The following post explores the basic fundamentals of how to bet soccer.
Whether you’re wagering on MLS, Serie A, EPL, La Liga, or Bundesliga, understanding how to interpret odds, spreads, and different bet types is essential for making soccer wagers.
Read: List of MLS Podcasts by Club
Related: How to Bet Football
Explore: Live Soccer Scores
This post provides a high-level overview of soccer betting, covering key concepts such as point spreads, money lines, totals, and additional wager types to help you get started.
Here’s what you need to know.
Example
Here is an example of a soccer wager, let’s break it down.
| Time | Bet # | Team | Spread | Total | Money Line |
| 11:00 AM | 419 | Sporting KC | -1.5 -140 | o3 | +135 |
| 420 | Chicago Fire | +1.5 +110 | u3 | +170 | |
| 421 | Draw | – | – | +200 |
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Away team is always listed on top. In this example, Sporting KC is the road team.
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Minus (-) next to the number in the money line indicates the favorite; the plus (+) indicates the underdog.
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Bet # is most commonly referred to when verbally placing your wager at the sportsbook.
Wager Types
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Spread – When betting the point spread (aka line), the favorite must win by a stipulated number of goals. This means either laying points on the favorite or getting points on the underdog. In this example, Sporting KC (-1.5 -140) is the favorite and must win the game by more than 1 goal to cover the spread.
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Total – This refers to the total number of combined goals scored (i.e. over/under). If the game lands exactly on the set number, the wager is considered a push and those bets are refunded.
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Money Line – This is a bet on which team will win a game (regardless of score). Unlike most other sports, three-way wagering is offered in soccer to account for three possible game outcomes (win, loss, draw). Chicago is a +170 money line underdog. This means a $100 wager on Chicago money line wins $170 (collect $270 total). Conversely, a $100 wager on Sporting KC money line wins $135 (collect $235 total). Betting $100 on the game ending in a draw pays $200 (collect $300 total).
Additional Wagers
Screenshot: Soccer Wager Options on a Mobile App
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1st Half – This is a wager on the outcome of the first half. In this example, the likely first half line is set to Sporting KC -.5 (point spread) and -140 (money line).
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Half Time – A half time line refers to the second half outcome of a game. For instance, if Sporting KC leads 1-0 at halftime, oddsmakers are likely to set a 2nd half line of Sporting KC -.5. This means Sporting KC must outscore Chicago by one or more goals in the 2nd half to cover the half time spread.
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Futures – Futures in soccer are for predicting division winners, conference winners, and league title winners. Total games won (O/U wins) is another popular futures wager offered at the beginning of the season.
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Live – Live wagering is a popular option for making in-game bets using your sportsbook’s mobile application (check availability). Live wagers offer adjusted spreads, over/under, and more based on the live score.
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Parlay – A parlay combines several teams into one bet. In a parlay, all wagers must win, or else the bet is a loser. As many as 10 teams (or more) may be used in a parlay. Totals (O/U goals scored) may be included in parlays. In the event of a rain-out, cancellation, or tie – the parlay is reduced to the next lowest number of games. For example, a four team parlay becomes a three team parlay in such an event.
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Props – A “proposition bet” is like a side-bet. Common prop bets in soccer include goals scored, saves made, and more. Prop bets offered vary greatly from sportsbook to sportsbook.
