In soccer, there are many types of competitions with varying rules so it's always good to be informed prior to placing a bet. In most competitions, draws may be the final result of the game, so there are 3.
Contents
How to bet Soccer
Soccer Betting - Betting Sites and Strategies. Your Guide to Making the Best Soccer Bets. Welcome to the soccer betting guide. Here we cover strategies, odds, and picks for Bundeslige betting, Premier League bets, and soccer betting. Soccer Betting Tips: Direct from Las Vegas, WagerTalk.com TV host Marco D'Angelo (@MarcoInVegas) sits down with soccer betting expert Carmine Bianco (@Carmin. Game totals betting is a soccer bet where you wager on the total number of goals that will be scored in a game by both teams combined. The sportsbook will set a line for the number of goals and you decide.
Soccer is an emerging betting market in the United States as more and more people are becoming interested in it. If you're looking to learn more about the game of soccer and how to bet soccer, you've come to the right betting guide.
Understanding Soccer Odds
In the United States, soccer odds are shown in 'American' format and listed in a money-line format which is the same odds that both Baseball and Hockey produce.
There is always a favorite, designated with a plus (+) symbol and an underdog that is represented with a minus (-1) symbol.
The different from Baseball and Hockey is that soccer games often end in ties or what is more commonly referred to as a draw.
Best Soccer Betting Sites
| Rank | Soccer Sportsbooks | Welcome Offer | Legal States | Bet Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | BetMGM Visit | Review | Risk-Free Bet up to $600 T&C's Apply, 21+ | Available in CO, IA, IN, MI, NJ, NV, PA, TN, VA, WV | |
| 2. | PointsBet Visit | Review | 2 Risk Free Bets to $2,000 T&C's Apply, 21+ | Available in CO, IA, IN, IL, MI, NJ | |
| 3. | WynnBet Visit | Review | Up To A $500 Risk-Free Bet T&C's Apply, 21+ | Available in CO, MI, NJ |
Updated on :
In order to place bets on these sportsbooks, you must be in a state in which sports betting is regulated and where the corresponding sportsbook has a sports betting license. Welcome offers through VegasInsider are currently available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Colorado, and West Virginia. Welcome offers may differ depending on where you register. Please visit the sportsbook using any of our links, change to your location and confirm your welcome bonus offer and requirements before you register.
Three-Way Line
In soccer, a money line takes the place of a point-spread but there is a twist. Bettors will always have the option of playing a favorite or an underdog, but you can also bet that the game will end in a draw, which is a tie.
Barcelona -145
Manchester United +400
Draw +240
In the above example, Barcelona (-145) is the favorite and bettors would stake $145 to win $100 on Barcelona. Sticking with this example, you can see that Manchester is the underdog (+400). Bettors would win $400 if they placed $100 on Manchester and they won. In the event that the game ends in a Draw/Tie, bettors who wagered on Barcelona or Manchester would lose their wagers.
In the above example, the Draw (+240) pays out $240 based on a $100 wager. The Draw is a loser if either Barcelona or Manchester wins. The Three-Way Line is valid for 90 minutes of action only.
What is the Two-Way Line (Goal Line)?
Barcelona -1.5 (-140)
Manchester United +1.5 (EVEN)
The Goal Line in soccer is comparable to a point-spread wager in football. It allows bettors to minimize their risk on heavy money-line prices or even better reward them with generous payouts. In the above example, Barcelona is -1.5 goals (-140) on the Goal Line. Bettors would risk $140 to win $100 on Barcelona to win by two or more goals. If Barcelona loses or wins by one goal, the wager is a loss. If you grab the 1.5 goals with Manchester, bettors would wager $100 to win $100 (EVEN) if Manchester won the game outright or lost by one goal or less. The Goal Line is valid for 90 minutes of action only.
How To Bet On Soccer In Vegas
How to Bet Soccer Totals
Over 2.5 (+100)
Under 2.5 (-140)
The 'O/U', also known as Over/Under or Total, is the number of combined goals that the oddsmakers expect to be scored in the matchup. Bettors can either wager Over or Under on the goals listed. In the above example, 2 1/2 goals, bettors taking the Over would win if Barcelona and Manchester score 3 or more goals in the game. Bettors taking the Under would win if the two teams combine for 3 goals or less. If the game ends with the exact number of goals listed in the total, the result is considered a push (tie) and all wagers are refunded.
