There’s no lack of games, futures, and props on which to wager if you’re a sports bettor looking for soccer action. You can bet the World Cup (every 4 years), and every prominent professional league and championship, such as English Premier League, Argentina Primera Division, French Ligue 1, German Bundesliga 1, Italian Serie A, Spanish La Liga, and the American MLS. Additionally, on some online sites you’ll find all major European, Central American, and South American leagues. Many sites carry over a dozen soccer leagues.

Do You Have Access?

Before you start to bet on any soccer league, make sure that you have access to enough information for you to make smart money bets. At the least, you should be able to read about the league happenings each day. That includes anything that occurs during the off-season.

Also, it’s essential to watch entire games and/or highlights. Reading play-by-plays can also be helpful. Too often sports bettors start wagering on something such as soccer without the detailed information needed to win consistently. Don’t be one of those bettors.

Betting on Matches

Betting on soccer is especially difficult because a game can end in a tie. That means that you have three choices to make when you wager. When you bet on a match, there will be a spread ranging from 0 to 2 goals. Spreads can be any of the following: 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2.

The underdog is usually listed in the plus, while the favorite is listed in the minus.

Here’s an example of what you can expect:

Nigeria + ½ (+165)
Argentina – ½ ( -200)

With the odds above, you would bet $100 on Nigeria to win $165. If they tie or win, you would win your wager. If you wagered on Argentina, you would bet $200 to win $100. They would have to win by one goal for you to cash in on the wager.

First-Half and Second-Half Betting

You may also wager on the first- or second-half of a game. First-half odds are posted prior to the start of the game. Second-half odds are quickly made during the short 10-minute break between halves, which means they can be soft. Look for value in second-half odds, especially if you have been closely monitoring the game.

Over/Under

Soccer over/under wagers vary a lot and are determined by recent past performances along with each team’s goalkeeping, defense, and offense. The over/under ranges from ½ goal up to 4 ½ goals.

Be especially careful in these matchups, making sure you understand how a defense may affect an offense’s efforts. Also, closely scrutinize each keeper: Have they been tough in goal lately, are they having problems with confidence, or do they appear to be playing injured?

Futures and Props

Soccer also offers a range of futures and props, including championship betting, wagering on whether or not a specific player will score, betting on shut outs, and wagering on red cards. Play these carefully. They can eat up your bankroll quickly.

Know Soccer

If you are going to bet on soccer, it is very important that you know the entire game in every manner. If you’re an NHL, NFL, or NBA bettor, you know that you would not be wagering on those games unless you went to the online betting window armed with a lot of current information. The same should be true with soccer, which has the additional problem of offering three different outcomes with each match bet.