You wake up one day and decide to take a punt on the European football league tables. You have a few quid on a team you’ve backed to win the title and decide to increase your stake. You’re hooked. For the next six months, the only thing that keeps you awake at night is wondering whether your hunch was right or wrong. Then one day, you notice something peculiar. The team you backed isn’t leading the league. In fact, they’re at the bottom of the pile. Injuries have depleted their roster and they’ve lost a string of pivotal matches. In one of these matches, you witness something that makes you question the ethics of sports betting. It’s distressing to watch a team that you believe in so much lose like that when you’ve staked such a large sum of money on them. This is when the fun stops, and you have a serious dilemma. Should you keep playing or fold? Weighing up the pros and the cons, you decide to walk away. But not before you’ve had a taste of the action and realised that there’s more to football than you thought. In this article, we’ll run down the various factors you need to consider before placing a bet on football, both in and out of the marketplace.
The Matchup
When you place a bet on football, the first thing to cross your mind is the matchup. You’re picking a game between two teams that you know nothing about. While it’s true that you don’t need to watch every game to place bets successfully, it’s still advisable to do so. This way, you’ll get an idea of how the game will play out and whether or not your instinct was right. For instance, if you back a local team against a favourite of the hour, they could have an unexpected last-minute surge that upsets your meticulously laid plan. It’s always a good idea to check out the teams you’re facing before placing a bet. That way, you’ll know what to expect. It’s also a good idea to do some research into the form books of the teams you’re facing. This will give you a good idea of how they’re performing and if they’re likely to win or lose. If they’ve lost their last three matches, it’s not a good idea to back them. The same goes for teams that are undefeated in their last five games. On the other hand, if they’re on a run of wins, then it’s time to cash in.
The Weather
Football is often played in cold weather. This means that you’ll need to worry about whether or not the match will be affected by the conditions. If it’s chilly and windy, there’s always a chance that the game could be called off due to the poor quality of the pitch. The temperature also plays a part in deciding the pace of the game. If it’s cold, there’s a good chance that matches could be somewhat slow. Fortunately, this isn’t a problem for sportsbooks that offer in-game-wagering. In this case, the bookmakers take care of this aspect with an indoor pitch, which is essentially an outdoor field covered with tents. This way, the players will remain warm even if the weather isn’t. When picking a team to place a bet on, you need to take the weather into consideration. Think about the possibility of getting rained on or snowed on. Will you be able to keep your wager if the game is called off?
The Line
One of the first things you’ll be asked for when placing an order for a horse race or a football match is the line. This is the price you’re willing to pay to win the bet. For instance, if you’re playing at 5/2 (5/2), you’re offering 5/2 (or alternatively 2/1) that your team will cover the spread. When it comes to placing bets on football, you’ll always have the option of laying the odds of your choosing. Most bookmakers offer very short odds on most matches, which means you have to bet a large amount of money to make a profit. Bear in mind that the vigorish (betting fee) attached to most bets is quite high. For instance, at the moment there’s a £10 vigorish attached to 5/2. The vigorish is taken out of your winnings, so in effect you’re paying £20 for the privilege of winning £12 at odds of 5/2. For novice gamblers, this may be a bit too much. Remember, you’re always able to walk away from the table if the stakes aren’t right for you. This is one of the great things about betting online – you can limit your risk by placing only small bets. This also means you’ll only need to win a small amount of money to make a profit. If you’re worried about whether or not you’ll be able to cover your stake, you may consider looking into placing a lay bet, which is an opposite wager to a standard one. This will reduce your risk by half. Finally, if you want to get your money back plus some more, you could always place a free bet, which is a bet the bookmaker will cover for you if your chosen team wins. For instance, if you’ve backed Manchester United to beat Chelsea this season and United lose, the bookmaker will refund you the amount you’ve lost (minus the fees) and pay out on the free bet.
The Location Of The Game
Another important factor to consider when placing a bet on football is the location of the game. You’ll need to check whether or not the venue is accessible by both teams. In some parts of the world, especially in the UK, matches are often played at odd venues that aren’t fitted for large-scale events. This is why it’s important to check whether or not the stadium you’re planning to visit is safe and has good transport links. If you’re driving, you’ll also need to think about whether or not parking is available at the venue. When picking a team to back, you need to bear in mind that some stadia don’t allow tickets to be sold on the day of the game. This is another one of the great things about online betting. In some cases, you can find tickets for sold-out games a few days in advance. In others, you may need to get in touch with the leagues’ organisers to see if or when tickets will become available. It’s important to check the location of the game before placing a bet so that you don’t have to worry about getting stuck in traffic or having to search for parking spaces. If you really can’t go to the game due to work or personal commitments, then you may want to consider going to another game instead. This way, you’ll be able to follow the result of the game electronically and didn’t have to miss out on the action just because you couldn’t get there in time.
The Time Of The Game
The time of the game is also important to consider. Some leagues have different kick-off times for different games on the same day, so it’s important to check the times for each game in order to know what to expect. If you’re placing a bet at some point during the game, then you’ll need to factor in the time of the pitch. In most cases, the earlier the game, the better. This means you’ll need to be at the stadium an hour and a half before the match starts. Having extra time to spare won’t hurt either. In any case, you’ll need to check the time of the game well in advance in order to work out if or when you can make it.
The Atmosphere
Finally, we have the atmosphere. This refers to the state of mind of the people at the stadium. If you’re at a game and the fans are loud and passionate, you may feel like picking a fight with them. On the other hand, if the fans are quiet and restrained, it may feel like a sulk on their part. When picking a team to back, you need to bear in mind that some stadia don’t allow advertisements or chants during the game. In addition, some stadiums don’t allow items brought into the stadium, so if you have a scarf, you may not be able to enter the stadium. There are always alternatives though. For example, if you’re in London and Tottenham Hotspur play at home, you may want to go and support them. This way, you’ll be able to enjoy the game and create some good will with the fans. If that’s not possible, then you may want to think about not going to the game. The key point is that you’re able to choose the games you want to attend and the order in which you want to see them. If you pick your games well and don’t mind travelling, then the rush to see sporting events live will not yet have passed you by.