How to Bet on Football

Football has taken over as the most popular sport to bet on, with millions of people betting on the beautiful game all over the world.

In fact, it is so popular now that many online bookmakers use promotions for top matches or competitions as a way of luring new customers. Which gives punters a lot of of value for money with regards bonuses, free bets etc.

So, if you’re new to football betting or just looking to refresh your mind, here is a simple guide to betting on football.

Best Way to Bet on Football

With football betting so widely available it is a pretty simple sport to bet on, although there is a best way to ensure you get the best deal and the biggest chance of being successful.

1) Check upcoming fixtures

This is an obvious thing that many people overlook when betting on football, which can lead to rushed bets being placed at the last minute.

To know in advance who is playing who, which teams may have the best chance of winning, and which games are being televised, you need to check out the fixtures for at least a few days ahead. Do this by checking newspapers, or sites such as flashscores or worldfootball.net.

2) Research

The most important thing when betting on football is research. You must study recent form, history of meetings between the two teams playing each other, injuries and suspensions which may mean one team is significantly weakened, league tables, and upcoming fixtures for both teams as one may rest players if they have a more important game coming up.

Doing this research allows you to take an analytical approach to football betting, takes away the element of emotional betting and provides you with more chance of making a profit. Knowing who has the best chance of winning a match by using statistics gives the punter a little advantage over the bookmaker.

3) Choose a Bookmaker

Many people have a preference to where they bet, whether it be in an actual betting shop or with a certain online betting company. But, this approach can mean punters aren’t getting the best odds available, or the best value for money.

Shopping around, comparing odds for each site, and looking at what bonuses or features are available gives you value and the possibility of a higher profit. The site a person usually bets on may be easier to use for that person but another site may have higher odds, meaning a bigger profit on winning bets, and offer accumulator insurance, meaning the person has less chance of completely losing their bet.

Before placing a football bet, potential gamblers need to know where is best to get the best value and researching bookmakers, bonuses, and offers is the way to do that.
4) Set a Betting Budget

Being responsible is key when betting on any sport, so it is highly recommended that you set yourself a betting budget before placing a single bet. Work out how much spare cash you have, deposit what you can afford to lose into your online betting account or put that money aside to place a bet in a proper betting shop, and stick to that limited budget.

That way, you keep the fun part of football betting without the fear of making yourself completely broke.

5) Place Your Bets and Watch the Action

Next, you can place your bets. Choose your selections, choose a bet type or market you wish to bet on, select a stake, and away you go.

Once the bet is placed, you may have the option of watching a live stream of the action online or you will be able to go into the “my bets” section of your online betting company and stay up to date with the latest scores and take advantage of in-play or cash out betting features which may be available.

How to Win at Football Betting

Following the above step by step guide to football betting is the best approach to take and will also give punters a bigger chance of winning their bet and making a profit.

But, there are a few other points to make note of that will increase a persons chances of making a profit from football betting.

• Cash Out – Gives you the chance of taking a small profit if your bet doesn’t look like being successful
• Betting Records – Keep a betting record to record your wins/losses, which teams let you down, which bets give you the most success etc.
• Bet not to Lose – Everyone bets to win but to be more successful you need to bet not to lose. To do this you must approach it with the mindset that a profit is a profit no matter how small, and also take advantage of features such as accumulator insurance or money back bonuses.
• An Analytical Approach – We mentioned research and studying statistics before and sticking to this will ensure you are armed with all the information you need to place a successful football bet and make a profit.
• Bookmaker Variation – A sure fire way of preventing losing too much of your own money on football betting is to change the bookmaker you bet with occasionally. This way, you can take advantage of new customer offers, free bets etc which enables you to bet without having to deposit and use any actual money, or at least not a lot anyway.