Football in the Northern Hemisphere is out for the summer, with the exception of a few Nordic and Baltic leagues. All football fans in Europe and beyond are waiting for the new seasons to start, for their favourite teams to return to the turf. No doubt, betting operators are also eager to see their operations return to normal.
Many of them are already speculating on which club will win the national leagues of each country. And they have the odds to show for it. You can place a sportbet on the winner of the Premier League, Bundesliga, and pretty much every other major national league in Europe.
But betting on outrights can be tricky business – some say it’s the riskiest bet of them all. So, let’s take a look at how you can do it in the smartest way.
How does betting on outrights work?
In team sports, such as soccer, every season has a clear start and end. Betting operators are well aware of all the participants, and their statistics. So, for them, it’s easy to project which team has the best chance to win the competition in the upcoming season. The most widespread outright bet is one placed on the winner of the season. Depending on the bookmaker, you can find bets on teams to finish at the top (this usually depends on how many teams qualify for a higher level of competition directly). For example, in the Premier League, the top four teams qualify for the UEFA Champions League, so you can also bet on the “top 4 finish”.
Related: The EPL Phenomenon: Why It Dominates The Betting Market
What types of outrights are available?
In most cases, there’s a bet on the winner of the season (the team to take the title), and the teams finishing in the top. Once again depending on the bookmaker, there can be bets available for the teams to finish last (relegation), the teams to finish at the bottom of the standings, or the top goalscorer. In football, there’s also usually a bet on the winner of the Ballon d’Or (the trophy given to the best men’s player in any given year). Also, sometimes there’s a bet available on the next manager to be fired from their club.
What are the most popular outright bets?
It depends on the sport. We already listed the most popular football outrights above. In other sports, there can be bets on who wins a certain tournament (like the US Open in tennis or the Dutch GP in Formula 1) or the entire circuit.
The pros and cons of outright betting
Betting on the winner of a circuit, a tournament or a national league comes with inherent risks. For one, outrights are long-term bets with a really large number of variables – things have a lot of time to change. Consider a season-long football bet, for example. During a Premier League season, there can be changes in ownership, changes in management, star players can suffer injuries that sideline them for weeks or months on end, and all this can affect the team’s performance throughout the season.
On the other hand, the usual odds of the outrights can make it worth the risk. Besides, there’s nothing urgent about them, so you have all the time you need to analyze the records and make an informed prediction about which team has the best chance to win.
And those who argue that outrights lock down your funds in the long run, often throughout an entire season, should know that at most bookmakers, you can cash out at any time.
Final words
Outright bets can be a great choice due to their friendly odds, and give you all the time you need to make an informed prediction. But they are a long-term investment and come with many variables that can influence their possibility to be successful. So, before you choose to bet on the winner of the Premier League, make sure to know all pros and cons, and make your decision accordingly.