Oddsmakers often associate a money line with 'O/U' lines, which means bettors would have to lay extra money in some cases. Ex. Under 2 1/2 (-140) -- Bettors would wager $140 to win $100. The Total is valid for 90 minutes of action only.
How To Bet On Football Games
Future Wagers
Similar to other sports, soccer futures betting is often popular and it caters not only to daily and weekly bettors, but the masses too.
The most discussed future wagers in soccer circle around the top-flight leagues globally and also major events.
Popular Soccer Betting Leagues
- Premier League (England)
- La Liga (Spain)
- Bundesliga (Germany)
- Serie A (Italy)
- Ligue 1 (France)
- MLS (United States)
Popular Soccer Events and Tournaments
- FIFA World Cup
- UEFA Champions League
- UEFA European Championship (Euro)
How to Bet the World Cup
The World Cup is an International soccer competition that takes place every four years, usually played in the summer. The tournament features 32 teams that went through a thorough qualifying process in order to reach the event. The World Cup is run by FIFA (International Federation of Association Football), who is the international governing body of soccer or what many countries call football. The first World Cup tournament took place in 1930. The tournament features 32 teams, who earn bids via a qualification process in different regions.
How To Bet On Soccer In South Africa
World Cup HistoryGroup Stage
The 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four and those teams will play a round-robin tournament among themselves and the top teams based on records will advance to the knockout stage.
Knockout Stage
After the field is cut in half from 32 to 16, those teams will square off in a single-elimination tournament in one-off matches. If the games are tied after 90 minutes, two 15 minute extra time sessions will be played and if still tied then a penalty shootout will take place to decide the winner.
- Round of 16 (8 matches)
- Quarterfinals (4 matches)
- Semifinals (2 matches)
- Final (1 match)
Below are the best betting sites and betting options in states with legal sportsbooks to get you started with soccer betting. There is also sports betting with other sports besides soccer available at these sportsbooks. Remember to bet on soccer responsibly and check out the Vegas Insider soccer pages for insight on your different types of soccer bets.
Soccer Rules for Bettors
All sportsbooks and bookmakers follow their own regulated house guidelines, but the rules listed below are widely considered industry standards:
- Regulation Time Only Unless otherwise specified all soccer matches are based on 90 minutes of play plus added injury and stoppage time only.
- Extra Time, Golden Goals and Shootouts do not count towards the wager.
- Matches must go to full time or all wagers will be graded no action
Hoped you learned a thing or two on how you can win real money by betting on soccer. There are many kinds of types of soccer bets so it makes sense to try a few soccer betting sites out first to see which is the right fit. Remember your bonus code as you get started betting on different soccer matches!
No matter what you call it—football, futbol, footie or otherwise—soccer is one of the world's most successful sports with billions of people watching league matches every year. The planet practically comes to a standstill every four years to watch the World Cup. Soccer has staked its claim on every inhabited continent on the globe, and the sport continues to grow in popularity as time marches forward. To date, there are dozens of popular leagues out there, like the Premier League, La Liga, Bundisliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and even Major League Soccer (MLS). Not to mention the UEFA Champions and Euro Leagues. Soccer is also big for another reason, and it has little to do with wanting to play the sport. It's about the gambling. Soccer is the most bet-on sport across the globe, and billions of dollars are wagered every month. Knowing how to bet on soccer matches properly will be the difference between potentially winning or losing big. This page was created by our team of online soccer betting analysts to provide you with some insights into how to bet on the Beautiful Game.
A Brief Soccer Betting Tutorial
Betting Types
There are 3 main betting types in soccer: The point spread, the moneyline and the total (o/u).
Understanding The Point Spread In Soccer
Let's start with the point spread. This is simply the number of goals which oddsmakers predict a particular team will win by. So, let's say you have Manchester City playing Arsenal and the oddsmakers feel comfortable that Man City has the better team this year. They may favor Man City by 2 goals, which would read like this:
Man City -2: Arsenal +2.
