Soccer Spread Betting Explained

Contents

How to bet Soccer

Soccer is an emerging betting market in the United States as more and more people are becoming interested in it. If you're looking to learn more about the game of soccer and how to bet soccer, you've come to the right betting guide.

How do betting odds work? Calculating the odds is a long and hard process, but if you get the hang of it, you would be better equipped when you place bets in the future. Analyzing the Data. Data analysis is the first and most crucial step in the process of calculating the odds. Live soccer betting explained Interest in sports betting continues to grow by leaps and bounds. The evolving legal landscape only helps in that regard, as does the fact that folks can bet online and via sports betting apps safely.

Understanding Soccer Odds

Financial

In the United States, soccer odds are shown in 'American' format and listed in a money-line format which is the same odds that both Baseball and Hockey produce.

There is always a favorite, designated with a plus (+) symbol and an underdog that is represented with a minus (-1) symbol.

Understanding Soccer Odds

The different from Baseball and Hockey is that soccer games often end in ties or what is more commonly referred to as a draw.

Three-Way Line

In soccer, a money line takes the place of a point-spread but there is a twist. Bettors will always have the option of playing a favorite or an underdog, but you can also bet that the game will end in a draw, which is a tie.

Barcelona -145
Manchester United +400
Draw +240

In the above example, Barcelona (-145) is the favorite and bettors would stake $145 to win $100 on Barcelona. Sticking with this example, you can see that Manchester is the underdog (+400). Bettors would win $400 if they placed $100 on Manchester and they won. In the event that the game ends in a Draw/Tie, bettors who wagered on Barcelona or Manchester would lose their wagers.

In the above example, the Draw (+240) pays out $240 based on a $100 wager. The Draw is a loser if either Barcelona or Manchester wins. The Three-Way Line is valid for 90 minutes of action only.

What is the Two-Way Line (Goal Line)?

Barcelona -1.5 (-140)
Manchester United +1.5 (EVEN)

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. If Barcelona loses or wins by one goal, the wager is a loss. If you grab the 1.5 goals with Manchester, bettors would wager $100 to win $100 (EVEN) if Manchester won the game outright or lost by one goal or less. The Goal Line is valid for 90 minutes of action only.

How to Bet Soccer Totals

Over 2.5 (+100)
Under 2.5 (-140)

The 'O/U', also known as Over/Under or Total, is the number of combined goals that the oddsmakers expect to be scored in the matchup. Bettors can either wager Over or Under on the goals listed. In the above example, 2 1/2 goals, bettors taking the Over would win if Barcelona and Manchester score 3 or more goals in the game. Bettors taking the Under would win if the two teams combine for 3 goals or less. If the game ends with the exact number of goals listed in the total, the result is considered a push (tie) and all wagers are refunded.

Oddsmakers often associate a money line with 'O/U' lines, which means bettors would have to lay extra money in some cases. Ex. Under 2 1/2 (-140) -- Bettors would wager $140 to win $100. The Total is valid for 90 minutes of action only.

Future Wagers

Similar to other sports, soccer futures betting is often popular and it caters not only to daily and weekly bettors, but the masses too.

The most discussed future wagers in soccer circle around the top-flight leagues globally and also major events.

Popular Soccer Betting Leagues

Football Spread Betting Explained

  • Premier League (England)
  • La Liga (Spain)
  • Bundesliga (Germany)
  • Serie A (Italy)
  • Ligue 1 (France)
  • MLS (United States)

Popular Soccer Events and Tournaments

  • FIFA World Cup
  • UEFA Champions League
  • UEFA European Championship (Euro)

How to Bet the World Cup

The World Cup is an International soccer competition that takes place every four years, usually played in the summer. The tournament features 32 teams that went through a thorough qualifying process in order to reach the event. The World Cup is run by FIFA (International Federation of Association Football), who is the international governing body of soccer or what many countries call football. The first World Cup tournament took place in 1930. The tournament features 32 teams, who earn bids via a qualification process in different regions.

World Cup History

Group Stage

The 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four and those teams will play a round-robin tournament among themselves and the top teams based on records will advance to the knockout stage.

Knockout Stage

After the field is cut in half from 32 to 16, those teams will square off in a single-elimination tournament in one-off matches. If the games are tied after 90 minutes, two 15 minute extra time sessions will be played and if still tied then a penalty shootout will take place to decide the winner.

  • Round of 16 (8 matches)
  • Quarterfinals (4 matches)
  • Semifinals (2 matches)
  • Final (1 match)

Below are the best betting sites and betting options in states with legal sportsbooks to get you started with soccer betting. There is also sports betting with other sports besides soccer available at these sportsbooks. Remember to bet on soccer responsibly and check out the Vegas Insider soccer pages for insight on your different types of soccer bets.

