Best Tips for Betting on Soccer 2022

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, followed by over half of the global population. This guide offers fans of “The Beautiful Game” a variety of soccer betting tips to help them make the most informed wagers possible. Each of these tips for betting on soccer has been crafted by proven experts. 

We’ve collected some soccer betting strategies to help you find success as you venture into the world of online sports betting. We’ll take a look at the variety of ways to wager on soccer – whether for a single match or an entire season. Then, we’ll share some proven betting tips and strategies that you can use right away to make real money.

Intro to Soccer Betting Strategies

Soccer is a complex game with billions of fans around the world. Betting on this game is extremely popular and a huge number of unique soccer betting strategies have been created over the years. Utilizing proven strategies can have a huge impact on the success that bettors have. 

Learn more about some basic soccer betting rules here:

Match Winner Betting Odds

In the United States, the most popular type of odds presented are moneyline odds. These are odds set on the winner of a particular match. The favorite and underdog are identified with a “-” and “+” symbol. 

An example of soccer moneyline odds can be seen below.

In the United Kingdom, soccer betting odds are typically presented in a fractional format. The underdog is always the team with the larger number featured first. 

Decimal odds are also common in many areas of the world, including Mainland Europe. The larger the number, the bigger the underdog. Expect to see decimal odds provided by most online soccer betting sites. 

Understanding these different odds is important when utilizing soccer betting strategies. Modern betting sites will always feature the potential payout on your bets, making the process of learning these odds easier. 

Live Soccer Betting

Live soccer betting allows fans to bet on games as they are taking place. The majority of modern sportsbooks offer these live betting options. As a soccer match progresses, the odds are updated based on how that match is unfolding. 

Many unique soccer betting strategies exist for live betting. One popular tip is to bet on the game in the second half after it becomes more clear which team holds an advantage. Bettors can analyze how the game is unfolding and make far more accurate wagers. 

Live betting can be hugely lucrative. Teams that are giving up a lead are given massive underdog odds, yet it’s not uncommon for these teams to mount a comeback and win. Consider taking a team that is down in points if they are the team with the higher ball possession time. 

Soccer Point Spread Betting

Point spread betting is similar to moneyline betting, as it involves picking a match winner. With these odds, the betting favorites have a specific number of points they need to win by. The underdog is given a certain number of points they can lose by, yet still earn a winning bet. 

Soccer point spread betting is meant to give bettors more of a reason to bet on the underdog. By making the favorite win by a certain number of points, it helps to make matches far more competitive for bettors. 

An example of point spread betting can be seen here:

In this case, Belgium is the betting favorite and needs to win by at least one point. 

Soccer Prop Betting

Prop betting for soccer means betting on aspects of the sport that are not directly related to the winner of a match. Most betting sites offer a huge variety of prop wagers. That includes bets on things like which player scores the first goal, halftime scores, or how many total fouls are committed during a game. 

Finding helpful tips for betting on soccer involving props can be difficult due to the unpredictable nature of these bets. Trying to predict the total number of game fouls, for example, is nearly impossible. Research may help make a more informed wager, yet even the experts will have a hard time providing detailed analysis for some of these bets. 

Soccer prop bets can oftentimes be very lucrative. One unique World Cup prop can be seen here: 

Soccer Futures Betting

Futures betting is making early bets on the winner of a tournament. Popular online sportsbooks such as Bovada offer futures betting odds on tournaments months before the tournament takes place. Making these early bets can be extremely profitable if they turn out to be correct. 

The 2022 World Cup is a popular tournament for futures betting. The odds for the winner of this World Cup tournament in Qatar can be seen here:

These odds will change as the World Cup progresses. 

Futures betting is a fun way to get involved in betting on tournaments early. One popular soccer betting strategy is to bet on the favorite early. This team is given the favorite status for a reason and the odds early will be far more lucrative than they are later in a tournament. 

Basic Soccer Betting Strategies

Beginners can increase their odds of winning by following some basic soccer betting strategies. These are fairly straightforward, even for first-time bettors. 

