How to Bet on Soccer

Even though the most popular European soccer leagues are on a break, a very intriguing summer lies ahead. MLS provides plenty of opportunities for soccer betting enthusiasts.

Soccer has never been more popular in the U.S. than it is now, with so many exciting matchups taking place. International superstars are flocking to the MLS, drawing much greater attention worldwide.

Interested? Keep reading this article, and we’ll guide you on how to bet on soccer. The more you understand, the better your chances of winning money and making less risky wagers.

Where to Begin?

If you are an experienced bettor and just want to find some soccer-exclusive tips and tricks, feel free to skip to the next subheading right away. However, if you are new to the world of sports betting, your first step should be finding where to place your bets.

First of all, check if sports wagering is legal in your state. If it is, then find a reputable and licensed sportsbook. BetMGM, FanDuel, bet365, Caesars, and DraftKings are some names that frequently come up in almost every state. Some of these sportsbooks are leaders in offering competitive odds, others boast the most intuitive apps, and some are the fastest when it comes to payment options.

For example, research from Action Network shows that DraftKings offers the best moneyline odds, Caesars excels in spread betting, and BetMGM and FanDuel are top choices for totals. DraftKings and FanDuel also stand out for their navigation and speed, and along with BetMGM, they offer the best game density.

Next, you’ll need to register and deposit money into your account. Generally, credit cards and e-wallets are accepted at most online sportsbooks.

Once your account is funded, you can start placing wagers on a variety of soccer bets. Both pre-match and live betting options are available at most sports betting sites.

Basic Soccer Odds

Now, when you are set up, you should learn how to read odds. You might come across three types of formats: British, American, and European. US sportsbooks use moneyline odds, so if you are betting from here, you just need to understand them.

They show you either how much you need to wager to win a $100 or how much you will win if you wager a $100. In this case, we will use the MLS odds as our example.

Let’s say the USA is playing Bolivia, and the odds are the following:

A minus sign means that the team is expected to win. The higher the number following the minus, the bigger are the chances of that team winning.

Now, with the plus sign, it’s the opposite. The bigger the number following the plus, the lower are the chances of that team winning.

In this case, the USA is expected to win and Bolivia to lose. How does it translate to your wager? If you bet $120 on USA winning, and they win, you will earn $20. If you bet $100 on Bolivia, and they win, the sportsbook will have to pay you $1300.

Determine Which Match You Want to Bet On and Analyze Key Statistics

Now that you understand the odds and know where to place your bets, it’s time to dive into the actual wagering process. I like to start by picking a specific league or competition and then review the games scheduled for that day. Just type the league name into a search engine, and you’ll see all the upcoming matches.

From there, I review each game individually. The great thing is that numerous websites provide comprehensive information about teams and matches. Simply type in the teams you’re interested in, and you’ll find a wealth of data to inform your bets.

Here’s a quick guide on what key statistics to look for:

1. Overall Odds and League Table Position: Start by checking the odds from bookmakers and the league table positions of both teams. This gives you a snapshot of whether there’s a clear favorite or if the match is likely to be evenly contested. Odds indicate what the market expects, while league standings reflect overall team performance.
2. Current Form and Recent Performance: Next, take a look at how each team has been performing recently. The current form is often more telling than season-long stats. Consider winning or losing streaks and pay attention to how teams perform at home versus away. Also, observe their scoring patterns; for example, some teams may start slow and pick up in the second half, which can influence bets on halftime or full-time results.
3. Head-to-Head Records: The history between the two teams can provide valuable insights. Sometimes, a strong team might struggle against a particular opponent. Rivalry matches can be especially unpredictable, so don’t forget to consider the emotional and competitive factors at play.
4. Injury Report and Player Availability: Finally, always check the latest injury report and player suspensions. Missing key players can significantly impact a team’s performance. It’s crucial to evaluate the importance of these players; a star player being out could be a game-changer, whereas the absence of a bench player might not have much effect. If a team has been faring well without a key player for a while, they might have adapted to their absence.

The Cash Out Feature

The ‘Cash Out’ feature can be very useful if used correctly when learning how to bet on soccer. Many, if not most, online sportsbooks provide the option of cashing out bets based on the current state of events of a match.

So if for instance, the team you bet on is winning, you can cash out for a profit. On the other hand, if your team is losing, you can mitigate your losses. Cashing out essentially allows you to hedge your bets and if used well can be very profitable.

Follow Soccer Betting Professionals

Many professionals post soccer picks and opinions for free on the internet. Their picks generally take into account a number of statistics which increase the probability of winning. Be sure to take advantage of this valuable resource before placing your bets, if for nothing else but to double-check.

Special Soccer Betting Markets

Soccer is a simple sport. With two teams allowed 11 players on the field and 90 minutes of action, the winner comes down to who scores the most goals. When you bet on soccer online, however, a number of various markets are available that aren’t just decided by the result of a match. While the most popular type of bet is still straight bets, one can also wager on:

• 3-Way and 2-Way Money Lines
• Goal Lines
• Over/Under
• First-half goal Spread Bets
• Asian Handicaps
• Parlays
• Future Bets
• Prop Bets

3-Way Moneyline

A 3-way moneyline soccer bet allows you to bet on three results: Team A winning, Team B winning, or a draw. Wagers are generally decided after full-time. This means within the 90 minutes of regulation and any additional time added by referees for injuries and stoppages. However, if a team wins in a shootout or extra time the match will be considered a draw. Shootouts and extra-time matches only take place during tournaments where a winner is required.

