Football is an exciting sport where anything can happen and that is why football betting is a unique way of keeping the game even more interesting than it already is. There are many online sports betting sites that make it possible for you to bet and so, having an understanding of how it works will give you a chance of winning.

What football matches can I bet on?

Football is a global sport and there is always a game happening somewhere in the world and so, that gives you the chance to bet on international matches, friendlies and league matches from not only the top leagues in the world but even some of the more obscure leagues in the world. If there is a match being played, the chances are, most online betting sites will allow you to place a bet.\r\n

What different bets can I make?

The thing with football is that there are so many variables and things that can happen in the game that football betting has grown enormously. Bookmakers are now offering new and innovative ways to win such as guessing the number of corners in a game or who will score the first goal but the main bets are as follows:\r\nThe outright winner – This is the simplest bet to make and it requires to you to bet on who will win the match. Therefore, you need to pick the team that you think will win and place your bet.\r\n

Accumulator

Whether it is during the week or on the weekend, there is always a number of matches being played. An accumulator allows you to place a bet on a number of games at the same time. So, you might place a £1 bet on six different teams to win, draw or lose. However, in order for you to win, you need all of your results to go your way.\r\nDouble Result – This involves you correctly predicting what the result will be at half time and at full time. This is chosen using the following: H-H, H-D, H-A, D-H, D-D, D-A, A-H, A-D, and A-A.\r\nSo, if you select H-H, it means that the home team was in the lead at half time and at full time but if you chose H-A it means that the home team was in the lead at half time but the away team won the game as they were in the lead at full time.

First scorer, last scorer, anytime scorer

This is a simple case of betting which player you think will score first, last or at any time during the match.

Betting odds explained

The betting odds are designed to give you an indication of the likelihood of the outcome and how much money you could win.

So, if you took odds of 5/1, for every £1 you bet, you would win £5. In another example, if you had odds of 1/6 then it would mean that for every £6 you bet, you would win £1.

If you look at the outcome of a match or any other bet and how the odds reflect this, then if we look at the same odds, it makes it possible to work out the likelihood of the event happening:

If a football team is given odds of 5/1 then the probability of that happening can be worked out by a simple calculation of 1/ (5+1) = 0.50 giving a 50% per cent likelihood of it happening. The odds of 1/6 would be worked out by calculating 6/ (1+6) = 0.60 which gives you a probability of 80%.

What can affect the outcome of your bet

Football is a very intricate sport that has a lot of variables that can play a part in the outcome.

Form

The form of a team or a specific player can determine the likelihood of them winning a match or scoring a goal. However, in football, form is not always a clear indicator as to whether a result is likely to go your way but it can give you a very good idea.

The League or International Ranking

If a team at the top of the league is playing the team at the bottom of the league then there is every chance that the top team is going to come out on top. In international football, if a team ranked 10th is playing a team ranked 179th, then the outcome could be quite clear.

Where the match is being played

If you bet on a particular team, such as the team you support, then history might dictate that they never perform well when they play at that ground or stadium.

Team news

If a certain player or players are injured prior to the match then it could alter the outcome of a match and if a player suffers from an injury during the match then if you have chosen a specific bet such as the first goalscorer then your chosen outcome will never happen. Perhaps the manager has chosen to play a new formation, all of these things can affect the outcome.