The importance of following a football betting strategy
There are various sports betting strategies in the market and it’s hard to tell which ones are the best as every strategy is a personal choice of a punter. Many punters will even figure out their own ways to make a good betting strategy. However, there are some guidelines that will help beginners or even more experienced punters if they get stuck.
Football is one of the most popular sports for betting, taking over an estimated 76.8% of the entire betting market. This market is also very broad and complex and that is the reason why so many punters choose to develop their own betting strategy. It will be easier to get creative once you know the markets and all the possibilities.
Why is betting strategy so important?
A betting strategy is important for punters who look at sports betting as a business. Some players are committed to long-term success which requires a ton of skills and knowledge. Every player can commit and create a great strategy for winning.
In the long run, you will see which strategy works best for you. You will need to see which strategy fits your budget, time and skills. You need a model which will make betting simple and profitable. If you manage to make a unique betting strategy, it will set you apart from other punters and significantly increase your chances of winning.
How to develop a betting strategy?
The first step is always research. Nothing is possible without the knowledge and that is the foundation of all strategies and plans. Observe the betting market and the sport you want to bet on – watch the games and players carefully and try to remember important details.
Once you have your prediction, it is time to make a strategy. Test your strategy with few bets and see how well it works. Wager small amounts until you become more confident and gain more experience.
Back and Lay Betting
This is one of the most popular strategies with a bet and it is the technique with very low risk, seeking out in the marketplace. Simply, ‘backing’ a bet means putting a stake on a certain outcome of a bet, betting FOR something. The difference between a regular sports bet and a backing bet is that you are not betting against a book-maker but against another betting exchange user who has to bet on a different outcome of the same game.
There is also a ceiling amount that you cannot bet over. Lay betting is the same bet but opposite – you bet AGAINST something. In this scenario, you will hold the position of the bookmaker and if you are not happy with the odds, you can propose a bet to other users, deciding the odds.
By offering a ‘lay’ bet, you get a double chance bet – for example, let’s say you bet against Manchester United in a match with Real Madrid. Your bet will be winning in case Real wins or if the match ends with a draw.
This strategy is not recommended for beginners, as it takes a deeper knowledge about the betting market and the field you want to bet on. It is a pretty complex bet and you need to understand it quite well to build a successful bet.
Value Bets
Value Bets are really popular in football and ideal for fans with superior knowledge and experience of wagering markets. Value Bets usually refer to selections that you believe have a bigger probability of winning and the bookmaker didn’t recognize it.
For example, let’s say Team A has odds of 3.75 by some betting house and you believe that they have much higher chances to win than predicted. Let’s say you estimated that their chances are at least 50% to win, then that bet will represent a huge value and you will want to back it up as soon as possible.
However, there is still a mathematical approach to value betting which you want to consider. It requires you to multiply the published odds by the percentage probability and divide it by 100. If the answer is bigger than 1.00, you will secure higher returns if your instincts are correct.
Still, you need to be an experienced bettor to place such a bet. There is no doubt that this is an excellent way to beat the bookmakers and earn bigger amounts over time but you need to have great knowledge to succeed.
Handicap betting
Handicap bets are when teams get handicapped by the predetermined number of goals for purpose of a specific bet. For example, Team A are a heavy favourite, while Team B is considered an underdog. In that case, a handicap of -1 goal will be added to Team A which means they need at least two clear goals to catch up.
This evens out the odds between teams and gives you the ability to get higher returns. There are different types of handicap bets and the most popular is Asian handicap. It minimizes the risk, as it offers the possibility of a draw, where punters can get their money back. However, the exact type and rules of the handicap bet will depend on the betting house offer, so read it before you wager.
