If you’re thinking of getting into football betting but don’t quite know where to start, you’re not alone. Plenty of people take one look at this potentially lucrative avenue and decide it’s not for them sheerly based on a feeling that football betting is “too hard”. We’re here to dispel that myth. Here’s our 8-step beginner’s guide to football betting.

1. Know your terms

The first thing you need to do if you’re going to bet on football is to know your terms. Do you know what an accumulator is? How about a scorecast? Would you know what to do with a DNB? It’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into if you’re going into football betting. Coming prepared with knowledge will increase your chances of victory. You’ll also gain a wider range of knowledge when it comes to betting, meaning you can expand your repertoire to other sports. Most importantly, it’ll make it harder for disreputable platforms to rip you off. Speaking of which…

Outright football betting can be anything backing a team to win the 2022 World Cup to the Championship Golden Boot winner. The major leagues will have multiple outright markets, including Player of the Year betting and – for the Premier League, in particular – there will be a wide variety of different outright bets. Online Betting Guide for Beginners. Take Football, for example; you can find markets for handicap betting, under-over betting on goals, goalscorers, assists, where players score from, corners, cards, to hit the woodwork, and many more. You can get free football tips for all matches in the major European leagues with Infogol. How to Bet on Football: A Beginner’s Guide. If you’re new to football betting and keen to get involved then you’ve just come to exactly the right place. On this page we will teach you all the basics of betting on football, and make sure that you are on the right track from the moment you place your first wager.

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1. Football Betting Markets. Full time result (1×2) – Bet on the full time result. Pick either home, draw or away. Extra time does not count. 1 or X – If the result is either a home or draw then bets on this option are winners. X or 2 – If the result is either a.
2. Basic Tools for Successful Football Betting. The tools for successful football betting are very easy to come by: all you need, on the most basic level, is an up-to-date league table(s) of the competition(s) you wish to bet on. You can find these in pretty much any newspaper, or on any number of websites such as BBC or Sky Sports.

2. Find a reputable website

If you’re planning to bet online, finding the right website can be an absolute minefield. You don’t know whether the site you’re planning to use is reputable, or whether it has a history of ripping off its customers. As such, it’s definitely a good idea to find a well-known, high-quality betting website. Sites like this one over here will compare and contrast different betting services for you, helping you to find the one that’s right for you. If you want to make decent money out of football betting then you’re going to need to be discerning.

3. Bet smart, not emotional

If you’re into your football, you’ve probably got a team that’s close to your heart. You need to disregard that completely when you’re betting on football. If you support a team but you know they’re likely to lose a game, it’ll make you more money if you bet against them. Don’t ever bet on a team because you like them or have a personal stake in their victory. If you don’t think you can throw your allegiance to the wind, then don’t ever bet on games that involve your team. Your heart can lead you to some very stupid decisions indeed, so use your head.

4. Don’t bet more than you’re prepared to lose

If you know you can afford to lose the money you’re going to bet, then go ahead and place the wager. If not, don’t. You should be prepared to lose everything you’re betting; the outcome of a football match, while predictable to a certain extent, is always subject to last-minute change. You could very well think your team has it in the bag until a late-game goal from their opponents knocks the whole thing into extra time and loses you your entire bet. Don’t bet more than you’re prepared to lose, because doing so will set you on the road to perdition.

5. Build knowledge

You might not be a football expert, and that’s fine – you don’t necessarily need to be one in order to bet on the sport. Having said that, you definitely do need to know at least the basic rules of football. You can’t know what the best betting scenario is for each game if you don’t know what could happen. It’s also a great idea to learn leagues, cups, and teams. It’s going to be difficult to keep tabs on every single team in the UK, but if you can choose a handful and concentrate on their performance then you can get a good idea of their individual strengths and weaknesses.

6. Watch the leagues closely

Teams aren’t always in the same situation from game to game. A team that has won its last five matches and is now facing an inferior opponent is not likely to be bringing its best game to that match. You can see that as an opportunity; maybe Goliath will make a mistake and create an opportunity for David to take him down. Betting against a team that everyone else thinks will win can lead to massive payouts, but you should only do this if you’re confident. Alternately, look at a team that historically hasn’t done too well but is now fighting for its place in the league. That team is much more likely to play well in their next game since the stakes are higher. If you watch for trends and make predictions, you can really up your profit.

7. Be patient

Not every bet is going to come off in your favour. If you’re expecting football betting to be as consistent as a 9 to 5 desk job, you’re going to be disappointed. Some bets will naturally fail; nobody can literally predict the future. With that said, you need to make sure you’re picking the right bets. Are you on a strong streak? Consider banking your money and making a safe bet so that you can “start afresh” rather than putting it all on a risky venture. Having a string of losses? Analyse what’s going wrong and work to change it – don’t make rash decisions and try to “prove yourself”. Knowing when to bet – and when not to bet – is crucial if you’re to become a successful sports betting expert.

8. Don’t get addicted

This one is harder than it might initially seem. We are our own worst judges, and it’s not always possible to know when you’re addicted to gambling. There are plenty of stories out there you can read about gambling addiction that should clue you in; if any of these stories sound like yours, then you might be addicted. The moment you identify an addiction, you need to take positive steps to get out of it. Football betting can be an extremely lucrative and enticing profession, but it should never overtake your life or cause you harm in any way. Surround yourself with people you trust and tell them to be honest with you throughout your time football betting.

So, you’re a football fan and have an uncanny ability to predict what’s going to happen. You have great potential in the world of sports betting, but you will still benefit from learning the basics with our football betting guide. In this beginners’ guide to betting on football, we explain the fundamental principles of sports betting, including understanding betting odds, the different types of bets and so on.

