Soccer bet predictions require a certain amount of know-how. Betting tips and advice can increase your enjoyment of football and even maximize your winnings. Below are the basics to get you started:
Money line
The most conventional way to place a bet at fixed odds is on a money line, which is a way of displaying the odds of two teams as well as informing the bettor how much he needs to risk in order to win a certain amount. A hypothetical money line is:
Team X – 120
Team Y + 190
From the minus sign (-) next to Team X, you know that the bookies expect them to win. Some one who backs this team will need to risk $120 for every $100 won. Conversely, the plus sign (+) next to Team Y tells us that they are the underdogs. Because the odds are against them, you need to risk $100 for every $190 won.
The goal line
The goal line (also known as Totals) refers to the number of goals scored per match or tournament. Bettors can predict the total number of goals scored by both or just one team as well as the number of goals scored per half. Totals are usually over/under bets. This means that a bookmaker will guess the final results of a game and punters will then wager that this figure will be higher or lower than the actual outcome.
Spread betting/point spread
Spread betting is on the goal line. While Totals are straightforward over/under bets, spread betting requires much more accuracy as punters try and predict by how much a team will triumph. In other words, if you back Team X, which has a goal line of – 1.5, they must beat Team Y by at least 2 goals in order for you to cash in. If you back the underdogs, Team Y, whose goal line is +1.5, you will bank if this side wins or if Team X wins by less than 2. The decimal in the spread is a convenient way of eliminating the possibility of a draw from the odds.
