Where is soccer betting legal?
For many years, states were prevented from legalizing sports betting by the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, aka PAPSA. PAPSA was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2018, paving the way for legal sports betting in the United States. As of August 2022, Connecticut, Arizona, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Iowa, Louisiana, Oregon, Indiana, New Hampshire, Illinois, Michigan, Colorado, Tennessee, Wyoming, Washington D.C. and Virginia have all legalized online sports betting.
Numerous other states have legal sports betting, but only in-person. Those states include Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, North Carolina, New Mexico and Mississippi. Most states have at the very least introduced bills to get the process started, so it could only be a matter of time before the vast majority of states have legalized betting on soccer.
As of August 2022, The following states all have a legal and regulated sports betting industry, where you can wager on soccer:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington DC
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Best online soccer betting sites and mobile apps
There are plenty of betting websites and mobile apps that you can use when looking to place a wager on soccer. How do you find the one that is best for you? Well, odds can differ slightly from sportsbook to sportsbook, and it would obviously be advantageous to give yourself multiple options by shopping at various ‘books to find the best prices. Some ‘books will offer parlay insurances, promotions, and odds boosts that others may not. You can also find soccer player props at some sports betting websites that may not be available at others.
How to bet on soccer
Placing a bet on soccer sounds simple enough, but if you want to do it successfully it requires multiple steps – all of which are important. You should start the process, of course, by figuring out what bet you should make. At Pickswise, we have expert handicappers who do much of the work for you by researching teams and players in the top soccer leagues, including the MLS and EPL. Our handicappers break down statistics, preview matches, make predictions and plenty more. We post the odds that are being offered by various legal sportsbooks, as well. Be sure to check out our soccer picks all year long (soccer never stops!) to help you bet better.
Once you decide on a wager to place, the next step is to determine the best site or app at which to do so. Most ‘books will have a soccer tab either in the left column or at the top, which will then take you to the soccer markets that are available. You can bet on individual soccer matches, futures, props, and – if applicable – promos and odds boosts. Locate the market you desire, add the play you want to your bet slip, enter your wager amount and then lock in your bet with the submit, bet or confirm button.
Ways to bet on soccer
There are many ways to bet on soccer, which is becoming increasingly popular among bettors in the United States and it offers all kinds of betting options because there are so many different leagues and tournaments around the world. Among the soccer markets generally available at most sportsbooks are single game, futures, player props, team props, and you can also make parlays and teasers. Some of the popular soccer betting markets are listed and explained below.
Money Line betting
A money line bet in soccer is when you pick one team to win outright against another, regardless of the margin of victory. Unlike in other sports, a soccer money line is generally three-way instead of two-way. The third option is a draw — which happens if the score is tied after 90 minutes (it will be different in playoffs/knockout rounds, in which you can also bet one team to advance). In turn, a draw is not a push if you bet on one side or the other; you would lose your bet if you didn’t bet on a draw. In a two-way NFL money line, for example, in the event of a tie even after overtime has been played a bet on one side or the other would be a push and you would get your stake back. In money line betting, it doesn’t matter if the team you are betting on wins by 1 goal or 4 goals; it is a successful wager regardless of the margin. Similarly, it is an unsuccessful wager if the team you are betting on loses by 1 goal all the same as it is if that team loses by 7 goals.
Another difference in soccer money line betting is that because there are generally three options, the favored side will often have plus money odds such as +115, +135, or +160. A draw could be something like +200 and the underdog side could be +250. Only a rather sizable favorite would have negative odds (-115, -130, etc.) on the three-way money line. Odds of +135 on Paris Saint-Germain to beat FC Barcelona mean you would net a profit of $135 on a $100 bet if PSG wins. If L.A. Galaxy is a -120 favorite over Chicago Fire, you must bet $120 on L.A. to profit $100 (or $12 to profit $10). A Galaxy win – by any margin – gets you $100; with a Galaxy loss or draw you would lose your $120 stake.
