How Does Soccer Betting Work?

After the country hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup, soccer began to blossom around the US. MLS quickly followed and has since become established as one of the most important soccer leagues in the world.

Many great players have played here. David Villa, Robbie Keane and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are just three star names. LA Galaxy’s David Beckham continued his interest when he established new franchise Inter Miami in 2020.

Soccer is thriving in the United States but it’s not all about the MLS. Maybe you’ve never staked a bet on another competition. Perhaps you’re just starting out on your soccer betting journey. Wherever you are placed, here is some useful information about the world’s favorite sport.

When you bet on soccer, you need to know the answers to two straightforward questions.

1. What are Soccer Odds and what do they work?
2. What are the soccer bets I can place?

What are Soccer Odds and How do they Work?

Let’s start with soccer odds. These are here to tell us two things:

• The probability of an event occurring
• The payout you will receive if your bet is successful.

We’ll be using a lot of images to illustrate things - here’s the first.

In soccer there are three possible results - a win for either side or a draw. That means that there are three available bets:

Manchester City, with a minus symbol, are the favorites. Probability suggests that they have the better chance of winning. The remaining two bets have + prefixes. This makes them the underdogs.

Those odds have therefore answered the question of probability. In the view of the odds setters, Manchester City are more likely to win this match.

But what about payouts? This was the second element. The answer lies in the precise figures.

At odds of -265, you would need to stake $265 on Manchester City to win 100 dollars. For winning bets on the draw, a stake of $100 returns $440.

Finally, if West Ham were to win this game, a $100 stake pays 650 bucks.

Remember, those are just illustrations. You don’t need to bet the specified amounts. Just choose a figure that you are comfortable with.

This bet is an example of a moneyline in soccer betting.

Public Betting in Soccer

In some parts of the world, your average man on the sidewalk thinks they know everything about soccer. The public at large, actually plays a part in setting those odds.

As games approach, more bets will be placed on the team who the public thinks are more likely to win the soccer game. In this example, Manchester City were at the top of the EPL table. They were unbeaten in the league for several weeks and the public feels they are obvious favorites.

In some parts of the world, your average man on the sidewalk thinks they know everything about soccer. The public at large, actually plays a part in setting those odds.

If you bet with the public, you are betting on the favorites. When you bet against the public, you are siding with the underdogs in the soccer game.

Only you can make that decision but we will help you out with some tips for betting on soccer.

The Different bets in Soccer Betting

You’ve already seen the match result option. A bet on the West Ham v Manchester City result, and many thousands like it, is known as the Full Time bet. You may also see it referred to as ‘Moneyline’ in soccer betting,

Pick your bet from the three options and choose your stake.

#1: Total Goals Bets in Soccer Betting

You may have already seen totals betting in other sports. In soccer, goals win games and that’s why they are the focus of this bet.

Let’s head from England to Spain now:

This bet is from a match between Real Madrid and Levante. The goal line defaults to 3.5. The choices are simple. Do you want to bet Over or Under that goal line?

A stake on Over 3.5 goals pays at -120 if there are four goals or more. If there are three goals or fewer, winning bets are met with odds of -105.

You can play around with that line. If those odds aren’t interesting you, just click on that green button at the bottom. This is a slider and, by moving it from left to right, we can alter the goal line.

Just like this:

We’ve moved the line up one notch to 4.5. To go Over that line, we now have a + set of odds.`

The slider just adds a little flexibility to this popular bet.

#2: Both Teams to Score bets in Soccer Betting

There’s no slider on this one because it’s a simple question. Will both teams score in the game? The options are Yes or No.

If both teams find the net, the bet pays at -240. If either, or both sides fail to score in the 90 minutes, winning bets pay out at +180.

#3: Soccer Prop Bets

Prop bets are also known as propositions. We are proposing that a certain event might take place in the match. Props can be split into two sections - team and player.

Team bets can include

• Correct Score
• Team to Score - yes or no
• Team to win to nil
• Winning Margin

Popular player props include

• First Goal Scorer• Last Goal Scorer
• Player to Score at least two goals
• Player to be sent off - yes or no

For the biggest games around the world, there may be many hundreds of bets on offer. To find the props, just scroll past the main markets and check out the drop down menus.

#4: Soccer Parlays

Firstly, what’s a soccer parlay? It’s simply a multiple bet that contains two or more selections. Betting contains a lot of jargon but, once you know the terms, it’s easy to follow.

