Soccer betting is the largest sports gaming market globally. An increasing number of sports bettors are showing interest in how to place wagers on soccer, especially with significant international tournaments such as the World Cup and leagues like the Major League Soccer and English Premiership.
It is necessary to have a fundamental knowledge of soccer and the sport’s rules to comprehend the complexities of soccer betting. In general, soccer is a low-scoring game played for a continuous period of 90 minutes.
With this, most soccer betting lines are determined and evaluated based on the outcome of the game’s 90-minute regulation time. Here is a list of the numerous betting lines or types of soccer bets available for you to choose from to determine how you would like to place your wagers.
Three-Way Moneyline
Only the outcomes of the first 90 minutes of play, popularly known as “Regular Time,” are considered for the three-way Moneyline bets. This takes into account any time the referee decides to add because of an injury or a play pause, but it does not involve any overtime or penalty shootouts.
In this type of betting, there are three options:
- Team A wins
- Team B wins
- Team A and Team B draws
In soccer betting, the point spread is replaced with a money line. However, there is a catch with this betting option. Punters would still have the option to play a favorite or an underdog, but you may also wager that perhaps the match will end in a draw, which is about the same thing as betting on a tie.
Two-Way Moneyline
When betting using a two-way Moneyline, it removes the possibility of a draw from the equation and modifies the odds from either side to account for that change. Thus, in this betting type, you’ll have two options:
- Team A wins
- Team B wins
The two-way Moneyline is a popular wagering option when a winner needs to be determined in the middle of a tournament, whether through extra time or a shootout. For example, in a game with a usual length of ninety minutes, if you place a bet on the “draw no bet” odds and the game ends in a tie, your gamble is considered a push, and the amount of money you risked is returned to you.
Goal-Lines
The spread, often referred to as the handicap or goal line, is yet another option to wager on the odds of a soccer match. Spreads in soccer are often anywhere from 0.5 to 2 goals. However, the number of goals can be higher depending on the expected extent of competition between the two teams.
The heavily favored team to win the match can have a spread of -1.5, which indicates that they need to win by a margin of at least two goals to make up the spread. On the other hand, the underdog in the game would be given a point spread of +1.5, which indicates that they must lose by a margin of fewer than one goal or win the match outright to collect their payout.
Over/Under
Commonly referred to as betting totals. In this betting type, bettors can place wagers on the total number of goals scored, either Over or Under. The oddsmakers forecasted the number of goals that are expected to be achieved by both teams in a game.
This type of betting can be displayed as multiples of .25 goals, calculated differently from those in other sports. For instance, suppose you choose to wager on Over 2.25 Goals. Half of your wager will be placed on “Over 2,” and the other half will be placed on “Over 2.5.” If the score is 2, you will have one half of your wager returned. Moreover, you will win both of your bets if the game’s final score is 3, which is Over 2 and 2.5.
Another example will be if you wager that fewer than 2.75 goals will be scored. In this, 50% of your stake is placed on the outcome of having under 2.5 goals scored. The other 50% is placed on the outcome of having under three goals scored. If somehow the game falls on 3, you will forfeit half of your bet Under 2.5, but the other half will be repaid to you Under 3.
How To Read Soccer Odds
Reading odds in a soccer betting is often in an American odds format and presented in a money line style, which is about the same as the odds that Baseball and Hockey generate.
There is always an odds-on favorite, denoted by a plus sign (+) and an odds-on underdog, denoted by a minus sign (-1), in a soccer betting. However, the fact that soccer matches frequently end in draws or ties distinguishes soccer betting from baseball and hockey.
Final Thoughts
Compared to simply watching matches, participating in soccer betting offers an elevated level of fun and excitement. And now that you have a better understanding of how soccer betting works, you are ready to place your wagers on the team you support the most.