These are the things you need to know inside-out before advancing to things like money management and different strategies. While some people gamble just for fun, our approach emphasizes long-term profit and sustainable sports betting.

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What Are the Main Types of Bets?

There are many kinds of bets in football, but if we start explaining them all at once, it will be an overwhelming amount of information. Our football betting guide for beginners is dedicated to clarifying both the broad terms and fine details of bets. Thus, we will acquaint you with a few basic categories of sports bets:

Single bets

A single bet is a bet on a single outcome. Most bets fall into this category. For instance, if you bet on Barcelona to beat Valencia, you’re placing a single bet. The bet’s success depends on the outcome of that match only. Here are the most popular types of single bets:

Match Odds Betting on the home team, away team or draw.

Double Chance Similar to match odds but you get to bet on 2 selections. “1X” means you win if the match ends as a home win or draw.

Over/Under 2.5 Betting on whether the number of goals in a match will be over or under 2.5 goals (i.e., 2 goals or less or 3 goals or more).

Goalscorer Will, the player you pick, score first/last/anytime.

Draw No Bet Back one of the sides to win and get your money back if it’s a draw.

Asian Handicap Betting on whether a team will win after a handicap is applied. For example, “Barcelona – 2.5” would win if Barcelona won by 3 or more goals. Asian handicap betting is useful for getting higher odds when a big victory is expected.

Half Time/Full Time Who will be winning at half time, and what will the full time result be? Draw/Away would indicate the game would be level at halftime, but the away team would end up winning the match.

Full Cover Bets

Also known as system bets, full cover bets are advanced combinations that include all available accas and/or single bets of a given number of selections. These are more expensive as you’re placing several bets. Still, you can profit even if one or two picks lose. The simplest system bet is called the Trixie and requires just 3 selections. It consists of 1 treble and three different doubles. Here are the most common full cover bets:

Accumulator bets (also known as accas or multiples)

Accumulators combine many events or outcomes into one bet. You need all of them to win – less chance but a much bigger payout if it does come in. For example, you might think Liverpool, Chelsea and Bayern Munich are all sure to win their games. By combining these bets into one accumulator, you benefit from higher odds. If one of them draws or loses, however, you lose the bet. For more information on accas, check out our complete guide for Accas.

Bets can also be split into pre-match and in-play:

Pre-match bets Betting before the match used to be the only way to bet. If you’re betting on the day of the match, the odds usually won’t change much until kick-off, making it easy to get matched. Look out for price movements when the team news is announced, an hour before kick-off.

In-play betting Bets placed after kick-off are called in-play or live bets. Betting in-play allows you to get better odds and to assess how the game is going. You need to keep a clear head and not become too emotional, but a combination of research and intuition can bring in decent profits. Find out more on our Live Betting Page.

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Understanding Betting Odds

Understanding betting odds is essential for your long-term success, and no online betting guide for football would be complete without an explanation of this topic. There are two major things to know about betting odds.

First, the odds represent the return on your stake. Simply multiply the odds by your stake, and you’ve got your total return. For example, a £10 bet at odds of 2.2 will return £22 if it wins. £10 of this is your original stake, £12 is profit.

Second, the betting odds represent the chance of your bet winning – in theory, at least. To calculate the probability, just divide 100 by the odds. So, odds of 2.0 suggest a (100/2) = 50% chance of success. If you think there’s more than 50% chance of that bet winning, then you’re getting a good price. Of course, odds are prepared by people, and it is fair to expect they have at least studied a football betting form guide before setting the odds. If not, everyone who has done their homework will have the edge over the bookies.

Sports Betting Markets – What Are They?

You will hear the term “market” all the time on betting sites, but the definition is rarely offered, even in football betting guides. Different outcomes in a single match are all their own market. Match odds, Asian handicap, BTTS (Both Teams to Score), DNB (Draw no Bet), Number of goals, Over/Under, Corners, Yellow/Red Cards, Goalscorers – these are all individual markets.

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The Cash-Out Button – When Should You Use It?

You backed the home-team for £10 at odds of 2.5. Fast-forward 70 minutes into the match, and they’re winning 1-0. The odds have dropped to 1.4. Let the match run, and you might win £15. If the away side equalizes though, you lose your £10. Hit that cash-out button, and you get your £10 back plus some profit (~£8-12). You’ve made money no matter what happens in the rest of the match.

So, when should you use cash-out?

Take profits Your team is winning, but there’s only 1 goal in it, and the opposition have had chances to score. By cashing out, you eliminate the risk of losing money and pocket some profit too. While you could hold out for a bigger win, you risk a loss. Many small wins are usually better (psychologically and for your money management) than a win-loss-win cycle.

Cut losses There are going to be times when things don’t go your way. Your team just haven’t turned up and are losing by a goal with 60 minutes gone. Many people find it difficult to accept the loss and stay in, hoping for a turn-around that rarely arrives. Cash-out and you may only get £2.50 of your £10 back but that slightly smaller loss will still help your long-term profitability.

A few years ago, punters would trade out of their bets by placing a corresponding lay bet on a betting exchange. Now nearly all the top football betting sites have a handy cash-out button. It’s a great feature that’s worth taking advantage of. For more information, check out our dedicated Cash-out page.

Self-Awareness is Critical

Problem gambling is a sensitive topic, but it can have serious consequences for affected punters and their families. Since this is a football betting guide for beginners, we advocate self-assessment and promote self-awareness.

Keep a record of your betting, the events you bet on, the price, stake, whether it was a win or a loss. This will help you see if you’re throwing away your hard-earned money or making progress. Be honest with yourself and examine any patterns.

Take the time to check out our dedicated page on responsible betting too.

A Guide Is Only the Beginning

Now you know the basics, learn about more advanced topics like using the betting exchange and bet builder. Keep educating yourself, and you will continue to improve. Good luck!

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