How do you find the best soccer betting sites? That’s a question that every punter asks. Both rookies and veterans can fall into the trap of a shoddy bookie, and it’s all due to the thousands of sites available. It can take hours to find the right fit, and it still takes a bit of time to fully trust them. How do you solve this?
NostraBet has the answer. Our team played at dozens of soccer betting sites, all intending to see which ones deserve your time. We didn’t look at just the bets. We claimed bonuses, participated in tournaments, deposited money, and analyzed them in just about every way. Then, we ranked them and made a list.
In addition to the list of the best bookies, we also gave you a rundown of the most popular markets. Does that sound good? Read on and get all the tools you need to take winning punts.
Football Betting Explained
Playing at soccer betting sites lets you wager money on the outcome of either a match or a competition. What the outcome actually depends on the market you’re betting on. It can either be the winner, a detail during the match, or something completely player-related. That’s why you will definitely like taking punts on this sport.
The first bookie to offer fixed odds on soccer is William Hill. In 1934, they pioneered the use of coupons for this purpose. Intertops, on the other hand, was the first of the early soccer betting websites to launch in 1997. Today, you can use all sorts of tools to automate your preparation process.
However, you first need to know the basics. That’s why you should read our beginner’s guide to soccer betting. Not only did we break down the rules shortly and understandably, but you’ll also get a detailed glossary of the game. That, plus a proper bookie, should improve your performance greatly.
Top 7 Recommended Soccer Betting Websites
- Trusted Online Betting Website
- Licensed by the UKGC
- Best Sports Betting Features
- High Odds
- Different eSports betting markets
- Professional support
- Nice design
- Trusted online betting site
- Great range of Sports Betting markets
- Top-class Customer service
- Various Payment methods
- Generous Welcome Bonuses and Promotions
- Among the Highest Odds in the industry
- Wide Variety of Sports Betting Markets
- A lot of Casino Games
- Wide sports coverage
- Competitive odds
- Rich bonus section
- Mobile app available
- Great range of Betting Markets
- A lot of Casino Games
- Generous Welcome Bonuses and Additional Offers
- Mobile App is Available
- Trusted & Secure Online Betting Site
- Competitive Sports Betting Odds and Markets
- Great Range of Casino Games
- Professional Customer Support
Here’s the crux of this post. Our team did all the work for you, just to give you a proper opportunity to focus on what’s really important — the bets themselves. We’ve only presented the best bookies. These are indeed the best-verified betting sites for soccer. And we didn’t focus on a single game day.
On the contrary, we consistently tested the sites right after determining that they are licensed bookies. Legality is important to us at NostraBet, as a license from a government basically forces every betting company to behave ethically.
In addition to this, these trusted bookmakers have no problem offering lines for anything and everything. Whether it’s lower league soccer or the most absurd prop bets, you can find it. Every bettor needs their freedom, and all of these sites are there to provide them. NostraBet’s best online bookmakers are all good, so take your pick and dip your toes in the water. Have fun!
- Pros:
- More than enough markets for football
- Features that can make a difference while betting
- Satisfying odds
- Multiple offers for soccer
- Cons:
- Live-streaming is not available for some football events
- Pros:
- Good odds for soccer
- You can bet on live events
- Different betting tools that might help
- Cons:
- The number of markets is not that impressive compared to other bookies
- Pros:
- Never-ending selection of football matches
- Industry-leading odds for football
- Live streaming and other betting features
- You have access to super odds for some events
- Cons:
- Not every soccer match offers a live stream
- Pros:
- Exclusive features for betting on football
- More than enough events to wager on
- Competitive football odds
- Live Streaming for the most popular football matches
- Cons:
- Sometimes, there aren’t that many exclusive offers for football
- Pros:
- Pre-match and a live betting section
- Handy features for betting on football
- Multiple football events from almost every country
- Cons:
- Not that many football-exclusive promotions
- Pros:
- Thousands of betting markets
- Different football-related statistics
- The most sought-after features for betting on football
- Promos for this sport
- Cons:
- You can’t use the live streaming feature for every event
- Pros:
- You can use Cash Out, Live Streaming, Live Graphics, and other features
- Football leagues and competitions from all over the world
- The platform offers an impressive number of betting markets
- The promotions for football are spectacular
- Cons:
- Specific promos might limit your betting options or usage of features
What Betting Markets Are Available?
Since there are so many options, it can be hard to quickly form a strategy to board the profit train early on. That’s why we also tested various markets and measured their feasibility, ease of use, and other stuff. Moreover, we eliminated some useless ones and focused on those that deserve to be a part of your system. So, just study these markets, and you’ll enjoy your time at soccer betting sites.
Full-time result
With a wide focus, this market lets you determine the result of the match, but not in the form of exact goals. Instead, you just pick if the home team wins, the visitors win, or if there will be a draw. So, there are three possible outcomes, and the odds depend on the overall probability.
Double chance
It’s the same as the full-time result market, but you get to pick two of the three possible match outcomes. Home team wins & draw, Visitor wins & draw, Home team wins & Visitors win are your options. It can give you a small or a significant return, depending on whether you hit both parts of the bet.
Half time/Full time
The HT/FT market lets you wager money on who will lead at the half and who will lead at the end of the match, all in a single market. So, if Chelsea plays Liverpool, and you’ve bet on 1/2, it means you’re banking on Chelsea leading at halftime and Liverpool doing so at the end of the match.
Correct score
If you want even higher odds, you can pick this one. A big return is imminent if you pick the exact score (0:0, 1:0, 0:1, etc.). However, no matter the difference in the teams’ level of quality, it’s impossible to guess the exact result. Don’t overdo it.