An example of a 3-way moneyline may look like this:
Team A +140
Draw +260
Team B +200

Due to the fact that there are now three results possible instead of two, the odds for each result are greater. Thus betting on 3-way moneylines can be more profitable if you are able to make correct predictions. Soccer is one of the few sports in which three-way money lines are available.

2-Way Moneylines Without The Draw

With a 2-way money line soccer bet without the draw, we eliminate the prospect of a draw from the wager. The two possible results will be Team A winning or Team B winning. If the game ends in a draw in regulation time, then all bets are refunded and considered ‘No Action.’

Since the draw option is removed from the moneyline, the odds on 2-way moneylines are considerably lower. Odds about the favorites can be more inflated due to the underdogs’ loss of ability to draw. 2-way moneylines are ideal for bettors looking for lower-risk bets that may not payout as big as 3-ways.

Goal Lines or Spread

Goal lines or spread soccer betting is similar to point spreads found in basketball and football games. One of the teams will be given a handicap and another will be awarded a certain number of goals to start the match.

Soccer Spread Example
Team A (-2.5 goals) +110
Team B (+2.5 goals) -120

In this case, Team A must win the game by 3 goals in order to win a wager placed on them. Team B must lose by no more than 2 goals for a wager placed on them to win.

Generally, spread soccer wagers attempt to balance out lopsided matchups by giving the underdog a headstart in goals. It allows bettors to get good odds on favorites, even when the match is very one-sided.

First-half Goal Spread Bets

First-half goal spread bets are very similar to spread bets but only take into account the first half. Thus, the final scoreline isn’t taken into consideration but rather the scoreline at halftime. Again, one team will be awarded goals and another will be deducted goals to even out the matchup.

Totals

A total soccer bet is a popular wager type that doesn’t depend on the outcome of the matchup. Rather, bettors wager on the total number of goals that will be scored during the game. You can either bet on over or under a select number of goals set by the bookmaker.

Asian Handicap

Asian handicap betting, much like spread bets, is designed to eliminate the possibility of a draw in a soccer match. There are two main types of handicaps, half goals (0.5, 1.5, etc.) and whole goals (1, 2, 3, etc.). Half goals handicaps force a result as it’s not possible to score half a goal in soccer. Whole goal handicaps, however, can result in a tie, in which case bets a refunded.

One of the main differences in Asian handicaps is the ability to bet quarter-goal handicaps. Quarter (¼) handicaps split the bet between the two closest ½ intervals. For example, a $100 bet with an Asian handicap of 1¾ is equivalent to betting $50 at 1½ and $50 at 2. With ¼ handicap bets, you can both win and draw or lose and draw.

Asian handicaps start at a quarter goal and rarely go over 3 goals, even in matchups with huge disparities in ability.

Soccer Parlays

Soccer parlays refer to accumulator bets which have 2 or more soccer selections. To win a soccer parlay every selection on the betting slip must win. If even one of the selections loses, the entire parlay loses.

The idea behind parlay betting is creating big soccer odds by multiplying together the soccer odds of each selection you make.

For example:
If you select Team A from Game 1 at +110 odds and Team B from Game 2 at -120 odds;
A parlay wager on both games would have odds of +285.

Each additional wager added to the parlay bet will multiply against the odds, creating an exponential effect. So the more picks you make, the more the odds will balloon. On the other hand, all of the wagers must be winners in order to successfully payout a parlay bet.

Future Bets

Future bets are just that, wagers made on events that will happen in the long-term future. They are generally related to winning a League or Championship in soccer.

Odds are set well in advance for future bets and can change dramatically as the season unfolds. Teams generally have ups and downs during a season, so try to place bets when the odds are at their peak.

Prop Betting

Prop bets or propositional bets refer to wagers that can be made on any particular occurrence during a game. Prop bets can be on essentially anything and can involve just a match or the entire season.

The following are examples of soccer prop bets:

• Will Player X score during the game?
• Will anybody score during the first 15 minutes of the game?
• Will there be a goal scored with a header this season?
• Who will win the toss at the start of the match?
• Will Player X score more goals than Player Y in this match?

Soccer Betting in 2024: Top Events

Now that you have learned how to bet on soccer, let’s move on to the main topic – what events to bet. Obviously, the most popular leagues are still the “big five”—Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga, England’s Premier League, Italy’s Serie A, and France’s Ligue 1, as well as the Champions League.

Event	Dates
Major Soccer League (Regular season)	February 21 – October 19*
La Liga	August 15 – May 25
Bundesliga	August 23 – May 17
Serie A	August 17 – May 25
Premier League	August 16 – May 25
Ligue 1	August 16 – May 17
Champions League	September 17 – May 31**

*Pause from the middle of July to the middle of August
**Qualifications are held from July 9 to August 28

MLS 2024 Betting

MLS regular season championship is divided into two Conferences – Eastern (15 teams) and Western (14 teams). The first 9 teams in each conference will play in the Playoffs. It will begin in October and finish with the MLS Cup Finals on 7th December.

In the Eastern Conference, Inter Miami is leading the pack, boasting former Barcelona legends like Leo Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets. Over in the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake holds the top spot, a team named in honor of Barcelona’s biggest rival, Real Madrid.

However, focusing solely on teams with international superstars shouldn’t be your only strategy when betting on soccer. Take young and talented Cincinnati, for example. With domestic players like Corey Baird and Miles Robinson, they’ve emerged as the biggest rival to Miami.

You can bet on numerous things here: from championship winner (Inter Miami is the first favorite) to specific game wagers.

Soccer Betting FAQs