Soccer Betting 101

The 3 Must-know Terms

1. Asian Handicap

Asian handicap is a way of betting that originates in Asia and is mostly used in football. Asian handicaps eliminate the chance of a draw in a match, so the possible outcomes are two, which make the game more fun and fairer. The outcome is based on the results of the 90-minute game.

Here’s some examples:

  • 0 Goal Handicap: The bet eliminates a draw as a possible outcome of the match – in case of a draw, the bettor will receive a refund. If you bet on Team A with a “0” handicap against Team B and Team A wins, you win
  • 0.25 Goal Handicap: The ¼-goal handicap may be expressed by some bookmakers as “0 and ½”, If the “draw” outcome is a half-loss
  • 0.5 Goal Handicap: The game starts with a score of 0-0.5. The underdog team has a half goal lead before kick-off. If you’re betting team A to win the 0.5 Asian handicap market, if the result is a draw or team A loses, the bet loses. If team A wins, you win the bet

2. Betting Odds

Betting odds are a set of values ​​calculated strictly by the bookmaker based on the team’s goals and results within a certain period. The three main types of betting odds are decimal (European) odds, fractional (British) odds, and money line (American) odds.

  • European Odds: European decimal odds represent the amount one wins for every $1 wagered, which considered the easiest format. Assuming today’s European odds are 3, the bettor knows that for every $100 they bet, the payout for winning the bet is $300
  • British Odds: British odds are expressed in the form of a “/ ” symbol, which are the ratio of the amount (profit) won to the stake: If a bettor wants a profit of $200, the stake must be $100. Converted to British odds, this is 2/1
  • American Odds: Depending on the negative (-) or positive (+) sign, American money line odds either   indicate the amount one needs to wager to win $100 or the amount one would win for every $100 staked. If the European odds are 3, the American odds are +200
3. Water level

“Water level”, known as “水位” is a term commonly used Mandarin context. Water level and betting odds have similar meaning – 

A favourite team with higher possibility to win, has a low water level, and low betting odds, too. An underdog team which the probability of winning is small, on the other hand to have a higher water level.

Let’s say Team A has a water level of 2.0, Team B’s is 1.8. If Team A wins, for every $100 they bet, the payout for winning the bet is $100; If Team B wins, for every $100 they bet, the payout for winning the bet is $80.

The 5 Popular Types of Soccer Bets

1. Total Goals Betting (Over/Under Goals)

Bet on the total number of goals in the match. If the bettor believes the total will be higher than the number offered, they can bet on the “Over” line, otherwise they can bet on the “Under” line.

In a game predicted to have a total of 2.5 goals, if 3 or more goals accumulated within the 90-minute game time, it is an Over Goals. Otherwise, an Under Goals.

2. Money Line Betting

A money line bet is the simplest and most straightforward wager in all of betting type. For football game, bettors are choosing the team to win.

3. Spread Betting

Known as single bet or handicap betting, that is, betting on the result of the game after adding or subtracting a certain number of points from a specific team.

4. Parlay Betting

A parlay, or accumulator betting combines two or more selections in a single bet. All outcomes must be correct in a row to win. With high difficulty level, bettors stay the chance to get higher odds along the way.

5. Outright Betting:

Betting on which team or player will win the tournament.

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