Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, with billions of fans tuning in to watch matches all over the world. As with any prominent sport, online bookmaker websites have not failed to include it in their portfolio. Nowadays, you will find that many of them support soccer matches from many different leagues, giving you the opportunity to place some bets.
Naturally, it would do you no good to go in without knowing anything about the subject. Therefore, we have compiled all important information which you will need to get into online soccer betting, including odds types, betting options, payment methods and more.
Soccer Odds Types
Before we get to the actual bets, we have to go over the different formats that a bet will be presented in. After all, it makes sense for you to know how to read a bet before you actually place one. There are several different ways that the odds of a bet will appear and certain types will be more to your liking than others. In the end, however, the odds formats are purely visual and do not change anything about the bet itself.
Fractional Odds
Fractional odds are quite common at UK and Irish online sportsbooks and you are most likely to encounter this type at your gambling website of choice. Fractional odds are written with a hyphen or a dash and are read as ‘X to Y’. For example, they look something like this:
- Team A: 5/1 or 5-1
- Team B: 2/3 or 2-3
This type of odds indicates the profit that you will make for a successful bet. More specifically, if you place £100 on Team A and they win, you will bring in $500 in profit. Combined with the amount of your original bet, your net bankroll will be $600.
Decimal Odds
Decimal odds are typically featured in continental Europe and former British colonies, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, among others. They are written with a colon and look like this:
- Team A: 2:1
- Team B: 1.5:1
Unlike fractional odds, decimal odds indicate the net sum that you will receive from a winning bet. For example, a successful wager of $100 on Team A will bring in $100 in profit and your net bankroll will be $200. Furthermore, the same wager on Team B will result in a profit of $50, for a total net worth of $150.
American Odds
Much like with everything else in life, Americans have their own way of portraying sports betting odds. The American format does not trouble you with multiplications, rather it indicates the sum that you will win for a set amount of money. American odds look like this:
- Team A: +200
- Team B: -150
There is a difference between what these numbers represent. Team A is considered the underdog in this match, as indicated by the plus symbol. Therefore, any $100 bet on Team will bring in $200 in profit. On the other hand, Team B is the clear favorite, indicated by the minus symbol, and you will need to wager $150 to win $100. Much like fractional odds, American odds only show the profit without the original bet.
Soccer Bets
In the realm of online soccer betting, there are many different bet types that you will have at your disposal. Each type comes with its own unique features and win conditions, therefore, you have a lot of factors to consider when choosing the right bet type. Below, we have outlined some of the most popular bet types that you will find on the Internet.
Full Time Result
The Full-Time Result bet is one of the most common types that you will encounter at online sportsbooks. It is also one of the simplest out there, making it an excellent choice for new punters. A Full-Time Result is a bet on what the end result of a match will be. There are three possible outcomes that you can bet on – a win for Team A, a win for Team B or a draw. Each option comes with its own set of odds and respective payouts.
Double Chance
Double Chance is another betting option when it comes to placing bets on soccer. The Double Chance bet is one of the safest betting options that you will have at your disposal. Basically, you will be able to pick two out of three possible options. If either of those predictions turns out to be correct, you will win the bet. A Double Chance bet will look something like this:
- Team A or Draw: 1.25
- Team A or Team B: 1.30
- Team B or Draw: 1.70
In such a scenario, you will be able to choose two of the three outcomes and earn a payout corresponding to odds.
Draw No Bet
A Draw No Bet betting option is an alternative of the Full-Time Result. Basically, you will get to bet on one of the two teams in a soccer match. If your team wins, you also win the bet. If your team loses, the same goes for your wager too. However, if the match ends up in a draw, you will not lose the bet. Rather, the sportsbook will refund the full sum of your bet. It is one of the safest betting options that you will have when placing bets.