Goal Line betting (Goal spreads/handicaps)
Goal line bets in soccer are when you pick teams to win by more than the size of the line if they are favorites or to lose by less than the size of the spread (or win outright, of course) if they are underdogs. Unlike on the money line, each of the two teams involved in a particular bet will generally have the same or at least similar odds to cover — such as -110 or -115 (soccer may vary more than other sports, as there could potentially be something like a +110 underdog on the goal line and a -125 favorite on the goal line). If Manchester United is a -1.5 favorite over Watford, United must win by at least 2 goals to cash a bettor’s wager. If Watford loses by 1 goal or less or wins the match outright, a Watford bet is successful.
Over/Under Goals betting (Totals)
Like in any other sport, an Over/Under goals bet in soccer is when you are wagering on the combined number of goals that are scored by the two teams throughout the duration of the match. Unlike sports such as football and basketball in which lots of points are generally scored in a single game, soccer totals must be set low because so few goals are generally scored. And the two sides (Over and Under) won’t necessarily have the same odds like they almost always do in football and basketball. A match between AC Milan and AS Roma may offer a total of 2.5 goals, and you might see the Over at +110 and the Under at -130. If Milan wins 2-1, an Over bet would be successful because 3 goals were scored. An Under bet would cash if the result is a 1-1 tie or if Roma wins 2-0.
Player prop bets
Player props in soccer may not be as widely available as they are in the NBA and other professional sports, but certain markets will be offered on occasion — especially during the biggest events such as the World Cup. The most popular player props in a single game are goals, assists, and player cards (yellow and red). A player points (goals + assists) market is sometimes an option, as well. Unsurprisingly, bets around goals are the most common and popular type of bet in soccer props. You can bet on a player to score first in the game or anytime during the game. Of course, betting on a player to score first will have better odds as if another player scores the bet is lost, whereas if you bet on a player anytime, it doesn’t matter if it’s the first or last kick of the match, a goal is a goal and a winning bet.
Team prop bets
Like with player props, team props in soccer may not be widely available but certain markets will be offered during the most important games and events. The most popular team props in a single game are total goals — or “team total” as it will likely be listed in your sportsbook of choice. If you feel good about one team’s goal output but not the money line, goal spread, or the overall game total, you could place a wager on the Over/Under for that specific team. In most games, you can also bet on both teams to score at least one goal. You can also occasionally find team props such as total cards incurred and corner kicks attempted.
Correct Score betting
In football and basketball, for example, it is almost impossible — or a complete shot in the dark at the very least — to predict the exact score in any game. Even in baseball it would be tough; tough enough to make it not worth betting on. In soccer, however, there are so few expected goals in every match that correct score betting is an extremely popular market. You can often bet on the exact score of a game–such as 0-0, 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, etc. Obviously, you must get the score exactly correct for a wager to be successful, and in most cases, you will find odds on each option well into plus-money.
Futures bets
The futures market is popular in every sport, and soccer is no exception. One of the best things about soccer is that there are so many different leagues and competitions taking place all over the world at many different times of the year that there are always futures bets to be made. Before any league season begins, betting on the eventual title winner is especially popular. In many cases, you can also bet on teams to finish in the top four of their respective league, or in the bottom three, or perhaps on their exact placement in the final standings. There are sometimes individual markets, as well, such as which player will lead the league in goals and/or assists. The World Cup obviously inspires the most betting and its futures market is available years in advance of the tournament beginning.
Parlays
A parlay is a type of bet in which multiple bets are included in the same overall bet, and every leg must be successful in order for that overall bet to be a winner. It is generally a riskier play for bettors given that more than one successful outcome is needed, but the obvious benefit is that the payout is higher than it is for a standard, single bet.
