SOCCER BET INFO 

Soccer is the world's most popular sport, so it makes sense that it's also the biggest sports gaming market. As the sport's popularity grows in North America, it's beginning to draw the same amount of action and attention here as it does in Europe.

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With the Premier League, Champions League, Bundesliga, MLS, and more in full swing, it's a fun time to get involved in soccer betting. 

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HOW TO BET ON SOCCER LINES

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To understand soccer betting lines, you need to understand soccer and the essential workings of the sport. Generally, soccer is a low-scoring sport played over 90 minutes (two 45-minute halves).

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Soccer matches, unlike most other sports, do not always provide a zero-sum result. In a regulation match, you can have a winner, a loser, or a draw when the two teams tie.

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Most soccer matches are limited to that regulation time and added "stoppage time" calculated by the officials throughout the match. Because of this, most soccer betting lines are designated and graded on the 90-minute regulation time result.

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Some matches, however, are "knockout matches" where teams are eliminated via a result. In those instances, the teams play two 15-minute halves of "extra time" due to a draw. The teams decide the match by penalty kicks (shootout) if necessary.

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SOCCER MONEYLINES EXPLAINED​

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The moneyline is the most basic way to bet on any sport. It simply asks you to pick a winner, designating a set of odds for each side based on their implied probability of winning the game. 

However, because soccer is a low-scoring game and can end in a tie after 90 minutes of play, the three-way moneyline is the preferred method of betting on soccer odds.

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3-WAY SOCCER MONEYLINES

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The three-way moneyline allows soccer bettors to wager on the match's final result, including a win for either side or a draw after regulation time. This line features a 1X2 format in which you have a win for Team 1, a draw, and a win for Team 2. 

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The oddsmakers designate each team with the odds to win based on how the two teams match up, the probability of a side winning, and the odds of them being tied after 90 minutes. 

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When a team is favored more strongly, they usually feature minus odds, with the Draw being the second-favorite and the underdog being a longshot. 

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The three-way moneyline is available for the full-time result and the half-time result. Most matches will have a three-way half-time line, and the prices tend to favor the draw more than a side, given there is even less time to score a goal for either team. Some books will even offer a second-half three-way moneyline, with only the result of the second 45 minutes coming into play.

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2-WAY SOCCER MONEYLINES

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The two-way moneyline in soccer betting removes the draw option from the equation and adjusts the odds on either side to reflect the likelihood of a win versus a loss. A win on either side would pay out to those who wagered on it, while a draw would cancel all bets and return the stakes to the bettors. 

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Most sites list this as a "draw no bet" action. It is trendy in tournament or knockout play as it covers the entirety of a match–not just regulation. However, it's important to note the rules for each book for the "draw no bet" line, as some will grade it after regulation as a "push" or "no action" if the score is tied. In that instance, the sportsbook returns your original stake.

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Typically for a knockout or tournament match where a winner is required, the two-way moneyline will be listed as a bet to "qualify" or "advance."

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These lines will also feature a Team 1 versus Team 2 betting line, with the draw not included in the odds calculation.

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However, should the match end in a 1-1 draw, then the "no bet" portion of the two-way moneyline would come into effect. The sportsbook would return all stakes to the bettors with the bet graded as "no action" due to the tie. 

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Like the three-way moneyline, most matches will offer a two-way moneyline for the first half. As with the half-time three-way moneyline, only the first 45 minutes factor into the bet result.

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SOCCER DOUBLE CHANCE LINES

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Double chance lines allow you to protect against the three-way moneyline, much like the draw no bet does. However, rather than removing Draw, double chance lets you simultaneously place a wager on two of the three outcomes. The benefit is placing a wager on a winning or drawing team without having to take twice the risk by betting on both outcomes individually.

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Double chance bets are an excellent way to play underdogs without the risk of getting hurt by picking the wrong option in the three-way moneyline. However, it provides no value when betting on the favorite, as it will typically cause the juice to be quite prohibitive. 

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SOCCER GOAL SPREADS

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Another way to bet on soccer odds is the spread – also known as the point spread or handicap. Sportsbooks commonly set soccer spreads between 0.5 and 2 goals. Still, they can be wider depending on the competition between the two teams. As with any other sport, there will be a negative number–or laying goals--for the favored team, while the underdog will have a plus number–or getting goals.

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For example, the favorite to win the match could have a spread of -1.5, meaning they would need to win the match by two or more goals to cover the spread. Conversely, the underdog would need to lose by one goal or fewer to cover–or win the match outright.

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The price of placing the wager or the "juice" or vig accompanies each spread. Sometimes the price will be even or slightly different. Other times, if oddsmakers expect a team to be more likely to cover the spread than the other, the number will be much wider apart. 

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SOCCER GOAL LINE OVER/UNDERS

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The Over/Under total – known as the goal line in soccer – is like the total in most other sports like football or basketball. Quite simply, oddsmakers set a projected number of total goals for a match, and you place a wager on whether the combined final tally will go Over or Under that total.

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Sportsbooks sometimes set totals at a higher number, such as 3.5. Still, they typically don't go lower than 2.5 in most matches. They also set totals for an individual team, called Team Totals. In addition, you can often wager on the total for a single half.

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SOCCER PROP BETS: BETTING PLAYER PERFORMANCE & MORE

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Soccer prop bets allow you to bet on specific events or statistics during a match. Examples include which players will score a goal, provide an assist, or how an individual team will take many corner kicks. Prop bets are a terrific way to get action on a match aside from the standard lines. They can often provide immense value to a savvy bettor with solid knowledge of the teams. Sportsbooks offer prop bets for individuals or teams. 

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Tournaments like the World Cup or Champions League typically offer hundreds of prop bets per match, given the attention paid to the event. Bettors can even find extra prop markets for in-game events like the following:

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• Will a player get booked?

• How many total cards will be shown in a match?

• What type of goal will a player score (header, outside the box, and others)?

• How many shots on goal will a player have?

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One of the most popular prop bets is the "both teams to score" market, where you bet on whether or not both teams will score in the match. A "no" bet in the U.S. vs. Wales match will pay $100 on a $128 bet if one or both teams fail to score, whereas a "yes" bet would pay $102 on a $100 bet if both teams found the back of the net.

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SOCCER FUTURES

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Futures can be a fun, profitable way to turn your knowledge of the bigger picture into a large payday. Futures are long-running odds markets often decided before a season or tournament begins or updated after each matchday or round. Soccer futures odds change throughout a campaign or event, adjusting to results, injuries, trends, and betting action.

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Bettors can place futures bets on a variety of different markets, including both team results and individual accolades. Common futures markets in soccer include winners of competitions, team relegation, and which individual player will score the most goals (or the Golden Boot winner).

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The Euros and the World Cup typically offer these markets and many more. The tournament is set up with a group stage where two teams advance–one as the winner and the other as the second-place finisher. 

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As such, many oddsmakers will offer lines for teams to win the group and another set of lines for teams to advance. Given that a team has more chance to advance than to win, the odds will usually carry more juice for the to-advance market than the to-win market. In addition, oddsmakers typically heavily juice the favorites, given the likelihood of moving on.

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The odds for each other team respectively increase as well. Just as you can bet on teams to qualify, futures markets for the World Cup odds typically also allow you to bet on who will fail to qualify.

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In addition, you can go even further on most teams in the futures market. You can place bets on which round they will be eliminated, how many goals a team will score in the tournament, and how many points they will earn in the group stage. Finally, you can typically bet on a team at least reaching a specific tournament round, such as the quarter-finals or the semi-finals.