Soccer Betting Explained: How To Bet On Soccer Like A Pro

In today’s lesson, we will be talking about how to bet on soccer, and the basics of soccer betting.

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to answer the following questions.

  • Is it legal to bet on soccer?
  • How do you bet on soccer?
  • Where can you place your soccer bets?
  • What are the important soccer betting terms?
  • How do you win a soccer bet consistently?

Complete Guide On How To Bet On Soccer

soccer betting stadium

Soccer, or football in most countries, is the most popular sport in the whole world.

It may not be that popular in the United States yet as Americans love the NFL or the NBA more.

But if you’ll visit countries in South America, Africa, Europe, and even some parts of Asia, you’ll notice how big soccer is in those countries.

Well, you don’t even have to go overseas to know how prevalent soccer is. A simple Google search will do

Soccer has the most number of leagues all over the world compared to other sports like basketball, baseball, or hockey.

More leagues mean more teams. And more teams mean more stadiums or arenas to play soccer games on.

Bookmakers are aware of this. And they have said it themselves, that they get the most action on their soccer bets than any other sports in terms of the volume of bets being placed.

If you’ve been looking at how you can get started betting on soccer, then this guide will help you.

First, let’s talk about the legality of soccer betting.

Betting on sports is legal in most countries like the United Kingdom, some US states, Australia, Mexico, South Africa, and Canada.

It’s best to check your local gambling laws and regulations to make sure you’re not breaking any laws.

If you can bet on other sports or sports betting is considered legal in your country, then you can definitely place a bet on soccer matches too.

How To Bet On Soccer In The US

For US residents, please refer to this table below to check if your state allows sports betting or not.

Sports Betting StatusUS States
Allowed Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Indiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, West Virginia, Arkansas, New York, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Montana, Washington, Washington D.C., Colorado, North Carolina, Tennessee
On-going process Connecticut, Maine, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, Kansas, Louisiana, California, Arizona, Virginia, South Dakota, Ohio, Wyoming, Nebraska, Alabama, Vermont, Florida, Georgia
Not Allowed Idaho, Wisconsin, Utah, Wyoming, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Idaho, Hawaii, Alaska, Texas, North Dakota

If you’re living in one of those states that allows sports betting, then you may place your soccer bets online. Due to the rise of online bookmakers, you don’t have to travel to a casino to place your sports bets.

Here are some online bookmakers we recommend that accept US residents.

Soccer betting is not that popular in Canada, but if you want to bet on international soccer leagues like the EPL, La Liga, or Ligue 1, you can do so by using an offshore bookmaker.

For Canadian residents, we highly recommend using BetOnline.

If you’re a UK resident, then you don’t have to worry about any strict gambling laws. UK residents can place soccer bets as long as they’re at least 18 years of age.

Another good thing about the UK government is they won’t charge you for tax for any of your winnings in soccer betting. Maybe that’s one of the good reasons why UK residents love matched betting.

If you don’t have an online bookmaker yet to place your soccer wagers with, then you should check BetNow.

The Australian government does not consider online sports betting to be completely legal. However, Australian residents are still welcome to place their soccer bets with a licensed offshore bookmaker.

Also, their government is more keen on arresting illegal bookmakers than Australian sports bettors. You can say they are after the enabler, and not the user.

If you’re looking for a trusted Australian bookmaker, check out 5Dimes.

Soccer Betting FAQs

How do you bet on soccer?

Once you have a sportsbook near your area where you can place your bets with, or an online sports betting account, you can start wagering on soccer games.

Now, there are dozens of bets you can wager on in a single soccer match and some of those bets are the following:

  • Money line bets
  • Point spread bets
  • Game total bets
  • Double chance bets
  • Prop bets

For those just starting out betting on soccer, it can be quite overwhelming if you’re not familiar with the terminologies. Don’t worry because they’re not that hard to get used to. And we’re here to guide you on how to bet on soccer like a pro.

How do odds work in soccer betting?

Odds are the probability of a certain outcome to happen in a soccer match.

This probability is represented by a number that will determine the amount of money you can win if the outcome you bet on happens for the game.

There are three different types of odds used in soccer betting.

