Betting on football
Find out how football betting works, what markets are offered, what are the most effective betting strategies and much more!
In this football betting guide, we will explain how the betting markets work and what you should consider before making a choice. We hope that after this overview you will come to the conclusion that it is possible to be successful in betting if you use your knowledge of the game and combine it with a strategy based on statistics.
The best football sports predictions for Australian bettors
Where to bet on football?
Since basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world, it is safe to say that you can bet on the most popular leagues like the NBA and Euroleague at any sportsbook. However, if you want to keep an eye on what is happening in your local leagues, you will have to expand your search a bit. To save you time, we have selected some of the best sportsbooks in Australia where you can bet on basketball:
Olybet Sports Betting
Olybet is an Australian sportsbook that offers the best selection of markets, especially for local events. In addition, leagues from all over the world are represented, including North and South America, Asia, Africa. You can bet both pre-match and live, and there is also a live broadcast to follow the event.
In addition, customers are offered e-sports, casino and live dealer games, as well as PvP poker, which is connected to the world’s largest network GGPoker. If you prefer, you can also go to the local Olybet sports bar and casino for an evening with friends.
We haven’t forgotten to put together a welcome offer for new players. If you’d like, you can read our full Olybet review here.
Olybet Sports Betting Review Bet365 Sports Betting
Bet365 is the world’s most popular sportsbook and allows Australians to benefit from it too. There is a fantastic range of different leagues to choose from, from absolutely every continent. Interestingly, Bet365 is the only sportsbook that offers, in addition to the local Premium League, also Esilig League games.
There are a number of exciting betting features that customers can enjoy on their bets. There are also PvP poker, casino and live casino games, all of which can be enjoyed with one of the best customer experiences on the market. If you want to know more about what Bet365 offers its customers, read our review here.
Football in Australia
Football is known to be the most popular sport in the world and has been played in Australia for many years. The Australian Football Association, for its part, declared that the birth of local football is considered to be June 6, 1909, when the first match between two Australian teams took place in Lasnamäe, where Meteor, who was declared the winner, defeated Merkuur 4:2. Unfortunately, this claim has not been officially confirmed by our historians.
However, the Australian Football Association officially began its existence on December 14, 1921, with the predecessor being the Tallinn Football Association. The EFL has been a member of FIFA since 1923, when countries such as Brazil, Turkey, Poland, Latvia, Egypt and Uruguay were also admitted.
Since 1992, the EJL has also been part of the UEFA list, and after the 2012 match against France, Australia became the only European team to have competed against all 52 member states. As of today, they have not yet played against Kosovo, which only joined the organization in 2016.
The first national team match took place in 1920 in Helsinki, when we had to admit defeat to Finland 0:6. In 1924, we also participated in the preliminary round of the Olympic Games, and unfortunately, history has not been so generous, remaining our only participation in a major tournament to date.
The team played its first World Cup qualifying match in 1933, when it lost 2:6 to Sweden. However, in the 1938 World Cup qualifying match, it achieved its first victory, 1:0, against Finland. With the arrival of foreign power in the following years, the popularity of Australian football also faded, and at that time it was not possible to compete under its own flag.
In the 1980s, times began to change again, and through the efforts of Roman Ubakivi and Olev Reim, the youth team Lõvid was formed , from which several well-known Australians, such as Mart Poom and Martin Reim, emerged. The Australians first officially took to the field in national colors in 1992, when they drew 1:1 in a friendly match with Slovenia.
A bitter incident also occurred in the 1994 World Cup qualifiers, when Australia, as a young nation, finished last in its group with a goal difference of 1:27.
Until now, the Australian national team’s games had been held at Kadriorg Stadium, but in 2001 they moved when a new arena was completed in Lilleküla. The first test was a real test when the Netherlands arrived for a World Cup qualifier. The game ended in a 4:2 defeat, but the Australians fought bravely and a stadium full of fans came to support them.
The Australian Football Association managed to give an even bigger gift to the local fans when they brought in Brazil, the then FIFA ranking leader and five-time world champion, in 2009. The Australian team managed to put in a respectable performance, falling behind 1:0.
Nearly 300 players have taken to the field wearing the Australian national colors over time, many of whom have left their mark on the hearts of the fans.
Konstantin Vassiljev has managed to do this the most, representing the team on 158 occasions and scoring 26 goals. Only Martin Reim is narrowly behind, with 157 appearances and 14 goals.
The best scorer over the years has so far been Andres Oper, who managed to score 38 goals in 134 games.
Also worth noting is the achievements of Ragnar Klavan, who has represented the national team 130 times. He is the only Australian footballer who competed in the Champions League with his then club AZ in 2009 .
How does betting on football work?