Best NJ Online Sportsbooks

Soccer
NJ SportsbookNJ Online SportsbookNJ Sportsbook Welcome OffersClaim Welcome Bonus

Visit Review
FanDuelRisk-Free Bet up to $1,000
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in NJ

Visit Review
BetMGMRisk-Free Bet up to $500
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in CO,IN,NJ,NV,WV

Visit Review
FOX BetSignup Bonus up to $1,000
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in NJ

Visit Review
BorgataRisk-Free Bet up to $300
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in NJ

Visit Review
bet365Open Account Offer
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in NJ

Visit Review
DraftKingsGet a Sign Up Bonus up to $1000
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in NJ

Visit Review
PointsBetDeposit $50, Bet with $150
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in NJ

Visit Review
Unibet100% Risk-Free on Your First Bet up to $20
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in NJ

Visit Review
SugarHouse100% Deposit Match up to $250
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in NJ

Visit Review
Hard Rock$100 Risk-Free Bet
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in NJ

Top PA Online Sportsbooks

Sportsbook LogoPA Online SportsbookPA Sportsbook Welcome OffersClaim Welcome Bonus

Visit Review
FanDuelRisk-Free Bet up to $1,000
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in PA

Visit Review
FOX BetSignup Bonus up to $1,000
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in PA

Visit Review
BetRivers100% Deposit Match up to $250
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in PA

Visit Review
DraftKingsGet a Sign Up Bonus up to $1000
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in PA

Visit Review
UnibetRisk-Free Bet up to $250
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in PA

Visit Review
SugarHouse100% Deposit Match up to $250
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in PA
ExplainedSoccer Spread Betting Explained

Top IN Online Sportsbooks

Sportsbook LogoIN Online SportsbookIN Sportsbook Welcome OffersClaim Welcome Bonus

Visit Review
BetRivers100% Deposit Match up to $250
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in IN

Visit Review
Unibet$30 Free Bets + $250 Risk-Free Bet
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in IN

Visit Review
FanDuelRisk-Free Bet up to $1,000
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in IN

Visit Review
DraftKingsGet a Sign Up Bonus up to $1000
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in IN

Visit Review
PointsBetDeposit $50, Bet with $150
T&C’s Apply, 21+, Only in IN

In order to place bets on these sportsbooks, you must be in a state in which sports betting is regulated and where the corresponding sportsbook has a sports betting license. Welcome offers through VegasInsider are currently available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Colorado, and West Virginia. Welcome offers may differ depending on where you register. Please visit the sportsbook using any of our links, change to your location and confirm your welcome bonus offer and requirements before you register.

Soccer Rules for Bettors

Soccer Betting Lines Explained

All sportsbooks and bookmakers follow their own regulated house guidelines, but the rules listed below are widely considered industry standards:

  • Regulation Time Only Unless otherwise specified all soccer matches are based on 90 minutes of play plus added injury and stoppage time only.
  • Extra Time, Golden Goals and Shootouts do not count towards the wager.
  • Matches must go to full time or all wagers will be graded no action

Hoped you learned a thing or two on how you can win real money by betting on soccer. There are many kinds of types of soccer bets so it makes sense to try a few soccer betting sites out first to see which is the right fit. Remember your bonus code as you get started betting on different soccer matches!

“Wait, why does this NFL team have a -235 next to its name? What’s with New England Patriots (-15) vs. Miami Dolphins (+15)? Help! HEEEELPPPP!”

If that sounds like you, we’re here to assist you. If you’ve stared at a board at a sportsbook or just seen spreads and moneylines on the Internet and been utterly confused, don’t worry. It’s not just you. Those numbers can be confounding.

But hopefully, once you’re done reading this, you’ll completely understand how they work. As you prepare to dive into the world of sports betting, here’s a breakdown of how the lines work, starting with …

Soccer Spread Betting Explained For Today

Spreads

It would be really easy to bet on a game if you could put money on a heavy favorite to win.

That’s where point spreads come in. Let’s look at an example:

Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5)

New York Giants (+4.5)

In this case, you can bet on either two outcomes: you can put money on the Eagles to win the game by 4.5 points OR MORE, which makes them the favorites. Or you can bet that the Giants will either win or lose by LESS THAN 4.5 points. They’re the underdogs.

Now, sometimes the spread “moves” during the days leading up to the game. Perhaps the Eagles’ spread ends up being -3.5 (in which they must win by 3.5 points or more to give you a victory in your bet). Your bet all depends on whichever spread you bet on, whether it was when the Eagles were favored by 4.5 or 3.5 points.

If you ever see “PK” or “pick” next to a team, it means there’s no spread and you can bet on who will win, no matter what the score is.

Moneylines

Let’s take that same example above but use moneylines:

Philadelphia Eagles (-200)

New York Giants (+150)

The team with a minus symbol is the favorite, and the number is how much money you would need to bet to win $100. In this case, you would have to bet $200 on the Eagles in order to win an additional $100.

Soccer Spread Betting Explained The Spread

The Giants are the underdogs. If they’re +150, that means you could bet $100 to win $150.

Note that you can bet any amount you want, but those numbers are always calculated and posted the same way, either in how much money you would need to wager to win $100 or how much money you could win by wagering $100.

Odds

Soccer Spread Betting Explained Predictions

If you’re betting on something like the team who will win the Super Bowl in the future, you might see it look like this:

New England Patriots — 3/1

Baltimore Ravens — 5/1

Kansas City Chiefs — 8/1

If you were betting on the Patriots and their 3/1 odds, you would win $3 for every $1 you spend. So if you bet $50 on the Pats and they ended up winning the Super Bowl, you’d win $150 (plus your original wager) back.

Soccer Spread Betting Explained

Good luck!