Top 5 Football Betting Tips

Watched by millions of fans worldwide, football is the world’s most popular sport. Not surprisingly, it is also the most popular sport to wager on – the sport is played throughout the year, offering punters a vast selection of matches to watch. For example, punters can bet on National football leagues, Champions League, European Championship and many more. On top of that, of all sports, football receives the most attention from bookmakers, as a result of which there are numerous kinds of football bets.

If you are considering football betting, you might want to check this article, which focuses on the basics of football betting. Below, we explain different football betting odds, as well as provide helpful tips to get you started.

Understanding Football Betting Odds

First and foremost, you should remember that football betting odds can be expressed either in decimals or fractions. There is no monetary difference between the two types – they simply represent two different ways to express one and the same thing.

Fractional odds might look like this – 1/4 and 7/2 (numerals can vary). Simply put, these figures reflect the amount you will win if the bet wins, and the amount you stake. Let us illustrate this with an example: if you make a bet at odds of 10/1, you win £10 for each pound you stake.

It should be noted that fractional odds might be shown the other way round (for example 1/10). Expressed like this, the odds are called “odds-on selections”.

As you probably expect, decimal odds look just like decimal numbers (3.12, 5.20, etc.). To calculate your winnings, you just need to multiply the amount of money you have staked by the odds.

Basic Tips to Follow

No betting guide is complete without some basic tips to help you get started, so here are ours.

#1: Leave emotions at the door

Many punters, both professional and amateur ones, make one crucial mistake – they bet with their heart, and not with their head. In order to be a successful punter, you need to realise that however much you want your team to win, you should not back them all the time (especially if they are playing against a better team).

If you think that you can not be objective when it comes to your favourite team, we advise you to avoid betting on it altogether.

#2: Try not to get greedy

Sports punters can get very, very greedy “thanks” to the so-called accumulator bets. These are types of bets that allow you to select a number of outcomes within the same wager. Accumulators usually promise a very appealing payout, but they are also very difficult to get right.

So, to avoid potential losses, avoid including way too many matches in your accumulator, or avoid betting on accumulators.

#3: Avoid betting on friendly matches

Friendly fixtures are generally considered way too unpredictable – reserve players that you have not considered might get an outing, etc. What is more, as friendly fixtures are usually organised prior to the beginning of a season, players tend to be very careful not to pick up any injuries, which impacts their performance.

To avoid potential losses, avoid betting on friendly matches.

#4: Always consider team form

An important aspect that should not be turned a blind eye on when placing football bets is form. You might have heard pundits talk about form, and there is a reason why – when you know the form of individual players and of the team as a whole, you can place more informed, winning bets.

So, what do we mean by form? Well, in order for a team to be “in form” they need to have a good balance between home and away performance, its key players should not be injured, and many more.

#5: Shop around for the best odds

Last, but not least, you should know that each bookmaker posts individual odds for fixtures – some more favourable than others. So, if you want to make sure that your bet is placed at the best odds, always compare odds at bookies.