While the world waits for the next instalment of the world cup, fans and bettors alike are looking for ways to pass the time. One way is to bet on soccer. After all, what’s more fun than putting your skills to the test against some computer-generated opponent while the world’s greatest teams battle it out on the pitch?
As with any other sport, the world of football (soccer) betting is a diverse one. There are a variety of ways to make a bet, from the traditional long odds to the more modern day alternative of a parlay or accumulator bet. This article will explore the methods behind the magic that is soccer betting odds.
The Basics Of Soccer Betting
Before you begin your journey into the fascinating world of football (soccer) betting odds, it’s important to brush up on your general knowledge of the game. It’s always nice to be able to compare the relative strengths of your own team against the opposition, but without a decent grounding in the basics, this article will just be another confusing jumble of numbers and figures. So, without further ado, here’s a brief overview of the most important terms used in sports betting:
Odds
In the world of betting, odds are the measurements that you’ll encounter most often. Odds are often expressed in terms of two numbers, the length and the amount, which you’ll see most often in conjunction with each other. The shorter the odds, the more appealing they are, as the probability of winning is usually higher. Conversely, the longer the odds, the less appealing they are, as there is less of a chance of winning.
For example, a 1.5 price odds on a cup final would mean that you’d have to wager $1.50 to win $1. That’s less appealing than a 1.00 price odds on the same cup final, which means that you’d need to wager $1.00 to win $1. In the former scenario, you’re better off laying the bet; in the latter, you could make some serious money.
Payout
The payout is the amount that you’ll win or lose, as stipulated by the terms of the wager. For example, if you bet $1.00 on a team to score two goals in a game and they score exactly two goals, you’d win $2.00. However, if the team you backed scores just one goal, you’d only win $1.00. The payout for a typical wager in soccer is around 80 to 85 percent, which means that you’ll need to win roughly 15 to 20 percent of the time to break even on a typical wager.
Winning Odds
Winning odds are simply the odds of your team winning a particular game or event. They are usually expressed in terms of the opposing team’s odds, so if you want to know the winning odds for a particular game, all you need to do is take the relevant odds into consideration and check which team has the higher winning chance.
Draw Odds
Draw odds are the same as the odds of a game except that they don’t specify how much you’ll win or lose. This is useful when you’re playing against the CPU in a tournament or league, as you don’t want to risk losing money by specifying the exact amount you’ll win or lose. The benefit of drawing odds is that you can’t lose if you don’t bet; however, you also can’t win either, which means that you’re essentially risking free money.
Bookmaker Odds
Bookmaker odds are the odds that a particular bookmaker sets for a particular event or game, as opposed to the odds that the betting public sets for a particular event or game. These are generally accepted as the most accurate odds, as they’re based on the bookmaker’s analysis of the public’s betting habits. If you want the best chance of winning, you should always prefer betting on bookmaker odds.
Future Odds
Future odds are the odds that an event or game will happen within a certain amount of time. For example, if you want to bet on the outcome of the next English premier league game, you may want to look at the odds for that game now versus the odds for when it actually happens.
In general, you should avoid betting on future odds, as you don’t know how long it will take for the event to happen and it could be hazardous to bet on something that may not occur for several more days. However, there are times when you may want to risk it, as it could potentially pay off big time if the event happens as soon as the odds appear.]
Lay Betting
Lay betting is simply placing a wager without setting a price. Placing a lay bet means you’re essentially just participating in the game, as you don’t have to specify how much you’ll wager. While this may not seem like a risky wager to some, you should always be weary of laying big odds against a team you don’t beat often. Placing a lay bet also means that you have to wait until the game is over to collect on your wager, as the house always keeps the money until the game ends officially.
It’s a common misconception that betting on soccer is easy. The mathematics behind the magic of soccer odds may be confusing at first, but with a bit of patience, you’ll be able to grasp the basics and begin your journey to riches via gambling.