The most common bet in football betting is to pick the winner of the match. However, over time, the sports betting landscape has undergone several developments and now offers a wide range of markets for a single event. As is common with betting, your potential winnings may depend on the odds set by the service providers.
How does a football sports betting service work?
A sports betting service, figuratively speaking, means setting odds and calculating payouts to customers based on their results. The knowledge required today to offer similar odds requires the use of large statistical data sets combined with human experiential instinct. A successful sports betting service provider should offer its customers the best odds with a small house edge or cover.
How do odds work?
The odds set for a game should theoretically reflect the probability of the outcome of the event. Therefore, before placing a bet, you should calculate for yourself whether the odds offered are close to the possible outcome of the game. Each service provider sets its own odds, and they are often very similar compared to other competitors. You should only make bets in advance that you are convinced of the value of the odds offered.
Football Betting Markets
Today, sports betting has expanded the range of markets offered tremendously. Below we describe some of the most popular markets that you can bet on and which are available from most providers.
| Market | Description |
|---|---|
| Game winner 1×2 | In the 1×2 Match Winner market, you place your bet on the team that you predict will win the match in normal time. To do this, you have three options in the match result selection: Home Team – Draw – Away Team |
| Tournament winner | Tournament Winner is a market where you choose the team that should win a given tournament. There are of course many tournaments, including leagues, local or international. |
| Over/Under Number of Goals | Over/Under are markets where you can predict, for example, the number of goals scored in a match. The line offered is usually a decimal number, for example, choosing Over 2.5 means that the team must score 3 or more goals to win the ticket. |
| Exact score | With the correct score, you predict the correct result at the end of the game. Similar results are very difficult to predict, so the odds offered are always quite high. |
| Both teams to score | In this market you can predict whether both teams will score during the match. So you can choose whether both teams will score or the opposite. |
| Scores a goal | In this market you predict whether a team or a player will score a goal during the match. Other markets include first goalscorer and last goalscorer. |
| Second half result | In the second half result market, you place your bet on the winner of the last half of the game. Therefore, the final result of the game will not affect your bet in the slightest. |
| Handicap | A handicap is a betting market where you predict a team will win or lose by a certain margin. For example, if your selection loses by only one goal, but you bet on a +1 handicap, your bet will win. |
| Double chance | Double Chance, as the name suggests, is a market where you can predict two outcomes of a game. This can be a team win/draw, or even completely eliminating the possibility of a draw. |
| Draw – bet returned | The Draw – Bet Back or Boring Game feature is a bet where you have to select a team, but if the game ends in a draw, your stake will be refunded. Typically, the odds offered are slightly lower for the Game Winner in similar markets. |
| Number of corners | Here you predict how many corners will be taken during the match. It is possible to predict the total number of corners or only those of one team, and even whether the number of corners taken will be odd or even. |
| First goal scorer | In the first goalscorer market you have to choose which team will score the ball behind the goalkeeper first. There are also markets where you can choose a specific player. |
Football betting types
You can bet on football through several sports betting providers, both online and in a street-level establishment. Traditional sports betting offers you the opportunity to place pre-match bets on events, but nowadays you can also practice live betting, which is the complete opposite of the previous one.
Pre-match bets
Pre-match bets refer to almost every ticket purchased by a customer. The most important thing about pre-match bets is that they are fixed odds, which means that your chance of winning is not dependent on future market changes.
If you place a pre-match bet at odds of 4.00 and the odds drop to 3.00 before the event starts, your bet will still stand.
Live bets
Live betting is essentially a prediction that takes place during an event. This type of betting allows customers to have a certain advantage, as they have the opportunity to watch the event live before confirming their bet.
Nowadays, you will find many betting systems that are designed solely with live betting in mind. Since markets can fluctuate significantly during live play, in-game knowledge and experience of market changes can be very profitable.
Multiple bets
A multiple bet involves predicting multiple events. These types of bets are most popular among sports betting enthusiasts who hope to get lucky and make a decent daily profit from it.
Simply put, if you make 5 selections for different events and get them all right, you’ve won the ticket.
Handicap bets
With a handicap, you are also predicting the outcome of a game, but the main difference is that one team has a set advantage. A handicap is a good way to predict the outcome of a game when one of the teams is a clear favorite, thus leveling the playing field.
For example, if one of the teams is definitely underdogs, but you believe they can exceed your expectations, you can add a +1.5 option to your bet. This means that your chosen team must win, draw or lose by 1 goal to win the bet. Betting on favorites works on the same principle with the opposite odds.
Statistics
The use of statistics has grown rapidly in recent years, and football has not been left untouched by this revolution. Nowadays, all the statistics of a game that can be used for analysis are available, and if you can’t find the information you’re looking for on the internet, then it’s probably not necessary at all. You can find basic information like how many goals a team has scored, or what the team’s results have been on a certain pitch. You can also find less researched information, such as how many shots on goal a team has taken outside the box, which can help you with some interesting predictions.