First is the American odds, which have a format of +XYZ or –XYZ.

The positive or plus sign means you’re betting on the underdog of the match, and XYZ or the number after the + sign is the amount you will win if you bet $100.

The negative or minus sign means you’re betting on the favored team, and the number after the negative sign is the amount you have to place to win $100.

This does not mean you’re not allowed to place bets less than $100.

If you’re going to do that, it will still follow the same rule, it will just lessen the amount you’re going to win according to the amount you placed.

Next is the fractional odds. Fractional odds have a format like X/Y or X-Y. The “X “represents the amount of money you can win if you place the amount on “Y”.

The ratio here is simply “profit” / ”wager”. Fractional odds are usually used by bettors in the UK.

Lastly, we’ll define decimal odds. Decimal odds have a format of X.YZ.

X, Y, Z are numbers ranging from 0-9.

Decimal odds represent your overall winnings if you place a wager of $1.

If you place a $1 soccer bet on 2.50 odds, you will get $2.50 back from that bet. When the odds are set at 1.50, you’ll get $1.50 for every $1. This means a profit of 50 cents for each dollar wagered if the bet wins.

Is it safe to bet on soccer online?

Betting on soccer online is 100% safe as long as you’re with a trusted and reputable bookmaker.

If you need help finding that kind of a bookmaker, you can start by signing up with these online bookmakers:

For US customers, we highly recommend both 5Dimes and BetOnline. You may also try using Intertops, one of the pioneers in online sports betting.

For those in Canada, go with BetOnline, they’re betting platform is very user-friendly and has more than a handful of available cash-in and cash-out options you can use.

Now, for UK residents, we suggest using BetNow. They have amazing promotions and offers for new customers from the United Kingdom.

For Australians, we recommend going with 5Dimes. They offer the best possible soccer odds among major bookmakers, and a variety of soccer leagues you can wager on.

How do I get paid when I win my soccer bet?

When it comes to collecting your winnings from your account, all you need to do is make a request to your bookmaker.

If you’re with the bookmakers we recommend, you can simply head to their cashier page and process your withdrawal there.

As long as you meet their requirements like their minimum payout amount, you can withdraw money from your sports betting account.

The payout method and processing time differs by bookmaker, and other factors might come into play like what country you’re in, the cash-in method you used, and the available payout options with your bookmaker.

Soccer Bets

If you’re still not quite familiar with some soccer betting terms, this section should help you out differentiate the different soccer bets you can wager on.

Soccer Money Line Bets

Unlike most sports, soccer matches have three different end of game outcomes for each team: win, loss, or draw.

Bookmakers offer three different money line bets for the final result of a certain soccer match. You have the option to choose who will win the match or if it will end in a draw.

Usually, favored teams are given -110 odds or higher. This means to win $100, you have to wager $110.

It’s different for underdog teams. They usually are given +100 odds or better. This means if you bet $100, you’ll win $100. If the odds are +150, your $100 bet can net $150 in profit.

For draw bets, they’re usually twice the amount you win if you bet on the favorite. But odds may vary depending on your bookmaker. Draw bet odds range from +150 up to +400 or better. If the favorite is expected to win the game by 2 or more goals, then the odds for both the underdog and draw bet gets better.

Double Chance Bets

If you want to place a soccer bet on the underdog or favorite but want to protect yourself in case of a draw, then you may consider placing a double chance bet.

Double chance bet adds the draw bet on your wager. For example, there is a match up between Manchester United and Liverpool. Liverpool is favored at -250 odds. You see value betting on a Manchester United win as Liverpool is missing their starting goalkeeper. They’re given +350 odds for an upset win. The draw bet is at +280.

You may opt to bet on a Manchester United win or a draw result at +200 odds. The odds for double chance bets are lower since you’re betting on two possible outcomes of the game, not just one.

If Manchester United draws the game, you win your bet. The same thing can be said if they manage to win the game straight up.

Point Spread Betting

Point spread betting is influenced by the goal difference between the two teams at the end of the game or half.

Much like point spreads in basketball betting or run line spreads in baseball betting, the point spread in soccer indicates how many points or goals a team must win by or lose by.

