Soccer, beloved worldwide, is a popular sport to play, watch and bet on.
Read on for our tips on how to bet on soccer games in the USA, betting strategy for MLS games and everything else you need to bet on soccer online.
Our experts have compiled a list of the industry’s best sites for US players to bet on soccer:
Once you’ve chosen a sportsbook, register for a free account on their website or app. To do this, you’ll need a couple of minutes and some basic personal information. Then, log into your new account. Head to the cashier and make your first deposit.
The next step is to research your bet. Take a look at the recent news and history of the teams you’re thinking about betting on. Winning streaks, injuries and long distance travel can all have an effect on the outcome of a match.
Once you’ve decided on your bet, navigate to the event in your chosen sportsbook. Select the bet and populate the slip with your stake. Always double check that the information presented is correct. Click confirm. Congratulations! You just placed your first soccer bet.
Betting rules vary sportsbook to sportsbook, so you should take some time reading up on which ones apply at your chosen site prior to making any wagers. Here are some of the most common ones you’ll find relating to soccer:
The FIFA World Cup is the most popular sporting event in the world, exceeding even the Olympics in terms of viewership. It is no surprise, therefore, that it is also the most prestigious international soccer tournament in the world. The World Cup is hosted by a different country every four years. Since 1930, national teams have competed for the coveted trophy. Here’s how the tournament works. These tips will come in handy when making your sports betting picks.
For three years preceding a World Cup, international teams compete in continental zones for a spot in the tournament. The continental zones are allotted a certain number of spaces by FIFA, usually in line with the strength of the teams in their region. 32 teams qualify – including the host nation.
The 32 qualifying teams are sorted into eight groups of four. Teams in the same group are play, and the top 2 teams in each group go through to the knockout stage.
The remaining 16 teams compete in instant-elimination games. This leaves eight teams, who then play against each other in quarterfinals. Four teams are left, who play in the semi-finals.
As you have probably guessed, the final is then played by the remaining two teams. The other two semi-finalists (who have been knocked out, as it were) also play each other, to see who comes third in the tournament.
Researching bets is a crucial part of a long-term, winning strategy. Successful bettors use statistics, latest news and club history to educate the wagers they make. Manage your bankroll wisely, and never bet more than 5% of it at once.
Even the most mediocre team tends to win sometimes when they play in their home stadium. If you’re unsure of who to bet on, try betting on the home team when playing in their home stadium.
If you’re not having any luck when betting on your chosen league, it can be tempting to switch it up and bet on something more obscure. This rule applies to betting on any sport – if it’s not familiar, don’t bet on it.
All major sportsbooks offer a wide variety of sports betting, but some stand out above others. Here are some things to look out for when deciding which sportsbook is right for you:
This soccer betting guide wouldn’t be complete without some handy suggestions for those players who are new to the soccer wagering game. Here are a couple of tips to get you started:
Even mediocre teams find a way to win regularly in their home stadium, so if you’re looking to make some safe plays early in your online soccer wagering career, go with the home side for your moneyline and prop bets.
It might seem complicated at first, but Asian handicaps are an incredibly fun way to get action on a soccer game while also taking the draw out of play. With Asian handicaps, bettors are presented with one or two handicaps, along with odds attached to each. For example, let’s say Liverpool is listed on the Asian handicap at -1.0 and -1.5 against Everton, with odds of 1.55. The odds apply to both scenarios – so if Liverpool win by two or more goals, you would cash both bets at 1.55; if Liverpool wins by one, the first bet is a push (and therefore returned) while the second loses; if Liverpool draws or loses, both bets lose. It’s worth diving into some Asian handicap betting to learn the nuances; if you can identify matchups you feel strongly about, there’s an opportunity to greatly enhance your potential winnings through this fun betting option.
The majority of elite teams have one or two superstar scoring options. And there’s plenty of money to be made in selecting these players to score anytime goals, since you’re not bound by when they score – only that they do. Bettors should keep a particularly close eye on elite players in games where their team is heavily favored; those games produce plenty of scoring chances, and by extension, great player prop plays.
It’s a well-worn cliche, but online soccer wagers come in many shapes and sizes. There are, however, a handful of bet types that stand out above the rest in terms of popularity among all kinds of bettors:
The straight moneyline play is probably the simplest, as it rewards bettors simply for selecting the winning team; of course, the more heavily favored the team, the lower the payout is. There’s also the draw to consider; only in cases where one team is an overwhelming favorite is the draw a non-factor. In the majority of online soccer betting matchups, the draw is very much in play.
Bettors also enjoy totals wagers, in which players put money down on whether they believe the teams will combine to score more or fewer points than the pre-set total. This one is popular due to the simplicity of it: Either go above or below the number.
The other most popular play in online soccer wagering, fittingly, combines the first two: the result/total combo. In this wager, bettors select the team they believe will win the game, along with whether the game will go over or under the 2.5-goal threshold. There’s also the option for bettors to select a draw along with the over/under, which usually offers a nice payout no matter the matchup.
