How to Bet on Soccer

Betting on soccer is slightly different in format to traditional betting on football or basketball. But the fundamentals of handicapping research and searching for line value remain steadfast if you plan to beat the soccer bookies.

Handicapping soccer

What are you looking for in terms of trends and indicators?

Recent Form

Check the recent tables to see how the team has been performing. Are they winning, but allowing lots of goals? Are they losing, but playing games away from home and against tough competition? Read recent match reports and study the recent form of the opponent as well.

Head-to-head history

Sometimes this is meaningless on the surface because both rosters have been overhauled since the teams last met. But home and road history is important in soccer and there are tendencies and trends that follow teams year over year. Is it wise to bet big on such a trend? Hardly, as you need sound handicapping data to support your play.

Injuries/team strife

Are there key injuries or team infighting to consider? Is the coach on the hot seat after a string of poor play? Will the players rally to save his job or tank to ensure he loses it. If there are injuries, investigate roster reports to see if it is long-term and ensure you know the details of the players replacing them.

Motivation

Moreso than in NFL or NHL where the value of revenge or rivalries carry a bit less weight (in fact are often full myths), motivation is important in soccer. Does the game mean anything in the standings? Are key players otherwise involved in Euro qualifiers or resting injuries? If a team only needs to draw, expect their play to reflect this reality.

Fatigue/schedule

Is this a tired side? Are they playing their third game inside a week? Are they looking ahead to yet another game in just a few days? Investigating the schedule also gives insights into motivation and in deciphering their recent form.

Home sweet home

Is the game a local derby where the teams play at the same stadium (like a Jets vs. Giants game in the NFL)? This can detract from any home or away biases you may perceive – and which stats may bear out. Many soccer teams are juggernauts at home and patsies away. Research the recent home and away form of each team, as some may reveal obvious ‘totals’ trends.

 

Types of soccer bets

Total goals or over/under

Pretty simple stuff. The total or goal line is shown as 2.5. You wager whether you believe the total goals scored in the match will be more than two or less than two.

Win, loss, draw

You will odds that look like this:

Chelsea +120

Liverpool +140

Draw +210

You have only a one-in-three chance of winning this bet. Wager $100 to win $120 for Chelsea to win, $100 to $140 on Liverpool and $100 to win $210 on the draw.

Asian handicap

The rough equivalent of point spread betting in soccer. It is similar to runline betting in baseball or puckline betting in hockey. One team starts with a half goal (or 1.5 goal) head start. It eliminates the draw option as one team will always be the victor after factoring in the handicap of a half goal.

Chelsea -.5

Liverpool +.5

Good luck in your soccer betting exploits this season. Check out the soccer live odds and betting matchup section here at PointSpread.com for more information.