When you place a bet on Man City to cover, the team must win by 2 or more goals. If Arsenal covers, they can still lose but come within one goal and you will lose the bet. Oftentimes you will see a line that reads like this:
Man City -2 (-115): Arsenal +2 (-105). Vegas odds payout.
Understanding The Moneyline Bet In Soccer
The second set of numbers is a variation of a moneyline. This means you have to bet $115 to win $100. It's basically just a way for the oddsmakers to not only keep action even on both teams but also to cover their losses. If, for example, 90% of the action went to Man City and Man City won, the sportsbook would take a bath on losses with even money ($1 to win $2).
The moneyline in a soccer context is the bet that reads like this:
Man City +135.
What does this mean? It's simply a representation of what you win per $100 bet. So, basically, each dollar earns an extra 35%, or a bet of $100 will win $135. The negative sign indicates the favorite and the positive sign indicates the underdog team. For instance, if you read this line:
Arsenal -140.
What does this mean? Well, it means you have to bet $140 to win $100, or, to put it another way, you're paying an extra 40% for every dollar won.
Betting The Totals Over/Under In Soccer
The total of a match, also called the over/under (O/U), is the third and final main betting structure in soccer. Using our two Premier League teams as examples again, let's look at a typical O/U line:
Man City 2 ½ +120 over; Arsenal -150 under. 2017 home run derby odds 2019.
This one looks more complicated, but it's actually quite simple. The first number, 2 ½, is the projected total number of goals in the game. So, betting the over, which would be the underdog bet, has a line of +120, or +20%. Remember, the positive sign shows an underdog and a winning bet brings in more money. Whereas betting the under, which would be 2 goals, is the more likely predicted outcome, and so you're giving up 50% with the line of -150, meaning you have to bet $150 to win $100.
What is the Two-Way Line (Goal Line)?
Barcelona -1.5 (-140)
Manchester United +1.5 (EVEN)
The Goal Line in soccer is comparable to a point-spread wager in football. It allows bettors to minimize their risk on heavy money-line prices or even better reward them with generous payouts. In the above example, Barcelona is -1.5 goals (-140) on the Goal Line. Bettors would risk $140 to win $100 on Barcelona to win by two or more goals. If Barcelona loses or wins by one goal, the wager is a loss. If you grab the 1.5 goals with Manchester, bettors would wager $100 to win $100 (EVEN) if Manchester won the game outright or lost by one goal or less. The Goal Line is valid for 90 minutes of action only.
How To Bet On Soccer In Vegas
How to Bet Soccer Totals
Over 2.5 (+100)
Under 2.5 (-140)
The 'O/U', also known as Over/Under or Total, is the number of combined goals that the oddsmakers expect to be scored in the matchup. Bettors can either wager Over or Under on the goals listed. In the above example, 2 1/2 goals, bettors taking the Over would win if Barcelona and Manchester score 3 or more goals in the game. Bettors taking the Under would win if the two teams combine for 3 goals or less. If the game ends with the exact number of goals listed in the total, the result is considered a push (tie) and all wagers are refunded.
Oddsmakers often associate a money line with 'O/U' lines, which means bettors would have to lay extra money in some cases. Ex. Under 2 1/2 (-140) -- Bettors would wager $140 to win $100. The Total is valid for 90 minutes of action only.
How To Bet On Football Games
Future Wagers
Similar to other sports, soccer futures betting is often popular and it caters not only to daily and weekly bettors, but the masses too.
The most discussed future wagers in soccer circle around the top-flight leagues globally and also major events.
Popular Soccer Betting Leagues
- Premier League (England)
- La Liga (Spain)
- Bundesliga (Germany)
- Serie A (Italy)
- Ligue 1 (France)
- MLS (United States)
Popular Soccer Events and Tournaments
- FIFA World Cup
- UEFA Champions League
- UEFA European Championship (Euro)
How to Bet the World Cup
The World Cup is an International soccer competition that takes place every four years, usually played in the summer. The tournament features 32 teams that went through a thorough qualifying process in order to reach the event. The World Cup is run by FIFA (International Federation of Association Football), who is the international governing body of soccer or what many countries call football. The first World Cup tournament took place in 1930. The tournament features 32 teams, who earn bids via a qualification process in different regions.
