TL;DR
- Football betting in the UK began in 1923 with Littlewoods' football pools.
- Common bet types include outright (1x2), Over/Under goals, and Both Teams To Score (BTTS).
- Spread betting, Asian handicaps, prop bets (corners, cards), and accumulators offer diverse wagering options.
- Successful betting involves research, following tipsters, using promotions, and managing your bankroll.
Getting started with football betting is straightforward with the right knowledge. Consult our expert guide covering all essential information to join the excitement as the FIFA World Cup approaches.
Football betting explained
The origins of football betting in the U.K. Can be traced to the 1920s, specifically to 1923 when Littlewoods introduced the inaugural football pool. This football pool, which predated accumulator bets, served as the sole legal avenue for wagering on football outcomes and was the only option besides horse racing until 1926.
The enduring partnership of football and gambling has seen significant expansion in the U.K. Throughout the ages, particularly with the advent of the Internet, which spurred a substantial surge in availability and the proliferation of online football wagering platforms.
Football betting sites are currently the largest betting markets within the UK, and the Premier League are capitalizing on the profitable aspect of football bookmakers by sponsoring both on-field and off-field activities.
At AllSportsPeople, our aim is to guide you in safely and responsibly betting on football online, providing the necessary information for informed decisions in your online soccer wagers. Continue reading for further details...
Various kinds of football wagers
Navigating the football markets involves understanding various bet types. We'll explain them here.
Outright betting
Nowadays, numerous betting options exist for football, with the most fundamental being the outright football wager or predicting the full-time outcome.
This type of wager, commonly referred to as 1x2 betting, involves selecting one of three possible results: a victory for the home team, a victory for the away team, or a tie.
It's vital to understand that this wager applies only to the standard 90 minutes of play, excluding any outcomes from extra time or penalty shootouts that might happen in elimination rounds, such as during the Champions League or the World Cup championship matches.
Regardless of who prevails in a penalty shootout, the official outcome will be recorded as a tie, reflecting the score at the conclusion of 90 minutes.
MORE: Get the latest football betting and accumulator tips for today's action
Goal Line: Over/Under
Sometimes abbreviated as O/U betting, you can predict whether a match will feature either under or over a specific goal line. For example, if a match goes over or under 2.5 goals.
In this instance, if there are three goals or more your bet would win. However, if the match has two goals or less, then the bet will lose.
Another betting option is the under goal margin; if the game concludes with two or fewer goals, your wager will be successful.
Both Teams To Score (BTTS)
Instead of betting on who will win the game, you can wager on a match to conclude with both teams scoring, a popular accumulator bet on soccer betting platforms online.
This betting type is exclusive to football, allowing wagers on whether both teams will score or not. While it reduces the suspense of picking a single winner, it can maintain excitement in accumulator bets, frequently with enhanced odds.
These wagers will be valid solely for the standard 90 minutes plus any added time, excluding any extra periods in competitions such as the FA Cup and Champions League.
Spread betting and Asian handicap betting
Spread betting is a form of wagering that contrasts with conventional fixed-odds betting. Instead of predicting a specific outcome for an event or match, you're wagering on a spectrum of possible results.
Regarding football, this might involve wagering on the aggregate number of goals scored during a game, when the initial goal will occur, the total booking points a team or individual player accumulates, the quantity of corners awarded, or even a specific wager known as 'Supremacy'—which refers to the difference in score by which one team triumphs over another.
Professional bettors looking for an advantage in financial markets developed spread betting, which has since become popular in mainstream online football betting due to broad interest.
Elsewhere, Asian handicap betting is a form of match betting where the possibility of a draw is removed, with just a win or loss the two possible outcomes.
A team is given a boost or a setback to ensure fairness, essentially presenting one team with a simulated challenge to conquer. Your wager is on which team will emerge victorious, factoring in the handicap.
When insuring, if team A is strongly favored but has very low outright odds in the 1x2 market, you might assign them a handicap to surmount, which would increase the odds and yield a greater return on investment. Furthermore, you can discover value if an underdog or favorite is assessed inaccurately by the traders, either too high or too low.
