Football Betting For Dummies
If you’re just getting started with football betting, you may feel a little overwhelmed or confused with certain aspects.
- Betting is a huge part of soccer. Many teams and even leagues have sponsorships with betting companies. To go along with our weekly betting pool, we thought it was a good idea to lay out some.
- Betting on the over/under is probably the second most popular type of bet, after straight side bets, especially when it comes to NFL betting. Its simplicity is the main reason casual bettors prefer to bet the over/under in their betting strategies.
- Dummies helps everyone be more knowledgeable and confident in applying what they know. Whether it’s to pass that big test, qualify for that big promotion or even master that cooking technique; people who rely on dummies, rely on it to learn the critical skills and relevant information necessary for success.
That’s why I wrote this football betting for dummies guide. I want to make it easy for you to start betting on football so you can enjoy the process and place winning bets along the way.
On the flip side, if you bet on the Jets “plus the points” (+7), you need the Jets to either win the game lose by six points or fewer for you to win (or cover) your bet. Spreads are available for all sports, but they are predominantly used when betting on higher-scoring sports like football and basketball. Click to return to table of.
Even if you don’t know where to begin, this guide will walk you through the basics of everything you need to know to start football betting today.
Let’s get started.
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Betting on football
Sports Betting 101 For Dummies
Betting is a huge industry worth billions of pounds each year to the bookmakers. Football makes up a large percentage of that figure, with estimates putting it at about 70%.
As you can see, football betting is incredibly popular throughout the world with thousands of punters placing footy bets each day.
Whilst there are other sports you can wager money on like horse racing and tennis, betting on football is by far the most popular and its popularity continues to grow each year.
With improvements in technology and specifically mobile betting, access to the latest football odds is quicker and easier than ever.
What’s more, bookmakers now offer upwards of 200 markets for most football matches.
Football betting also works well for any beginners out there. As we’ll look at below, football betting is incredibly easy.
But not everyone is at the same level when it comes to football betting. If you’re a football betting dummy and you’re just getting started, read on to find out more.
Start football betting for dummies
So we know how popular football betting is, you next need to consider what you want to get out of your betting.
Are you betting for fun?
Or
Are you betting to make money?
Betting for fun
There’s no doubting that football betting is very exciting and thousands of footy fans stake money on matches every day.
Obviously, winning your bets is always the aim and makes the process more rewarding. However, with this strategy, the main aim is to have fun and not take your betting too seriously.
Betting to make money
On the other hand, there are punters out there who are looking to make money with football betting on a regular basis.
Obviously, nothing is guaranteed with betting (unless you’re matched betting) and you’re not going to make a set amount each month. But the aim is to make money in the long run.
There are certain strategies such as matched betting, which we’ll look at below, that you can use to make a guaranteed profit each month.
Once you’ve worked out what you want to get out of your football betting, you can go ahead and open your new bookmaker account.
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Opening your first bookmaker account
Now we’re getting somewhere!
Opening your first bookmaker account is very exciting and is the first step along the way to placing winning bets on football.
Opening a new bookie account is incredibly easy in the modern world of online betting.
The bookies have made the process very simple and easy to follow meaning you’ll be up and running in a matter of minutes.
When you create a new bookmaker account, you should also take advantage of the signup bonus they offer customers.
Currently, Smarkets offer new punters a £10 free bet.
As I mentioned earlier, you can make a guaranteed profit from these free bets using a technique called matched betting.
For more information, check out OddsMonkey. They walk you through the whole process hand in hand and you can make up to £1500 each month with their help.
You can get started with OddsMonkey for just £1 using the code ‘OM12FOR1’
Best bookmakers for football betting
The question a lot of you will be asking is which are the best football bookmakers?
With hundreds of different bookies out there all vying for your business, this is not an easy decision.
However, there are certain things you should consider when checking out new bookmakers:
- Betting odds
- Features
- Promotions
These days most online bookmakers offer great service to football punters. You can check out this guide to help you make your decision.
Overall, there are many things you need to consider when picking a new football bookmaker so choose wisely.
Decide on your football betting strategy
There are many different football betting strategies you can use and each bettor has their own preferences when it comes to football betting.
Depending on your preference, you can choose low-risk strategies or opt for more risky betting strategies.
As I mentioned above, you should certainly consider matched betting as a way of making money online. With this method, you can make up to £1500 risk-free each month.
It works by placing both a back and a lay bet on the same market which cancels out any risk from your bets.
This method is very popular with thousands of individuals already using this strategy in 2020.
Start placing your football bets
So you’ve got this far, now for the exciting stuff… placing your bets.
The great news is that it’s incredibly easy to place your football bets online.
Once you’re logged in to your preferred bookmaker or betting exchange, the process is pretty straightforward.
Horse Race Betting For Dummies
How to place football bets
Follow the process below to kick things off:
- Head to your desired bookmaker market
- Select the correct market
- Enter your stake
- Place your bet
It’s really that simple.
Football betting for dummies
Once you’ve opened your bookmaker account and placed your first few football bets, you’re not done.
There are hundreds of other great bookmakers you can register with meaning there’s plenty of free bets and other promotions to take advantage of.
Overall, football betting is a great way to start your betting journey and you’ll certainly be keen to carry on once you’ve got a taste of success.
Using this football betting for dummies guide, you should now be able to get started.
If you’re looking to take your football betting to the next level, I recommend you check out our top tips article.
Are you new to football betting? Let me know by leaving a comment below right now.