In soccer (and most other sports), you can combine bets on the spread, money line, and game totals in the same parlay. For example, you could have Sporting Kansas City to cover a -1.5 goal spread against FC Cincinnati, Bayern Munich on the money line against Borussia Dortmund, and Over 2.5 goals in the Lyon vs AS Monaco matchup. If Sporting K.C. wins 2-0, Bayern Munich wins by any score, and the Lyon-Monaco game features four goals, the three-leg parlay is a winner. But if Kansas City wins by only one goal instead of two, that leg is unsuccessful and the entire parlay is lost even though the other two legs were winners.
Live betting
Live, in-game betting in soccer is an option just as it is in basically every sport (except for maybe a 100-meter dash in the Olympics that lasts 10 seconds!). However, it is by no means the most popular sport when it comes to this kind of betting strategy. In football and especially basketball, lots of points are generally scored in each contest–thus creating many momentum swings, frequent odds movements, and therefore new betting opportunities. Tennis is another extreme example, as points are played–and won–every few seconds. Odds can go crazy throughout an entire match. In soccer, of course, scoring is kept to a minimum; momentum shifts and line changes are few and far between. That being said, if a big favorite gives up a cheap early goal there could be some value created. Or a couple of fluke early goals could lead to a betting opportunity on the under if you think the defense will restore order to the game the rest of the way.
Soccer competitions you can bet on
The volume of soccer games to bet on is quite simply immense. Unlike most sports in which a single prominent league is the top dog (at least in the United States), soccer features a ton of well-known leagues that are followed closely by fans and bettors from all parts of the globe. Among the most famous leagues are the English Premier League, the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, the Europa League, the Champions League, and Major League Soccer.
In addition to club competitions, there are — of course — country vs country tournaments. The World Cup and the European Championship, which each take place every four years, are the most prestigious events in the world.
Below is a breakdown of the top leagues and some specific considerations that should be taken into account for each one before placing wagers.
English Premier League betting (EPL)
The English Premier League is the top club league in England and the most popular league worldwide for viewing — and betting. It is home to the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool. The EPL is the most popular league in the US and most US soccer fans will have an English team in which they support. The quality of football in the EPL has been known to be the best in the world, although that is often a hotly debated topic! The English Premier League, while not as physical as years gone by, has still one of the more robust styles of play. Pace and power in attack and crunching tackles in defense can see a lot of counter-attacking play in EPL games. While the average number of goals are below some of their European counterparts, you won’t be short of action in the EPL.
UEFA Champions League betting (UCL)
European clubs must qualify for the Champions League, generally doing so by placing in the top four of their respective league the previous season. Once the UEFA UCL field is set, there is round-robin play in groups of four followed by knockout stages — similar to the World Cup. The Champions League is the most prestigious tournament in the world outside of the two aforementioned cups.
UEFA Europa League betting (UEL)
The Europa League is similar to the Champions League in that European clubs qualify for it based on their finishes in the previous club season. Once a third-tier event, it is now a second-tier event in Europe — trailing only the Champions League. Teams that finish outside of the UEFA UCL cut line in their respective leagues can still qualify for the Europa League with a respectable spot on their league table.
La Liga betting
La Liga is the top club league in Spain and one of the most popular worldwide. It is home to the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. La Liga is known for a high intensity with and without the ball. When out of possession, you can expect teams to press hard for the ball. And those in possession will typically pass the ball around quickly. Unlike some European leagues, there is a real emphasis on long periods of possession and building up slowly to create a goalscoring opportunity. While you do get high-scoring games, this style can see fewer goals than say the German or Dutch equivalents.
Bundesliga betting
The Bundesliga is the top club league in Germany and one of the most popular worldwide. It is home to the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. The Bundesliga is known for being a highly intense league with strong pressing when out of possession and moving the ball quickly when in possession. This intensity sees the Bundesliga have a high number of average goals per game as a result, and it is often favored with bets such as both teams to score and over 2.5 goals.
