Soccer Betting: The Classic Soccer Bets
Soccer Betting: Introduction
I am from the United States and soccer is my favorite sport to follow and my favorite sport to bet on. Because of this, I love international tournaments that get the US excited about this “international” sport. So with the Euros concluded, there is great atmosphere surrounding the sport and I hope me and this article will get you excited to follow and perhaps bet on domestic competition beginning in August!
Soccer Betting: Ways to Bet Soccer
There are plenty of awesome ways to bet on soccer but there are 3 major ways to bet. Let’s take a deeper dive.
3-Way Moneyline
I wrote an article previously on the 3-way moneyline, linked here. I won’t spend a ton of time with examples, but just so you understand the gist, the 3-way moneyline takes into consideration a third outcome. Instead of just a win/loss scenario, there is a draw possibility.
In most major US sports there is only the option of a winner and a loser. For example, if the Milwaukee Bucks play the Brooklyn Nets in the ECF, the odds may be set at -110/-110 for each teams moneyline. However in a soccer match between Leicester City and Manchester United, the line may be set at +125/+105/+210 with the +210 denoting the odds given for a draw. Instead of betting on two possible outcomes there are three, so be wary.
Again, check out my in-depth analysis on the topic with the link - 3-way moneyline. And now let’s mix things up and look at moneyline vs spread.
Spread
Another popular form of betting in soccer is betting the spread. This is the same as every other sport where a team either must win or can lose by a denoted margin in order to make money. If a team is 4.5 point favorites, that team would have to win by 5 in order for their spread bet to hit. While the win/loss outcome may not matter, the score certainly does.
The purpose of the spread is to often make betting the underdog more accessible and fun. For example, the 2008 Lions went 0-16 and were underdogs in every game except for the opener. However, they went 7-9 against the spread. So, while not profitable, still yielded some results that could chalk a win in your betting column if played correctly.
There are certainly normal lines in a soccer game; ie +/-0.5 goals. However, there are other ways to bet the spread unique to soccer. Linked is my article about Asian handicaps. This article goes more in-depth on the matter, however the general premise is that Asian handicaps break your bet into two pools of spread and are separate bets tied into one. The best way to show this is through an example.
Aston Villa is playing Crystal Palace and Villa is favored with an Asian line of -0.5/-1.0 at even. I make a $100 on Villa. This means $50 goes towards Villa at -0.5 and $50 goes towards Villa at -1.0. The outcomes of difference would be as follows: Villa lose or draw where you are net -$100, Villa win by 1 goal where you are net $50 (the -0.5 hits and the -1.0 pushes), an lastly any other outcome where Villa wins by at least 2 goals where you are net $100.
The tricky part in understanding Asian handicaps is understanding that your bet is being split and diversified. Nonetheless, the spread bets, both Asian and normal, are the second most popular way to bet on soccer.
Totals
Like most other sports over/under betting is another extremely popular betting choice. This means you are betting on there being more or less goals scored than a specified line in a game. Pretty straight forward. If you are having trouble with the concept, take a look at my Over/Under Betting article.
Soccer Betting: The Parlays… Kinda
What really drives my love for soccer betting is the unique bets that are applicable almost strictly to this sport: the same-game parlay. This may sound weird, but I will make it make sense. Let’s look how you bet the parlay.
Most books will offer bets that are a combination of the aforementioned ways to bet soccer and will give you better odds. So the books will give you odds for a team's moneyline paired with the total. Or they will give a team’s moneyline paired with both teams to score.
For example, say Manchester City is playing Watford. You are confident that Manchester City will win, but you are sceptical to bet spread and you’re not sure where the goals will come from. You can bet Manchester City to win and total goals to be over 2.5. Therefore any City win with over 3 goals scored in the game is a hit.
The reason I enjoy these bets is because it tailors your bets to your style and knowledge. To me it seems like I am less playing the odds and more playing my knowledge.
Soccer Betting: Conclusion
Again, I love betting on soccer. I normally have some money on every Premier League game. I hope this answered some of your questions about this foreign sport and their books. I encourage you to explore your sportsbook to familiarize yourself with some of the possibilities before you place any bets. It’s a fun space and a fun community, just make sure to bet responsibly!