For example, a matchup between two La Liga teams: Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. FC Barcelona is favored to win by at least 1 goal. The point spread for Real Madrid is +1, while FC Barcelona is given a spread of -1.

If the game ends in a 2-0 win for FC Barcelona, then you win your bet as they won by two or more goals. If the game ended at 2-1. Both point spread bets will be graded as a push since there’s only a single goal difference.

In case of a draw or a Real Madrid win, then you lose your bet on the FC Barcelona spread.

Soccer Game Total Bets

The game total bets on soccer is pretty straightforward.

Bookmakers set a total before the game starts, and you bet whether if it goes over that total or it goes under it.

Let’s say there’s a game between PSG and Marseille, the game total is set at 2.5.

If the game ends with a 1-1 draw or a total of 2 goals scored, you lose your bet. If there are 3 or more goals scored for the game between the two teams, then you win your over 2.5 goals bet.

When the total is set at 3 goals, and both teams only scored 3 goals for the entire game, then your bet is graded as a push and the amount you wager will be returned to your account.

Prop Bets

Prop bets are another type of soccer bet you can place, and these bets do not depend on the final outcome of the game.

It usually answers the question.

Will it happen during the soccer match?

The best example for a prop bet is if a player will score a goal during the game. Let’s say a match between Tottenham and Everton has Harry Kane to score a goal at -150 odds.

If he scores a single goal, you win your prop bet. If not, then you lose. There’s no push for soccer prop bets unlike game total or point spread bets.

Other Soccer Prop Bets

Soccer prop bets are not limited to who will score a goal during the match. Other soccer prop bets include the following:

  • Who will get carded during the game?
  • Which team will score the first goal for the game?
  • Who will score the first goal?
  • Will there be a penalty awarded for either team?
  • Will there be a red card given during the match?
  • How many cards will be given for the entire match?
  • Which team will score the last goal?
  • Which team will have more corner kicks?

Those are just some of the prop bets you can bet on, and there are plenty more being offered.

Don’t worry as you’ll get to know those once you start betting on soccer. And they’re very easy to bet on since you just have to answer the question, whether it’s a name of a player, team, a number, or by yes or no.

Soccer Future Bets

Future bets as the name implies are bets that predict an outcome not for today’s games but in the future. Future bets may take several weeks or months before they are graded. The best example of a soccer future bet is who will win the league for the coming season.

Other soccer future bets are who will score the most goals for the season, which teams will get promoted or relegated, who will win more games, or how many points will a team get for the whole season.

Soccer Betting Tips

how to bet on soccer

Shop for the best odds

With hundreds of bookmakers to choose from, bookmakers may have varying odds for a single soccer game.

And one of the best ways to make money in sports betting is to learn how to save money in the first place.

You can easily do this by having multiple bookmakers and placing your soccer bets with the one who provide the better line.

For example, there’s a match between Juventus and Roma, and you noticed there’s a 5 point difference between the odds given by bookmaker A and bookmaker B. If you bet $100 for that game, that 5 point difference will be equivalent to $5. To be honest, it’s not much. But is it worth signing up with multiple bookmakers?

Yes. It’s going to be worth it.

The amount of money you save by shopping for the best odds may not be much today, but if you’re going to take sports betting seriously, those savings can easily add up in a few months.

Practice good bankroll management

When you’re just learning how to bet on soccer, you might not be familiar with bankroll management yet.

Bankroll management is where you will learn how much to bet on a certain match and how many bets you should be making.

You can easily place your bets based on your gut feeling. Place $100 bet now and another $300 bet later. You can bet the game total and the match-winner in one single match up. Wager on any prop bets you want. Place $200 on who will score the first goal.

Anything. It’s your money anyway.

But is this sustainable?

We don’t think so.

Why?

Losing streaks.

Even professional sports bettor go on losing streaks themselves. And if you’ll ask them how were they able to stay in the game longer than other bettors, they’ll tell you it’s because of good bankroll management.

Check the injury report

Injuries to players may happen during the game or while training or even at their home.

It’s up to you to do your due diligence before betting on each match. You cannot just bet because the odds seem wrong.

