How to bet on football

With thousands of matches, a vast number of markets and dozens of bookmakers to choose from, we’re here to guide you on how to bet on football online

(iStock)

The world of football betting is always a hive of activity and whether we’re in the middle of the season or the start of the summer, bookmakers are always present with a range of promotions, special offers, odds and markets.

And while a YouGov survey found seven out of every ten UK bettors had wagered on football in 2023, not every fan is accustomed to wagering on a sport that makes up the UK’s largest betting market.

With so much choice across the board – from which betting sites you choose to which fixtures you wager on and the types of bets you make – it can be a difficult decision to choose how to bet on football.

But this doesn’t have to be the case. When everything is broken down, football betting sites are simpler than they seem, allowing punters easy access to a great range of odds and fixtures.

Below, we’ve explained the various facets of football betting so that anyone who wants to bet on football can do so in an informed, sensible way.

How football betting works

Football betting simply entails betting on football matches and the various independent events within each game. This can vary drastically, however – punters can often bet on anything from the winner of a match to the exact scoreline, the exact number of corners and which players will score.

Football betting sites usually offer a huge range of markets, and while this is often exactly what customers want, they can be difficult to navigate for those who don’t regularly bet.

Read on for a more in-depth analysis of certain markets, but if you’re just starting out then remember – stick to wagers that are fairly straightforward and easy to understand, such as winners, scorelines or scorers.

Key football betting terms

Before we delve into the most common betting markets, below is a summary of the most common glossary terms that you should know before you start to bet on football.

Odds – by far the most important aspect of betting is the odds on offer. These can be presented in decimal or fraction form, while American-style odds are also available. Odds are used by bookies to present the likelihood of a certain event happening. Low odds suggest that something is likelier to happen, and vice-versa. ‘Price’ is sometimes used to refer to odds too.

Deposit – the money that you put into your betting account.

Stake – this is the amount of money you place on a bet (so the amount you will lose if your bet loses).

DNB – This stands for ‘Draw No Bet’, and is an option that some bookies offer where, if the match finishes as a draw, you get your stake back. Odds are usually lower if you opt to make this bet.

Cash out – Many types of bet will offer a ‘cash out’ option. This happens when the bookie offers you a portion of your potential settled winnings if a result is looking more likely. For example, if you’ve put a bet on a match finishing 2-1 and you stand to win £100, you may find that, if you check your account in the 90th minute with the scores at 2-1 in your favour, you have the option to cash out and take £70. You can take the cash if you think there may be another goal, and you win a portion of your projected winnings, but if the game does finish 2-1 you won’t be awarded the full £100.

Payout – another word for the winnings that you can expect to take if your bet wins.

Proposition bets – the name used for bets that aren’t directly related to the result of a match. Examples include bets on the number of corners or the first goalscorer.

Evens – the term used when it is determined that the odds of an event occurring or not are equal.

Tips/Tipsters – Tips are bets that are recommended – by people called tipsters – for various reasons. This may be because that particular bet is well-priced, or because the likelihood of the event occurring is perhaps more likely than the odds the bookie has offered it at in that person’s opinion.

Popular football betting markets

Outright – outright winner bets are used to bet on the final outcome of events, such as the winner of a tournament or league or the teams that are relegated.

Over/Under – over/under bets are common in bet builders and accumulators as they offer a wider spread in their definition of an event happening. For example, you may bet on a match having over or under four goals - this means you are betting on there being either zero, one, two or three goals if you go for ‘under four goals’, or five or more goals if you opt for ‘over four goals’. Many places offer over/under 3.5 goals, for example, which simply means “under” would go up to three, and over would be four or above.

Total – more self-explanatory, but often used with over/under. Many odds are offered on the ‘total number’ of something being ‘over or under’ a certain number. These are always offered as 0.5 of something – for example, you may bet on the ‘total number of corners being over 2.5’.

Both teams to score (BTTS) – as it says, you’d be betting on both sides to score a goal. Another variety is both teams to score in both halves. You can also combine this bet with a result or over/under on goals scored.

Scorecast – this term is used for bets that wager on the first goalscorer and the correct score.

Wincast – similar to a scorecast, but you bet on a player to score and then the eventual winner of the game.

Double chance – this type of bet covers more than one outcome, usually offering lower odds. For example, you might bet on “Arsenal to win or draw”.

