Football is often referred to as the world’s most popular sport, with dedicated fans, players, and bettors all around the globe. In fact, it’s estimated that football has a total of 3.5 billion fans worldwide. Football is most popular in Europe, Africa, America, and Asia, but it is truly a global sport with fans in all areas around the world.
Many of those fans enjoy wagering on matches. Betting on outcomes provides dedicated fans with a new way to engage with their favorite sport, teams, and players. There are various football betting markets for fans and bettors to choose from which are now highly accessible thanks to the widespread adoption of the internet. In this article, we’ll review some of the most popular football betting markets and where to find them.
Wagering on football, and sports in general, has changed dramatically in recent years. Gone are the days of physically walking into a bookmaker’s land-based establishment. Now, sports fans can wager online through sportsbook sites domestically and internationally. Football fans can browse the betting market options and compare what is available across various sites before deciding where to place their wagers. While some football fans and bettors may be able to wager on sports domestically, others may find that sports betting in their region is not yet allowed. Bettors in areas with strict regulations often opt to use overseas sports betting platforms, which are typically licensed and registered in countries with more lenient gambling laws. In addition, many sports bettors find that international offshore sites offer access to unique and varied betting markets. So, if a football fan cannot find a particular betting market domestically, it’s wise to search international offshore sites as well.
On both domestic and international sites, football fans will likely find a variety of betting markets. Some of the most popular betting markets often include:
- Match Result
- Over/Under Goals
- Both Teams to Score
- Asian Handicap
- Correct Score
- Double Chance
- Draw No Bet (DNB)
- Half Time/Full Time (HT/FT)
- Goalscorer Markets
- Corners and Cards Markets
- Specials and Prop Bets
The Match Result market, also known as the 1X2 market, is one of the simplest and most straightforward betting options in football. Because it’s so simple, it’s also one of the most common. In this market, bettors predict the outcome of a match: home team win (1), draw (X), or away team win (2). The Match Result market is widely available across all major sportsbooks and betting platforms, making it easily accessible to bettors of all levels.
The Over/Under Goals market is based on the total number of goals scored in a match. Bettors wager on whether the total number of goals will be over or under a specified threshold set by the bookmaker. This market offers flexibility and excitement, allowing bettors to root for high-scoring or low-scoring matches. Over/Under Goals markets are commonly found on sports betting websites that cater to different preferences, so looking on an offshore site may be smart.
The Both Teams to Score market is a common choice for bettors seeking action-packed matches. In this market, punters attempt to determine whether both teams will score a minimum of one goal. The BTTS market adds an extra layer of excitement to football betting. Most major sportsbooks offer Both Teams to Score markets for a wide range of football matches, from domestic leagues to international competitions.
The Asian Handicap market is a unique betting option that originated in Asia and has gained popularity worldwide. In Asian Handicap betting, one team is given a goal handicap to level the playing field, resulting in more balanced odds. This market eliminates the possibility of a draw by providing fractional goal handicaps, such as -0.5, -1.0, or +1.5. Asian Handicap markets are available on most online sports betting platforms and offer competitive odds for football matches of all levels.
Bettors who wager on the Correct Score market must predict the exact score of the match in order to win. While this market offers high odds and potential for big payouts, it is also one of the most challenging to predict accurately. Correct Score betting requires careful analysis of team form, tactics, and historical performance to make informed predictions. This market is commonly found on sports betting websites and offers a wide range of score options for bettors to choose from.
The Double Chance market provides bettors with increased chances of winning by allowing them to wager on two possible outcomes of one match. Bettors can wager on either the home team winning or drawing, the away team winning or drawing, or either team winning. This market offers lower odds compared to the Match Result market but provides a higher likelihood of success.
The Draw No Bet market eliminates the possibility of a draw by refunding stakes if the match ends in a tie. Bettors can choose either the home or away team to win, and if the match ends in a draw, their wager is returned. This market offers a compromise between the Match Result and Double Chance markets, providing bettors with added security and peace of mind. If a football bettor has trouble finding this market domestically, looking further abroad at offshore sites may do the trick. For example, some sites registered in the UK on Gamstop may not offer the market, but non-GamStop sites registered internationally may.
The Half Time/Full Time market allows bettors to predict the outcome of a match at both half-time and full-time. Bettors can choose from a range of options, including home team win/home team win, draw/home team win, away team win/home team win, and so on. This market offers higher odds than traditional Match Result bets, as it requires predicting the outcome at two different points during the game.
Goalscorer markets allow bettors to wager on specific players to score goals during a match. These markets include First Goalscorer (predicting the player to score the first goal of the match), Anytime Goalscorer (predicting a player to score at any point during the match), Last Goalscorer (predicting the player to score the last goal of the match), and Scorecast (predicting both the first goalscorer and final score of the match). Goalscorer markets offer excitement and potential for big payouts for bettors who correctly predict goalscorers.
In addition to goals, bettors can also wager on other events that happen during a football match, like corners and cards. Corners markets allow bettors to predict the total number of corners taken during the match, while card markets involve predicting the total number of yellow and red cards shown by the referee. These markets provide alternative betting options for bettors who want to diversify their wagers and also provide extra entertainment and engagement throughout each game.
Specials and prop bets encompass a wide range of unique betting options that are not directly related to the outcome of the match. These markets include bets on specific events or occurrences during the match, such as the time of the first goal, the number of substitutions made, or whether a penalty will be awarded. Specials and prop bets add an extra layer of excitement and intrigue to football betting, allowing bettors to get creative as they wager on their favorite sport.
With a huge variety of football betting markets available, football fans and bettors can stay engaged and entertained throughout every match. While some football betting markets may be common and widely available across all betting platforms, others may be harder to find and football fans may need to search both domestic and international offshore sites. With so many betting options in the market, there is something for each of the billions of football fans all across the globe.