Keep Track of Injury Reports

It’s important to stay on top of any injury news when betting on soccer. Injuries to key players on a team will have a huge impact on their performance. Sometimes, an article can reveal an injury before the odds for a match can change. 

Try to take advantage of injury news whenever possible. Bettors can quickly take advantage of underdog odds if a star player on the betting favorite team suffers an injury. 

Bet on the Underdog Sparingly

Many of the world’s biggest soccer tournaments will feature massive mismatches. Bettors can sometimes get carried away betting on the underdog in matches in hopes of winning big. Odds are set in place for a reason and the favorites tend to win matches. 

There are certainly no soccer betting rules against taking an underdog from time to time. Careful research can sometimes reveal an underdog team that should be listed as the favorite. Take the underdog bet sparingly and only when there is research to show they are likely to win. 

Utilize Alternative Bet Types

Most sports betting sites offer their members a large variety of betting options outside of traditional moneyline odds. That includes the aforementioned options such as futures odds and prop betting odds. Bettors should try to take advantage of these alternative bets when possible. 

These other bets can be far more lucrative than match-winner betting. For example, bettors can take advantage of a “First Scoring Team” wager if there is one team known for having fast starts in games. A little research into individual matches can often reveal which alternative bet types will be the most lucrative. 

Intermediate Soccer Betting Strategies

Fans with a deeper understanding of the sport can take advantage of these intermediate tips for betting on soccer. They can require more research, yet often provide bettors with bigger opportunities to win big. 

Know When to Bet the 0-0 Draw

Only about 30% of professional soccer games end in a 0-0 draw. For that reason, betting sites will often present very lucrative odds on this potential match outcome. It can be tempting to take those odds of 10/1, yet it’s best to know exactly when to bet the 0-0 draw. 

Hardcore fans will recommend this bet when it involves a match between two teams known for their defensive skills. That can often result in a stalemate and final score of 0-0. We recommend analyzing teams’ best skills to decide whether it is worth it to take the draw bet. 

Keeping track of injuries can come into play here, too. Bettors should pay attention if star offensive players are injured, as it could indicate their team will then rely primarily on defense. 

Pick the Underdog to Score First

One of the more interesting soccer betting tips floating around today is to bet on the underdog team to score the first goal. In every game, the betting favorite will be heavily favored to do so. The underdog always has a chance of scoring, however, and the odds of this happening can pay out in a big way. 

This is a solid wager, as it does not require bettors to pick which team will win. Taking the underdog to score the first goal comes with far less risk. 

Expect to find first-scorer odds offered by most online sportsbooks in 2022. This is just one of the prop bets that bettors are taking advantage of right now. 

Keep Parlays Small

Parlays are great for intermediate-level bettors with a good understanding of soccer. These are multiple bets combined into one. When done correctly, parlays can be extremely profitable for bettors. 

One common soccer betting tip is to limit parlays to no more than three games. Many feel tempted to create larger parlays in hopes of hitting a massive payout. Unfortunately, the odds of creating a perfect parlay with more than three legs are always very low. 

Many experts will recommend taking the betting favorites when creating parlays. Including underdog picks in these bets only further reduces the odds that it will be successful.

Advanced Soccer Betting Strategies

Soccer fans with a deep understanding of the game may want to utilize soccer betting tips with a more advanced component. These can be more complicated and require additional research. That extra effort can sometimes result in major payouts for bettors. 

Utilize Betting Systems

Hardcore bettors will often use sports betting systems as a way to find consistent success. Several of these systems have gained popularity with soccer fans. That includes the Martingale System, the Negative Progressive System, and the D’Alembert System. 

The Martingale System involves progressive betting, where bettors double their stake if they experience a losing bet. This involves high risk, yet should eventually result in positive wins. The Negative Progressive System is similar, yet involves slowly increasing wagers on losing bets, rather than immediately doubling them. 