How to Read Sports Odds and Betting Lines
I’ve titled this Sports Betting For Dummies. It’s a tutorial for those who want to start betting on sports or those who want to gain a better understanding of some of the terminology and theory behind it. We’ve all been in the position of learning something new, so please don’t be embarrassed if you don’t grasp these concepts. Instead, contact me via the form at the bottom of this page, and I’ll help you in any way I can.
You want to put a few coins on this weekend’s games, or perhaps you just want to be able to decode all of that jibberish you see in the sports section every week. How do you read those sports odds, and what does over/under, minus/plus, giving points, taking points mean?
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
I will painlessly explain all of the mysteries of sports betting 101 aka “Sports Betting for Dummies.” First of all, you have nothing to be ashamed of, you have taken the first and most important step of all – learning! Why waste money on a game that you don’t fully understand? You shouldn’t! That is why you are here now, to learn how it works and how to win!
Topic #1 The Point Spread and Totals
Okay, you look at the games for Sunday and you see the betting lines displayed something similar to;
San Francisco -5 vs. St. Louis 41
You may look at that and be intimidated and feel helpless, but I’m going to decode this little bugger for you. This is the betting line – not the odds. The odds are what you are to be paid (covered later).
Whenever you see a team with a (-) negative number next to them, (-5 in this case), it means that team is favored to win by that number of points.
The number after the matchup (41) is the projected total points to be scored by both teams added together. There are two options here. A player can choose to bet on the matchup, either San Fran -5 points or St. Louis +5 points.
For the player who wagers on San Francisco -5, San Fran must win by more than 5 points for this to be a winning bet. For the player who wagers on St. Louis +5, they must either win the game or lose by less than 5 points for this to be a winning bet. If the outcome falls on the number, the bet is declared a “Push” and your original stake amount gets refunded.
Sports Betting Dummies
See, that wasn’t too difficult, was it?
Sometimes you will see the points displayed as half numbers like San Fran -5.5. If you bet on San Fran, and they win by 6, you win the bet. If they win by 5 or less, you lose. Clear? If not, submit your question in the form at the bottom of the page and ask me. I’m here to help.
Okay, so the other betting option available to you is the total or ‘Over/Under.’ You can choose to bet that the total points between the two teams will either be greater (OVER) or less than (UNDER) the projected total. Again, if you bet either way and the game ends up being 20-21, for a total of 41 points, then you will receive a refund of your wager amount.
Topic # 2 The Moneyline or Straight-Up wager
This is where you simply wager on which team will win the game outright, no point spreads, no BS…just the straight up winner. Although this may appear to be easier, you will pay for it as the odds (payout) will reflect the lack of a point spread. If you wager on a favorite, then you will win less than with a point spread, but if you wager on the underdog…and win…you will receive and even greater win amount based on the higher risk taken.
Topic # 3 How to Read Sports Betting Odds
Okay, so you have made your selection, now what? How much do I bet, and how much will I win? Standard questions, and great questions for new sports bettors to ask! There are three ways that you will typically see odds displayed, as a fraction 2/1 (or 2 to 1), as a decimal 2.00, or “American Style Betting Odds” +100.
For reading the fraction odds, I strongly recommend converting them to a decimal. This will make figuring out your potential win much much easier! To do this, just like in 2nd grade, you take the first number and divide it by the second. So if your odds read 7/4, you simply divide (7) by (4), which equals 1.75. That is the decimal form odds, now you simply multiply (1.75) by whatever your wager amount is to figure out your potential profit. In this case, if you were to risk $100, then your potential win would be $175 profit if you are correct! Also, you will receive your initial bet amount of $100 as well, for a total of $275 in your hand.
Now for American Style Sports Odds. Typically, when you are betting on the point spread, as in topic #1 above, the odds are displayed or implied to be (-110), which is known as American Style odds. The American Style odds format is based on $100. When the number, is displayed as a negative number (-110), it indicates how much money you must risk to realize a profit of $100. In our scenario, you must wager $110 to win $100 profit. If you do, you will receive $210 when you cash in…the winning amount PLUS your initial wager amount.
When you see the number displayed as a positive number such as (+150), it indicates how much money you will profit if you RISK $100. So, if you wager $100 on a team that pays (+150), and you win, you will receive $250. That is the $150 that you won, plus your $100 original stake returned.
Topic #4 Now What?
Now that you have the basics down, there is only one thing left to discuss – where to bet that is safe. I strongly recommend that you start by wagering on only one pick per day. You don’t want to spread yourself too thin and have your hand in every match available. If you bet that way, you will surely get nickel and dimed out of your bankroll. Spend time studying the teams and choose your best selection available. Decide on a budget of how much you are willing to risk. Now you need a reputable online sportsbook (online sports betting site) to do business.
There are millions of sites out there, but only a handful that will treat you right. I deal with a few main sites in my personal online sports betting,Bovada, BetOnline, and MyBookie.
Check these sites out and see which one fits you best. Maybe you will take advantage of the bonuses at those sites and then decide which one you want to continue to use. I prefer to use multiple sites, so I have a selection of lines to choose from to get the best available payout! Whether you want to bet $1 or $500, any of these sites will work just fine for you and pay you quickly when you win. If you want more details and options, just go to the sportsbook reviews and ratings page.
I hope that I have answered some of the nagging questions about sports betting and how it works. Feel free to use the form below to contact me directly with any question you may have. I’m here to help you understand and win! Good luck!
Also, be sure to check out my free sports picks!