Soccer is an incredibly popular sport worldwide with multiple top leagues to wager on. Between Premier League betting, the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A, Major League Soccer (MLS), and the Champions League, there are ample soccer betting opportunities available. We’ll explore the different ways to bet on soccer, so you are better prepared to make your soccer betting predictions.
How to Read Soccer Betting Odds: Types of Bets
Soccer betting is exciting for sports bettors because unlike other sports such as football and basketball, it’s relatively low-scoring which makes for some pretty intense matches. Online soccer betting Canada has you covered with a number of soccer betting options to choose from across the best soccer betting sites online. Let’s take a look at some of the different types of soccer bets.
Moneyline Betting
When moneyline betting in soccer, all you have to do is pick a team to win or wager on the match to end in a draw. The three-way moneyline bet is one of the most popular betting options in soccer. Canadian betting sites like Spin Sports will have moneyline odds that look something like this:
Liverpool FC -160
Manchester City +340
Draw +315
The favourite (Liverpool) is indicated by the minus sign (-) with a 61.5 percent chance to win. The underdog (Manchester) is indicated by the plus sign (+) with a 22.7 percent chance to win. You’ll see these symbols across most sports Canadian betting sites. However, all three lines could be plus-money on occasion, depending on the matchup.
If you bet $100 on Liverpool and they win the match, you win $162.50. You get your $100 back plus your winnings of $62.50. If you bet $100 on Manchester and they win, you win $440. You get your $100 back plus your winnings of $340. If you bet $100 on a draw, and the game ends in a tie, you win $415. You get your $100 back plus your winnings of $315. There’s always going to be more of a risk when betting on underdogs, but as you can see from the example above, the payout is much higher.
Draw No Bet Soccer Betting
You can also wager on two-way odds where the draw option is removed. You still need to pick a team to win in order for you to cash in your bet slip, and if the match ends in a draw, you get your money back. Payouts on the favourites are higher and payouts on the underdogs are lower when the draw is eliminated.
Totals: OVER/UNDER Betting
With totals bets, you’re trying to predict whether the number of goals scored will go OVER or UNDER a specific amount set by online sportsbooks. Let’s say the goals total is set at 2.5 goals for a game between Liverpool FC and Manchester City. You think the combined score for both teams will be three goals or more, so you bet the OVER. If you think the combined score for both teams will be two goals or less, you bet the UNDER.
There’s even betting markets on the total number of corner kicks, and whether that will go OVER or UNDER the listed total.
Point Spread Betting
Sticking with underdogs, in point spread betting, dogs are provided an advantage by being given +0.5 goals before the game even starts. Which means after the oddsmakers have adjusted the goal lines, favourites start with -0.5 goals right off the hop. Point spread bets are when you wager on the margin of victory. Odds at Spin Sports will look something like this:
Liverpool FC -2.5 (+120)
Manchester City +2.5 (-130)
Liverpool has to win the game by three goals or more in order to cover the point spread. Manchester has to lose by no more than two goals, win the match outright or have the game end in a draw in order to cover the spread.
Prop Betting
Unlike point spreads, totals or straight-up wagers, prop bets consist of individual or team milestones that don’t necessarily affect the outcome of a game. Soccer props can range from:
- How many red cards will a team receive?
- Which team will score first?
- How many first half goals will be scored?
- Will player X score at all?
Futures Betting
A footy future is wagering on a long-term soccer bet such as which team will win their respective league championship. You can also wager on things like who will be the most valuable player (MVP), but keep in mind that your money is tied up for quite some time. It’s the potential for big payoffs that make futures so enticing.
Parlay Betting
Soccer betting allows you to place multiple soccer bets onto one ticket. However, if even one wager in the parlay loses, the entire parlay is a bust. While it’s more difficult to have multiple wagers hit, you win more money if all of your picks win, instead of wagering on each one individually.
Live Soccer Betting: In-Play Odds
In-play soccer betting is extremely popular at online sports betting sites, which have live soccer odds for most of the biggest games and events like the World Cup. Live betting odds let soccer bettors stay engaged in a game as the action moves fast.
For example, it’s Liverpool FC vs Manchester City and the score is a 2-2 draw at the half. However, Liverpool was clearly more dominant, so their moneyline odds shift to +150 in the second half. If you think Liverpool has the greatest chance of winning, take advantage of the better odds and place a live bet.
Correct Score Betting
Correct score betting is where you wager on the precise full-time score. There are several possible outcomes in a soccer match, which makes betting on the exact final score no easy task. But, you’ll see that reflected in higher odds.
Both Teams to Score
When betting on both teams to score, the final result doesn’t matter. All you need to do is wager on both teams to score at least one goal each at any point during the match. You can wager “no” as well if you think one team won’t score at least once.
Ready to Make Your Soccer Betting Picks?
Now that you have some soccer betting tips to work with and a better knowledge of how to bet on soccer, you’re set to get started on your soccer wagers.