Handicap
Handicap bets, also referred to as Asian Handicaps in some cases, are not as straightforward as other bet types on this list, but they are certainly among the most interesting ones. In Handicap bets, certain teams are awarded or deducted goals for the purposes of the bet. For example:
- Team A (-2): 9.00 | Team B (+2): 1.22
- Team A (-1): 3.85 | Team B (+1): 1.70
- Team A (+1): 1.28 | Team B (-1): 7.50
Here we have three possible handicap options. In our case, Team A is the expected winner in all three scenarios, therefore a number of goals will be deducted from the final score for the purposes of the bet as indicated in the brackets. For example, if the take option number two, where 2 goals are deducted, if Team A scores 3 goals, the bet will only 1 of those. So if the final score is 3-1, for example, the sportsbook will count it as 1-1. Therefore, to win this bet Team A will have to win by more than 2 goals.
When you place a wager on Team B, the opposite is true. In the second option, 2 goals will be added to the score of Team B, so if Team A wins by 3:1, the sportsbook will count it as 3:3 for the purposes of this bet. For a bet on Team B to be successful, the ‘Handicap score’ needs to portray Team B as winning.
The more goals that you subtract from Team A the less likely are they to win and the more goals you award to Team B the more likely are they to win. This is also reflected in the payout ratios, as you can see.
Over/Under
The Over or Under betting option is one of the most common bet types available at modern online sportsbooks. This bet does not take into account any winners or losers, rather you will be asked to guess how high the combined score of both teams will be. More specifically, whether or not that number will be over or under another number. For example, an Under 2.5 bet can be won if both teams scored less than that number. If they score two goals you win the bet. Even if they do not score a single goal, you will win.
In the case of Over and Under bets, online sportsbooks usually add the 0.5 at the end in order to avoid a scenario in which the combined score is exactly the same number as indicated on the sheet. Generally, it is to avoid confusion.
Futures
Futures bets are certainly one of the most popular out there and unlike other bet types which deal in the short term, these usually cover long-term scenarios. For example, you can place a futures bet on the team you think will win the championship or on the player you think will have the best performance for that league. The possibilities are many and you will mostly be limited only to what the sportsbook will be willing to take on as a bet.
However, you should always take into account that this type of bet can be highly speculative and therefore, you should not risk too much money on these. Instead, we recommend that you take futures bets as side wagers.
Parlay
Parlay bets are available at just about every online sportsbook and many punters prefer them to traditional wagers. A Parlay bet is a combination of several smaller bets. For example, a parlay can include a Full-Time Result, an Under and a Draw No Bet, all at the same time. The thing is that all of your predictions have to come true in order for you to win the Parlay. If even one of your multiple bets losses, you will lose the whole Parlay.
Naturally, this is a very risky proposition in most cases. However, the risk is also reflected in the payout ratios and you will find that a Parlay will offer you much better rewards than if you placed the smaller bets independently. In any event, we recommend to do your research and only place Parlay bets if you are absolutely sure that you can correctly predict the outcomes.
Scorecast
Scorecast bets is not for those with weak hearts. These bets are highly speculative and involve a great amount of risk. A Scorecast is a bet on which player will score the first goal of the match and the total number of goals for that event. You have to get both predictions right for you to win this bet. As you can imagine, winning this bet is very unlikely, although that is reflected in the payouts.
Deposit Methods at Soccer Betting Websites
When it comes down to funding your online sportsbook bankroll, you will have to utilize one of the many payment services supported by the gambling website. Using physical cash is practically unheard of and in most circumstances, impossible. Luckily, online sportsbooks support a wide range of online payment solutions which you can use to top up your balance and start placing bets.
Credit Cards
Credit cards are one of the most popular methods of payment on the Internet and the same thing goes for online sportsbooks, as well. Credit cards are widely available and just about any bank is willing to offer them. There are also several significant advantages that come with using a credit card. For starters, any deposit that you make will be processed in a matter of seconds, after you confirm the transaction.
