Soccer, or Football as it is normally called, is the most popular sport in the world by a fair margin. Data has it that there are over 3 billion active football fans, more than any other sport played in history. Right since Football or soccer was invented, it’s common for fans to place bets on their favorite teams. According to 20Bet online, 40% of all money spent on betting is wagered on football games.
In this guide, we will briefly explain the basics of sports betting so you can understand the key features of the market and use them to your advantage. Hardly will a day pass when no football match is played around the world. The high volume of football matches played daily makes the football betting market the most gigantic and rewarding sports industry.
Many football sites allow bettors to place bets on different market features. Each bookmaker offers competitive odds and special offers you can take advantage of. What’s unique about the sports market is that you can bet on many features; your favorite team, the player who scores a goal, a player who gets booked, and so on.
So, let’s dive into the basics so you can cut through the confusion in the market and get started immediately. One word you’d come across when trying to gamble on a sports site is “odd.” Bookmakers set odds, representing the ratio of winnings and the amount staked. Odds are represented either as fractions or decimals.
For instance, odds could be written as 3.0 (3 odds) or 3/1. This means that if you stake a sum, you have a 3x winning chance if your games pull through. If you stake $3 and win the bet, you cash out $9.
Types of Bets in the Sports Market
Match Bet
This is the most basic bet in the Sports market. In the match bet, you are expected to predict the outcome of a match. For example, a football match has two outcomes: a team that wins (Home or away) and a draw. The odds of a match bet vary on the game played. For instance, if a strong team faces a low-ranked team, the odds of the strong team winning is usually low while the lesser team winning is higher. The result of the match bet is usually valid only within 90 mins, irrespective of the results after extra time or penalties.
Player Stats Bet
This is an in-depth betting feature where players can bet on a specific skill set of their favorite players in a game. For instance, one can bet on the number of goals attempted, the number of tackles won, the number of successful dribbles, and so many more. Based on the bookmaker, you can get great odds in this section.