Types of Football Bets

Sports betting, especially betting on football, offers a variety of bet types, each with its unique strategy and potential payout. Needless to say, it is crucial to know what the types of football bets are, as well as how odds work in football betting. This will have a direct impact on how you bet on football. From straightforward match outcomes to complex predictive scores, various football bet types provide numerous ways to engage with the game and potentially earn profits. We aim to provide you with a better understanding of each betting format, helping you to come to grips with their advantages and downsides.

Classic bets form the foundation of football betting. These bets offer a straightforward approach, focusing on the fundamental aspects of a match’s outcome. Whether you’re predicting the overall winner, goals scored, or if both teams will find the back of the net, you will find these traditional options on all the best betting sites if you’re looking for a perfect starting point.

Full Time Result

Also known as WLD (win/lose/draw) or 1×2 bet, the full time result is the simplest type of football bet. In this kind of football bet, you wager on the outcome of a game at the end of regular time, including any injury time added by the referee. The options are home win, draw, or away win. This does not include extra time or penalties that might come in knockout games or cup ties.

Half Time Result

Similar to the match result bets, this bet is settled based on the outcome at the end of the first half of the match. Again, you can wager on a home win, a draw, or an away win, but only the first-half score is considered. This bet can offer value if you have insight into teams’ early-game performances or strategies.

Half Time/Full Time

HT/FT bets require you to correctly predict the outcome at halftime and full time. It’s a two-part bet, so you could predict a team to lead at halftime, but the game to end in a draw or any combination of home win, draw, or away win at both halves.

Because predicting the outcome at two different points in the game is more difficult, these football bets have better odds than a single-match outcome bet. Accurately predicting the flow of a game across both halves increases complexity while decreasing the likelihood of triumph. Knowledgeable bettors can take advantage of team tendencies, such as starting strong or finishing well.

Double Chance

Double chance bets allow you to cover two of the three possible outcomes in a football match with one bet. This type of bet offers lower odds, but bettors increase their chances of winning. This bet type is advantageous in matches where it’s hard to pick a clear winner or when betting on underdogs to avoid a loss.

Total Goals Bets

With this option, you bet on the number of goals regardless of the result. For example, 1+ means one goal or more. Also, for higher odds, you can bet on the range. If you think the football fans will see at least one goal but no more than three, then 1-3 goals is the ideal bet.

The advantage here is that you don’t need to predict the exact outcome of the match. Instead, you focus on the overall scoring trend, which can be easier to predict based on teams’ offensive and defensive records, making it a good option for matches where the winner is uncertain but the game’s pace or style is more predictable.

BTTS — Both Teams to Score

A standard BTTS bet requires you to predict whether both teams will score at least one goal during the match’s regular time.

This bet’s advantage is that you can win regardless of who wins the match as long as both teams score. It’s particularly beneficial in matches between evenly matched teams known for their offensive capabilities or when both teams have weak defenses.

You can also bet on the opposite outcome. This is when you bet on either team or both not to score. If you see a 0 next to at least one team, you collect your winnings.

Draw No Bet

DNB is a safer and more common type of bet in football. You pick either the home or away team to win. However, if the match ends in a draw, your stake is returned, effectively removing the draw outcome from the equation. This popular bet type offers lower odds than a standard 1×2 bet. Its main advantage is its security, making it ideal for matches where a draw cannot be ruled out.

Correct Score

This kind of bet is more specific and challenging. You must predict the exact final score of the match at the end of regular time. Due to the difficulty of accurately predicting the exact score, odds offered for correct score bets are high. However, you can consider it as an option if you have a free bet available, because it will cover the required minimum odds.

Football betting opens up a universe of opportunities beyond the standard outcomes. Modern sportsbooks allow you to bet on whether a red card will be given, the timing of the first goal, and even some more specific events in a single match, entire league season, or cup tournament. This section is your gateway to understanding and including these more sophisticated types of bets in football in your betting strategy.