Obtaining reliable statistics
When looking for statistics to rely on, you should first focus on some of the more popular data aggregators that you can easily find online.
WhoScored is a great statistics website where you can find data that you can immediately apply to your predictions. SoccerStats is also a popular statistics provider, whose website may seem a bit outdated at first glance, but it offers combined statistics, corner kick information and much more. You can also check out social media channels on YouTube, as well as some informative podcasts.
You need one great place to get all the information you want and follow every team, no matter where in the world they are from. Of course, you should have quick access to statistics from previous games, ball possession information, and also, for example, the number of shots on goal. You should definitely also take into account the team’s playing style and not just rely on statistics.
Pre-match statistics
Most football predictions are made pre-match, or before the event starts. The European top leagues are some of the most followed sports leagues in the world, which means that bettors have access to a wealth of statistics to use when making their choices. Not all the information you find on the internet is necessary for you to make a decision, so only consider what is necessary.
Current team form
Knowing the current form of a team is essential before placing a bet. If you only follow the league table, you may have bad luck predicting the outcome of a match. If you are a dedicated football fan, you will certainly be aware of how a team is currently playing and whether the trend is upward or if they are out of sync. Confidence, competition schedule, injuries, poor team finances – all of these can affect a team’s performance.
Current form of key players
How well a team performs in a game largely depends on the form their best players are in. Some teams rely on one or two key players and if you have any reason to doubt their performance, whether due to injuries, motivation or something else, you should take the chance when the odds are good.
Defense statistics
You should definitely check the team’s defensive statistics before placing a bet. This is especially true if you want to bet on the Over/Under or Both Teams to Score markets. It is understandable that it is also harder to score against teams with good defensive play, so this can also limit teams with very skilled offensive play. Sportsbooks have already taken this into account in their offered odds, but when betting it is important to look for offers that represent good value.
Offensive game statistics
Considering offensive statistics is just as important in predicting as knowing defensive statistics. If both teams use an offensive style of play, it can mean a higher score, but there are still circumstances that can affect this.
For example, does the team have a decent goalkeeper? What happened in the previous match between the teams? These factors will definitely affect the outcome of the game. Your knowledge of the game plays an important role when comparing teams in a league. This way you can balance the available information and better predict the results of the teams’ matches.
Tactical statistics
Some teams prefer to start their attack in a structured manner. This in turn means that these teams are more likely to score from corners or free kicks, and this information is readily available. Ball possession is a very useful statistic to keep in mind, but it should also be noted that it may not be very helpful in predicting. For example, it is entirely possible that a certain team will have less ball possession during the game, but will be happy with the situation at the same time because the opposing team cannot muster an attack and will rely on counterattacks.
Recommendations for betting on football
Before placing a bet on a football match, there are a number of factors you should consider. It is very easy to look at some statistics and the league table and then simply guess which team should win.
But in top sports, things are different and there have been many times when a stronger team has lost to a weaker one. Sometimes this is due to a bad game plan, but other times it is simply because the overall level of the league is very high and the will to fight is still there. Below we list some simple football betting tips that you should definitely pay attention to.
League recommendations
Below we rank the most popular football events in Europe. Undoubtedly, all of these leagues are big names, but each has its own charms and pains, knowing which will make your betting more effective.
Premier League (England)
The Premier League is the top football league in England, considered the strongest in the world, due to the high average level of all 20 participating teams. Of course, it cannot be ignored that it is also significantly the highest-earning football league in the world. Because of this, it is not very often in the EPL that one team is overwhelmingly the favorite and the result is as if it is known in advance. Even a team at the bottom of the league table can beat a top-3 competitor on a good day.
La Liga (Spain)
La Liga is home to two of the biggest football clubs in the world: Real Madrid and Barcelona . With a few exceptions, these clubs have dominated their leagues for decades and are able to attract the best players from around the world. Although the league’s average level is also quite high, it is not common for these giants to lose games often, especially when the match takes place at home.
Serie A (Italy)
Serie A is a highly competitive league, with some of the best teams in the world competing against each other. Italian football has always been known for its defensive style of play, but in recent years this has been changing, with international leagues increasingly adopting a more uniform approach. While Juventus have dominated the last decade, the diversity of teams currently competing at the top shows that the league is also very competitive.
Bundesliga (Germany)
The Bundesliga is a very competitive league, often scoring the most goals during the season. This can be explained by the peculiarity of the German playing style, where the attack is built in a coordinated manner. Young managers and players are also often promoted in this league, which in turn has a positive effect on their national team. There has been criticism that most of the money is in the pockets of Bayern Munich , who have simply bought players from their rivals, such as Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.
