How to Bet on Soccer
As the most popular sport in the world, soccer offers many betting options. Some are available before kickoff, while others are only offered during live betting periods. These bets allow fans to make wagers based on in-game momentum shifts.
A two-way moneyline removes the draw option from a standard 1X2 wager and adjusts odds on either team winning based on their chances of doing so after 90 minutes. You can also place a bet on the total number of goals scored in a game.
Two-way moneyline
If you’re betting on soccer, there are many different wagers to consider. One of the most common is a two-way moneyline, which offers bettors the chance to place a wager on either team to win or the game to end in a tie. This type of bet differs from point spread and Asian handicap betting, which involve a number being assigned to the better team and adjusting the odds accordingly.
Soccer is unique in that ties occur about a quarter of the time, and as such, many sportsbooks offer two-way moneylines to accommodate this. Unlike MLB and NFL games, where bets are not allowed on ties, soccer matches can be decided by extra time or penalty shootout. However, in a regular match, only the results that occur during 90 minutes of regulation play and any referee stoppage time count for this bet. This excludes bets on matches that go into overtime or penalty shootouts, which are common in knockout stages.
Asian handicap
In soccer betting, the Asian handicap is a way to eliminate the draw as an outcome of a game. It works similarly to point spreads in North American sports and can be very profitable if you know how to play them. The main difference is that Asian handicaps offer more options for wagering than traditional money lines. For example, a team may be given a starting handicap of half goals (+0.5 or -0.5), which is an indication that they must win by two goals or more to cover your bet.
Alternatively, a negative Asian handicap can be applied to a favorite team. This is because adding goals to a team can never result in a tie; 1-1 becomes 2.5-2, and so on. This can be particularly useful for Over/Under lines that are heavily juiced, allowing you to bet with less risk and still make money.
Futures bets
Futures bets are wagers that take place beyond the timeline of one game and involve a team’s or individual player’s performance over a season. They can be placed on a wide variety of events, including English Premier League results, international tournaments, and top goal scorer awards. Futures bets can also be placed on team and player prop bets, which are side wagers about events that may or may not occur during a game.
The futures betting market is much like other sports betting markets, but it’s slow-burning and focuses on the long-term, rather than the next game. The gap between favorite and underdogs will only grow as the season progresses, and you’ll need to consider all the factors involved before placing your wagers. In addition, futures odds can change after every game based on team and player performances. This can affect your winnings, so it’s important to plan accordingly and time your bets carefully.
In-game live betting
Many online sportsbooks offer in-game live betting options. These wagers change as the game plays out, and are often affected by momentum shifts. These bets can be made on individual player and team props, including first goalscorer and last goalscorer. These props are usually based on the statistics of a given match, and can be sourced from stats providers such as StatsPerform and Opta.
Soccer matches are limited to 90 minutes of regulation time, so odds are based on the outcome of the entire match. Soccer betting lines are also subject to a variety of factors, such as a team’s injury status and its recent performance.
There are also a number of different ways to place bets on in-game events, such as the total goals scored in a match. These bets are often presented as over/under totals, and can include bets on both teams to score, or a team to keep a clean sheet. There are also in-game wagers on the number of corners, free kicks, and throw-ins in a match.