The D’Alembert System differs, as it focuses on slowly increasing bets on winning wagers. Bettors using this system commit to staking anywhere from 1-5% of their funds to each wager and aim to slowly increase their funds. An effective soccer betting strategy is to try several of these systems out and begin implementing the one that works best for you. 

Bet on Goal Totals With Confidence

The majority of online sportsbooks offer bets on the total number of goals scored during a match. Advanced bettors often claim these wagers offer the best opportunity of any prop bet. The real trick is betting on low-risk goal totals. 

This requires research. Betting experts will spend time learning how the two teams involved in a matchup play. A matchup involving two defensive teams will likely indicate a low-scoring game will take place. Two teams known for their offensive players and tactics should bring a bet on a high-scoring game. 

Attempting to predict the exact number of goals can be difficult. Instead, take the over/under on goal totals. This will result in slightly less lucrative odds, yet is a far easier bet to pick correctly. 

Bet on the Corners

One of the lesser-known soccer prop betting options is to bet on the total number of corner kicks made during a match. This could seem very difficult to predict. With careful research, however, bettors can form very accurate predictions for these outcomes. 

This bet can be profitable, as the oddsmakers often have a difficult time setting the odds for these wagers. The odds on corner kicks can be far off from where they should be. Advanced bettors can take advantage of that fact. 

An average game has between 10-11 corner kicks in total. Those interested in betting on the total number of corners in a match should make sure to research the average number of corners for the teams involved in that match. 

Betting on the Best Soccer Leagues

Soccer has been the world’s most popular sport for decades. Many high-level soccer leagues exist that feature the best players in the world. That includes leagues in the United States, Europe, and South America. 

Top Men’s Soccer Leagues

There are many world-class men’s soccer leagues around the world. Fans of the sport love to utilize their own soccer betting strategies for these leagues. The rules for each one are nearly identical, meaning these strategies can be used across leagues. 

These four are the world’s most popular men’s soccer leagues in 2022. Fans of each one can visit Everygame, which provides odds on every game of these four seasons. 

English Premier League

The Premier League is England’s top soccer league. It features the best clubs from around the country such as Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal. Some of the top players alive compete in the Premier League and billions of soccer fans around the world watch how each yearly campaign plays out. 

La Liga

The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, known primarily as La Liga, is the top soccer league in Spain. Several of the biggest names in the sport compete in La Liga, including Karim Benzema and Lionel Messi. 

Bundesliga

Germany’s Bundesliga remains extremely popular around the world, too. This league is home to many well-known clubs such as Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig. Soccer bettors love to bet on this league every year and most online sportsbooks are offering odds on every Bundesliga game of the season. 

MLS

The MLS is the biggest and most well-known soccer league in the United States. Some of the top players based internationally now compete for club teams in the MLS. American fans have plenty of soccer betting options on the MLS every year. 

Top Women’s Soccer Leagues

There is no shortage of world-class women’s soccer leagues operating around the world in 2022. Bettors have opportunities to bet on each of these leagues every year. Learn a little more about some of the most popular ones here. 

Bovada is an excellent betting site for fans of these leagues. It provides odds on each season, as well as major international tournaments such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup. 

NWSL

The United States’ top female soccer league is the NWSL. The US has developed a world-class female soccer program and the country’s top players compete in the NWSL. Expect to see the top players in this league competing on the US Women’s National Team. 

Division 1 Feminine 

The top female soccer league in France is the Division 1 Feminine. This is the country’s league that features the best club teams. Lyon remains the most successful team in the league’s history with 15 division titles to their name. 

Frauen-Bundesliga

Germany’s best female soccer league is called Frauen-Bundesliga. This league was founded in 1990 and features 12 teams from throughout the country. VfL Wolfsburg sits as this league’s reigning champion and holds seven titles in total. 

Women’s Super League

England’s top female soccer league is called the Women’s Super League. It features the 12 best club teams in the country that compete for the FA Women’s League Cup. Chelsea is the most successful team in the Super League and sits as the reigning champion, too.

Soccer Betting Tips FAQs