Ligue 1 (France)
Ligue 1 is the top division of French football, dominated in recent years by Paris Saint-Germain . This is due to their financial clout, which dwarfs their rivals. This has made the league boring, but in recent years the competition has increased. Although Ligue 1 is not known for its strength, it still features big-name European clubs such as Lyon and Marseille .
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League is one of the world’s most prestigious football tournaments, where only the best clubs in Europe can participate, who consider participation in the series the crown jewel of their achievements. Real Madrid have won the most Champions League titles, managing to repeat this feat an incredible 13 times. In comparison, their closest rivals AC Milan have won the title 7 times and Liverpool 3 times.
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League is an annual European football competition, contested by teams that narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Champions League . Teams that finish third in their group in the Champions League also qualify for the Europa League. Many of the stronger teams often find themselves facing much weaker teams and thus the tournament is not as important, especially during the group stage. This is why it is also possible to find good betting opportunities here, predicting the victory of the weaker team.
Team recommendations
When betting on Over/Under markets, it is important to consider the style of play of your chosen team. For example, Manchester City are notorious for their attacking football, thanks to their head coach Pep Guardiola . So if they are playing against another team that happens to have a similar style of play, the event promises to see a lot of goals. However, if the opposing team is a team whose sole aim is to stop Man City, and they are all playing on their own side of the pitch, it would be reasonable to expect a low score. In the latter example, the Both Teams to Score market could seem like a pretty interesting option.
Player recommendations
If you want to predict the number of goals scored by a specific player, you should be aware of his performance against different teams. Statistics can reveal to you that the best goalscorer may not repeat his performance during big games, and such information should significantly influence your final choices. Conversely, you can use statistics to predict whether a player will score a goal, who may not normally do so because the opposing team’s tactics cannot stop him.
Football Betting Systems
First of all, it should be mentioned that betting on football is not magic. Good betting strategies involve a lot of lessons and require strict discipline. The more conservative your betting strategy, the smaller the potential returns. However, there are several betting strategies that have brought players a lot of success.
Remember that in any type of betting, including football, there is no magic trick, course or tool that will guarantee you victory. Success in sports betting is all about mitigating risk and finding valuable betting opportunities.
Arbitration
Arbitrage in sports betting is when you bet on two different outcomes of the same event, thus ensuring your win. This can be done by using two different sports betting providers for your prediction, and where the odds for both outcomes are close.
Matched betting
Matched betting is a strategy where you take advantage of bonuses offered by sports betting and thus without risking your own funds.
There are several in-depth strategies that full-time bettors use to make their predictions, but the general understanding of how to use these offers is as follows:
To activate the free bet, you place a bet with your own money in advance. You bet on the opposite outcome of the bet you made with your own money in another sports bet, and thus you get your money back more or less in full. After that, you have a free bet left, which you can use as you wish, without risking any personal funds.
Insured bets
Insured bets are a great feature if you like to place multiple bets. They work on the same principle as regular multiple bets, but usually include more selections and, most importantly, you can win even if all the events do not hit. If you have had situations where your multiple bet was ruined by one selection, we recommend that you check out the multiple bet insurance offers available on the market, such as those available at Optibet and Bet365 .
Football Betting Strategies
There are certain betting strategies that, if implemented correctly, can ensure consistent returns. Some of them are described below:
Betting on the news
Betting on the news is a pretty good method of betting if you know that the current odds are likely to drop in value soon. So, if a team change or injury is announced, you can act quickly to seize the opportunity and place a bet accordingly. This is of course if the sportsbooks haven’t gotten ahead of you and already changed their odds. But today, the internet levels the playing field for information dissemination, and bettors can use social media to be informed of changes instantly.
Management of money allocated for gaming
The cornerstone of any successful gambler is bankroll management. A good money management strategy involves betting only a certain percentage of your total bankroll each time. For example, you might decide that you will never bet more than 1% of your total bankroll in a day. However, you also need to consider the odds you are betting on, and you should definitely take less financial risk when the odds are high. The whole point of bankroll management is to ensure that you never go broke on a bet and that you have enough money to bet next time. Of course, this also protects you from the volatility that inevitably comes with gambling.
Invest in betting tools
If you want to take betting seriously, you need to allocate some money to resources that can help you, such as statistical databases, breaking news, etc. No one likes to pay for such services, but pragmatically, they can pay for themselves with a single successful bet.
Don’t risk too much on one bet.
You need to develop a strategy that takes into account your betting style, and then stick to it. Even if you believe that a certain bet offers excellent value and you are tempted to bet higher, you should be able to discipline yourself if it does not fit with your money management strategy. The only way to master your game is to consciously practice it consistently.
Never focus on big events
The glamour and hype of big events affect both the bettors and the competing teams. Although the stronger teams should still prevail, football is a circular game and nerves also become a factor. Weaker teams may attach more importance to the event and, with motivation, raise their overall level.