Although we wouldn’t know based on North American broadcasting, the game of soccer is the most popular sport in the world, by any measure. Soccer is the most watched, most played and highest grossing sport on the planet, according to any study that has ever been done on those subjects. Soccer is relatively easy to learn, doesn’t require a lot of equipment at the most basic level, and it’s no wonder athletes can easily relate to it and how it has become so popular.
When a sport is as well known and loved as football, you can be sure that there will be a high level of sports betting action following teams from all over the world. The most money will be wagered in Europe, of course, the home of the world’s highest grossing football leagues. However, even in North America, fans of the field will find ample opportunities to bet on their team, as there are several leagues operating in the United States and Canada.
One of the great things about sports betting is that it generally follows the same basic rules and patterns, no matter what sport you’re interested in. Football betting has the same types of bets that are placed as American football or baseball. As it is a relatively low scoring sport, those who bet on soccer tend to play the money line. With money lines, you bet on the team that the bettor thinks will win.
The money lines look like this:
chicago fire-180
Wizards of Kansas City +120
Chicago is the favorite football club here, as far as bookmakers are concerned. There are more bets in Chicago than in Kansas City, so a bettor will have to pay $180 to win $100. On the other hand, if a bettor wants Kansas City to be the loser, he can win $120 if the Wizards win the game for every $100 wagered. Taking the underdog seems like the best value, but remember they have to win the match for you to get that money!
There is a football betting version of the spread, a very popular sports betting method for many sports. In soccer betting, the spread is known as the goal line. The favorite team has a higher payout, but bets are only paid out if the favorite team wins by a set number of goals (usually two). On the contrary, if the loser loses by less than two goals, those who bet on them (in the example above, the Wizards) will collect their bets.
One of the advantages of soccer betting, at least in the United States and Canada, is that there is a real chance of profit for those who know what they are doing. Soccer is not as popular as other sports and is still on the “fan level” when it comes to sports betting. That means betting is still done primarily by fans of the game, who tend to pick their favorite teams. This means that many underdog bets are good value and can be taken advantage of by bettors with an idea about the teams, the game, the strategies and the history.
