Alternative Football Betting Markets: Why They Are Worth Trying

Football betting has an almost unfathomable amount of opportunities for fans to wager on the beautiful game. Among the most common ones, there is the match outright, over/under goals and both teams to score.

Those are staple markets and bookmakers push them a lot, because they are comfortable, easy markets for punters to jump into. They are easy to understand and bookmakers like things being user-friendly because it means punters are more likely to bet.

But as with any sport, like tennis, cricket and even the NFL at Super Bowl betting sites, while there are common markets that remain popular, there are always great alternative types of bets available. In this article, we'll explore some of these alternative options in football betting.

Time of First Goal

This is a fascinating market, which can be approached both pre-match or in-play. Instead of betting on which player will be the first scorer, you can select when the first goal of the game will hit the back of the net. It's good because it doesn’t matter which team scores, just when.

A look at stats will help guide you, because for example, you may see a team that tends to score 70% of their home goals within the 15 minutes before the halftime break. The market can range from the exact minute to a broad range of time such as the first 15 minutes, last 15 minutes, or even no goal at all.

Half-Time/Full Time

You don’t have to bet on the outcome of a full game. Indeed a popular approach is to bet on the half-time result. But there are other ways to look at games as separate halves and that is the Half Time/Full Time market.

In this, you have to select what the half-time result and the full-time result are going to be, like Draw/Man City. It’s a good market to explore if you expect a tight first half in a contest for example, but for the better side to eventually push on and win.

Number of Corners

Another alternative football betting angle is the Total Corners market. This is an over/under selection of how many corner kicks you expect there to be in a match. Look at stats to see averages involved for the teams squaring up. You don’t even have to worry about goals, just how many corners there are.

The totals of corners for either team can also be selected. The odds for this market can vary depending on the teams playing and their style of play. Teams that play more aggressively and attack more often are more likely to win more corners.

Number Of Cards

Yellow and red cards can significantly affect the course of a match, and betting on the number of cards can be another unique way to engage with the game. You can bet on the total number of cards in the match, which team will receive more cards, or even which player will be the first to receive one.

Asian Handicap

Asian handicap is an alternative to traditional handicapping and it is expressed in full, half, or quarter goals, which can be a positive or negative number. It’s more nuanced than regular handicapping, but it eliminates the draw in a match, so with some selections you can win either half your stake back, or the full bet depending on the result.

Next Manager Markets

You don’t have to stick within a match for football betting options. You can stay engaged between matches, by betting on which manager will be the next to be fired or hired by a particular club. With the high turnover rate of football managers, this market can be unpredictable but also potentially lucrative.

In Conclusion

There are plenty of unusual types of betting markets available in football that can add an extra layer of excitement to your betting experience. By considering these alternative markets, you may find new opportunities to win and appreciate the game in new ways. Diversifying your betting options can also lead to some great new strategies.