Major League Soccer betting (MLS)
Major League Soccer is the top club league in the United States. It may not be as popular worldwide as the main European leagues, but it is becoming increasingly popular locally. It is home to two Los Angeles squads (LA Galaxy and LAFC), two New York teams (NYCFC and New York Red Bulls), and clubs in other major cities such as Atlanta and Chicago. The MLS has become known for its physical and athletic play style. The games are played at an intense pace and pressure from the jump and this tends to result in high-scoring matches. The MLS has been up there with the most free-flowing leagues in the world, with only the Dutch Eredivisie and Bundesliga of the European contingent seeing more goals per game in recent seasons. As a result, both teams to score, team goals over 1.5, spread lines and total goals markets are all popular choices amongst MLS bettors.
Soccer betting trends
Like in every sport, it is important to stay up to date with all of the latest trends in soccer. Some trends can obviously be specific to a certain team, but there are also league-wide or even sport-wide trends that must be considered before and during the betting process. Teams’ home records and away records are especially important to note, as home-field advantage is generally even more of a factor in soccer than it is in most other sports. Rarely do you find a road team favored–at least not heavily–on a three-way money line unless there is a significant discrepancy in talent such as Manchester United vs Burnley. Sometimes value can be found if the sportsbooks and betting public are sleeping on a club that has an unusually successful track record away from home.
Also make sure to pay attention to how successful teams are as home underdogs or road favorites, etc., in addition to statistics such as average goals for and average goals against. Head-to-head history is important, too. There are many different playing styles and formations being used in soccer, so it is not unusual to see head-to-head records that you otherwise might not expect without researching. Injuries are prevalent in soccer, as are player absences for other reasons — to a greater extent than most other sports. With so many competitions taking place all around the world at any given time, a player could miss a club match while playing for a national team. That is just one of many examples of why someone could be out. It is important to confirm starting lineups prior to wagering on any match.
Five ways to bet smarter on soccer
- Take advantage of early-season odds. There are so many teams and leagues around the world and so much transferring of players between clubs that it is tough for oddsmakers to be sharp on every team in the early stages of a league’s season. Hopping on the futures market — especially when it comes to underdogs — can be profitable before odds adjust to on-field results.
- Hammer the home team. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but in general there is a bigger home-stadium advantage in soccer than there is in most other sports. Fans are generally rabid, travel for road teams is often extensive, and soccer fields differ in size. It is much more advantageous to play on a field that you are extremely familiar with than it is on another team’s field that you might see only once a year — or perhaps have never even seen before. It is true that the odds reflect such home-field advantage more often than not, sometimes even too much to the extent that a road team can be the value play. But with so many options and with the right research, you can find great betting opportunities on teams that excel at home.
- Props can pay. Money line betting in soccer doesn’t always have the best value in soccer since there are frequent wild discrepancies in talent; favorites can have very short odds and underdogs with long odds almost never win. Goal-line betting can be similar. But there is often value to found in props, even though there are a select few compared to statistics-heavy sports like baseball, basketball, and football. Betting on a player to score a goal, for example, will generally pay out handsomely like a baseball player to hit a home run.
- Game totals can be the way to go. The game totals market in soccer is an interesting one because all of them are so low. There are such few goals scored on average in this sport that you will rarely find a total higher than 3.5. Even 3 is a big number. But value can be found when you really know your stuff. A game total of 2.5 may be way too big for a team that has posted seven clean sheets in a row, for example. Or a total of 3.5 may actually be too low for a team that has scored 4+ goals in three consecutive games. Keep in mind that game totals moving up or down even a half of a point is a big deal when they are also so low. A game total moving from 2.5 to 3 is a 20 percent difference. Keep track of line movements and react accordingly. Also make sure you know game totals betting roles, A game total of 2.5, 3 means half of your stake is going on a total of 2.5 and the other half is going on a total of 3. If the score ends 2-1, half of an Over 2.5 bet wins and the other half is pushed. This is unique to soccer.
