Lucked out on your last footy bet? Don’t give up just yet. We’ll show you how to improve your chances of nailing a winning bet on this week’s football action.
We’re not here to sell you snake oil. But we can give you some tips and advice on proven betting strategies that helped other punters stay in the green.
Intrigued? Let’s dive in.
Best Football Betting Sites in the UK
- Luckland: Best overall
- Grosvenor: Best for acca bets
- Mr. Play Sport: Best premier league odds
- 888Sport: Best sport bonuses
- Kwiff: Best for virtual football
- Luckster: Best bet builder
- ZetBet: Great football league coverage
Types of Football Bets
Single Bets
Single win bets are the bread and butter of football betting and the most popular form of betting on any sport, not just football.
Where football betting may differ from other sports is the potential for draws, or as those strange folks over the pond call them – ties.
Simply put, you are either making a bet on the home team to win, the away team to win, or both teams to draw.
>> Place your football single bets at LuckLand
Accumulator Bets
We all like a cheeky weekend acca, don’t we? No? Well, some of us obviously do – as according to most UK bookmakers, it’s one of the most popular forms of bets they see on the weekend.
If you’re not savvy to it, we’ll explain. It’s essentially two or more single bets combined on one betting slip. The more selections you add, the greater your odds become.
All selections must come in for the bet to settle as a win. If any of them fail, the entire bet loses. Yes, even if you correctly predict four winning bets, the whole bet is toast if you lose one.
That’s why some bookies offer acca insurance. Keep a look out for it. If one of your selections disappoints you, you can get some of your stake back.
>> Go to Grosvenor to place your footy acca bets
Bet Builders
Bet Builders may also be known as same-game accumulators, pick your punt, or whatever the bookie you happen to be on has branded it. However, they’re all the same method.
You’re choosing single bets from the same game to put into an accumulator. An example of a bet builder might look like this:
- Tottenham to Win
- Harry Kane to Score
- Son-Heung Min to assist
>> Enjoy great bet builders at 888 Sport
Asian Handicap Betting
Asian handicap betting is similar to spread betting, which is more often found in the United States and not usually used on football. It’s when a team is given a deficit or a boost before the game begins.
For example, if Manchester City are playing Bournemouth, you may find little value in the single-win bet. However, if you choose an Asian handicap bet of -1.5, Manchester City will have to win by two goals or more, but they’ll be better value odds.
Some bettors prefer this way of betting due to the value it gives you in fixtures that otherwise would be very lopsided.
>> Place your football handicap bets
Scoreline Betting
Scoreline betting is making a wager on the final score. This is statistically probably one of the hardest bets to pull off.
You can combine scoreline betting with goalscorer betting to create what is sometimes known as a ‘scorecast’ bet. This is when you bet on the first goalscorer and the final result.
Again, these bets typically result in much higher odds due to the difficulty it takes to predict the aspects of the wager.
Goalscorer Betting
Goalscorer betting is when you predict who will score a goal. Most bookmakers will carry odds for first goal scorer, anytime goal scorer, and last goal scorer.
You may also utilise this bet as ‘BTTS’ or ‘Both Teams to Score,’ which is a very popular punt amongst the UK betting public.
In this instance, you’re not betting on a particular goalscorer – rather that both teams playing will find the back of the net.
>> Ready to make goalscorer bets? Check out Kwiff
Card Betting
Card betting is a wager on what players will end up in the referee’s book. This will sometimes be called ‘To Be Booked’ or ‘To Be Carded.’
Card betting has become popular in recent years, especially alongside bet builders.
While the default is betting on a player to receive either a red or yellow card, some bookies will allow you to specifically bet one or the other, with the red card carrying greater odds.
Double Chance
Double Chance betting is when you wager two out of three possible outcomes. It results in shorter odds, but the margin for victory is bigger.
You might want to bet on double chance in a game where you think an underdog has the potential of winning, but you aren’t entirely confident they’ll be able to see it through.
To put it simply, it’s almost a type of insurance bet. You’re making a bet on a team to win or draw.
Live Bets
Live bets, sometimes called in-play football bets, is making a wager on a game that is unfolding in real-time.
You can use live bets for various different reasons. You might take advantage of higher odds once a team has gone behind halfway through the game to bet on them eventually winning.
You may also be monitoring a player who has made several rash challenges and you feel is close to receiving a yellow card.
Less Notable Props (Tackles, Assists, etc.)
There a wide rage of ‘other’ player props available to bet on too. A prop is simply an in-game instance independent of the final result. Usually they are player statistics.
Popular player props to bet on in football include assists, tackles, cards, and goals. You can also make the same bet for teams, considering the entire team’s statistical totals instead of just one player.
Why Bet On Football Online?
1. It Enhances the Experience
For avid sports fans, there’s not much better out there than watching live sport. But the thrill of a punt makes the experience more remarkable.