Parlays can be placed within one soccer game or they can be spread over two or more soccer matches. Single-Game soccer parlays might look like this:

In an English Premier League game between Southampton and Liverpool, we’ve started with Liverpool to win. This soccer Parlay also includes 2 other picks

• Over 3.5 Goals and
• Both Teams to Score.

Unibet’s betslip does the rest of the work. It will calculate the odds initially. When you input your preferred stake, the potential payout is shown.

Happy with your soccer betting picks? Click the yellow button and the bet is placed.

Here’s an example of a multi-leg soccer parlay.

We’ve kept the faith with Liverpool in our 3-leg parlay. Also joining in are Leicester and Brighton. The odds are there, together with the potential payout.

Those soccer odds look interesting but it’s important to know the mechanics here. The payout will only land if all of our picks win. It only takes one selection to fail and the bet is lost.

Parlays aren’t for everyone but it’s something you can try when you have more experience in soccer betting.

#5: Future bets in Soccer Betting

Futures are long term bets They usually focus on the winners of a league or cup but there are others.

Soccer probably has more futures options than any other sport. It’s impossible to list all of them here but they will include:

• MLS Cup Winners • English Premier League Winners
• English FA Cup Winners
• World Cup Winners
• Serie A Winners
• La Liga Winners
• German Bundesliga Winners
• Promotion and Relegation Bets
•Top Four Finish Bets
• Top Goal Scorer Bets

Click on the soccer options at Unibet. Move across to the Futures tab and see what’s available.

Tips and Strategies for Soccer Betting

Now you know which soccer bets are available.

You didn’t think we would leave you at this point? Unibet are experts in providing online soccer betting to bettors all over the world and it’s only fair to pass on some of our knowledge and experience.

Here are some tips which may help you step up your soccer betting game!

#Tip 1: Public betting in Soccer: Are you with or against the public?

It’s a good starting point. The public have used the theories of probability to give us a favorite. You could just blindly back them and not use any other strategy. But come on - you have a mind of your own.

When it comes to soccer betting remember that the favorites won’t win all the time. That’s a good thing because it keeps sport interesting. Has the majority opinion got it right? If you think that they have then you need to bet with the public. If not, you bet against them and get behind the underdog in the soccer game.

#Tip 2: Making your mind up

How do you harness the power of your own mind? When you’re betting on soccer games, research is the key.

Here are some factors to consider.

• Form
• Head-to-Head Results
• Home Advantage
• Injuries and Suspensions

Form guides are readily available and Unibet will also give you some stats when you’re betting on soccer games. Look at recent results and see which team is in better shape. Six games will usually offer a guide as to how that soccer team is performing.

Head to Heads: Have these teams already played each other this season? If so, the result from that game could be used as an indicator. If not, look back over recent campaigns to see if there is a pattern of results.

In soccer betting home advantage can play a role. Study home and away results. Has the team turned their stadium into a fortress, or do they have a better record on the road?

In soccer, players can be suspended on disciplinary grounds. Bookings and sendings off can make them ineligible. Injuries can also weaken a side. Be sure to check up on team news before placing a bet on the soccer game.

#Tip 3: To Parlay or not to Parlay?

In soccer betting parlays offer a balance. There is that potential for higher odds and higher payouts but there is greater exposure too. Remember that all your picks have to win if you want to win your soccer parlay!

When it comes to soccer betting,parlays aren’t for everyone but there are alternatives. The simplest place to start is with the full-time bet (aka the soccer moneylines). Many experienced bettors continue to focus on the match result. Picking a winner may not be easy but it’s a simple equation. Will there be a win for either side or a draw?

Totals betting, Both Teams to Score and the Props test different analytical skills. Have the teams produced high scoring encounters in the past? Does a player have a good scoring record against these opponents?

The questions to answer may be different but research is still key.

#Tip 4: Make the most of your soccer betting promos!

We are crazy about odds and always look to give you value for money when you’re betting on soccer with us! You know about the importance of those soccer odds and ours will always be competitive. To claim a little extra value, be sure to opt in for notifications.

Unibet will keep you up to speed on all of our latest soccer betting offers and promotions. If you don’t want to opt in, simply keep checking the promos page of our website. There are some excellent bonuses to be claimed and we want you to make use of them.