Soccer Betting: America’s Favorite Sport
Soccer is America’s favorite sport these days, so it should come as no surprise that betting on soccer is the most common sports betting activity on the continent. Games from the National Football League, minor leagues, college, and even some high school games will attract thousands of bettors every week. In this article we are going to review some fundamentals when betting on any soccer match.
What kind of bet can you make?
The most popular type of sports bet placed on soccer matches is the spread bet. Spread bets include an underdog and a favourite, and a certain number of points by which a team must win or lose in order for the bettor to cash out. They look like this:
Chicago Bears -10.5 (-150)
New England Patriots (180)
Whether you’re betting on the money line (which we’ll get to in a second) or on the side, the team with a minus nearby is always the favorite. Being the favorite means that most people are betting on this team, which may or may not indicate their chances of winning. So in the scenario above, the Bears are the favorite team (haha!). This spread also indicates the amount of money wagered to win. Each $150 bet on the Bears will collect $100 if the Bears win the spread. Betting on the Patriots, on the other hand, means that you can win $180 for every $100 you bet.
The propagation is favored in soccer because it carries an extra element of security. That security is represented by the figure -10.5. This means that for people to cash out on bets placed on the Bears, Chicago must win by at least 11 points. If they only win by 9, those betting on the Patriots will win the bet (meaning unfavorable bets will still win, even if the underdog actually loses). That extra .5 of a point is added so there is no “push” or even betting.
The second most popular type of sports betting action when it comes to soccer betting is money line betting. This is your standard bet, where money is placed on a team to win. Money lines are expressed much like spreads, but without the point indicator. Generally, money lines cost more money to bet on the favorite to win $100 because a win is easier to predict than a point spread.
Other types of bets in football betting:
There are quite a few different types of sports betting on soccer games, which can add some spice to your betting life. Over/Under bets are placed according to the total number of points both teams will score in a game. For example, a sportsbook might place the total combined score for a soccer game at 55. Bettors would then decide whether they thought the combined score would be above or below that total and place bets accordingly.
Futures, totals, squares, and pairs are also popular in soccer betting.
How to bet on soccer matches:
Keep in mind when betting on soccer that most sports bettors will win less than 50% of the time. This is because sportsbooks really know what they are doing and play the odds on a continuous and successful basis.
However, a little knowledge can go a long way in improving your football betting record. There are services that can be of great help to those interested in all types of sports betting, including football. Sports information lines in particular can help punters when it comes to finding good value bets and up-to-date information on the team they would like to bet on.