Football betting in the UK is huge. In 2023, YouGov found that seven in ten UK sports bettors had bet on football in the last 12 months, making it the most popular sport for gambling in the entire country. It makes perfect sense, too, as the market is jam-packed with opportunities. From the Premier League to the FA Cup, there are countless leagues and competitions to bet on, so it’s no surprise that supporters are betting crazy amounts of money.
Because more people than ever are now betting on football, it’s become an extremely competitive space. Naturally, fans want to win — and they want to win big. This has led to increased interest surrounding football betting strategies, especially amongst beginners. Simply put, they want to know what works and what doesn’t.
The truth is that there are some good football betting strategies out there that can help you to:
- Place smarter bets
- Manage your bankroll more effectively
- Find openings and opportunities in the market
In that sense, it’s a no-brainer to follow at least a couple of betting strategies throughout each season. This way, you can tip the scales in your favour, even if it’s only marginal.
Football Betting Strategies That Work
1. The Masaniello Method
The Masaniello method is a popular betting strategy developed by Masaniello. The principle is incredibly simple: you increase your bet after a win and decrease it after a loss. This way, you can take advantage of winning streaks while also keeping losses to a minimum.
Example: Let’s say that you have a £100 budget for the weekend’s Premier League action. The Masaniello strategy recommends you never place a bet higher than 5% of your budget, which would be £5 in this case. You decide to bet £5 on Erling Haaland at 7/1 to score and assist against Newcastle (and he does). This means you’d win £40 back, taking your new budget to £140. As a result, the next bet you place could be increased up to £7, which is 5% of £140. However, don’t forget that you should also do the same thing in reverse whenever you lose a bet, which will result in you avoiding heavy losses.
2. Look for Odds Boosts
Odds boosts are incredibly popular in the football betting world. You often see them appear during big Premier League and Champions League games, but they’re also common in lower-league football, too. The way they work is that the odds for a specific bet are increased, making the potential payout much bigger. It’s exciting whenever this happens, as you can essentially win more money at no extra cost if the bet is successful.
Example: Arsenal are playing Leicester at home and Sky Bet have given Bukayo Saka 15/1 odds to score. Betting £1 would return £16 if Saka scored. However, just before the game kicks off, Sky Bet boosts the odds of Saka scoring to 40/1. What this means is that the bet would now return £41, which is a huge increase. These types of odds boosts are usually very profitable and worth taking, especially if the player is already in good goal-scoring form.
3. Use Sign-Up Bonuses and Special Offers
Next, use sign-up bonuses and special offers. There are countless sportsbooks to choose from on the UK football betting market, so most of them regularly pump out new offers each year to attract new players from rival sites. Remember, you can join a sportsbook, take advantage of a sign-up bonus or special offer, cash out if you win, and then leave. There’s no obligation to stay with the sportsbook if you don’t want to, so there’s zero pressure.
Example: bet365 currently has a sign-up offer for new customers. When you deposit and bet £10 or more, you receive £30 in free bets. This then opens up a range of new betting opportunities, as you now have more money to wager. Remember, though, that the free money you receive from these types of offers is sometimes restricted to specific betting markets (e.g. only Championship matches). This is why it’s recommended you check the terms and conditions before accepting any sign-up bonus or special offer to prevent confusion.
4. Place Low-Risk Accumulators
If you have friends or work colleagues that also enjoy betting on football, there’s a good chance they’ve mentioned accumulators before. Accumulators, more commonly known as “accas”, are now a big part of football betting culture in the UK. Every weekend, millions of supporters spend some time building accas and sharing predictions with each other, as it’s a fun part of the matchday experience. And if you don’t know how an acca works, it’s when you combine multiple bets into one single bet. This increases the odds to make the payout much bigger, but the trade-off is that there’s more risk involved. This is why it’s an excellent strategy to place low-risk accumulators.
Example: There’s a huge weekend of Premier League action and you want to build your own acca. Before the games kick off, you choose three low-risk bets: Arsenal (1/6) to beat Leicester, Liverpool (1/3) to beat Wolves, and Manchester City (1/15) to score 1+ goals against Crystal Palace. All of these outcomes are extremely likely and would return a total of £16.59 from a £10 bet, showing that there’s genuine value to be found in low-risk accumulators.
5. React to Early Goals
Over recent years, many bettors have found that placing live bets in reaction to early goals can open up some major profit opportunities. This is because early goes often lead to a drastic swing in the odds, even if it’s an underdog team that’s scored. The key is to find odds that have been increased, assess their realistic possibility, and take advantage of any exciting openings.
Example: If Manchester City are playing Brighton at home, every bookie will have City down as the favourites to win. However, if Brighton score first, it will likely lead to City’s odds being boosted, despite the fact there’s an excellent chance they’ll make a comeback and win. In a case like this, you might want to bet on City to achieve the win with their new odds, especially if they’ve been on a winning streak over previous fixtures.
Summary
Those are just some of the football betting strategies you can adopt this season, whether you’re watching Premier League or Championship games. From following the Masaniello method to building low-risk accumulators, these strategies will help transform you into a more efficient bettor while gaining stronger control over your budget. Doing this is vital in the football betting world — as responsible bettors are usually more successful.