If you’re reading this, I assume you’re probably a footballer (or maybe a really big fan of football 😀 ) and you’re curious about how football betting actually works. Hopefully, this guide will teach you a bit more about how betting on football matches works and what you might need to know to make your betting experience as smooth as possible!
The Basics
If you’ve been following the goings on in the football world for the last few years, you’ll know that there’s been a complete overhaul in terms of how football is experienced and consumed. Gone are the days of getting the paper with the results of the previous day’s games and hoping for the best. Nowadays, you’d be mad to avoid technology whenever you can! Fortunately, whilst most countries have had to adjust to the new way of life, the UK has managed to hang on to a lot of its traditional rituals surrounding football. This has, in part, to do with the country’s obsession with cricket. However, with every other aspect of football being completely altered, it’s understandable that the rules of the game have also changed. Nowadays, instead of the result of the previous day’s game determining the outcome of a UK football match, this is mostly determined by a combination of factors. In most cases, the match score determines the outcome with some other variables (i.e. weather, line, etc.) playing a crucial part in the final reckoning. The following are some of the things that affect the odds in a football match:
Match Score
The score at the end of the game is crucial in terms of how the match will pan out. This is because the game’s score tends to determine how many goals were scored in the game. For instance, if there are three goals scored in a game and the match finishes level at 2-2, the odds of both teams receiving a point will go up, whilst the chances of one team scoring a decisive winner will rise. This is because, generally speaking, the lower the score, the better the odds. It’s interesting to note here that, contrary to what most people believe, an even score does not necessarily mean a draw. In fact, an even score can sometimes be the end point of a dominating performance by one team over the other. In other words, even scores can be a win for the team that achieves one.
Home/Away Ruling
Whether you’re supporting a local team or an international squad, you’ll often see matches called off due to weather conditions or other acts of God (or nature 😀 ). In these cases, the match will be replayed at a later date. When this happens, it’s commonly referred to as a’replay’ or a’rescheduled game’. During these replays, the original result of the game will be forgotten (apart from by the oddcasinos who were lucky enough to place a bet on it!) and the game will be played at the team’s home ground. Whilst this may be convenient for both teams (especially the home team!), it can also cause problems for fans who’ve travelled great distances to see a game, only to find themselves miles away from their team’s home ground. As a result, they’ll have to make up the travel expenses somehow! This is why it’s generally considered better to watch games that are played at the original venue. In the UK, we call these kind of matches ‘home games’ and, as a result, they usually have much higher TV revenues than away games. In cases where a game is still ongoing after being postponed (i.e. there’s still time for the game to be completed), the status of the match will be changed to ‘unfinished’. After a while, when the game’s results are no longer relevant, the status of the match will be changed again to ‘halted’.
Expected Score
If you’re unfamiliar, ‘expected score’ is a phrase used when establishing the odds of a game. In general, oddsmakers expect more goals than the average person and use this as a basis for their odds, with the over/under being a common selection. For example, if you were to lay bets on a college football game and the oddsmakers had selected an over/under of 41 points, this would mean that you’d need to hit on average 41 points in order to win your bet (if you were to bet on a team to score first). If your team scores more than this, you’d win the bet. This also means you’d need to score less than this in order to lose your money. In the example above, if your team scored 42 points or less, you’d automatically lose your bet (because the odds are always in favour of the house, in cases like this!). Expected scores are usually based on some sort of average or formula and may include things like weather conditions, score line, time left in the game, etcetera. In most cases, the expected score will be given as part of the overall odds, so you have no need to worry about having to do any additional research after placing your bets!
Line
If you’ve been following the trend of using technology to your advantage, you’ll know that the linespread (i.e. the amount of money you need to bet in order to win) has decreased. This is largely thanks to online betting exchanges, where you can get odds that are more favorable than those offered by the bookmakers. Linespreads have decreased as a result, with people preferring to bet on the excitement of the game rather than the final score. In terms of football betting, this means you should always bet on the underdog due to the fact that the line is generally less favorable than it would be for a team that is perceived to be more likely to win. As a general rule of thumb, you should avoid betting on favorites. Whilst this may seem like common sense to some, it still goes against the grain of human nature and bookmakers know this! In most cases, this is why you’ll see the lines slightly favour the favorites in terms of the spread, in order to make up for the odds that they’ll have to pay out on losing bets. In the event of a tie, you’ll have to wait until the end of the match to determine the winner (which could be the same as the result of the game!). In the meantime, you’ll have to endure the pain of missing out on the result of the game and having to place a bet on the replay (if the game is finished before your bet’s resolution time). In cases where the linespread is particularly thin, this could mean you’re risking more money than you’re actually putting on the table. In these cases, it’s usually best to choose an even spread (i.e. neither team is favored).
Type Of Game
When creating the odds for a game, the type of game will determine how you need to approach betting on it. In most cases, this will determine whether you need to take into account any form of advantage the home team might have or not. For example, if the game is a regular game (i.e. not a match of the day or a cup game), you should generally bet on the team you support, regardless of whether this is your home ground or not. In terms of betting on football games, this means you should always bet on the underdog and, as a result, you’ll need to avoid betting on regulars. When it comes to making a winning bet on a football match, the more obscure the game, the more you’ll have to risk in order to achieve the same level of return. In other words, the more obscure the game, the more it tends to fluctuate and the more you could potentially win or lose.