bet as void, therefore, your winnings after excluding the odds of that game will be calculated.
There is no one full-proof betting type that’s guaranteed to reel in profits. You just have to find what option or bet type works for you and devise a working strategy to help you record more winnings.
No, it doesn’t. For stuff like anytime goal-scorer, player not to score and many others, it won’t be valid. However, it is valid towards the final outcome of a game.
