Football is undoubtedly one of the most popular sports worldwide, with statistics showing that it has over 3.5 billion fans. There are so many national and international competitions, tournaments, and leagues that one can never get tired of watching football. But that begs the question - how many would consider football betting, and do they know how to win on football betting?
I've explored the sports betting options and found many online betting sites in Canada with competitive football odds and countless bet types. This guide will discuss how to bet on football in greater detail, so stick around if you want to learn more.
Understand the Betting Lines, Odds and Markets
Before making your first wager at any sportsbook, I recommend learning how to bet on football. There are many things to consider, from the available betting markets to the strategies you can employ and the different football odds you might encounter. Below, I'll explore the most popular bet types, starting with point spread betting!
Point Spreads
Point spread is a type of bet where you guess the number of points or goals a team or player will have over their opponent. Regarding football betting, you can take two teams set to play against each other and decide who is your favourite and by how many goals you predict they will win. In a matchup between Atlético Ottawa and York United, you can put -2 on Ottawa and +2 on York United if you think Ottawa will win the matchup with two goals over the opposing team.
Over/Under Total Points
An over/under bet is also called a total points bet, and it requires you to predict how many points will be scored in the matchup by both teams. When betting on football games, you would have a lower over/under than in basketball games, for example, as the former usually ends up with two to five goals, whereas the latter can have upwards of 200 points. So, in a matchup between the CPL's Forge and Cavalry, you would make an over/under of 1 or up to 5 to be the number of goals, regardless of who wins the game.
Moneylines
When looking into how to bet on football and win, one of the first bets you will encounter is the moneyline bet. This is considered the simplest bet, requiring you to choose your favourite to win the matchup. There's no need to guess the number of goals, assists, or anything else. Just pick your winner, and you are done! When looking at sportsbooks, remember that favourites come with the sign (-), and underdogs get odds with the sign (+) in front of the odds.
Game Prop Bet
Prop bets are my favourite types of bets when it comes to betting on football games, as they have nothing to do with the actual match outcome but make watching the game much more fun. For example, you can look into a team's roster and make a prop bet on who will be the leading scorer for the game. Similarly, you can bet on how many penalties will be called, who will be the first scorer, etc. The options are endless as long as you know how to read football odds and use them to your advantage.
Football Betting Strategy
I believe that betting on football games is much more interesting when you employ specific strategies to improve your odds of winning. I've selected the best football betting strategies that are easily understandable even for beginner bettors, so let's explore them in greater detail:
Stake Conscious Betting
It's easy to get carried away when you learn how to bet on football and win. You might even try wagering more than you initially planned, which can lead you to spend your betting budget quickly.
That's not something I recommend doing, as being conscious about the bet size is the best thing for everyone. One option to stay within your budget is to look into 1 dollar deposit casinos, which offer free cash for football or sports betting in general. Another thing you can do is set bet limits using responsible gaming tools and set a low limit of just a couple of bucks.
Double Chance Accas
When looking into guides that explore the best way to bet on football, you will undoubtedly come across Double Chance Acca bets. These bets allow you to bet on two or more outcomes of the same event. If you are unsure whether Liverpool will prevail over Manchester City, you can make a Double Chance Acca on Liverpool to win the match, lose the match, or for the match to end in a draw. If you correctly guess at least one of your Acca bets, you have a winning bet.
Index Betting
When learning how to bet on football and win, it is wise to consider index betting as an option. In this type of betting, you decide where your betting limits will be. So, if you receive winnings above that limit, you would cash them out, whereas going below the limit means you would have to lower your wagers. This type of betting on football games allows you to manage your bankroll effectively but still make higher bets.
Home Underdogs
When betting on a matchup, the underdog is always the team that sportsbooks expect to lose the game. Home teams are usually favourites due to home turf advantage, but that is not always the case. You can try betting on home underdogs, but only when the football odds suggest that you will get a big win for a small stake. Smaller stakes are a great option for such games, as you are usually more likely to lose your wager on an underdog than win.
Value Comparison
The first thing you will learn about betting on football games is to consider statistics, football odds, injuries, trends throughout the season, and other factors before deciding on your bet. It is wise to compare the value of the teams going up against each other, as that will help you determine which team deserves your wager. Each league and team has its own official webpage, which can be a great source of information, while there are tons of online comparison guides you can look into for more in-depth analysis.
Goal Reaction
Goal reaction is a type of betting strategy you can try when betting on sports in Canada on websites that offer live betting. This strategy requires you to follow the game closely, check the football odds, and make bets depending on goal predictions. If you have a losing team that was considered the favourite to win the match, you can bet on them to score a goal and cut the opposing team's lead short. You can also make such bets on underdogs, but they rarely end in a win.