Goals – Over/Under
The bookie picks a certain number of goals and adds a .5 decimal. So, if the line is at 3.5 goals, you can bet whether there will be 3 or fewer goals or 4 or more of them. One side definitely wins.
European handicap
Despite being less popular than the Asian version, this handicap is much older. When one team is much stronger than the other, they start with a goal disadvantage, and their opponents start the number of goals ahead. Let’s say Juventus and Bologna are playing. Juve is stronger, so they start with -3 while Bologna is at +3. You can also pick a draw, but Juve must win by 3 goals, or more and Bologna can’t lose by more than 3 goals for the other two options to materialize.
Asian handicap
It’s the same as the European one, with the only difference that the number assigned to the team isn’t an integer (a whole number). While the aforementioned Juve v. Bologna match had a +/-3 European handicap, an Asian one would bet +/-1.5 or +/-2.5.
Draw no bet
Very similar to the match-winner bet, except that you get your money back if the match ends with a draw. When playing at soccer betting sites, getting your slip busted is the worst feeling ever. This market solves the issue.
Both teams to score
An excellent way to make use of some decently high odds whenever two offensively potent teams are playing. If they also have a leaky backline, you are sure to see at least one goal from each side. And the best part is whenever there finally isn’t a zero by each team’s name, you don’t even have to care about the rest.
Winning margin
If you want to expand the match-winner, you can bet on how severe a beatdown will be. Let’s say Chelsea and Sheffield United are playing. If Chelsea is much stronger, you can pick them to win by 3, 4, or even 5. The less probable the result, the higher the odds. A good way to snatch great lines is if a key player ends up injured and all hell breaks loose.
Goalscorer
A prop bet. You pick who will score a goal in the match. Ideal if there is a player who is the team’s only home in the frontline. Jamie Vardy is a good example.
Outrights
Instead of choosing what happens in a single match, you can also pick competition winners. All soccer betting sites let you wager on events that are far in the future. You can’t really choose the winner of the next World Cup with exact certainty, so it’s a mixed bag.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Soccer Betting
- Pros of Football betting
- There are a lot of events covered by bookmakers
- There are many sports betting markets available
- Many bonus offers are provided for certain soccer games
- There is a lot of information, statistics and analysis for the big games
- Cons of Football betting
- It takes time to become a successful bettor
- You have to follow the latest news for the teams or competitions you bet on
Playing at soccer betting sites, like any other form of gambling, has good stuff and bad stuff. There’s a game played somewhere at any time, 365 days of the year, so you can practice whenever you want and however you want. Many exotic bets can make your game time fun every time, no matter how much you do it.
The downsides aren’t plentiful, but they do exist. For some, some riskier bets may seem complicated. While the sport itself is easy, it takes a bit of time for you to be sufficiently skilled to profit off better lines. You also have to follow stats and news a lot. Still, it’s a worthwhile investment.
Football Betting Tips and Things to Consider
Now that you know the rules and have access to the best soccer betting websites, there’s still a couple of things you need to know. We condensed them into just a few useful tips. They’re easy to memorize. Learn them, use them wisely, and allow yourself enough time to see how they impact your balance.
A single good or bad result is a sign, but it can just be an anomaly. Don’t look at the last match of both teams. Instead, look at their entire season, even bits of the previous one. That way, you can isolate enough data to guess how they’ll perform.
Don’t focus on just the results. Advanced metrics, defending percentages, conversion rates — all of this can let you put your thoughts and opinions into numbers.
Even though a team as a whole may be good, it might be because one player is carrying them. If a key player isn’t playing, everything’s out of the window.
Previous performances aside, some styles just don’t work against others or even overperform against some strategies. Find detailed info about that, and you just might fool the oddsmakers.
The 12th man means a lot, and a well-timed chant from the fans can blow some wind into the home team’s sales. Especially when derbies are played, odds don’t tell the whole story.
Some leagues are just unpredictable, and that’s because of a whole number of reasons. Pick the most consistent or inconsistent ones, depending on how much you want to risk and win.
Don’t just salivate at an exotic bet because of its cool name or enticing keyword. Search for its meaning, find examples, and think about whether it’s worth it.
If you lose a bet, you’ve lost. End of story. Don’t feel obligated to always turn a profit. It’s gambling. You win some, you lose some – that’s the way it goes. Consider your soccer betting budget as money that’s already lost. Only bet if you can afford to lose the money.
Live Betting on Football – Is It a Good Choice?
Of course. In-play markets at soccer betting sites are a great way to get some quick wins in. The odds fluctuate depending on several things, one of which is the pressure applied. If one team is winning and attacking a lot, the losing team will have high odds. So, if just one counter-attack turns out to be successful, you can earn a pretty penny by betting on a draw.
FAQ
Which are the best sites to bet on soccer?
Check out our top list. All the sites we featured are legal, reputable, and offer different things for different people. You can’t go wrong with either of them.
Which football betting websites should I avoid?
Avoid soccer betting sites without a license, bad reviews, or odds below the market average. Also, pay attention to the quality of customer support and what payment methods you can use.
Do football betting sites offer welcome bonuses?
Most of them do, and they’ve filled up our list. There are lots of great deals going around.
What are the best football leagues to bet on?
NostraBet’s advice is to bet on a league you know about and enjoy betting on. It’s the easiest way to devote yourself to do research and prepare a lot better.
Can I profit at football betting sites?
Theoretically, you can, but it’s never a sure thing. Don’t go for overly risky markets, and you can win somewhat consistently.
What is the easiest soccer bet to win?
The double chance or the draw no bet. There are three outcomes, and you can pick two or get your money back (in case of the draw no bet).
Should I use a football betting calculator?
Unless you’re a pro that’s making a living at soccer betting sites, you really don’t need a football betting calculator.