How to Bet on Soccer in 2025 – Soccer Betting Guide

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, but what surprises many gamblers is that soccer has a massive wagering market that rivals the National Football League wagering market.

In fact, outside of the U.S., soccer draws significantly more wagering action than any other sport – and it does so by a wide margin.

Some of the biggest pros and smartest sharps make a living betting on soccer. If you want to learn how to bet on soccer like a sharp, it's smart to consult a soccer betting guide.

What Makes Soccer Betting Different

The first thing you will learn in this soccer betting guide is that soccer vastly differs from most sports.

When learning how to bet on soccer, it’s important to understand that there is less scoring in soccer than in other major sports. Thus, each goal takes on enhanced importance.

With games often 1-0 or even 0-0 at the finish, you’ll need to pay attention to team form, especially in the team’s most recent games.

Injuries can devastatingly affect games, especially if a key goal scorer (striker) is injured.

Soccer matches are 90 minutes long, and in most cases, you can’t see the clock, meaning that gamblers and fans can only estimate how much time remains in a half.

In addition to regular league schedules, soccer teams play coinciding tournaments, which can be confusing when you’re first learning how to bet on soccer.

Types of Soccer Bets

You should have a basic understanding of the numerous soccer wager options. These options include the moneyline 3-way bet, draw no bet, over/under (totals) betting, both teams to score, Asian handicap betting, soccer prop bets, futures betting in soccer, and live soccer betting.

Moneyline (3-Way) Betting

The moneyline is the simplest and most basic soccer bet. A gambler picks the winner of the match and lays money on the favorite or takes money on the underdog.

The most common moneyline bet is known as 3-way betting. In 3-way betting, gamblers can bet on the favorite, the underdog, or the game to be a draw.

An example of the 3-way betting line is England +145, Draw +195, and Poland +190. Gamblers would bet $100 to win on either of the three options.

If a team is a prohibitive favorite, they will often be listed at minus money (such as -200 to win $100) with a draw as the second choice, and then the opponent gets more plus-money (such as to be $100 to win $200) as the heavy underdog.

Draw No Bet (DNB)

Because soccer is such a low-scoring sport, there is a distinct possibility that games will end in a draw; however, you can bet on games without considering a potential draw.

Draw no bet is an option where you can bet on either team in a match at reduced payouts, with the benefit of getting your money back if the game ends in a draw. In this option, you can lay odds on the favorite, take odds on the underdog, and not have to think about a draw.

Soccer betting guides always encourage DNBs because, if the game ends in a draw, bettors will get their money back instead of losing it entirely.

Over/Under (Totals) Betting

If you bet on other sports, you may already understand over/under bets. Also known as totals, over/unders should be a familiar wager.

The difference is that the totals in soccer are much lower than in other sports.

The closest comparison to totals betting would be hockey, which averages roughly six goals per game in the National Hockey League, still more than twice the average of the top soccer leagues.

Thus, you will usually see totals ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 goals for a soccer match.

Both Teams to Score (BTTS)

When learning how to bet on soccer, you should familiarize yourself with the BTTS wagering option.

Both teams to score is just as it reads: you can wager “yes” or “no” as to whether both teams will score at least one goal during the match.

If the game ends with England 2 and Poland 1, both teams scored, and the yes bet wins; however, if England won the match 2-0, both teams did not score, and the no bet wins. If England and Poland play to a 2-2 draw, both teams scored, so the yes bet wins.

This betting option is popular for gamblers who don’t want to pick the winner of a match but have a strong opinion on whether both teams can score a goal or prevent goals.

Asian Handicap Betting

One of the most interesting and complex bet types to learn from a guide to betting on soccer is the Asian handicap.

With the Asian handicap, gamblers have the option to bet on fractional odds rather than whole numbers. In Asian handicap betting, fractional increments of .25 and .75 bridge the gap between two lines that otherwise could cost significant vig.

An example of an Asian handicap would be England at -1.75 goals instead of -1.5 goals. Thus, you are betting $10 that England will win by more than 1.5 goals and, on the other hand, that they will win by two goals.

You are playing the margins with the opportunity to win your entire bet or push half of it while winning or losing the other half.

An Asian handicap is like the puck line in hockey and run line in baseball, except that you are splitting your bet between two spreads.

Soccer Prop Bets

Prop betting in soccer can be very simple or extremely complicated.

When learning how to bet on soccer, you will discover that you can bet long-range or immediate props for such markets as the English Premier League or the World Cup. You can also bet props on factors, such as which players will score a goal, which will provide an assist, etc. Also, there are props on teams, such as how many corner kicks for a match.

Match props include how many total cards will be shown, how many shots on goal by a player or team, and what kind of goal a player will score (header, outside the box, etc.).

You can also get season props, such as which player will win the Golden Boot, etc.

Futures Betting in Soccer

Futures wagering is a land of opportunity for all gamblers. As with other major sports, you can bet on which teams will win the championship of the league that they compete in.

You can get future market action on who will win the World Cup years in advance.

Both team future market bets and individual player future market bets are available.

Live Soccer Betting

Live betting is as popular in soccer as in any other sport. Options include the match result, the next team to score, both teams to score, scorers, cards, or penalties.

Of course, the difference is that live betting takes place while the game is progressing, with constantly fluctuating odds.

As with all forms of sports betting, the key strategy in soccer betting is finding the most probable result with the most favorable price.

When learning how to bet on soccer, it is best to consult a guide to betting on soccer to fully understand the betting options and then apply them to value-based strategies. Gamblers should strive to evaluate every bet’s value and never pay too much for a wager.

Bankroll Management for Soccer Betting

The most important soccer betting advice you can get is that you can bet on numerous leagues, tournaments, and individual matches throughout the year. Almost every day, somewhere, there is a soccer match to wager on.

Thus, a conservative money-management style is mandatory to stay in the game. Gamblers should never wager too much on any single bet.

Key Factors in Soccer Betting

When preparing for a soccer wager, you must consider several factors simultaneously, including team form, injuries, lineup rotation, motivation, the implications of the match, and home/away performance. At the same time, it is important not to over-emphasize any one factor at the expense of the others.

Most importantly, the oddsmakers anticipate what the gambling public thinks, so they can’t be outsmarted.