Football is the most popular betting sport in the world. More than half the bets and betting markets with online sportsbooks are related to football. There is a huge global market for football betting so bookmakers attract and maintain customers with incentives and offers. This promotional activity increases during major events so there should be a substantial range of football free offers over the coming months from bookmarkers such as Coral.
Types Of Football Betting
Football betting generally falls into three categories:
Pre-Match
Bookmakers offer betting on leagues and Cup competitions from over 100 countries. Pre-match markets appear several days before a fixture and attract the most bets. Odds are subject to change in line with the balance of betting on each option and significant team news. The most bet on market is the 1X2 (Home Win, Draw, Away Win) but you can bet on most aspects of a match before the match begins, including goals, correct score and first scorer.
In-Play
The access to the internet and mobile devices has led to a substantial increase in in-play betting. Customers can place bets during a match and the odds are updated as the match develops. You can close existing bets before the outcome to guarantee a profit regardless of the outcome or limit the loss. However, bookmakers take down the betting following a significant event such as a goal, penalty or red card but the latest odds appear after a short delay and live betting continues.
Ante Post
Ante post betting involves betting on the outright winner of leagues or Cups. The odds are published at the start of the season and are updated after each match or round. For example, you can bet on the winner of the Premier League before the first fixtures until the title has been decided. There is also betting on the teams to finish in the top four but the place odds are usually one quarter the win odds. You can also place bets on the teams to be relegated throughout the season.
Related: How To Bet On Soccer Matches: A Beginner’s GuidePhoto
Football Betting Markets
These are the most popular betting markets:
1X2
This is a bet with three options: Home Win, Draw and Away Win. The bet result depends on the score after 90 minutes, plus any injury time. In Cup fixtures, you can bet on the team to qualify, which includes extra time and penalties. Variations on this bet include the result at half-time.
Goals
There are two types of goal markets: bands of goals and Under/Over a specified number of goals. There are three bands: 0 to 1 goals, 2-3 goals and more than three goals. The most popular Under/Over goals market is 2.5, expressed in half a goal so there is no tie.
BTTS
The Both Teams to Score market is a popular bet. The options are Yes and No and both teams score in about a half of Premier League matches.
Handicaps
Handicap betting is designed to attract bets on both sides when there is a big underdog and big favourite. A handicap is a head start for the inferior team. If the handicap is one goal and the favourites win 1-0 the handicap bet is settled as a draw.
Half Time/Full Time Result
This bet in effect a double on the result at half-time and the result at full time. There are nine permutations because either team could be winning at the end of each half and the teams could be drawing at half time and full time.
Other Bets
Football bettors like to place bets on more speculative markets that provide the potential for a decent return from a small stake. The most popular markets of this type are the correct score after 90 minutes and the first, last and anytime scorer.
Accumulators
Accumulators, also known as accas, are bets that being together a number of teams in one single bet. The odds are multiplied to calculate the return but every selection must win for a successful bet. Match winner bets can be placed in singles, doubles, trebles and accumulators. In these multiple bets each selection must win for a successful outcome.
System Bets
System bets include teams that can be backed in permutations. The most popular system bet is the Yankee. There are four selections in this bet, combined in six doubles, four trebles and one accumulator. There is a return if the bet includes two winning selections.