- Bet on the double chance (win or draw). This market usually has the most value. Double chance means the team you bet on can either win or draw and the bet cashes. Obviously, the odds are shorter than they are for an outright win, but there are so many regulation draws in soccer that adding that option to the bet is often well worth the payout price you sacrifice.
When to bet on soccer throughout the season
The top worldwide soccer competitions typically take place during the summer. The exception to this takes place in 2022, when the World Cup will be played in the winter (November 21 to December 18) due to the extreme heat in Qatar. As for certain leagues, their general dates are as follows:
EPL — August to May
Champions League — September to May
Europa League — September to May
La Liga — August to May
Bundesliga — August to May
MLS — April to December
As you can see, most leagues run from late summer to the spring of the following year. At that point, they have a few months off when players can participate in worldwide competitions.
While futures markets are available throughout each season and competition, they are most popular in the preseason — and sometimes offer the best value at that point. Make sure you are familiar with the entire soccer calendar so that you know when the time may be right to strike.
Soccer betting strategies
Basic
As is the case with betting on any sport, it is important to establish your bankroll when it comes to betting on soccer. In the worst-case scenario, what is the most you are willing to lose in a league season or maybe in a month — or a week? What is the max you would be willing to bet on a single game when you have a lot of confidence on it? After establishing these kinds of parameters, the next step is to familiarize yourself with the sport and its specific leagues. Become knowledgeable about as many teams as possible and stay up to date with the latest news, scores, injury reports, etc.
Intermediate
As you become more experienced with soccer betting, you will naturally find your niche with respect to what teams and leagues you enjoy betting on and bring you success. Where do you get your edge betting on soccer? Answer that question based on the data you have compiled on your betting history and continue to exploit that edge. There are so many different leagues around the world, so soccer bettors can have very different specialties. Remember to take a look at various sportsbooks and betting apps to find the one that offers the best odds on a certain market, or one that offers an intriguing prop that you might not be able to play elsewhere.
Advanced
The best and most accurate way to find the aforementioned edge is to keep a log of your soccer betting. Track all of your bets–including the size, team(s), outcome, and also the units won or lost (you can keep track of your winnings in terms of both actual money and units, but units are a more accurate representation of your success). Make sure to break it down league by league, so you can pinpoint your most (and least) successful betting areas. Watch as much soccer as possible, because it will help you rely on your own instincts as opposed to the opinions of experts and analysts. You can even make your own weekly power rankings in each league as you become familiar with the teams. Your rankings can give you a reference point for making a bet when two teams in your rankings are going head-to-head. Also be sure to stay up to date on news, specifics such as a team’s travel schedule, particular matchups, head-to-head referees, and the appointed referee for a match. Referees can have a big impact on a soccer game!
Things to avoid when betting on soccer
As mentioned above, you can’t just haphazardly bet on the best teams with the best players and automatically be successful. Player personnel can vary wildly from game to game based on injuries (of which there are many in soccer), yellow or red card suspensions, international duties, and load management. You must stay up to date on a club’s active roster before making wagers.
Also, don’t throw your money around far and wide across dozens of competitions, especially not as you become a more experienced bettor. Find the leagues and teams with which you are most successful and hammer those. Similarly, with so many options available it is easy to get carried away and make massive parlays. Try to keep parlays to relatively few legs, as it has to be said that soccer — by its low-scoring nature — is more of a crapshoot than football or basketball and it is generally difficult to hit a ton of legs in a single parlay.
Finally, don’t put all of your eggs into the basket of the World Cup and other huge events that everyone is hammering. The oddsmakers are generally as sharp as they can possibly be in those areas. If you really do your research when it comes to less popular leagues/events/tournaments, value can be found.
Pickswise is the home of free Soccer Predictions and soccer parlays. With expert picks from the MLS and top European Leagues such as the Premier League and the Champions League.
