How You Can Bet on Soccer Online

It’s the biggest sport in the world…so, of course, its big for gambling!

With apologies to North Americans who still haven’t embraced the Beautiful Game, soccer continues to be the most popular sport on the planet by a long shot. Given how easy and cheaply someone can get into the sport, it is the perfect game for developing countries, and with so many professional leagues and international competitions happening around the world, it is also a great game for sports bettors.

Gambling on soccer has been going on for ages, and in regions like the UK and Europe, soccer betting leads the way for both players and sportsbooks when it comes to size. We aren’t shocked by this, as betting is also engrained in the culture of many European nations. While sports gambling is taking a turn towards regulation in the United States, it is a very mature market on the other side of the Atlantic, so we thought now would be a great time to bring you up to speed on soccer betting.

Types of Soccer Bets

Many people in North America who are used to lots of scoring in sports can find soccer to be tedious. With so many games ending in 1-0 or 0-0 scores, it requires an interest in watching plays develop to truly appreciate what is happening on the pitch. That is, of course, unless you have some money on a game! This can make the game far more interesting to watch on a minute-by-minute basis. Let’s have a look at the different types of bets you can make on soccer.

Win, Lose or Draw

The most common bet for soccer gamblers is this wager on the final outcome of the game. For every game, there are odds listed for each time to win (regardless of score) as well as if the game will end in a tie. Odds are set for each outcome, and then you can place your bet based on what you think will happen. With three potential outcomes, however, it can be challenging to find value in these bets unless you are planning to take a huge upset.

Draw No Bet

This is a bet that is similar to the previous one we described, but in this scenario, if the game ended in a tie, then the bet could be canceled. Taking this type of wager decreased your payouts, but also eliminates the infuriating end result of a draw.

Picking the Score

This has become a far more interesting bet for gamblers, as it tends to pay much higher odds than simply picking the winner. In this scenario, you would be choosing not only the winner of the game but the exact final score. Due to the increased odds for these bets, they are particularly fun for gamblers as you can pick more than one score and still come out ahead of just picking the outright winner. Again, this is particularly interesting when you have a match which is completely lopsided. This is common in league matches or international matches between two very different soccer nations. In these cases, betting on the favorite doesn’t cost nearly as much because you also have to pick the score correctly, not just the obvious winner of the match.

Over/Under Bets

We know this may seem like a terrible concept – betting on the total number of goals in a game where so few are scored – but it is still a popular option for many gamblers. A line is set on the total number of goals scored by both teams, and then you get the option of betting that actual number being over or under that total. Now, while we wouldn’t ever want to be watching a soccer match HOPING that no one scores, but if there were money on the line, we would be dreaming of the most boring match on the planet.

Multiples

In the UK and Europe, Multiples refer to bets where you combine more than one outcome. These are more commonly known as parlay bets in North America, but they take on the same characteristics. You are taking more than one outcome in an effort to be paid a multiple on your wager. This bet, however, comes with its own set of risks. For example, if you have a ticket with 4 games selected, and you lose only one of them, you will lose the entire ticket. The minimum number of games you need to place into a Multiple is 2, and the maximum tends to be set by the individual sportsbook.

Bets on Individual Scorers

The majority of betting in soccer outside of picking the winner of the game tends to gravitate to prop-style betting. The most popular of these bets is betting on which players will score. The way that a soccer team sets up on the field, it is typically down to 2-3 players on each team who are a legitimate chance to score in a game so those will have the smallest odds. You may find value in taking a defender who takes free kicks or someone who is a penalty specialist to find some more long odds that could turn out to be winners.

Other Prop Bets

These bets cover a wide range of questions about each game, from who will score first or last to the time of the first goal, etc. You can also bet on the outcome of each half of a game, or whether there will be a penalty kick awarded. All of these bets are available for most of the top games in each league, so if you are interested in betting multiple times during the course of the 90 minutes, then these bet options may be the best for you.

In-game Betting

With the introduction of online betting sites and mobile phone technology, the opportunity arose to offer betting on a game after it has started. This is very popular for soccer betting, as the odds of a game can be changed as the game progresses. This live betting gives you a chance to make a new wager on the outcome of a game as the game gets closer to ending, often finding you with some chances for additional value.

Futures Bets

Instead of picking a team to win a game, you can also pick that team to win their league. This bet, called a Future bet, can be made before a season starts or while it is in progress. These odds are typically pretty stacked in favor of the top teams in any league, but as in the case with Leicester City in the English Premier league in 2016, a longshot does rise up every once in a while!

What We Look for in a Soccer Betting Sportsbook

We have had years of experience reviewing casinos and sportsbooks, and for the most part, each offers the same core of content. However, depending on where you live, what a sportsbook offers from a soccer betting perspective can be very different. We want to give you an idea of the main criteria to look for when you are in search of a site to bet with.

Games Offered

You would be shocked at how many soccer games are taking place on a weekly basis around the world. Many countries offer multiple divisions of professional and semi-professional soccer so you could find hundreds of games available if you find the right sportsbook. This is excellent for players who may have some information or knowledge about a league or team that isn’t one of the more popular in the public eye. We look for sportsbooks that offer the most comprehensive list of action on a weekly basis.

Live Streaming or Viewing

With this many games to choose from, there are simply not enough options for broadcasting all the soccer action happening on a daily basis. This is especially true in North America where the sport receives terrible viewership numbers. If you are interested in watching a match in an obscure league on which you have made a bet, your best option is to find a sportsbook that offers you a way to view it in real time. This can be through a streaming link on a website or perhaps a satellite feed in a live location. Either way, finding a way to watch a game live definitely enhances your gaming experience.

Bonuses and Promotions

Gambling is not easy. IN fact, even if you are exceptionally good at it, you are likely going to lose almost half of the bets you make. To maximize your investment, you should be looking for sportsbooks that offer some sort of incentive to have you play for real money. This can come in the way of free bets, match pay tickets or VIP rewards. No matter what you take advantage of, each of these offers adds value to your bets which in turn can help you become a profitable soccer bettor.

Will Soccer Betting See a Rise in the United States?

It has just been announced that the 2026 World Cup of Soccer will be held in North America, with the bulk of games taking place in the U.S. While there will definitely be an increased interest in betting as a result of this news, it is likely that betting on soccer will actually benefit much more from the introduction of regulated sports wagering. This will roll out slowly across the U.S. over the coming years, giving operators some time to convince their clients that soccer is indeed an exciting sport, especially when you have a chunk of money riding on the outcome of a match!