Top 5 Tips For Soccer Betting

Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world. In fact, in many countries, it is the sport that drives people the crazy the most -- much like how hockey does in Canada or American football does in the United States.

Even in countries where soccer isn't the king of all sports, it is becoming increasingly popular every year. And with the proliferation of the internet and high-speed internet, as well as all the different media deals many major professional soccer leagues around the world are inking, you can watch top-flight soccer matches just about every week.

Soccer is a great sport to bet on, too, with many options. If you're new to betting on soccer we recommend you to check out our guide on how to bet on soccer first.
If you want to step up your soccer betting game and gain some extra insight on how you can more consistently pick winners, check out our soccer betting tips below.

Tip 1 Understand Team Motivations

Motivation is a huge factor in soccer matches. This is especially true in the top professional leagues in the world. If a team is extra motivated to win a match, for example, they might perform above their normal expectations and get a big win as an underdog. If a team isn't as motivated to win, they may not play their best and end up playing to a draw or losing to an opponent that is inferior on paper.

So, one of the best soccer betting tips is to understand the motivation of each of the clubs involved in a match. One great example is if a particular club is facing relegation and needs to win in order to remain in the top league for the next season. In this case, even though that club's record may not be that good at all, they could easily play better than they normally do -- even against a good team.

At the same time, a club that only needs to gain one point in a match to qualify for a big tournament may not care too much about actually winning. They may not attack the net as much and play a much more conservative match than normal.
Both of these situations (and more) could lead to you getting a nice win (or avoiding betting on a club).

Tip 2 Analyze Team Matchups

Also know that the standings aren't the only determining factor in how a match will play out on the pitch. Just because one club is higher in the standings than the other doesn't mean they will necessary play well against their opponent. 

There are just some clubs that don’t historically play well against another opponent, or another team's style of play. If you're able to understand what the team matchups are beyond just their spot in the standings, you could be able to gain some great insider information that could help when you're betting on soccer. 
If an underdog typically performs well against the favorite in an upcoming match, they may be a good choice to place a moneyline bet on to take advantage of the plus odds on them. 

Tip 3 Consider Prop Bets

Know that you don't have to just bet on the outright winner of a match, whether the match ends in a draw or on the total number of goals scored. There are plenty of alternative bets, known as prop bets, that you can pick winners on in soccer in every match.

One of the more popular prop bets on soccer is the total number of corner kicks that will be taken in a match between two clubs. This bet works just like other over/under-type bets. Instead of betting on how many total goals will be scored in a match, though, you'll be betting on how many total corners will be taken by both teams.

It may seem like it would be more difficult to predict corners than goals, but by analyzing the stats, you could end up finding it easier to predict corners than goals. Teams that attack a lot and attempt a lot of shots on goal could end up more consistently getting corners.
Goals have a lot to do with accuracy of shots and the performance of goalkeepers, while corners are more a factor of the attacking style and nature of both clubs. 

Tip 4 Try Double Chance Betting

In many soccer matches, there are three potential outcomes -- Team A winning, Team B winning or the match ending in a draw. This is different than many sports that can't end in a draw (or tie). Soccer is unique in this respect, as it is one of the few major sports that still has the ability for a match to end in a draw.

Knockout stages of major tournaments won't have the ability to end in a draw, which means there won't be Double Chance betting available. But, for those that can end in a draw, you could consider that type of bet.
With this bet, you'll be picking two of the potential three outcomes. While the payout odds will be lower than if you pick one of the three outcomes, you have a better chance of winning.

So, with Double Chance betting, you'd bet on Team A to win or the match to end in a Draw, Team B to win or the match to end in a draw, or the match to end with either team winning (and no draw). Don't overlook this betting option in soccer.

Tip 5 Go with Favorites in League Matches

Many times, the favorites will win out in major soccer matches. This isn't always the case in majorinternational tournaments such as the World Cup. But, in many league matches, the favorites stick to their pre-game expectations and come out on top.

This doesn't mean that you should only bet on favorites and completely ignore underdogs. However, don't be afraid to lay bigger moneyline odds on favorites in league play. It's pretty rare for a huge favorite to be upset in a normal regular season matchup in many of the major soccer leagues around the world.

All bets are off for this type of strategy in major tournaments such as the World Cup, though, where upsets happen all the time because the competition is much more level and all of the nations are equally as motivated to win just about every match.