Winning Football Betting Strategies: Proven Techniques for Success

Football is one of the most watched sports in the UK and the most avidly bet on. There are so many markets and ways to bet on this top sport that customers are spoilt for choice. But how do you make the most out of your football betting experience? We’re here to help. In this article, the team at BettingOnline have provided you with all the strategies they use while betting on football markets online.

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Understanding Football Betting Strategies

Below, the team at BettingOnline has listed all of the main strategies for optimising a user’s football betting experience. These are general strategies that we recommend applying to all football bets at the best sports betting sites.

Maximising Value in Football Betting

  • Value Betting: This is the bet placed when you believe the odds offered by the bookmaker are higher than the actual probability of said bet occurring.
  • Line Shopping: It is always recommended to compare the odds different bookmakers offer to ensure you get the best possible.

Exploiting Bookmaker Promotions

  • Most online bookmakers offer players a range of promotions for football betting markets. These are great when you are looking to boost your bankroll or a specific bet. Available promotions include free bets, bet boosts, acca boosts, and cashouts (among others).

Live Betting Strategies

  • In-Play Betting: This allows players to place more educated bets based on how the event or match is going. 
  • Lay the Draw: This involves placing a bet on a draw before a match starts, then backing the draw at higher odds once/if a goal is scored.

Specialised Betting Markets

  • Lower Leagues: Bookmakers often have less information on these leagues, so the odds tend to be more valuable.
  • Novel Betting Markets: Less common betting markets such as corners, cards, and goalscorer bets tend to have less competition from other bettors and, as such, often offer unique opportunities.

Staying Informed

  • Research and Analysis: By staying up to date with football news, bettors can make more informed bets and, thus, likely more successful bets. Many betting sites have blogs, or users can find dedicated football news sites.
  • Impartial Betting: You should always avoid placing a bet based on personal biases; only bet based on objective and factual information.

Finding Reliable Tipsters

  • Tipsters are avid bettors who make their betting history and current bets public for other customers to follow. By finding and following a tipster with transparent and consistent results, you should be able to replicate their winning streaks. Check out our tipster’s best football betting tips here.

More Specific Football Betting Strategies

Listed below are some more specific betting strategies bettors can use occasionally if they want to mix up their football betting experience.

Over/Under 2.5 Strategy

A well-known statistic in the football world is that there is an average of 2.5 goals per match across all the leagues. As such, this betting strategy revolves around this fact. In this strategy, it is up to you to decide whether more or less than 2.5 goals will be scored in the game. Your pick should be based on statistics and research.

If you pick under 2.5, there can only be a maximum of 2 goals in the match. If you place an overbet, there must be three goals or more. 

Bet Against the Favourite

Although this strategy means you are less likely to guarantee a win, your winnings will be much more advantageous if the bet succeeds. We only recommend this type of bet when you have researched each team’s current state; you should ensure the result is probable. Information to consider would be injuries, the lineup, previous success, whether the team is home or away, and the weather, as silly as it may seem.

Asian Handicap Strategy

This betting option is only available for matches where the outcome seems obvious; simply put, it is clear which team will win. In this case, an online bookmaker will place a handicap on the teams, such as -2.5 goals. This means that for the team to win, they must score at least three clear goals. Even better, if the handicap is -1 goal and the team only scores one goal, the game will be considered a draw; in this scenario, the bookmaker should return your stake.

A Double Handicap

In the case of a double handicap, the bookmaker will split your bet into two for the two handicaps; as such, you will receive a part or the whole of your bet based on the outcome of the match. An example would be Man City -2.0 & -2.5; in this case, if they score two goals, you will receive half your stake, but if they score 3, you’ll win your whole wager.

Wincast/Scorecast Strategy

In this type of bet, a player must guess the goalscorer and the game’s final score. If the stake succeeds, this strategy will boost the winnings and offer a larger payout. However, for these wagers to win, both predictions must be made.

Accumulators and Cashout

Accumulator bets (aka ACCAs) are wagers which allow players to place multiple bets at once, either on one event or multiple. This type of betting will offer better odds and, in turn, larger winnings, as it is harder to succeed. 

Cashout goes hand in hand with ACCA betting, allowing bettors to cash out their wager before the event(s) has finished. This means that punters can limit losses if they no longer think their wager will succeed. For further guidance on accumulator bets, check out our Accas page.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is value betting?

This is when a bookmaker’s odds reflect a probability lower than the actual likelihood of the bet succeeding.

Can I win real money using football betting strategies?

If your bet is successful, you will win real money at the top football betting sites.

What is the best site to bet on football?

Our favourite football betting site is Betano UK.

How to succeed at football betting consistently?

You are never guaranteed to win a bet, but by implementing the strategies in this article or following tipsters, you may improve your odds of winning.