Top List of the Best Football Betting Sites in the United Kingdom
Considering the vast popularity of football in the United Kingdom, it’s no wonder there are so many bookmakers readily accepting wagers. Below, we list some of the top sites in the GB with the best football odds. By the way, they also offer bonuses for new and regular players — so make sure you keep an eye on those.
Popular Bookmakers with Welcome Bonuses
Some of the best football betting sites GB punters favor for their sleek design and generous bonuses (including those for newcomers) are:
- Betfred: up to £40 bonus money on bets starting with £10
- Bet365: a minimal bet of £10, up to £30 in bonus funds
- SkyBet: £30 bonus on any bet
More best bet football sites in the United Kingdom include BoyleSports, Unibet, BetVictor, BetUK, SpreadX, and PariMatch.
What is Football Bet of the Day?
A bet of the day is a special offer available on gambling sites and independent platforms. Those are daily football betting predictions from experts, offering gamblers a chance to wager money relatively risk-free. Of course, there is never a 100% risk-free wager — even though most reputable sites can, to a certain extent, predict a team’s winning odds, predicting match results is still about gambling, no matter how good one may be at analyzing the most promising football odds today.
Bets of the day are not chosen by any specific criteria — too many factors depend on the match and the type of offer promoted today. Below, you will find a full guide explaining how the wagers work — understanding these is way better than any football bet predictions, from experts or otherwise.
How Does Football Betting Work? Odds & Explained
For beginners, the world of sports wagering can be overwhelming — it is possible to punt on practically every match development, and the odds vary a lot from one wager to another. So, we start with the basics — how to read football betting odds.
Football Odds: Quick Guide to Available Formats
All sports betting odds are displayed either as factions or as decimals. The fraction display is more widespread because it is generally less confusing. For example, 3/1 means that, if this combination wins, you will get £3 for each £1 you wagered; plus, you will get your ‘deposit’ of £1 back. So, you get a total of £4 if the bet wins.
The same logic can be expressed through decimals, but it will look as 4.0 — because you get £4 for every pound wagered. This pattern simply adds your initial deposit straight into the formula.
There is also a handicap bet marked as HomeTeam -1/ UnderdogTeam +2 (or any other figures applicable at the time of betting) that defines a goal margin by which each team is supposed to win. We will discuss those in detail later because handicap bets marked -/+ have their nuances, too.
Also, you need to keep in mind that these odds have nothing to do with the teams’ actual chances of victory — they show how much you will get if your stake wins. To increase the chances of placing a winning wager, read more about how sports betting works and which stakes are best for beginners.
How to Bet on Football: Wager Types in Detail
The best thing about football bets today is that you can make stakes on practically anything — from total team score to separate player’s stats and scores; you can even gamble if the manager is fired after the match. Still, the most popular stakes during an active tournament are the handicap bets we mentioned above. There are several types of those:
Whole-goal handicap: the Favorite -1/Underdog +2 type allows you to punt either on Favorite or an Underdog. If you choose Favorite, the stake wins if the Favorite wins by at least two goals. You get your deposit back if it only outperforms by one goal — in this case, the ‘-1’ turns this bet into a draw.
Similarly, you can choose an Underdog, and the stake wins if the Underdog wins, draws, or loses only by one goal. You draw if they win by two goals (+2). If they lose by more than three goals, you lose, too.
Half-goal handicap: very similar bet that works with decimal figures, i.e., Favorite -1.5/Underdog +1.5. If you bet on a favourite, you win if they win by two or more goals. You lose if the favourite wins by less than two goals, draws, or loses.
When betting on Underdog, you win if they lose by no more than one goal, draw, or win. Any other outcome, and you lose.
European handicap: this stake looks like with Favorite -1, Draw -1, Underdog +2, with potentially variable numbers.
When choosing a Favorite, you win if they win by two goals or more.
When picking a Draw, you win if the Favorite wins only by one goal.
When sticking to the Underdog, you win if they lose by only one goal, draw, or win.
Half-time or Full-time Wagers: any type of odds format can apply either to a full-time game outcome or first/second part-time outcome. The second option is good for players who know that certain teams score quickly during the first half; or vice versa;, a player may predict that the team will start scoring by the end of the match.
In addition, players can make their stakes on goalscorers — that is, which player will score how many goals; or, they can punt on the final game score — here, one needs to guess an exact match score to win.
Football in-play betting is a type of wager some bookmakers accept when the match is already in progress. It’s not very common for most trusted casinos, but it surely enhances the game-watching experience.