Asian Handicap Bets

The handicap bet also called the spread in some markets, is another simple betting market that is used to level the playing field between favorites and underdogs. Asian handicap betting is a form of betting in which teams are handicapped according to their form, so a stronger team must win by more goals for a bettor wagering on them to win. The purpose is to eliminate the draw as an outcome. It offers various handicaps, for example -0.5, -1, or -1.5 goals, to balance the perceived difference in ability between the teams.

By eliminating the draw, bettors have a 50% chance of winning. When betting on favorites, handicaps can offer more value than standard win bets. Certain Asian handicap lines, like +1, can offer a refund or partial win even if the team you bet on doesn’t win outright, providing a safety net.

Football Accumulators

A football accumulator bet combines several individual bets into one. For the accumulator to win, all of the selected bets must win. The odds of each selection are multiplied, allowing for much larger payouts than single bets.

The probability of winning decreases with each additional selection, making accumulator bets far riskier than single bets. If even one selection fails, the entire bet is lost, making it difficult to see a return on investment. Football ACCAs can include every bet type, as long as they are from different matches.

Football Bet Builders

Bet builders, also known as same-game multis, provide a more personalized betting option focused on one match. They allow bettors to create a custom bet within a single game by combining different markets, giving them the freedom to tailor their bets based on their predictions for how the match will play out in various aspects.

Each additional component makes the bet increasingly complex and difficult to win, as all individual predictions must come true for the bet to pay out. Not all bookmakers offer extensive options for bet builders, and available markets may be limited.

Besides the standard types, bet builder options include goalscorer markets (first, last, any-time scorer), corner bets, betting on the number of cards issued during the match, possession percentages, shots on target, and other statistical bets, depending on the sportsbook’s offering.

Scorecasts

A scorecast bet in football is a combination bet in which you predict the first (or any time) goalscorer in a match and the correct final score. To win the bet, both predictions must be correct. This type of bet combines the match’s outcome with the performance of individual players, providing a high-risk, high-reward betting option.

Football Outright Bets

Outright football bets, also known as futures bets in some regions, are wagers on the long-term outcome of a football competition or tournament rather than individual match results. These bets are made on events that will be resolved over a more extended period, usually at the end of the season. Outright football bets necessitate patience and a thorough understanding of the game’s dynamics over time.

Outright betting markets allow you to place a bet on various outcomes, including which team will win a league title, which teams will qualify for specific competitions and relegation battles, and which player will finish as the league or tournament’s top scorer. The nature of this betting means that your stake is locked in for the duration of the season or tournament, which spans several months.

Because these bets are settled over a longer period of time, the best football betting sites offer better odds, giving you more value than betting on individual matches. Unlike match betting, which requires detailed knowledge of current form, injuries, and other factors, futures necessitate a broader assessment of a team’s or player’s potential throughout a season.

Your money is locked in for the duration of the season or tournament. Because of this long-term commitment, you cannot use this capital for other bets. Football seasons are long and can be highly unpredictable. Injuries, management changes, and shifts in team composition can all significantly impact the outcome of your bet. Furthermore, it is difficult to adjust or hedge your bet once an outright bet is made as the season progresses unless the betting platform provides cash-out options.

Proposition Bets in Football

Prop bets, or props for short, are one of the most popular types of football bets. These specials refer to wagers on events that may (or may not) take place during the match. These events usually do not have to necessarily affect the game’s outcome:

The first team to score
First goal time
Specific player to score (y/n)
Penalty awarded? (y/n)
Was a red card given? (y/n)
The first goal scorer bet
In both halves, will there be goals? (y/n)
The number of bookings
The number of corners

These wagers are so popular because of their simplicity. In addition, they offer a wide variety of options. Often, a single game has 30, 40, or even more props available, so there are plenty of opportunities to find good betting spots.

Knowing the available bet types and how they work influences your betting strategy by allowing you to identify opportunities that match your betting style and goals. Combine this knowledge with the latest football tips and predictions, make informed decisions and bet to win every time. Whether you’re seeking long-term engagement through outrights or high-risk, high-reward options like correct score bets, there’s a betting format for you. This diversity makes football betting endlessly engaging and potentially profitable for those who invest the time to learn and strategize. Remember that successful betting is about knowing what to bet on and understanding the game’s dynamics and the betting market.