Football Betting Guides

Football is the most popular sport for betting in the world, and it is important to know all the key features of the various betting markets available.

On this page, we’ll provide you with lots of information related to football betting so you can be well informed and avoid any confusion surrounding the markets.

Betting On Football


Most online betting sites have thousands of different football matches to bet on every single week. The majority of sportsbooks make finding a particular match or market a quick and easy process, so you can easily find the match you want to bet on.

It is easy to find a betting site offering a good range of markets on the vast majority of major leagues and tournaments from around the world, and you can bet on anything from simple single bets, such as the outcome of a particular match, to combination bets or accumulators, where you add multiple bets that can cover different matches (and different markets) on the same bet slip.

Most reputable betting sites these days will offer hundreds of different betting markets on a football match. Read on to find out about some of the most popular and frequently used popular bet types when it comes to football betting….

Match Betting


The most common type of football bet is the match bet. This is a simple bet where you bet on the result of the game. There are three outcomes in football: win, draw or loss.

Some betting sites may have this listed as a 1X2 bet as you are either betting on the home team to win (1), betting on the match to end in a draw (X) or betting on the away team (2) to win.

Double Chance


Double Chance betting is where you bet on two different outcomes in a single match. This allows you to bet on a draw and a team to win at the same time, and makes it a great bet for players who prefer to reduce their risk.

The odds are lower than a simple match bet, but the trade-off is an increased chance of winning. You can either bet on one of the two teams in a particular match to be victorious (12), or you can place a Double Chance bet on either team to win the game or the game to be drawn (1X or X2).

Handicap Betting


Football handicap betting (3-Way Handicap) is popular with many punters, and usually involves goal differences between two teams that give a hypothetical advantage or disadvantage to the selected team before a match starts.

For example, you can bet on Manchester United starting a match against Tottenham with a -1 goal handicap. In this case, Man United must win the match by at least two goals for your bet to be successful.

Asian Handicap Betting


Another form of handicap betting, in Asian Handicap betting there are two possible choices, with a handicap provided so that the odds for both teams even out. It is different to regular handicap betting in that you can to bet on half- and quarter-lines, plus it can be used on additional bet types such as Total Goals (Asian Total), cards and corners.

Total Goals


Another popular football bet is the Total Goals markets that can be found at most bookmakers. Simply put, this is where you bet on the total number of goals scored in a game. However, this can be almost too specific for some punters, who instead like to bet on the over/under Total Goals.

Over/Under 2.5 Goals and other similar markets (Over/Under 1.5 Goals, Over/Under 3.5 Goals and others) are just as popular. Using Over/Under 2.5 Goals as an example, if you are betting on Over 2.5 Goals, you are actually betting on three goals or more being scored in a match. Under 2.5 Goals is the same but in reverse, with that particular bet being won if there are two or fewer goals scored in the game.

Betting Guides

Betting on Football Tournaments


Tournament betting, or outright betting, is also a popular choice among football bettors. These types of bets are often long-term wagers, where you are backing the winning of a particular tournament, such as the Premier League, Champions League, or World Cup.

There are many markets relating to tournament betting, with everything from a team’s finishing position in a league, to their exit point in a knockout tournament (such as the Champions League, or for international football, the World Cup).

Player Betting


As well as betting on teams, you can bet on individual players. Of course, First Goalscorer, Anytime Goalscorer, and Last To Score betting markets are available for matches. But for those looking for something longer-term, you can also bet on individual players to win various accolades and awards, including a player to be top scorer in their league, or a player to win the Golden Boot in a tournament.

Its not just goals you can bet on either, with some betting sites offering markets related to the top assist maker in a particular competition.

You’ll find more player related markets for some matches – especially the more high profile ones. Expect to be able to bet on a player being booked first, sent off and even hitting the crossbar during a match!

Cash Out on Football


Many betting sites offer Cash Out. This feature is popular with many punters, and allows you to settle your bet before a match finishes – either for an early profit or to reduce losses, depending on how your bet is doing.

Football Betting Specials


Most betting sites where you can bet on football offer some kind of Specials. This could be odds on the next Premier League manager to be sacked, or transfer market related betting markets.