Betting on football can be a frustrating and costly hobby, with many people wondering how to bet on football and win.
While there are success stories of gamblers who have won thousands from 50p stakes, most bettors know the sinking feeling of a last-minute goal that ruins their accumulator or the team at the bottom of the table scoring a surprise win over the champions.
Some people continue to place the same type of bet week after week, hoping that their ship will come in one day. However, to bet on football and win, bettors must follow certain rules.
Research Before Betting
The first rule in football betting is that the gambler must gather as much information as possible before placing a bet. Study the statistics, recent form, direct information, and team news to give yourself the best advantage. Knowing all this will help you take an analytical approach and identify the most likely outcome.
For example, the team in second place in the league plays a team in the relegation zone midweek. The higher-ranked team will be priced as a strong favorite, but there may be factors to consider before placing your bet.
While most people would use league positions as a good indicator of who will win, what if the second-place team has a crucial match against the league leader at the weekend?
There may be chances to rest players against the smaller team, to keep them fit for the bigger challenge. They may take the midweek match lighter than usual, thinking they’ve already won. But underestimating a team fighting relegation that desperately needs the points can be a risky tactic.
Also, what if the so-called bigger team has failed to win their last three matches against the relegation-threatened team? What if the last five head-to-head meetings were all draws? What if the relegation team has shown a purple patch of form and won their last match?
These factors can play a big role in determining the outcome of the match. The favorites may not look like bankers now, as the chances of a draw or even a surprise win are much higher. This is one of the many reasons why we provide team news to our members.
Analyze Yourself
Betting on impulse, betting with your heart, letting your emotions take control, and betting only on the odds are all surefire ways to lose money.
Impulse betting is when a gambler places a bet on any available match, regardless of their knowledge of the teams involved. This is something many online bettors will do, and their winning percentages from this type of betting are likely to be very low.
Betting with your heart means backing your team to win or backing your favorite player to score first, regardless of the opponent or the form of the player. While some gamblers might get lucky and bet on football and win frequently if they support a top team, those who back a team fighting relegation every year will lose more than they win.
Letting your emotions take control is a big no-no when it comes to betting. This is often referred to as chasing your losses, when you’re angry and frustrated after a failed bet and then place more money on another bet you think is “safe” in an attempt to recover the money you lost earlier. This is a slippery slope and can quickly lead to a zero bank balance.
Betting based only on the odds is another thing gamblers should avoid. While it’s clear that short-odds favorites have the best chance of winning, there may be mitigating factors that could weaken those odds. Stay analytical and don’t bet on a match unless you’ve gathered as much information as possible.
Profit is Profit, No Matter How Small
Some gamblers look for the big win that will change their lives every week. They place a few pounds on bets that could return thousands, even though the chances of these bets are small. These few pounds each week may seem small to start with, but doing this every week for several years will result in a huge loss of money. Gamblers should always aim for profit, even if it’s just a few pounds.
Would you prefer to place £10 on a bet that yields £12 in profit, with a 92% chance of winning, or place two £5 bets on a 16-team accumulator with each one offering £10,000, but only a 1% chance of winning? Some people might choose the second option, but wise gamblers know that a £12 profit every time will add up quickly. For more insight on this, you may want to focus on reducing losses.
There’s a good chance you’ve sat in a bar or cafe and overheard a conversation about how close someone came to winning £26,000 on Saturday or how one team let them down for £500. You’ll never hear gamblers who place £5 talking about their winnings, even though they are the most successful ones.
The best advice we can give when gambling is that your first thought should be how to avoid losing, rather than how much you’ll bet on football and win if your bet comes through. Look for small wins, which will help boost your betting bank and may ultimately lead to a big life-changing win over time.
Keep a Betting Record
Writing down your wins and losses can help you understand how much money you’re wasting and assist in changing your betting strategy. In this record, write down the type of bet you placed, the stake, the potential return, and how much profit or loss you made from it. Also, add any notes that could help you improve, such as the team(s) that let you down.
At the end of a set period, such as each week, fortnight, or month, you should total your results to give you an overall profit or loss. If you’re suffering consistent losses betting on accumulators with the promise of big returns, you might want to change the way you bet in the next period.
Consider backing fewer teams in accumulators or placing single/double/triple bets that offer small profits. You can then see if your total profit increases. If you regularly see a + in the profit/loss section, it will open your eyes to the fact that the way you were betting before was wrong, and you should stick to your new approach.
Remember, You Won’t Bet on Football and Win Every Time
If there were a guaranteed way to bet on football and win every time, bookmakers would stop working, and football betting would cease to exist.
However, there’s no trick because football is unpredictable and shocks happen. The favorite doesn’t always win; everyone has off days, and gamblers often lose their money. There are no 100% guarantees in football betting. During those times, remember to enjoy the experience, analyze, and follow our advice to give you the best chance of making a profit.