Football betting accumulator is very popular because it allows you to make stakes on multiple outcomes, thus increasing your chances of winning. There is always a catch, of course. For example, you can wager on five different outcomes — a winning team, a goal margin, a scoring player, etc. Each separate wager may seem low-risk and almost certain to happen, but keep in mind that the site will pay off only if all outcomes come true.
Sports Live Betting: More Beginner’s Winning Tips
The odds and the types of stakes described above can vary from one gambling site to another — a full selection of options is not always available on one platform. If you want to increase your chances of placing a winning wager, you should always compare football bet offers across different sites — this way, you can find the best, highest-paying opportunities. Another tip before wagering real money is to always use a football odds calculator, especially if you’re new to punting.
Most Popular Competitions Ranked by Level
- FIFA World Cup, commonly called simply World Cup, is a competition that has been running since 1930.
- UEFA Champions League, also known as the European Cup, was first launched in 1955.
- UEFA European Championship, informally called Euro, was first held in 1958 in France and is still highly popular.
- Copa America, a tournament that originated from Argentina and predated the World Cup. Copa America was first held in 1916.
- UEFA Europa League, a successor to the UEFA Cup that exists since the 1970s.
- Football Association Cup, of course! Even though this is a domestic event, it is one of the oldest competitions on this list, initiated in England in 1871.
Fantasy Football Betting Sites: Compete Anytime, Anywhere
What do ardent fans do when there is no tournament to wager on? They play fantasy football — create virtual teams but fill them with ‘real’ players. Plus, major casinos also list fantasy football in their game selection — but, of course, the team will already be created, and you will only have a chance to make your stakes. The top sites that have fantasy football betting are:
- Fantasy Bet
- Premier Punt
- BetMGM
- Caesars
- DraftKings
- BetRivers
- FanDuel
Pros & Cons of Online Football Betting vs Betting at a Retail Sportsbook
Both have their pluses and minuses, so the choice is totally up to the player. The top advantage of betting in a retail sportsbook is that there are hardly any limits on betting, and you can collect your winnings, if any, right after the results are known. Besides, there is an extra element of social engagement that extroverts will appreciate. And, if your wager has been accepted, it will not be canceled — so your potential winnings are safer, in a way. On the other hand, local shops offer fewer events and competition types, and there are no free perks for people wagering their money.
Online betting sites cover various games and events, so the choice will be better. Besides, they always throw in some extra bonuses and freebies, which is nice — even though these freebies come with limitations. There are also limits on maximum wagering amounts, and the withdrawal time to your bank account is certainly slower compared to onsite venues. Besides, some stakes may be disqualified even if they win. For example, some casinos cancel low-risk stakes that cover multiple outcomes — something that will not happen with a real bookmaker.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best betting site for football?
It’s really a matter of personal preference. The most popular platforms in the United Kingdom are Bet365, LadBrokes, BetVictor, PariMatch, and UniBet. So, it makes sense to check those out first.
How do you bet on soccer?
You choose a reliable betting site, check out the odds and available bets (exact types described in detail above), and place your bet. There are many stakes and odds to choose from, so there is no precise formula here.
How to win betting on soccer?
There is no universal guide to winning on betting — it’s called a gamble for a reason. But you can boost your chances of success if you: Familiarize yourself with bet types and odds; Learn more about teams and their play stats; Follow tipsters and analyze bet of the day offers; Wager small amounts before you get to know the logic better.
How to beat the bookies at football?
There is never a guarantee of beating the bookies — in the long run, the house always wins. In the short term, you can maximise your winning chances if you gamble with your head. That includes: Doing research instead of betting on your favorite team; Analyzing markets and odds; Follow expert people who give betting tips; Finding the most valuable odds and promotions — some casinos simply offer better odds than others, so do your research before every new match.
How do betting odds work in soccer?
There are different types of odds and their formats that often depend on the bookmaker and wager type. The most common ones are: 2/1: means that you get £2 for every £1 wagered, plus your wager back. So, if you wager £1 and your bet wins, you get £3 in total. 3.0: same as 2/1 in fraction format, with deposit wager amount already included in potential return sum. You still get £2 for every £1 wagered, plus your deposit back. So, you win £3 on every £1 wagered. TeamOne -1/ TeamTwo+2, or any other figures in the +/- pattern: also known as handicap bet, this type shows which team is the favorite (the one with a minus). You can bet on any Team, and the number after +/- shows a margin by which your Team should win or lose.