Using the beauty of science, combining these two experiences should result in something special, and it does.
2. It Increases Your Knowledge of the Sport
A handy byproduct of betting is how much you learn about the sport you’re wagering on just by having a few bets.
It opens you up to the statistical elements of the game and can expand your knowledge in ways that not only help you win but may impress your mates down the pub too.
3. It’s an Accessible Way to Make Money
If you’re over 18 and live in the UK, it’s easy to register an online betting account and start having a go. We’ve even included a guide below in case you’re new to the experience.
However, it should be noted that the word we’ve used here is accessible. That does not mean easy or guaranteed. Betting should be a fun pastime for the majority of people playing.
See other betting opportunities:
Best UK Football Betting Sites
1. Luckland – Best Football Betting Site in the UK Overall
18+ New Customers only. Place £15 and get £10 in bonus bets on 1/1 odds or greater. Payment restrictions apply. Full T&Cs aplpy.
Pros:
- Bet £15 and get £10
- Great range of football leagues
- Straightforward user interface
Cons:
- Does not support cryptos
Luckland is a relatively new betting site, but it knows what its customers need – especially in the football betting department. It covers many football leagues – from domestic to international. Sports bettors are offered a £10 when they place a £15 bet.
Join LuckLand today and grab your bonus bet.
2. Grosvenor – Best UK Betting Site for Footy Acca Bets
18+ New customers only. Get a 100% odds boost. Maximum stake is £10 with up to £5 each way. Full T&Cs apply.
Pros:
- Double the odds sports bonus
- Great acca boosts
- Online bet calculator
Cons:
- Limited payment options
Grosvenor covers all major football events – from premier league matches to champions and Europe leagues. It has one of the best footy accas we’ve seen, and the acca boosts, which you can use up to 3x weekly, is a nice touch.
Place your acca bets at Grosvenor.
3. Mr. Play Sport – Best Premier League Odds of all UK Betting Sites
18+ New customers only. Deposit at least £10 and get a bet token of £10. Full T&Cs apply.
Pros:
- Best odds for the premier league
- Great sports promos
- Several niche betting markets
Cons:
- Tedious KYC process
Mr.Play Sport covers a wide range of sports betting markets, but it does put out better premier league betting odds. New players can enjoy a generous bonus bet token, and many less mainstream sports betting markets are available in case you want to try other betting opportunities.
Bet on your favourite teams at Mr.Play Sport.
4. 888Sport – Best Sport Bonuses among Football Betting Sites in the UK
18+ New players only. Make a qualifying bet of at least £10 and get up to £30 of bonus bets. T&Cs apply.
Pros:
- Generous £30 bonus bet
- Great range of sports promotions
- Bonus bet on champions league bet builder
Cons:
- No phone support
What we enjoy more than an epic game of football is a great range of bonuses – and 888 Sport has a long list of sports promotions, including a bonus bet promo for champions league bet builder. 888 Sport is also a wonderful platform for footy acca bets.
Grab generous bonuses at 888 Sport and place your footy bets now.
Proven Football Betting Strategies
1. Follow Tipsters
This is the closest to a foolproof betting system you’re likely to find, and what do you know? It’s still nowhere near a guaranteed profit.
However, you can do far worse than following some of the business’s best tipsters. They’ve put the legwork and graft into developing their knowledge, and you can just copy all their bets, right?
Well, yes. But be aware. Most professional punters will only share their tips behind paywalls. There’s also no guarantee that paying up will give you access to winning bets – they’re only human after all.
If you’re looking for a low-stakes and simple way to get started betting on football, this is certainly worth looking at.
2. Do Arbitrage Betting
Arbitrage betting is when you exploit the difference in football odds between two bookmakers to obtain a guaranteed profit. It’s also called matched betting or sure betting.
We can practically hear your eyeballs popping out from here. ‘Did they just say guaranteed profit?’ Yes, we did – but there’s a catch.
Finding different enough odds between two bookmakers to generate a guaranteed profit is not easy. It’s labour intensive and takes time and research.
In fact, because of this, many people advertise the service behind paywalls using their own developed software.
We’re not saying that this particular betting system doesn’t work, but it’s not very user friendly and usually requires a lot of money and time investment.
Even then, you may not see any meaningful fruits of your betting labour for a very long period.
3. Use Different Bookmakers
This is a no brainer, really. But you should always open as many bookmaker accounts as possible. We’ve listed our highly recommended bookies at the top of this article, so make sure you check them out.
Different bookmakers excel at providing different services. Some may have better markets, some may offer consistently better odds. Either way, it makes sense to keep your eggs in different baskets.
4. Record Your Betting History
This is all about being organised and learning from your mistakes. Keeping a record of your bets, including a win-loss and profit total, makes sense.
