The universally-loved sport of soccer has been gaining an even larger fan base in recent years, especially here in the US. From international teams like Barcelona and Juventus, to domestic leagues such as Major League Soccer (MLS) or Serie A – soccer fans everywhere have plenty of action to keep up with these days. The Champions League and World Cup spark incredible excitement from American audiences every year, while sports betting further enhances the experience for many who enjoy the game.
In recent years the MLS (Major League Soccer) has experienced exponential growth, with teams from all over the country joining the competition and bringing passionate fans along for the ride. This growing interest in soccer has been mirrored by an increase in investments from sponsors, broadcasters and even Hollywood celebrities. It’s easy to see why the beautiful game is becoming more popular in the States than ever before.
Soccer betting lines offer an exciting opportunity to test your knowledge of the game. A match is usually 90 minutes long, split into two halves, and with its low scoring nature poses a unique challenge for all soccer fans.
The majority of soccer matches are completed within their allotted time frame of 90 minutes, meaning betting lines and odds take this into consideration. This sets soccer apart from many other teams sports like basketball or hockey which often go to overtime and can thus extend beyond regulation time duration when it comes to gambling on outcomes.
In major tournaments, such as the World Cup or Euro Championships, both knock-out stages and penalty shootouts provide a wrinkle for winning bets with the majority of soccer betting lines designated and graded on the 90-minute regulation time result.
Moneyline in soccer is the simplest way of betting on the sport: pick a winner and the odds based on the probability of that team winning are provided.
But, that’s where the three-way moneyline comes in; it gives bettors a set of odds that feature each team’s potential for winning, as well as their chances of drawing the game after 90 minutes of play.
You get the chance with a 3-way moneyline to bet on three options either side of the fixture or a draw in the game.
Oddsmakers use probability of victory to assign odds for each team and craft an exciting way to bet on draws in soccer – by wagering that the match will finish in a tie.
An example of this would be:
Team odds:
Manchester United +200
Draw +150
Manchester City -110
Manchester City enters the match with a slight edge, given their -110 odds to win against underdog Manchester United’s +200. With neither team possessing an overwhelming advantage and both teams are evenly matched, the draw stands at +150.
Soccer bettors can make a ‘draw no bet’ wager, commonly known as two-way moneyline. This removes the draw option from play and adjusts odds accordingly. If there’s a tie at full time in this type of market, your stake is returned – making it ideal for tournament situations when you need to choose an outright winner before extra time or penalties come into effect.
An example would be:
Team Odds:
Manchester United +110
Manchester City -110
In this example, Manchester City is the -110 favorite to win the match against the underdog Manchester United at +110.
Soccer betting through the spread offers an innovative way to place wagers. In this type of bet, the team expected to win is handicapped with a point between 0.5 and 2 goals that they must cover in order for you to collect any profits from the bet. The underdog gets a similar goal advantage which means if they lose by less than one or even pull out a victory -you will also be paid.
Every soccer spread comes at its own price tag though, referred to as ‘juice’ or ‘vig’; meaning you’d have risk upwards $135 in hopes of winning $100 should you back the underdogs +1.5 over their opponents.
The Over/Under total – otherwise known as the ‘goal line’ in soccer – is a popular option with bettors. Set by oddsmakers, this number predicts how many goals both teams will score combined during any given match; from there it’s your job to decide if that final tally will be higher or lower than predicted.
An example of what this looks like is:
Over 2.5 goals +110
Under 2.5 goals +110
You can give your soccer betting a burst of excitement with props and specials. With events such as the Champions League or World Cup, you have thousands of exciting options at your fingertips – like predicting which players will score during the game, how many corner kicks are taken by each team and more.
Futures odds markets offer you the chance to bet on big soccer events before they even start. Keep up with team progress, follow injuries and betting activity for long-term success as your predictions pay off across a season or tournament. It’s an exciting way to get involved in major games and tournaments like the World Cup.
Derivative soccer odds let you make more precise bets by selecting the exact portion of a match on which to wager. You can go for sides, totals and props/specials for different segments such as the first half or last 5 minutes – expanding your betting possibilities.
Asian handicap betting, also known as ‘spread betting’, is a popular form of wagering on soccer matches. This style of betting allows for an even playing field between two teams by putting the stronger team at a disadvantage and maintaining an equal chance of success for each side. Essentially the ‘handicap’ is applied to reduce the difference in ability between the teams by either subtracting goals from one team’s score before the match begins or adding extra goals to the other team at full time. This form of betting has become popular with soccer fans all over the world as it adds an element of unpredictability to match outcomes and gives smaller teams a greater chance of winning against more established sides.
For example, a team may have an Asian handicap of -1.75. A $100 bet on that handicap would put $50 on -1.5 and $50 on -2.0.
If the team won by three goals, you would win the entire bet. But if the team won by just two goals, you would win half on -1.5 and be returned the other half on -2.0 as a push. If the team won by just one goal, tied or lost, you would lose the entire Asian handicap bet.
Soccer, or football as it’s commonly known outside the United States, is a global sport with many leagues that have massive followings. The most popular soccer leagues in the world are:
These top five leagues are often referred to as the “Big Five” and have some of the world’s biggest soccer clubs, such as Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain. They are also among the most lucrative leagues in terms of revenue generated and attract top talent from all over the world
These tournaments feature some of the best teams and players in the world and draw massive audiences both in person and through television broadcasts.
To start, you must pick a league or match to bet on, then select the betting markets you are interested in. Common markets include moneyline, three-way moneyline, two-way moneyline, handicap betting, correct score, goals over/under, first goal scorer and many more. Once a bet has been selected, you must decide on the stake size you wish to place before confirming your selection with the relevant platform or bookmaker. From there it’s just a case of waiting to see if your prediction was accurate.
Betting on soccer is relatively straightforward and can be done through our Soccer pages. This will then take you to some of the biggest sportsbook names in the business like BetMGM, Draft King and FanDuel as well as a host of many more.
Betting on draws in soccer is a popular option with bettors looking to make a profit. Some bookmakers offer the chance to place bets specifically on a draw, otherwise known as ‘draw no bet’ markets. This means that if the match ends in a draw, then your bet will be void and you get your stake money back. If one team wins then the wager stands as normal. Alternatively, many bookmakers offer handicap betting options, which give one team an advantage of a certain number of goals before the game begins and allow for larger payouts if your prediction is correct.
Betting on soccer in the USA is possible and easy to do. Bettors in the US must be at least 21 years of age before placing wagers, however there are plenty of reputable online bookmakers available for those who meet the legal requirements. To bet on soccer in the US you must choose a suitable online bookmaker, select your preferred league and game, decide what type of bet to make (e.g. singles/multiples), and then enter your stake size and confirm your selection. Some states have legalized sports betting, however it is still illegal in certain areas so be sure to check local laws before attempting to place any bets.
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