Here's how this might look:
Bet | Handicap | Outcome for Liverpool | Outcome for Ipswich | Odds |
Liverpool (-1.5) | -1.5 | Win by 2+ goals | Win by 1 or fewer, Draw, Lose | 29/20 |
Liverpool (-2) | -2 | Win by 3+ goals | Win by 2, Draw, Lose | 3/1 |
Ipswich Town (+2) | +2 | Win, Draw, Lose by 1 goal | Win, Draw, Lose by 2+ goals | 17/20 |
Ipswich Town (+3) | +3 | Win, Draw, Lose by 2 goals | Win, Draw, Lose by 3+ goals | 8/1 |
MORE: How do betting odds work? Check out our guide on how to read and interpret prices
Corners, cards, and prop bets
Betting on corners and cards, which are variations of proposition bets, also referred to as 'prop bets,' has seen a rise in popularity lately. This market type is recognized for its potential to uncover significant value within a crowded yet continuously changing sector.
Straightforward card markets exist, including the total number of cards displayed in a game, a particular player receiving a card, or wagering on a team to accumulate the most cards during the match, or even to be shown the game's inaugural red card.
Typically, wagers on corners involve three distinct components: predicting if the total number of corners will be above or below a specified figure, guessing the precise number of corners, and betting on corner ranges.
Corner bands differ from the other two mentioned, alternatively you can bet on the numbers of corners without having to be tied down to one specific number, for instance you can bet on 0-4 or 4-8, for example.
These all come under prop betting, which can also be known as side bets or novelty bets, with other examples being a player/team to have X number of shots on target, or even things such as shirt colours, or which half will produce the most goals.
Accumulators
Accumulator (acca) wagers are favored by both amateur and seasoned football punters. This type of bet involves merging several picks into a single wager. The appeal lies in the enhanced odds and the potential for greater returns should all chosen outcomes prove correct.
Adding more selections to your accumulator bet increases the potential payout, yet it simultaneously raises the probability of the wager being unsuccessful due to the numerous factors that must align correctly.
You can wager on the final outcome, whether both teams will score, and the total goals in individual games to form a single accumulator bet. These are frequently referred to as fold bets; for example, you might place a six-fold accumulator on the football matches scheduled for Saturday.
Unlike the 'Bet Builders' assembled by online football betting platforms, which are custom multiple bets that might include a player scoring, a player receiving a card, and the final match outcome.
Live football betting
Live betting, also widely known as in-play betting, is a process of placing a bet when a football match is ongoing.
Exploring various online sportsbooks for discrepancies in live betting markets can uncover opportunities for profitable spread betting and arbitrage, given how rapidly and frequently odds fluctuate.
You might be observing a game when a player commits their second foul, presenting a perfect opportunity to make a live wager on that player receiving a yellow or red card.
Top tips for football betting
1. Do your research
It's advisable to refrain from wagering on games and competitions you're unfamiliar with. While you might achieve occasional success, this approach won't lead to sustained profitable betting. Thoroughly examine player and team statistics, such as current performance, home versus away records, and the latest team updates concerning injuries and suspensions.
2. Follow tipsters on social media or other platforms
Heed the advice of seasoned professionals, including us here at TSN, renowned for their consistent success in making advantageous wagers. Over the past decade and a half to two decades, online betting authorities have emerged, wielding influence comparable to, or even exceeding, that of established media outlets. Monitoring a varied collection of insights from multiple origins will aid you in placing well-considered, knowledgeable bets.
Another good way is to make use of online tools and tipping resources. For under a pound daily, Oddschecker+ offers a superb method to achieve this, providing access to top-tier AI content and seasoned betting professionals.
3. Make use of promotions and welcome offers
As the number of sports betting platforms grows, the battle for your engagement intensifies. Welcome bonuses, reload incentives, and special deals play a crucial role in attracting new users and encouraging current patrons to return.
An example could be AK Bets' tempting offer, new customers can get a winnings boost of up to £100 as a free bet when they sign up and place any multiple bet.. Keep across the various online football betting platforms for the best value.
Here's our round-up of the best welcome offers right now from our selected partners.
Please note that all offers come with specific terms and conditions; review these thoroughly prior to signing up to ensure you can successfully activate the offer and any associated bonuses.4. Bankroll management
It's crucial to confirm you're wagering within your financial capacity. Gamble responsibly and avoid pursuing lost funds. Deposit caps have undergone significant shifts over the past half-decade, as regulations have become stricter to aid in your financial oversight. However, given the intense competition among top football betting platforms for your patronage, it's imperative that you diligently monitor your betting records and financial reserves.