Soccer is the most popular sport around the world, which also means it attracts the most betting action. As a result, sportsbooks have come up with lots of betting options to offer bettors more avenues for placing their wagers. One of the increasingly popular markets is prop betting, also known as proposition betting.
With this kind of soccer betting, you don’t have to worry about the winner but rather the various actions in the game. If you are not familiar with it, we’ll let you know everything you need to know about it.
Understand What Prop Bets & Specials Are
Before you start placing bets, it’s important that you clearly understand what these types of bets are. Prop bets, or proposition bets, are a type of betting market that allows users to wager on specific events or actions within the game rather than the winner of the game. The bets can cover a wide range of events, from individual performances to various aspects relating to the game. However, unlike other sports and competitions, such as the NFL and NBA, soccer props also allow you to consider the game as a whole and predict the final score.
On the other hand, specials are unique betting markets that sportsbooks create to focus on a particular soccer competition. For example, during the World Cup or Euros, you can find special bets such as whether a certain player will score a hat trick or the player that will win the Golden Ball.
Know the Different Types of Prop Bets
Prop bets come in different formats, and it’s good to understand them to increase your chances of winning.
- Player Props: Player props are a bet type that focuses on a specific player. These bets involve wagering on how a player will perform or various of their statistics within a match. The most popular player props are the number of goals, assists, shots on target, or yellow cards received.
- Team Props: Team props are similar to player props, but they focus on the team. You can therefore bet on the number of goals scored by the team, the range of corners awarded, or whether the team will keep a clean sheet.
- Match Props: Match props are arguably the most popular prop bets in soccer. These types of bets are about the game, and they can look at it in halves or as a whole. Some of the bets you can place here are the first team to score, whether both teams will score, and the exact final score (such as 3-1). Note that all these have variations for half-time.
- Specials: Most special bets in soccer are created around a tournament or a competition with a cup format, such as the FA Cup or the Champions League. These bets focus on various events or milestones, such as a team reaching the finals. Other specials are the Golden Boot winner, Golden Ball winner, Golden Glove winner, and the competition winner.
All these types of bets make watching games and betting in general much more fun.
Do Your Research and Stay Updated
Regardless of the type of markets you want to focus on, research is key in sports betting. Before you place your bets, ensure you gather relevant information regarding the game. Look at how the team and the players have been performing, then analyze it in regard to the opposition. As a bare minimum, ensure you get some insights into the performance trends, strengths, weaknesses, and historical data. If you want to bet on a player, ensure you have a profile of them and that your research supports the bet you place.
Besides that, stay updated with the team news and lineups. The absence of a key player can have a significant effect on the game, including a change in the tactics used. Read the news and latest developments surrounding the game you want to bet on and adjust your betting strategy accordingly.
