How to Сhoose the Best Markets for Football Betting
Football betting is not as simple as picking an outcome and hoping for the best. There has to be some justification for making that selection in the first place. There are many different factors that influence football matches, from team selection to tactics and even the weather.
Punters aren’t just locked into one market for their football betting options. It is possible to compare betting odds on football today from a wide range of available markets for just one single fixture such as total goals, both teams to score, correct score, handicap, etc.
So how do you choose the best markets for football betting? Individuals will have their preferred areas of focus for football betting. But here are some general tips that can help you make better decisions when choosing your markets.
Playing It Safe
For any beginner to football betting, it is worth keeping things simple. There’s no need to overcomplicate what can be a very straightforward process. By that we mean sticking to the common popular markets that you will see at a betting site.
Those are markets like Match Outright. Both Teams To Score, Over/Under 2.5 Goals and To Win To Nil. Why these types of markets? Well, you will see a common theme running throughout them, and that is that they have shorter-priced odds.
Whether it’s a BTTS or Over 2.5 Goals pick, the option is not going to be too far from the even money line. Targeting the markets that have conservative odds is the best approach because the risk is less compared to other markets.
The Big Gambles
At the other end of the scale, you get your markets which have an abundance of long-odds options within them. These risky markets include First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score, Winning Margin and Scorecast.
These are highly volatile markets where the variables are increased. In the First Goalscorer market, for example, you have 10 outfield players on either team, but it could also be a substitute that comes on late in the game and scores the opening goal.
Those unpredictable markets where even the selections at the head of the market start to touch double figures in football betting odds are risky big gambles.
Prop Bets
There is another angle to football betting markets and these are prop bets. These are markets that focus on a 50/50 outcome of an event happening, usually which has nothing to do with statistics at all.
So even though prop bets have fewer variables in them compared to the Big Gambles, they are still risky markets because statistics cannot be applied to them. Markets like a Red Card To Be Shown or a Penalty To Be Scored is just down to sheer luck on the day.
Know Your Goals
As can be extrapolated from the above, the different markets may have different purposes and outcomes. That’s not to say any of them are bad, but it will all boil down to your style of betting. Maybe you are a punter that enjoys picking out the occasional long shot from an unpredictable market.
Such bets can be incorporated into a short-term strategy, but long odds have no value in long-term betting systems. For those who lean more towards the conservative side of things, steady markets are the best approach.
Markets like the Match Outright and Both Teams To Score just offer more reliability when it comes to not only making several bets in a round of Premier League action but also when it comes to creating options like Doubles and Accas.
Do the popular markets offer the most appealing odds in terms of landing a big windfall? No. But a steadier stream of betting successes is likely to happen from them. Every punter has a different risk tolerance and risk aversion is not a bad thing when it comes to football betting.
Research and Experiment
Yes, some work has to be done before hitting up your bookmaker and placing some bets. Don’t bet blindly, have a reason for placing a certain stake on a certain outcome, regardless of the market. Use statistics to reach your given conclusion about a selection.
But also don’t be afraid of diversity and experiments with different markets. Getting some practical hands-on experience is the best way to find out which markets suit you best. To do that, start taking baby steps with small stakes only.
You can also create virtual bets on a piece of paper first on markets you are new to. That way you can track results and start building experience before getting to the point of risking money on them. Also, use online tools or calculators to simulate different scenarios and outcomes based on different markets and odds. This will help you gain more experience and confidence in choosing your markets.