Parlays vs. Single Bets: Which Strategy Works Best in Football Betting?

How do you wager in football betting? That is an important question to ask yourself whenever you are ready to spectate a football game and wager on different in-game events. Would you rather utilize parlays, otherwise known as accumulators, or are single bets more up your alley?

Which betting type generates more value? Let’s discover more about the differences between these bet types and the best applications to capitalize on them. You can engage in football betting, whether you prefer parlays or single bets, right from the comfort of wherever you are now. You can place wagers remotely from a mobile device, laptop, desktop, or tablet.

What Are Parlays?

Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich
Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich (Credit bjarnith via Wikipedia – CC BY-SA 2.0)

Parlays, also known as accas, combine multiple bets onto one ticket. Each selection needs to be successful for you to receive your payout. For example, you may bet on three teams to win over the upcoming fixtures. If all they win, then you will be paid out.

For example, it may be 2.00 odds for Arsenal to win, 1.80 odds for Real Madrid to win, and 1.70 odds for Bayern Munich to win. Hence, the combined football odds would be 6.12 after you multiply all these figures together. Hence, a £50 wager for this parlay would yield a £306 payout if every team claims victory.

Pros of Parlays

Here are the pros to consider for parlays:

  • The thrill of spectating multiple games to see if the wagered-on events pan out.
  • Lower stakes with possible higher rewards if all selections are successful.
  • Higher payouts because more bets have to be satisfied.

Cons of Parlays

Let’s analyze the disadvantages of engaging in parlays:

  • It is a higher risk because all bet selections must be successful to obtain a winning payout.
  • Hard to have consistent success because each selection decreases the odds.
  • Not as much control because unexpected events like players receiving red cards or yellow cards can ruin a parlay.

What Are Single Bets?

Arsenal players in action
Arsenal (Credit katatonia82 via Bigstockphoto)

Single bets are wagering tickets that only have one in-game event on them. A team winning a match, predicting the number of goals scored (over/under bets), or next goalscorer are all examples of what kinds of single bets you can make.

Let’s say that the odds of Arsenal winning their upcoming fixture is 2.00 and that you place a £50 wager. If you win this bet, you will receive double your initial wager, which is £100.

Pros of Single Bets

Single bets have many positives, including:

  • It is a lower risk because only one event has to happen to receive a payout.
  • More predictable because it is easier to research and analyze information for a single bet.
  • More consistency in success if you can strategize accordingly.

Cons of Single Bets

However, there are some drawbacks to wagering with single bets, such as:

  • They do not have as high of payouts as parlays.
  • Harder to make higher returns on investments because they are low-stakes bets.

Which Strategy Works Best: Parlays or Single Bets?

Football strategy

Deciding whether parlays or single bets are the more refined betting strategy is all a matter of a bettor’s preference. The best strategy for your football betting is based on your wagering goals and risk tolerance. If you want to steadily build your bankroll with possibly more consistent wins, go with a single bets approach. For bettors who prefer higher-risk betting, parlays will be the better option.

However, if you have a mid-level risk tolerance, trying a mix of both bet types could be fun for you. The fun, more high-stakes betting with parlays mixed with the more serious, consistent wagering approach of single bets can keep the excitement and realistic strategy well-balanced.