Types of Football Bets

Football offers one of the widest ranges of betting markets in any sport. A single Premier League match can have over 200 individual betting options available. This guide covers every major football betting market from the simple match result to more complex options like Asian handicap and correct score predictions.

Understanding these markets is essential for any football bettor. Each market has its own characteristics, risk level, and analytical approach. Knowing when to use each market can significantly improve your overall betting strategy.

Match Result (1X2)

The most traditional football bet. You predict one of three outcomes: home win (1), draw (X), or away win (2). This is the starting point for most football bettors and remains the most heavily traded market.

Example: Manchester City vs Arsenal. Manchester City (home) odds: 1.55. Draw odds: 4.20. Arsenal (away) odds: 5.50. A 1,000 rupee bet on Manchester City at 1.55 returns 1,550 rupees if they win at home.

The draw is often the most undervalued outcome in football. Approximately 25 to 28 percent of matches in top European leagues end in draws, but bettors disproportionately back home or away wins. This can create value in the draw market.

Over/Under Goals

One of the most popular football markets worldwide. You bet on whether the total number of goals in a match will be above (Over) or below (Under) a specified number. The most common line is 2.5 goals, meaning Over 2.5 wins if there are 3 or more goals, and Under 2.5 wins if there are 0, 1, or 2 goals.

Other common lines include 0.5, 1.5, 3.5, and 4.5 goals. Lower lines (0.5, 1.5) have lower Over odds because more goals are likely. Higher lines (3.5, 4.5) have higher Over odds because they require a high-scoring match.

Both Teams to Score (BTTS)

A straightforward yes or no bet on whether both teams will score at least one goal each in the match. The final score does not matter, only whether each team found the net. A match ending 3-1 is a BTTS Yes result. A match ending 2-0 is a BTTS No result.

BTTS is popular because it does not require you to pick a winner. You can enjoy the match knowing that goals from either team help your bet. In the Premier League, approximately 50 to 55 percent of matches see both teams score.

Correct Score

Predict the exact final score of the match. This is one of the hardest football bets to get right, but it offers some of the highest odds. Common correct score outcomes like 1-0, 2-1, and 1-1 typically have odds between 5.00 and 10.00. Less likely scores like 4-3 or 5-2 can have odds above 50.00.

Because of the difficulty, correct score bets should be used sparingly and with small stakes. They are best treated as high-risk, high-reward bets rather than regular betting selections.

First Goalscorer

Bet on which player will score the first goal in the match. If your chosen player scores first, you win. If the match ends 0-0, your bet is typically refunded. Strikers and attacking midfielders usually have the shortest odds because they are in the best positions to score.

A variation is the "anytime goalscorer" market, where your bet wins if the player scores at any point during the match, not necessarily first. Anytime goalscorer odds are lower because the probability is higher.

Asian Handicap

Asian handicap eliminates the draw by giving one team a virtual goal advantage or disadvantage. For example, if Manchester City has a -1.5 handicap against a weaker team, City needs to win by 2 or more goals for the handicap bet to win. If the result is 1-0 to City, the handicap bet loses because City only won by 1 goal, which is less than the 1.5 goal handicap.

Asian handicap is preferred by many professional bettors because it removes the draw outcome and offers more precise odds. Quarter-goal handicaps (like -0.25 or -0.75) further refine the market by splitting the stake across two adjacent lines.

Double Chance

Double chance lets you cover two of the three possible outcomes with one bet. The options are home or draw (1X), away or draw (X2), or home or away (12, which excludes the draw). Double chance offers lower odds but higher probability of winning compared to match result betting.

Halftime/Fulltime

Predict both the halftime result and the fulltime result. There are 9 possible combinations (home/home, home/draw, home/away, draw/home, draw/draw, draw/away, away/home, away/draw, away/away). This market offers high odds because predicting two results is significantly harder than predicting one.

Corners and Cards Markets

These markets let you bet on events beyond goals. Corner markets include total corners over/under, team corners over/under, and first corner. Card markets include total bookings over/under, player to be booked, and red card yes/no. These markets are useful for diversifying your betting beyond goal-related outcomes.

Accumulators

An accumulator (acca) combines multiple selections into one bet. All selections must win for the accumulator to pay out. The odds multiply together, creating potentially large returns from small stakes. A 5-fold accumulator with each selection at 1.80 odds gives combined odds of approximately 18.90. Read our complete accumulator guide for strategies and tips.

Market Comparison

Advanced Football Markets

Beyond the standard markets covered above, experienced football bettors explore these additional options:

• Draw No Bet (DNB): You back a team to win, but if the match ends in a draw, your stake is refunded. This is similar to Asian Handicap 0 and offers lower odds than match result but eliminates the draw risk entirely.
• Win to Nil: Your team must win AND the opposition must not score. Pays higher odds than a straight win bet but requires your team to keep a clean sheet while scoring at least once.
• Both Teams to Score and Match Result (BTTS + Result): A combination market where you predict both whether both teams score AND the match result. For example, "BTTS Yes and Home Win" requires the home team to win in a match where both teams score. Odds are attractive but the combination requirement makes it harder to win.
• Player to Score First/Last/Anytime: Bet on which specific player will score. First goalscorer pays highest odds. Anytime goalscorer (player scores at any point) pays lower but wins more often. Last goalscorer is the hardest to predict due to late-game substitutions.
• Half with Most Goals: Predict whether more goals are scored in the first half or second half. Statistically, second halves produce slightly more goals in most leagues as teams become more open late in the game.

For building combination bets across these markets, see our accumulator betting guide.

For a specific guide on building profitable accumulators, read our accumulator betting guide. For odds fundamentals, see our odds explained guide.

If betting is affecting your daily life, relationships, or finances, please seek help. Support is available through iCall India and the Vandrevala Foundation. Read our Responsible Gambling page for more information.