5 Golden Rules of Betting on Football (Soccer)

Football betting rule number one.

Find the best value odds for the bet. Online bookmakers are in fierce competition with one another for attracting business. Each type of betting market is priced differently. Imagine departments within a supermarket, the cat food may be cheaper in one but the bananas cheaper in another. Some bookmaker will price goal bets more keenly than a bookmaker who tries to attract business to a straight win market.

A high street bookmaker will charge a margin of roughly 10% on a typical football match. The best odds can be found in what are called the subline markets; corner betting, goal betting, and bookings points betting. Fierce competition for online bookmakers have reduced these margins significantly for those wishing to compare odds.

Asian handicap betting is another route to getting better odds. Although more complicated, Asian Handicap betting eliminates betting on a draw result. So there are only two outcomes to bet on. This type of betting is better for straight win or lose markets.

Football betting rule number 2

After identifying a bet, and finding the best odds it is important to stake correctly. If a bet is a long shot but the odds offer really good value a relatively small stake is advised, compare this to a bet with a more certain outcome. A larger stake might be more appropriate as the chance of winning is greater. What do we mean by value? Imagine an experiment. A coin is tossed a thousand times. Heads should 'come in' the same number of times as tails; a 50/50 chance. The true price (chance) of getting a head or tail would be 1/1 (fractional odds in the UK) or 2 (decimal odds in Europe). A value bet would result if the bookmaker priced a bet where they pay back anything more than what is staked if you win.

Where value is consistently found in the choice of bets and the best odds are found each time, profits should be made. Any staking plan, however, should allow for one of life's facts: that bets will lose. If the loses are limited by correct staking this will not deter from successful bets.

Football betting rule number 3

Use multiple bets because they are fun, but, don't bother with massive accumulators. However, the chance of winning big money from small stakes can be very exciting. A bit like the pools in that respect. For multiple betting stick with doubles only to ensure long term profits. The more selections chosen on a multiple bet the lower the chance of winning so it's not worth consistently placing large accumulators.

Football betting rule number 4

Learn a little about the team and the event. Is the team playing home or away. The effect of the home team advantage is well documented. Home team advantage can have effect on corners won, goals scored or conceded, and bookings points. Is that match a local derby. These can produce lots of bookings points and high corner numbers. Check injury news to see if key players are in place. A injured striker or captain suspended can have a big effect on the odds. However, this effect is less with top flight football teams due the breadth and depth of talent in the squad. This can also produce opportunities. If a big team usually has a strong squad but multiple key players are out or the second choice is not performing well then value can be found.

Football betting rule number 5

Rule number 5 is a bit of a cheat as there are two rules in one here. First, select the betting market carefully. It was mentioned earlier that the best markets are smaller subline markets. Perhaps the ones that are not as popular producing odds that attract more people to the bet. Be weary of halftime/fulltime, correct score and first goal scorer markets as they tend to have higher profit margins.

Secondly bend the rules in your favour. After following rule 1, which is to find the best odds, for new accounts bookmakers will offer a sign up bonus. For example, a no lose first bet or free first bets. Many offer ongoing free bets to existing customers as well, which can boost results.

Lastly, not so much a rule but just an idea, betting as early as possible can produce great results. Bet on the football team to win the tournament or to get relegated. A team who's fortunes are changing where the odds don't yet suggest they have a chance. Tell tail signs of a team that could make a come back are a new manager, coach or the signing of a star striker. To increase chance of winning consider using an each way bet that will pay out if the team comes first or second. In fact, the team doesn't even need to stand a chance of actually winning the tournament. To profit from this kind of bet the football team's chance of coming higher in the league must increase. This as the effect of shortening the odds. A corresponding lay bet can be placed on a betting exchange so as to guarantee a profit no matter the outcome.

To round up, football provides lots of interesting betting markets offered by bookmakers. It's a great sport to bet on because the sports itself is so rewarding. By following this set of rules football betting can also be more rewarding. The key is to compare betting odds when choosing which football bet to place, finding value, by knowing the sport and choosing the best betting markets. If betting for a hobby don't forget to choose a good staking plan.