What does BTTS mean in betting?

We explain everything you need to know about the common football betting acronym BTTS in our beginner’s guide

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Online football betting is a growing industry and is a popular pastime for many fans who want a bit more entertainment when watching games.

Betting sites offer hundreds of different markets for punters to bet on and one of the most popular football bets is a BTTS bet.

BTTS stands for both teams to score and below we explain everything you need to know about the bet type, including how BTTS works, when to place a BTTS bet and how it compares to other bet types.

What does BTTS mean?

BTTS translates as both teams to score, a wager that pretty does much what it says on the tin. BTTS is a wager on whether or not both teams in a match will score or not.

It is a simple bet, one of the first bettors are likely to look at when learning how to bet on football and is not contingent on a result, amount of goals, specific players scoring or anything else.

A BTTS bet gives you a simple choice of yes or no. If you back yes, you are wagering on both teams to score in a game. A bet on no means you are banking on one or both teams failing to find the net.

Keep in mind that a BTTS only covers the traditional 90 minutes of a match. So, if you are betting on a game that could go to extra time and have bet on both teams to score, the bet will be a loser if they haven’t netted before the end of regulation time.

BTTS tips and advice

BTTS betting is all about predicting if both teams are likely to score at least one goal during a match. Punters only have to decide yes or no, making this bet one of the easiest to understand that you’re likely to come across on football betting sites.

Success in BTTS betting lies in research. Before placing a bet, try to understand more about each of the teams involved in the game you want to bet on. Look out for their current form, how many goals they score/concede and how well they’ve done historically.

Head-to-head records can provide insight into how likely it is that teams will score against each other and knowing whether a team is better in attack or defence can determine which ‘yes’ or ‘no’ option you choose.

Going one step further, BTTS can be combined with other bets such as BTTS & win (when you must also decide the winner of the game), BTTS in both halves (when both teams must score at least one goal in each half of the game) and BTTS over/under (when you predict whether both teams will score and if the total goals in the match will be over or under a specific number). These types of bets usually come with higher odds, and in turn, higher payouts.

BTTS in-play betting

One popular BTTS betting strategy can be to wait for the match to start and then bet BTTS in-play. The rise of betting apps makes it easy to be able to wait until the action begins before you place a bet, and doing that has certain advantages for BTTS bets.

Not only will you have seen the line ups and therefore know who is in and out of the teams, but waiting until the game starts will give you an idea of how the two managers have set up their sides. Have they gone ultra-defensive, or picked a team likely to score?

The longer you wait, the more time you’ll have to assess the game and how the players are performing. However, if an early goal is scored, you won’t be able to bet on both teams to score.

BTTS vs other football bets

When compared to some of the other football bets available on old and new betting sites, BTTS is a favourable option. That is usually reflected in lower odds for BTTS bets compared with other football bets like total goals, where punters must predict whether the amount of goals scored will be more or less than a specified number.

Other bets include exact goals, where you try to predict the exact number of goals in the game, and goalscorer markets, which sees you wager on one player to score in a game, either first, last or at any time.

BTTS accumulator bets

A traditional football accumulator sees punters pick the result of a collection of games and put them all together into an acca. A BTTS acca bet follows the same principles, only you are wagering on whether or not you think both teams will score, rather than the final result.

It’s just a different way to have an accumulator bet and only having two options might make it more appealing to those punters who are a little more risk adverse.

Certain football betting sites also offer free bets or profit boosts for successful accas, and a BTTS acca is a way to take advantage of those promotions.

Remember to gamble responsibly

Customers must ensure they follow responsible gambling practices from the second they sign up for a bookmaker online. Even if you’re knowledgeable about sport, anyone can still lose bets.

Betting is not a way to make money online and should only ever be considered a form of entertainment. Customers should always remain in control of their budget and never chase losses.

Should you wish to seek help for gambling-related issues, there are multiple charities and healthcare providers who offer support and information:

• NHS Help
• GambleAware
• Gamblers Anonymous

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