How To Bet On Soccer In South Africa
World Cup HistoryGroup Stage
The 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four and those teams will play a round-robin tournament among themselves and the top teams based on records will advance to the knockout stage.
Knockout Stage
After the field is cut in half from 32 to 16, those teams will square off in a single-elimination tournament in one-off matches. If the games are tied after 90 minutes, two 15 minute extra time sessions will be played and if still tied then a penalty shootout will take place to decide the winner.
- Round of 16 (8 matches)
- Quarterfinals (4 matches)
- Semifinals (2 matches)
- Final (1 match)
Below are the best betting sites and betting options in states with legal sportsbooks to get you started with soccer betting. There is also sports betting with other sports besides soccer available at these sportsbooks. Remember to bet on soccer responsibly and check out the Vegas Insider soccer pages for insight on your different types of soccer bets.
Soccer Rules for Bettors
All sportsbooks and bookmakers follow their own regulated house guidelines, but the rules listed below are widely considered industry standards:
- Regulation Time Only Unless otherwise specified all soccer matches are based on 90 minutes of play plus added injury and stoppage time only.
- Extra Time, Golden Goals and Shootouts do not count towards the wager.
- Matches must go to full time or all wagers will be graded no action
Hoped you learned a thing or two on how you can win real money by betting on soccer. There are many kinds of types of soccer bets so it makes sense to try a few soccer betting sites out first to see which is the right fit. Remember your bonus code as you get started betting on different soccer matches!
No matter what you call it—football, futbol, footie or otherwise—soccer is one of the world's most successful sports with billions of people watching league matches every year. The planet practically comes to a standstill every four years to watch the World Cup. Soccer has staked its claim on every inhabited continent on the globe, and the sport continues to grow in popularity as time marches forward. To date, there are dozens of popular leagues out there, like the Premier League, La Liga, Bundisliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and even Major League Soccer (MLS). Not to mention the UEFA Champions and Euro Leagues. Soccer is also big for another reason, and it has little to do with wanting to play the sport. It's about the gambling. Soccer is the most bet-on sport across the globe, and billions of dollars are wagered every month. Knowing how to bet on soccer matches properly will be the difference between potentially winning or losing big. This page was created by our team of online soccer betting analysts to provide you with some insights into how to bet on the Beautiful Game.
A Brief Soccer Betting Tutorial
Betting Types
There are 3 main betting types in soccer: The point spread, the moneyline and the total (o/u).
Understanding The Point Spread In Soccer
Let's start with the point spread. This is simply the number of goals which oddsmakers predict a particular team will win by. So, let's say you have Manchester City playing Arsenal and the oddsmakers feel comfortable that Man City has the better team this year. They may favor Man City by 2 goals, which would read like this:
Man City -2: Arsenal +2.
When you place a bet on Man City to cover, the team must win by 2 or more goals. If Arsenal covers, they can still lose but come within one goal and you will lose the bet. Oftentimes you will see a line that reads like this:
Man City -2 (-115): Arsenal +2 (-105). Vegas odds payout.
Understanding The Moneyline Bet In Soccer
The second set of numbers is a variation of a moneyline. This means you have to bet $115 to win $100. It's basically just a way for the oddsmakers to not only keep action even on both teams but also to cover their losses. If, for example, 90% of the action went to Man City and Man City won, the sportsbook would take a bath on losses with even money ($1 to win $2).
The moneyline in a soccer context is the bet that reads like this:
Man City +135.
What does this mean? It's simply a representation of what you win per $100 bet. So, basically, each dollar earns an extra 35%, or a bet of $100 will win $135. The negative sign indicates the favorite and the positive sign indicates the underdog team. For instance, if you read this line:
Arsenal -140.
What does this mean? Well, it means you have to bet $140 to win $100, or, to put it another way, you're paying an extra 40% for every dollar won.
Betting The Totals Over/Under In Soccer
The total of a match, also called the over/under (O/U), is the third and final main betting structure in soccer. Using our two Premier League teams as examples again, let's look at a typical O/U line:
Man City 2 ½ +120 over; Arsenal -150 under. 2017 home run derby odds 2019.