The team may already be missing their star player ahead of their matchup against an inferior team, and you’re not aware of it.

If the odds seem too good to be true, then maybe it really is. You should do your research first.

Look at a team’s form

Another factor that may affect how your bookmaker sets the odds for the game is a team’s form. As a soccer bettor, you should be knowledgeable about how a team is doing in the past few games.

Some sports bettors may argue that previous matches will not tell you who will win the present match up. But we have to disagree with that.

A soccer team’s performance in the past game or games may affect the team’s morale. This cannot be measured with numbers much like other intangibles like home advantage. So it’ll be up to you how you’re going to weight on these things when placing a soccer bet.

A team performing well the past few games may continue doing so. And it could be wise for you to back them for their next games against inferior opponents.

While a team that’s been losing a lot may have already given up their season. These are teams you should be fading.

Betting on International Soccer Leagues

EPL

The English Premier League or EPL is the most popular sports league in the world and it has 20 teams competing for the championship. It’s games are watched in more than 212 territories, and is considered the most recognized top-level soccer league worldwide.

The EPL season starts from August and ends in May with each EPL team playing 19 home games and 19 away games for a total of 38 matches.

For soccer betting beginners, most soccer leagues practice a system of promotion and relegation. It’s where teams who don’t perform well during a single season, the three lowest-placed teams, are relegated to a lower soccer league in the same country.

For EPL, it’s the English Football League or EFL.

Three teams from EFL are then promoted to play on the English Premier League for the upcoming season.

The usual bets like money lines, point spreads, game totals, prop bets, and future bets are available for soccer bettors to wager on.

Since EPL is such a popular league, player and team information and statistics are easier to acquire and analyze. This makes it easier to do research and place smart soccer bets.

La Liga

La Liga is the top-level professional soccer league in Spain where 20 teams compete each season. Their season starts in August and ends in May.

Much like the EPL, La Liga relegates teams based on their season records and they send them to the Segunda Division. They also promote teams from the same division.

The league has been made famous by the top two La Liga teams for the last decade or so, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. The most recognized player in La Liga is none other than Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona.

Betting on La Liga is very similar to betting on the EPL.

Serie A

The Serie A is the top-level professional men’s football league in Italy with 20 teams. The Serie A season starts in August and ends in May.

Teams are relegated to and promoted from the Serie B. Unlike the EPL or La Liga where multiple teams have reigned in the 20th century, Serie A has only one team to claim that title and that’s Juventus. It has been the most successful Italian soccer club for the past two decades.

Messi’s rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, has taken his talents to Juventus in 2018. And made Juventus more invincible.

For future bets on who will win be the Serie A champion at the end of the season, Juventus has been always considered the favorite by bookmakers.

Bundesliga

The Bundesliga is the top-level professional men’s football league in Germany and it is attended by the most number of people among major soccer leagues.

The 2. Bundesliga is where relegated teams go to and promoted teams come from.

Unlike the EPL, Serie A, and La Liga, Bundesliga has fewer teams competing each season. The league only has 18 teams playing each other from August to May.

Games are usually played on the weekend, while a few of them are held on a weekday.

Ligue 1

Ligue 1 is the top-level professional soccer league in France and is played from August until May.

The league, like other major soccer leagues in Europe, also operates a promotion and relegation system, and they do it with Ligue 2.

Ligue 1 is considered the fifth major soccer league based on UEFA coefficients. Teams in Ligue 1 are behind EPL, La Liga, Serie A, and Bundesliga according to UEFA. The UEFA or Union of European Football Associations govern football leagues in Europe.

The most well-known Ligue 1 team in the world is Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and are considered the richest football club in France.

How To Bet On Soccer – Final Thoughts

Learning how to bet on soccer is not that complicated as you might think.

For soccer betting beginners, we recommend placing bets on money line and game total bets first.

Once you get a better understanding of how soccer teams operate and perform, you could try betting on prop bets and point spread bets.

Find a niche that you’re good at, and stick to it. If you’re doing better betting on game totals, then bet on game totals only. You don’t have to wager on every available bets.

Practice good bankroll management and you can make more money from your soccer bet winnings.

Good luck!

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