Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and it’s no surprise that it attracts the biggest betting volumes as well. People from all over the globe love to place a wager on football while watching their favourite team.

It’s safe to say most punters lose money in the long run as they do not prepare well enough for their bets.

In this article, you will find some useful tips for soccer betting that will help you improve your results. They won’t make you an instant winner, but they can help you find the right path to building a successful long-term soccer betting strategy.

1. Search for the Value

This is one of the golden rules in sports betting in general and it applies to soccer betting as well.

Most people place their wagers on the assumption that a certain team will win. Although intuitive, this is fundamentally wrong and the main reason why more than 90% of the bettors out there are losing money. In one of our previous articles, we explained that the odds represent probabilities. This is why you need to evaluate what are the chances that a certain outcome will come true and place your money only if the price is better than that.

Here’s a simple example. If you believe that team A has a 50% chance to win a game this equals odds of 2.00. If the bookie gives you a higher price than that you should go for it. If it doesn’t, just pass. This way you will have a positive expected value in the long run and you will make money.

2. Avoid the Favourites

This is directly connected to our previous tip. One of the main factors behind the odds bookmakers are offering is the cash volume on each outcome. Since soccer is very popular and there are many recreational players that usually place their money on the favorite, the odds for the most likely winner normally do not contain any value. This way the sportsbooks guarantee themselves profits and have a safety net against big losses. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but you have to be extra careful if you want to place your money on the favorite.

3. Information is the Key

Most people do not spend lots of time preparing for soccer matches. They take a look at injuries and basic stats and think this is enough. With the amount of soccer data available on the web nowadays, this is almost criminal. Make sure to dig deep and explore every angle out there. Previous results, performance patterns, trends, stats, team news are all relevant and could make the difference. Find them and use them to get the best perspective possible.

4. Read Other Opinions

There are thousands of tips services and expert previews for most soccer matches out there. While most of them won’t guarantee you profit, they can still be very useful. Make sure to find some good in-depth views from people who know their stuff.

Check them regularly before placing a wager because they could show you an extra angle you might have missed. This could save you money and prevent you placing some losing bets or give you some extra reasons to believe there’s value available. More sophisticated opinions will improve your odds of getting it right.

5. Look for Hidden Patterns

Sometimes there are some patterns that are not that obvious. There are certain big teams that traditionally have issues against a specific opponent or some players score regularly against certain clubs. There are more than a few examples like this in the English Premier League.

If you look at Chelsea and Manchester City, you will see that the former struggled against Newcastle in the last five years and the latter against Sunderland. Another example is the fact that Steven Naismith has tons of goals against Chelsea.

Arsenal, on the other hand, rarely beat teams managed by Mark Hughes. Search for such patterns and include them in your pre-match analysis since they could make the difference. They are not always easy to notice, but if you are careful enough, you won’t miss them.

6. Stay Disciplined

This is another advice that applies to sports betting in general but is so crucial that we just can’t ignore it. You must establish some ground rules and make sure to follow them. Find the system that suits you best and focus your effort there. Also, make sure to have proper bankroll management since everyone suffers from bad streaks once in a while. You need enough capital to take the hit and enjoy the better times that come after that.

7. Take Advantage of Promotions and Special Offers

The competition for customers between the bookmakers is fierce and all of them have a constant flow of promotions. Deposit bonuses, loyalty programs, money backs and various other specials provide an opportunity for extra value.

Make sure to take advantage and regularly check what’s available. It is important to remember that promotions should be an additional tool that compliments your main strategy. Don’t go chasing some offer just for the sake of it.

Conclusion

As we explained at the beginning, following these soccer betting tips won’t make you an instant winner. Without them, however, you’ll most likely be a loser like the millions of people out there. Your approach to betting is the key to success and this article pinpoints the most important areas you need to master.

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