Understanding Soccer Betting Lines
- Soccer Betting Lines Explained
- Betting Odds On Soccer Games
- Understanding Soccer Betting Lines
- Understanding Football Betting Lines
- How To Read Soccer Betting Lines
The term “lines” is used a lot in sports betting and it can refer to odds on a bet, or specific lines like the point spread or the over/under total. These lines can change drastically between the time they are initially set by the sportsbook up until when the game actually begins. Betting Goal Lines: Similar to betting the 2-way moneyline (without the draw), the Goal Line is a way for bettors to win a bet on multiple outcomes of the game. Goal Lines are similar to Puck Lines in hockey and Point Spreads in football or basketball. The Goal Line in soccer is comparable to a point-spread wager in football. It allows bettors to minimize their risk on heavy money-line prices or even better reward them with generous payouts. In the above example, Barcelona is -1.5 goals (-140) on the Goal Line. Bettors would risk $140 to win $100 on Barcelona to win by two or more goals. Think of team prop odds as betting lines for teams within the game itself. Team prop odds for a soccer game can be anything from the number of yellow cards received, to the number of goals scored in the first half or second half. Many times, team props will be the teams to do something first.
Point spread betting is the most popular form of sports betting. The vast majority of sports wagers use a point spread thanks to the popularity of football and basketball. Even though this type of betting is so popular, it may take awhile to understand.
The point spread is sometimes known as an equalizer for sportsbook operators. All teams aren’t created equally, so sportsbooks can create a point spread for a game so that each team playing has an almost even chance of winning the game. In a way, the point spread will even the field for both teams.
The point spread gives a reason for bettors to risk money on both teams. The better team playing in the game is considered favorite. They have to win by the point spread offered by the sportsbook. The favorite in a game is listed as being minus (-) the point spread.
The worse of the teams playing in the game is called the underdog. The bettor wins if this team wins the game outright or loses by an amount smaller than the point spread. The underdog in a game is listed as being plus (+) the point spread.
Let’s use this past Super Bowl between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs as an example.
Using this example, the Chiefs were 3-point favorites over the Buccaneers. The Chiefs needed to win by 4 or more points to cover the spread.
Soccer Betting Lines Explained
Likewise, the Buccaneers were 3-point underdogs. That means the Buccaneers needed to win the game outright or not lose the contest by 4 points or more. At Chiefs -3, if they won by exactly 3 points, the betting result would have been a “push” and bettors for both sides would have gotten their wagers refunded.
The Buccaneers pulled off the upset, winning by a score of 31-9, and rewarded bettors who backed them at +3.
Point spread betting odds
Point spreads are usually set with -110 odds, but pricing often fluctuates at online sportsbooks. This is the sportsbook operators’ house edge. The odds guarantee the sportsbook operator will see a little money over time. When the odds are set at -110, the bettor must wager $110 to win $100 (or $11 to win $10).
The odds on a point spread are most commonly known as the vigorish or “vig” for the sportsbook. You might hear this small profit margin for the sportsbook called the “juice” by some sports bettors.
Point spread FAQs
What does ‘pick em’ or ‘pick’ mean in NFL betting?
A “pick em” (sometimes seen as “pick”) is when the teams have a point spread of zero, meaning neither team is favored. In this instance, you’re essentially picking moneyline and your bet will be determined on the winner alone.
What does -7 and +7 mean in NFL betting?
A spread of minus-seven (-7) means that a is favored to win the game by a touchdown (technically, a touchdown and the extra point). A team favored by -7 must win the game by eight or more points to win the bet. If the team wins by seven, the result is a “push” and the bet is refunded.
A spread of +7 means the team must win the game or lose by fewer than seven points to win the bet. A loss by seven would result in a push.
What does -3 and +3 mean in NFL betting?
A -3 spread means that the favorite must win by more than a field goal to win the wager. A three-point win would result in a push and the sportsbook would refund the wager.
A spread of +3 means the team listed as the underdog must win the game or lose by fewer than three points to cash the bet. A three-point loss would be graded as a push by the sportsbook and the bet would be refunded.
Betting Odds On Soccer Games
Why are point spreads in the NFL so much lower than in college?
In 2019, the Baltimore Ravens led the NFL in point differential per game at +13.7 points; the Miami Dolphins ranked last in the NFL in point differential per game at -11.7. Even Kansas City– known for their explosive offense– had an average point differential in 2019 of just 9.7 points. The net point differential in the NFL is -14.1, or -0.9 points per game. Basically, the talent differential in the NFL is so minute that even mismatched teams often draw games within a score of each other.
