Types of Soccer Bets

Moneyline Betting

Betting using a moneyline is arguably the most common way to bet on soccer matches worldwide. This way determines a games “favorite” as well as the “underdog” and as common sense would suspect the reward for betting on the game’s “favorite” is smaller than it is for the “underdog.” But on the other hand the risk involved in betting on the “underdog” is much higher than in betting for the “favorite.”

The unique thing about most soccer matches as opposed to any other type of sport is that soccer usually has the possibility of the end result being a draw, or tie. With that being said you are also able to place a bet on the possibility of the game’s outcome being a tie. Here is an example of what a typical Moneyline bet looks like:

Tottenham +120
Draw -100
Manchester United – 240

In this example Manchester is the favorite and Tottenham is a clear underdog. A person placing a wager on Manchester United, which sits at – 240 on the moneyline, will risk $24 in the hopes of winning $10. But if you were to take a risk and bet on Tottenham, who is sitting at +120 on the moneyline, you would be betting $10 in hopes of winning $12. In this hypothetical scenario a tie would earn you $10 for every $10 you risked.

Here’s another example:

Sheffield United -300
Draw +120
Sheffield Wednesday +130

In this hypothetical example Sheffield United is a heavy favorite. Them being on the moneyline at – 300 means that a bettor placing a bet on United risks $30 in hopes of winning $10. A draw is not very likely either and if you place a bet on that result you will be risking $10 to win $12. Sheffield Wednesday coming away with a victory is the least likely of all options and if you were to risk your money on them you would be betting $10 in hopes of winning $13.

The last example is what makes this form of betting unique from most other sports like baseball or basketball. Because there is the possibility of a match ending in a draw, both teams could be listed as underdogs. This is what makes moneyline soccer betting particularly interesting.

Over/Under Betting

Over/Under betting is another common way to place bets on soccer matches. The way it works is pretty simple. For example, the over/under could be 3.5 in a match between Manchester City and Arsenal. If you bet on the over, you would be placing a bet saying that there will be at least 4 goals scored in the match. It does not matter which team won, all that matters is the goals. So the final score could be a 2-2 draw, or a 4-0 win in favor of Manchester City. Even if 5 or 6 goals are scored the person who wagered on the over would win the bet. A person placing a bet on the under is placing a bet on the fact that there will be no more than 3 goals scored in the match. If the total goals scored in the match exceeds 3, the person placing a wager on the under will lose. It is a pretty simple concept and the money bet will vary from site to site and match to match.

Proposition Bets

Proposition bets are usually also offered on most betting sites. This type of bet covers a wide variety of different wagers and the person making proposition bets is usually a person with particular knowledge of the game and the teams playing. An example of a proposition bet could consist of placing a wager on “which team will be leading at half time”. This is a unique kind of bet because unless you know a lot about the individual players on the teams involved in the match you will be at a significant disadvantage.

Another type of soccer proposition bet could be placing a bet on “which team will score first.” It would be smart to take place in this prop bet if you know for fact that one team is significantly more powerful than another, meaning that it is pretty apparent that the stronger team will score first. Of course this is not always the case, but this type of involves a large amount of chance. Proposition bets will be different on different betting sites and may even be different for every separate match.