It may be difficult at first, especially if you’re losing a lot – but in the long term, it’ll pay dividends to check in on your progress and see where you’ve been going wrong.
We recommend using a program like Microsoft Excel or Apple’s Numbers to keep track. Most good bookmakers also allow you to check in on your profit and loss record with them periodically. Also, if you are wagering on premier league, for example, make sure to always check different premier league predictions to get a better idea of what might happen.
5. Use Careful Bankroll Management
One of the keys to consistent, long-term, sustained success in betting is ensuring you have a good bankroll and a keen understanding of how to use it effectively.
You don’t need a large bankroll to automatically have a better chance of winning bets. You just need to be able to stake sensibly and keep a track of what you are using.
Work out what is an affordable and manageable bankroll for you, and then ensure you stick to it and work out what you can afford to bet with.
6. Use Bonuses to Your Advantage
Bonuses are everywhere on bookmaker’s websites these days. Everyone is trying to attract you to their particular website and make you use their particular services.
You can use this to your advantage. Make sure you open accounts with as many bookmakers as possible and use the promotions they offer for you as and when they arise.
For example, if you plan to bet on a specific fixture this weekend, check to see if any websites you use don’t have an ‘odds boost’ promotion running. That can be the difference between modest winnings and a hefty profit.
7. Try Betting Exchanges
Betting exchanges are different to regular bookmakers. They are based off peer networks of other gamblers like yourself taking and laying bets with each other.
That means there’s no ‘house.’ Instead, you win money directly from other people and vice versa. Exchanges make their money by charging percentages on your net winnings.
There are some notable advantages to exchanges. For example, you can usually get better world cup odds or other football odds as you aren’t dealing with companies that need to build a profit margin into their odds.
We recommend a betting exchange strategy for more advanced bettors looking for an entirely new system.
8. Focus on Value Betting
The best strategy to use when making football bets is always searching for value. If you’re focused on that, staying profitable in the long run is easier.
So what exactly do we mean by value? In its rawest form, we mean the perception that a bet should be bigger odds than the price you’ve found it at.
For example, you might notice that Team A are playing Team B this weekend, and Team A are priced as the favourites. Nothing is wrong with that, but Team B are priced quite aggressively as the underdogs.
In this scenario, you might think the Team B’s odds are bigger than they should be. You know that Team B have beaten Team A many times before, and at the moment, they are in good form and winning consistently.
With this in mind, you make a bet on Team B to pull out the win because you saw a value there that perhaps the odds compilers didn’t.
If you continue searching for value bets instead of knee-jerk punts or slim odds, favourites, you’re more likely to be making a healthy profit in the long run.
How to Make an Account and Start Football Betting in the UK
Here’s a quick guide to registering as a new player at Luckland.
Step 1 – Register at Luckland 
- Log on to Luckland and click the green ‘Join’ button
- Fill out your details
- Wait for a validation link to arrive
Step 2 – Validate your account
- Check your email inbox for the validation link
- If it’s not there, check your spam box
- Once you’ve located it, click the link to complete the account validation
Step 3 – Deposit and play
- Deposit using your chosen payment method
- Use a bonus if you wish
- Fire up your bets!
Guide to Football Betting for UK Players
Can I Make Money Betting on Football Online in the UK?
Yes, you can. Conversely, you can also lose money betting on football. Betting is not a surefire way to get rich.
What’s the Best Football Betting Strategy?
We will tell you the truth here, and you won’t like it. There is no definitive or best soccer betting strategy. It’s about applying different logic levels to different situations and being smart.
What’s the Easiest Football Bet To Win?
Anything is an easy bet if it wins. But if you want to keep things simple, you should look at betting on player props.
What’s the Safest Football Betting Strategy?
As much as there’s no best football betting strategy, there’s no safest either. As a side note, we don’t recommend getting tied up in illegal betting rings with foreign mafia groups.
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Ready to Try Out the Best Football Betting Strategies?
Hey, you made it to the end of the article. You’re an expert now! Kind of. Don’t let the newfound knowledge go to your head too much.
As always, we recommend registering at Luckland to lock in your bets, whatever strategy you decide upon using. It has some of the most competitive online odds and an excellent market selection.
Remember, there’s no such thing as a get-rich-quick scheme. Always bet when you can afford to lose, and most importantly – have fun.
DISCLAIMER: Gambling isn’t a venture to engage in if you have financial troubles due to the risks involved. Don’t forget the famous catchphrase: the house always wins.
Suppose you’re struggling with a gambling addiction or know someone who does, contact the National Gambling helpline today via 0808-8020-133. There are several advisors available to help make gambling safe for both you and your loved ones.
Don’t forget that gambling websites are rated 18+ only. More so, you may be unable to access the casino sites listed here, so ensure you check your local laws for online gambling and its legality.
For more free gambling addiction resources, visit these organizations:
