Soccer is a sport that is loved across the world, and there are many people who play the game and enjoy placing bets on the matches they love to watch. There is no question that soccer betting is a lucrative business, but getting in on the action can be difficult unless you follow some tried and tested methods.
Here are some of the best tips from professional bettors on how to place profitable bets on soccer matches and competitions.
Study The Form
One of the best ways to ensure you place profitable bets is to study the form of the team you are backing. It is essential that you know exactly what kind of performance to expect from them and that you make the right wagers accordingly. Luckily for you, we have analyzed more than 70,000+ soccer games in our database and gathered lots of data that we can now share with you in this article. Let’s begin by looking at the overall form of English Premier League (EPL) sides in recent years.
Over 25 Goals In Each Game
The first thing you will notice if you click on the Statistics tab is that, contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a 1-0 win in soccer. Every match is a victory in itself, and that is reflected in the number of goals scored. There has been a distinct increase in the average number of goals scored per game over the last few years. It started at 2.43 goals per game in 2010, and then increased to 3.18 goals per game in 2015. To put that into perspective, in 2003 the figure was 1.83 goals per game, and in 2007 it was 2.04 goals per game.
Home Teams Win More
To begin with, let’s take a quick look at the last 10 years of Premier League results and see which teams have been successful in each location. The 2019-20 season is now underway, and we have analyzed the first 6 games of the season to get an indication of which teams are creating lots of scoring opportunities and which ones aren’t. The data indicates that sides with a history of scoring goals at home are far more likely to hit the scoreboard than those that have failed to do so in recent matches.
Top Scorers
Looking at home team success also enables us to determine which players have performed best over the last 10 seasons. The data indicates that players who can score, and do score, frequently find the back of the net. The top four scorers in the 2019-20 EPL season so far are Wilfried Bony, who has 5 goals, Ben Woodburn, who has 4 goals, Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has 4 goals, and Josh King, who has 3 goals. These players may not represent the most athletic or talented squad in the world, but they certainly know how to put the puck in the net!
Youngsters Step Up
One of the major developments in the English game over the past decade has been the rise of young players. The 2011-12 and 2012-13 Premier Leagues were the first two seasons where more than half of the goals were scored by players aged 24 or younger. Since then, the number of young players contributing to league goals has steadily increased. In the 2019-20 season so far, 66% of the goals have been scored by players aged 24 and under. This trend is unlikely to slow down in the near future, as the benefits of youth in soccer are numerous.
Powerful Attacking Midfield
The final and most important thing to consider if you are placing profitable bets on soccer games is the midfield. From a strategic point of view, you want to avoid putting all your eggs in one basket by selecting a team that is primarily constructed from defenders. Midfield is the engine that drives the game, and if your chosen side is not producing enough, you will struggle to generate enough offense to score goals. Without enough balls into the box, there will never be enough goals to bet on!
The best solution is to back a team with a very potent attacking midfield. The likes of Christian Eriksen, Paul Pogba, and Nemanja Matic have all proved that they can regularly turn games around with one brilliant pass or shot. When these types of players are flanked by strong defensive midfielders, the results are often spectacular.
Know When To Fold The Chips
It’s one thing to be able to put together the perfect team and know exactly what you are doing, but the real test of a successful soccer bettor is being able to adapt to changing market conditions. If you are following the simple and proven methods discussed on this page, you will always be placing profitable bets, but sometimes you may be better off stopping the action and taking a loss. Despite the example of England’s World Cup winners, who made a £1.2million profit from their involvement in the tournament, there are many stories of individuals who have lost a great deal of money on soccer bets in the past. It’s always a crapshoot as to whether the outcome will benefit you or your opponent!
As an avid fan myself, I hate losing but sometimes have to accept the reality that what I am backing may not win. There are simply too many moving parts to guarantee a winning outcome. Betting on football is a wonderful way to pass the time and make a little money, but as with anything else in life, there is always risk involved. If you want to improve your odds of hitting the jackpot, it is essential that you work hard to understand the game and adapt your strategy accordingly. Just because your favorite player is on the pitch doesn’t mean you will necessarily win, and that is something to bear in mind!