Getting the Best Odds on Soccer Betting Markets

There are many ways to bet on a football match. Increased competition and the ability to lay bets on Betfair have made it possible to take the same bet at different prices depending on the market.

The most obvious one is the -0.5 Asian Handicap (AH) and the straight win on the 1X2 market. You are betting on exactly the same thing if you take these bets. As the margin is lower on the AH, its almost always best to take the AH. It baffles me why some bookmakers put the bets adjacent on a coupon with different prices.

A draw no bet is the same as an AH of +0. Again, the AH is usually the best. However, if one team is highly backed on the AH the odds may drop and betting on the draw no bet is better value.

Unders/ overs, goal line and total goals are sometimes the same. There's one bookmaker I know that offers all three of these on the same coupon but sometimes at different prices. I've seen 3 or more goals on the total goals market priced better than the overs on a goal line of 2.5. They are exactly the same bet.

An X2 double chance is the same as laying the home win on Betfair. As Betfair operates with a margin of 2.5% (5% commission but you will on average lose half), its going to always be better to lay the bet on Betfair than taking the bet on X2. Some double chance bets are the same as the AH. Take the best odds.

A +1 European Handicap is exactly the same as a +0.5 Asian Handicap, which is exactly the same as laying the team on the 1X2 market. I've seen times when European Handicap has offered the best value. As this market is the smallest, the prices don't move if a bookie gets in wrong. I once found an arbitrage that paid 10% using a European Handicap. The price didn't move at all because not many people bet on it.

No first goal scorer is almost the same as 0-0. NFGS is slightly better as own goals do not count. It doesn't happen often but as these markets pay the same odds, its best to go with the NFGS bet. Djimi Traore scored an own goal when Liverpool played Burnley in the 2004/2005 FA Cup. Liverpool lost the game 1-0. PSV scored an own goal and lost 1-0 to Arsenal in the Champions league the same season. Its rare but it does happen.

I could go on but I expect you to get the message now. Next time you are placing a bet on a soccer match it could pay to just check the odds on other markets.

Ben writes football (soccer) betting tips for http://www.klsbetting.com - visit for hints and picks on football betting.

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Casino/Gambling Information:

Related Articles

Roulette System: How you can win Roulette easily and automatically
In this article, we will discuss on "A personal interview with the FAST Roulette System's creator, Raymond Lai."Q: Hi Raymond, thanks for joining us in this interview.
The Eternal Allure of Gambling
I just spent three days in the land of milk and money - Las Vegas. There is something refreshingly honest about the place: it's all about money and it knows it.
Poker Hand Rankings
Poker hand rankings are one of the most important aspects of any poker game. When playing online poker, especially fast online poker games such as Texas Holdem Poker, you need to be able to quickly discern which cards are needed to create a better poker hand.
Helpful Stop Gambling Links & Information For The Compulsive Gambler, Family & Friends Of A Gambler
Over the past few years stop gambling websites have helped thousands of people whose lives were negatively affected by a compulsive gambling addiction.These stop gambling websites are available to help you in your quest to address compulsive gambling addiction.
Craps Online Betting
This short article aims to quickly cover some of the possible bets when playing Craps online. It is important to remember that it is possible to place a bet in craps, even if you are not the shooter.
Playing Online Poker For A Living
Playing online poker for a living is absolutely doable, but it takes a combination of talent, dedication, patience, discipline and disposition to succeed.You must study and constantly work on the weak parts of your game.
The Dangers of Bingo
Let's face it; bingo is hardly going to arouse a thrill-seeker into taking it up in attraction to its high risk stakes. Over sixties, playing bingo in a community hall does not seem to register with the seedy possibilities of a stake-out associated with poker for example.
Megabucks Slot Machine
"Deposit, click, pull, spin, bells, lights, wait, patience, one, two, three?repeat? again?"The humming song of the one-arm bandit - the slot machine. How far gambling has come (and not!) Some things have changed dramatically with on-line gambling and even virtual slot machines, now almost as comfortable, accessible and acceptable as watching television, flooding search engines and alive and well through pop-ups and other electronic marketing media - other gambling icons have stayed hauntingly the same, or at least so it appears, including the presence of slot machines on the traditional gambling scene.
Simple Jacks or Better Strategy Tutorial
Statistical Arbitrage strategy applied to Video PokerIntroductionJacks or Better is a popular video poker game available at many online casinos. When collecting casino matched deposit bonuses, it counts towards wagering requirements for most online casinos, has a high payout, and a large jackpot.
Bingo 101 What You Absolutely Need to Know About
It is quite surprising and amusing at the same time that most of the people aware of the game "bingo" still associate it with some old ladies. The reality, however, suggests that the situation is quite opposite.
Roulette - The Basics
Roulette is actually one of the simplest games in the casino to play, despite the busy-looking table and multiple colors of chips used. The pace is fairly relaxed compared to blackjack and positively glacial compared to craps.
The Secret of Protecting Your Pass Line Bet
Pssst..
Poker Aces - how to play them
Poker Aces refers to two aces dealt pre-flop. It is the strongest possible pre-flop hand in Texas Holdem Poker.
Maximizing Your Blackjack Earnings Without Counting Cards
Blackjack has some of the best odds in the casino. The house's advantage is about ½ of 1%.
Online Casinos Give You The Gambling Without the Travel Costs
Although the majority of gamblers would appreciate a trip to Vegas, we don't all have the time or money in which to do it. However, that doesn't mean that we can't have the same fun as those who have hopped on the next flight.
Ways to Earn Extra Cash in Order to Enter Online Sweepstakes for Money
We all like to take a break from reality, play games and enter sweepstakes for that chance at earning free money quickly and for little effort.Did you know you can enter sweepstakes for cash online or even play games for free money from the comfort of your own home?It's true.
Online Roulette - A Brief History
The term "Roulette" is French and in essence it means "small wheel". While it may seem that because "Roulette" is a French word that the game itself comes from France, but this is not necessarily true.
Gambling History of United States
Against the popular belief, gambling did not originate in the US. Most of the popular gambling games played in the American casinos have their origin in various foreign locales.
Virtual Casino Gambling
You might be wondering how virtual casino gambling started and how or why this virtual gambling phenomenon has grown so rapidly.Take a quick look into history of gambling and you'll discover why virtual casino gambling was the next logical step and why virtual casino games are set to become even more popular than they already are.
Short Hand Texas Holdem Poker
Short Hand Texas Poker refers poker games that have less than 4 or 5 players at the table. Being a good short hand player is vital if you're interested in either moving up to higher level games or playing in poker tournaments where the rewards are much higher.