NFL spreads are most commonly between one point and four, with six being a heavy favorite and extremes coming out around 15-20 point favors. (For those wondering, the 1941 Chicago Bears hold the NFL record of point differential at +15.7 points per game. Conversely, Ohio State had a +33.1 average point differential in 2019.)
Point spread and odds movement
Sportsbook operators often aim to have equal money on both sides of a point spread. When the money is exactly split the sportsbook operator will see the exact vigorish as their profit margin. If all things are equal over time this will maximize how much money the sportsbook operator can make.
In an effort to have equal money on both sides of a wager, the sportsbook operator will move the point spread to attract money on the side that customers aren’t betting on. The odds for a point spread might change before the actual point spread. There are certain point spread numbers, like 3 and 7 in football, the sportsbook operators would like to avoid moving away from since the final score margin falls on these two numbers most often.
For example, if a lot more money is wagered on the New England Patriots -3, the vig may shift from -112 to -115 and -120 before the line moves to -3.5.
Understanding Soccer Betting Lines
Run and puck lines
Football and basketball games are mostly bet using a point spread. The less popular major sports, baseball and hockey, are mostly bet using a moneyline. In an effort to make baseball and hockey more appealing to point spread bettors, the sportsbook operators offer run and puck lines, respectively.
These alternative lines give point spread bettors a chance to wager on other sports using a more familiar method of betting. Since points (runs and goals) aren’t as easy to come by in baseball and hockey, the odds with the lines may have a wider spread than a football or basketball game.
Introduction:
In this article, we will be explaining how to bet on soccer. We’ll explain the numerous methods to bet on soccer and the terminology commonly used. Soccer is a widely-bet sport worldwide and there are a number of different ways to bet an individual game.
Betting the 3-way Moneyline:
In soccer, there are many types of competitions with varying rules so it’s always good to be informed prior to placing a bet. In most competitions, draws may be the final result of the game, so there are 3 different outcomes to bet on between Team A and Team B:
Team A wins
Team B wins
Understanding Football Betting Lines
Team A and Team B draw
Soccer bets are based on results after 90 minutes of play or, ‘Regular Time’, which includes any time added by the referee in respect of injuries and other stoppages. Any Overtime, Golden Goals or Penalty Shoot-Outs do not count towards these betting since they are not considered ‘Regular Time’. For example, in the elimination stages of the World Cup, a winner is required in the tournament in order to progress to the next stage, but all bets are settled on 90 minutes of play (Regular Time). Thus, a draw is a possible outcome to bet on even in a game where one team must be eliminated. An example of what a 3-way moneyline would look like is:
France -129
Switzerland +325
Draw +250
How To Read Soccer Betting Lines
Betting the 2-way Moneyline without the Draw:
Another way of betting soccer is to take the 2-way moneyline, also known as “Draw, No Bet” This is betting on the outcome of the game without the Draw. The two possible wagers are:
Team A wins
Team B wins
This form of betting eliminates the option of the Draw, and will likely have inflated odds on the favorite and deflated odds on the underdog to win the match since a draw results in no bet. For example, in a World Cup match between France and Switzerland, odds on the 2-way moneyline would like look:
France -310
Switzerland +272
As you can see, there is no option to bet on the draw, and if the game ends in a draw, the bet is refunded or “No-Actioned”, and is as if the bet was never placed.
Betting Goal Lines:
Similar to betting the 2-way moneyline (without the draw), the Goal Line is a way for bettors to win a bet on multiple outcomes of the game. Goal Lines are similar to Puck Lines in hockey and Point Spreads in football or basketball. A Goal Line is typically 0.5 goals but for games with big favorites, the Goal Line may be 1,1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 and so on. A World Cup match between Argentina and Iran looks like this:
Argentina -2.5 goals (+110)
Iran +2.5 goals (-120)
If you bet Argentina -2.5 goals, then to win the bet they must win by 3 goals or more. On the other side, betting Iran +2.5 goals means to win the bet, Iran can win, draw, or lose by 1 or 2 goals.
Betting Totals:
Totals in soccer work differently than other sports and can be shown in multiples of .25 goals. Since scoring is minimal in soccer, bookmakers will often times set a Total of 2.25 or 2.75. For example, if you bet on the Over 2.25 goals, half your bet is placed on “Over 2” and the other half of the bet is placed on “Over 2.5”. If the game settles on 2, you lose half your bet (Over 2.5) and refunded the other half (Over 2). If the game settles on 3, you win both bets (Over 2 and Over 2.5).
Another example is if you bet on the Under 2.75 goals. In this example, half your bet is placed on the Under 2.5 goals and the other half is bet on the Under 3 goals. If the game lands on 3, you’d lose half your bet (Under 2.5) and refunded the other half (Under 3).