There are also a number of far more self-explanatory markets, on which you are essentially betting on exactly what it says on the tin. Some of these include correct score, first goalscorer, anytime goalscorer, a player to score or assist and a player to be carded.

Types of football bets

Accumulator – often referred to as an ‘acca’, this is a very common type of football bet. It consists of one overarching bet that contains multiple predictions combined into one – for example, you might bet on the winner in each one of the FA Cup games on that particular day. Accas can be defined as a treble, four-fold, five-fold etc. depending on the amount of games or events wagered on.

Bet builder – another common type of football bet, in which punters ‘build (or create) their own bet’ by betting on several different events, and the bookie gives you combined odds. For example, you could decide to bet on a match finishing 2-1, with Cristiano Ronaldo to score once and two players to receive yellow cards.

In-play – fairly self-explanatory - these are bets that you can make on live betting sites while the game is being played.

Specials – Specials are more unique bets, and they can vary greatly depending on the bookie. They cover less run-of-the-mill events; for example, there are special markets on the next England manager, or special enhanced odds on a particular Ballon d’Or candidate.

Handicap – this is a form of bet where the bookie gives either side (usually the superior team) a handicap. That handicap is then subtracted from the final score. For example, you may bet on Manchester City having a -1.5 handicap against Manchester United in the Premier League – when the match ends, 1.5 goals are ‘taken off’ the number that City scored, and if they have still ‘won’ the game, you win that bet.

Tips on how to bet on football

The question of how to bet on football games can be a complicated one, but it helps to stick to certain principles.

Firstly, it is worth remembering that you can bet on football in high street bookmakers, but there is a far wider choice if you choose to bet on football online, whether through betting sites or football betting apps.

With that said, the next step is to select your bookmaker of choice. As a new customer, be sure to check out new betting sites and promotions, as you can often score free bets and bet credits when signing up. In addition, make sure that your chosen betting site offers things like safer gambling tools.

When signing up, also check deposit rules, accepted payment methods and the necessary documents for verifying your identity and age (you’ll need to do this before any winnings can be paid out to you).

Above all, do your own research. Firstly, do research on odds – is your chosen bookie offering the best odds at the moment?

Additionally, research the matches and teams. Familiarise yourself with the sport before staking any significant amount. If you’re going to bet on Harry Kane having two or more shots on target, have a look at how many shots he’s had on target in each of his last few games and how many efforts the opponent tends to allow. And, it goes without saying, make sure he isn’t injured and is expected to be in the starting line-up.

In terms of winnings, remember that not every bet has to be a £500 win. It can pay to bet on shorter odds with a more likely chance of happening several times than wasting money staking £10 on something at 50/1.

Common mistakes when betting on football

One key thing to remember when you bet on football online, especially during knockout games in tournaments, is that you normally bet on things to happen within the original 90-minute game, not in extra-time, unless specified.

Perhaps the most common mistake is not paying attention to your own biases – never bet on your favourite team if you can avoid it! Avoid emotional betting.

Remember that there is no surefire answer to the question of how to bet on football and win. Follow tipsters and do research before placing a bet, but don’t take a tipster’s tip as gospel when you bet on the football.

Remember that any match can have a variety of last-second changes, from a first-minute red card that ruins your bet to an injury to a player in the warm-up.

One common mistake when betting on football is to bet on games that have various ‘different’ circumstances, such as friendlies or the early rounds of the FA Cup. Yes, on paper, you would expect Chelsea to beat Wrexham, but in a pre-season friendly game, neither side will field their full-strength team, different players will be at different levels of fitness and there are too many outside influences. It is safer to bet on regular, more competitive matches during the league season.

Most importantly, never bet more than you can afford to lose. When there is a cashout possibility, remember that some winnings are better than none if you have the option.

As an extension of this, never ‘chase your losses’. This is the name given to the process whereby people bet more to try and recoup what they’ve previously lost.

Responsible gambling

It is vital that anyone who uses betting sites remembers to gamble responsibly. You’re never guaranteed a way to make certain profit, no matter how knowledgeable you may be about the subject – treat each bet as an assumed loss until you receive a payout.

Betting sites offer plenty of tools so that customers can manage the time and money spent betting. Tools include deposit limits, time-outs, loss limits and even self-exclusion.

If you have concerns over your gambling, seek independent help. There are several UK charities and institutions that can offer you support, advice and relevant information, including:

• Gamblers Anonymous
• GambleAware
• GamCare
• NHS

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.