This one looks more complicated, but it's actually quite simple. The first number, 2 ½, is the projected total number of goals in the game. So, betting the over, which would be the underdog bet, has a line of +120, or +20%. Remember, the positive sign shows an underdog and a winning bet brings in more money. Whereas betting the under, which would be 2 goals, is the more likely predicted outcome, and so you're giving up 50% with the line of -150, meaning you have to bet $150 to win $100.
Check Out Props
Prop bets are an exciting component of sports gambling. In prop, short for 'proposition,' bets, you are gambling on a specific occurrence or non-occurrence. These include alternate point spreads, player props, team props, specials and more. If you are knowledgeable on teams, prop bets create potentially lucrative betting opportunities. For example, if you have El Clasico—Real Madrid v. Barcelona—you know that there are some big names on the pitch. If you want to place a bet on a specific player to score first, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would both be strong options. Another example would be betting on a team to have a clean sheet when you know they have a world class goalkeeper, or that the opposing team's offense is poor.
Don't Get Lost In Props
With props, it is important to stay within the lines of common sense. You will find several props on things that have no bearing on the game. For example, you could bet on which team kicks off first, the total number of bookings, number of corners, etc. A rule of thumb is sticking to things that make the most sense. If you are betting on a strong team with a good defense, betting on them to have a clean sheet is smart. If you are wagering on a team with multiple talented offensive players, and they've been in form, betting on them to score a high number of goals is smart. Betting too many props runs the risk of you losing all your winnings, especially if you put money down on the spread, moneyline or total. It would be a shame to lose all your winnings on the point spread because you wagered too much on silly props.
Research Teams And Players
There are a lot of games with top-flight European teams. Most teams play in several leagues at once, meaning the month can be packed with betting opportunities. This is both positive and negative because it presents more chances of winning, but also requires more intensive research. You need to follow along with teams to see how their season has been. Have they had a poor run of games? Are they resting their starters for an easy game this week? Is their best player sitting out due to a contract dispute? Has a player accumulated too many yellow cards? Have there been any new transfers? Knowing exactly where your team sits is the best way of planning your betting strategy. There are 2 transfer windows in top-flight soccer, 1 in the summer and the other in the winter—during midseason. It is not uncommon for a team to switch up their roster midway when things aren't working out, especially for teams expected to do well.
Know The Top Teams
Teams come and go in terms of dominance, but there are select few that always take up the top spots in European leagues. Knowing these teams can skew you wagering pending whether you bet on or against them. We've broken down the top teams in each league:
English Premier League
Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal
Bundisliga
Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund
La Liga
Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Valencia
Ligue 1
Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco, Marseille, Lyon
Serie A
Napoli, Juventus, Inter Milan, Roma, AC Milan
Again, there are other teams that creep up into the fold from time to time (take Leicester City's miracle championship run 2 years ago in the EPL), but these teams are almost always in contention for the top spots.
Know The Difference Between Leagues
As mentioned, some teams are often playing in multiple leagues at once. This can create confusion with your betting strategy, especially depending on which league/tournament it is. Each domestic league has their regular league fixtures and multiple separate domestic knockout tournament (FA Cup and EFL Cup for England; varies per country). There is also the UEFA Europe League, which is the little brother to the UEFA Champions League. The Champions League is the most prestigious and is a tournament made up of the best international teams from each domestic league in Europe. The Euros are made up of the second-tier level teams, those who fell out of the top 4 but are still towards the top of the table. These other smaller domestic tournaments are for placement in the Euros, which could then lead to automatic placement in the Champions League.
Winning the Champions League is the highest honor in football (under winning the World Cup, of course). Some teams will put their spot in the Champions League over their domestic fixtures, and this is where things get interesting from a betting standpoint. Since Champions League fall in the middle of the week as opposed to regular weekend games, teams will sometimes rest certain players in anticipation of the big games. This could affect their overall performance on the domestic front, meaning it could affect your betting. This is why it is crucial to follow your favorite teams to track how they are rotating squad players, handling intense schedules, etc. It gets particularly clogged up over the holidays, so teams do everything they can to conserve their best players.
If you are ready to make a bet, check out our list of legal USA soccer betting sites for the top rated bookmakers that are US friendly.