Moreover, online sportsbooks universally support credit cards, which means that even if you change your prefered website, you can still use the same card. The security of credit card information is guaranteed and you need no trouble yourself with it. Finally, withdrawals are always an option when using a credit card. Most online sportsbooks will process your cash in request within 24 hours and then send the transaction, which can take up to 5 business days to clear. While not the fastest out there, it is certainly faster than a bank transfer, which can take up to several weeks to process. Generally, you will be able to use Visa and MasterCard at the vast majority of online sportsbooks.
eWallets
Electronic wallets rank among the most popular payment services in the online gambling community. They are not only convenient to use but are also accepted at just about every sportsbooks you come across, making them perfect to manage your online bankroll. There are many advantages to using eWallets for your gambling transactions. For instance, deposits made via an eWallet will be immediately available upon confirming the payment.
Moreover, eWallets do not reveal your personal and banking information to the websites, meaning that you will not have to worry about your data becoming compromised. Furthermore, the wait times for an eWallet withdrawal are the shortest in the industry. Once the sportsbook staff reviews and approves the transaction it will reach your eWallet balance within a few short hours. Most online sportsbooks support Skrill, Neteller, and ecoPayz, among others.
Prepaid Cards
Another excellent payment service supported by online sportsbooks are prepaid cards. These are available at many retail locations and acquiring one is simple and convenient. Moreover, deposits made via prepaid card will be cleared instantly, allowing you to immediately start placing bets with your money. Another great feature of prepaid cards is the guaranteed anonymity.
Since prepaid services do not require you to submit any personal data, you can be invisible on the Internet. A major drawback of this type of service is that you will not be able to withdraw your winnings in the same manner. Prepaid cards only support one-way payments and to cash in your balance you will have to resort to a different payment method such as a bank transfer, which most online sportsbooks will happily provide.
Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrencies are the latest payment service to grace the online gambling industry and it is one that websites are adopting at an amazing rate. Cryptocurrencies can be described as money that only exists on the Internet that has no physical form. This money is stored in so-called ‘wallets’ that support the currency and you can both send and receive transactions. Moreover, cryptocurrency transfers are generally fast, taking no more than a minute to clear. This means that you will quickly be able to start placing bets on your favorite soccer teams.
Additionally, cryptocurrencies are completely separate from any form of contemporary banking, meaning that you will not reveal any personal or financial information and be able to remain completely anonymous. For all the good aspects of cryptocurrencies, there are also several negative ones that we have to mention. For starters, cryptocurrencies are very volatile and their value in fiat currency can change in the blink of an eye. Furthermore, when you request a withdrawal, you may find that the sportsbook wants to pay it out in fiat currency, rather than in the cryptocurrency which you used to deposit.
While not all gambling websites do this, there are those who would prefer to deal with traditional currencies. Finally, the number of gambling websites that support cryptocurrencies is still relatively small and while this is changing, you may be better off using a more traditional payment method. If you are interested in using cryptocurrencies for your gambling transactions, online sportsbooks support Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and others.
Security at Soccer Betting Websites
Security on the Internet is something that you should always take into consideration. Identity theft is one of the largest problems that users are facing in this day and age. Therefore, it only makes sense to protect our information as best we can, lest we fall victim to that kind of scheme. For this reason, online gambling websites incorporate the best security systems into their service, so that their customers can enjoy themselves in peace.
Typically, security at soccer betting websites comes as high-tech encryption systems, which encode all data that you submit. As such, it will not be accessible to anyone not authorized to view it and need not worry about it becoming compromised.
Additionally, most websites take further measures against data theft. Many will offer 2-Factor Authentication, which triggers every time you try to log into your account. Basically, you will receive a message on your phone, containing a random string of text, which you have to submit in order to access your account. Since only you are in possession of your phone, no one else will be able to gain entry to your account and read your personal information. Thus, we can safely conclude that online gambling websites are perfectly secure and you can place bets there without trouble.