Everything to Know About the Different Soccer Bet Types
Few sports generate as wide a selection of betting markets as soccer, largely because of how many competitions run year-round across the world. Billions of fans follow the game globally, and that demand means sportsbooks, including LeoVegas, offer deep coverage on matches at every level.
This guide will introduce you to the most common soccer bet types, starting with basic match results and working up to more complex options like handicaps and player props. This page also explains why these markets attract so many bettors and how to determine which bet type suits your approach.
Why is Soccer Betting Popular?
Around three billion people worldwide follow soccer, making it the most-watched sport on the planet. That audience drives a betting market that runs essentially every day of the year, with major leagues and international tournaments always on the calendar.
The sheer volume of matches means sportsbooks dedicate more coverage to soccer than most other sports, with markets available well below the top-flight level. That demand also pushes sportsbooks to compete on market variety, which is why the range of soccer bet types has grown well past what you'd find in most other sports.
One thing that separates soccer from most other sports is that matches can end in a draw, which happens in roughly a quarter of top-league games. That possibility shapes the whole betting market, giving rise to options that don't exist in sports with a guaranteed winner. The game is also low-scoring, with top leagues averaging under three goals per match, so a single goal can flip a betting result entirely.
The Most Popular Soccer Bet Types
The most widely used soccer bet types are covered below, each with a real example to show how they work.
Match Result (1X2)
The 1X2 market is the most common way to bet on a soccer match, where you predict the final result at the end of regulation time. The 1 represents a home win and 2 an away win, while X covers the draw. As established, soccer is one of the few major sports where draws are common, meaning you always have three possible outcomes instead of two. As a general rule, betting on the favourite returns less profit, while backing the draw or an underdog yields more.
Say a bookmaker prices the home team at 2.00, meaning you double your money if they win. A $10 bet returns $20, so your profit is $10 on top of your original stake. If the game ends in a draw or the away side wins, the bet loses, regardless of how close the match was.
Over/Under Goals (Totals)
Rather than picking a winner, this market asks you to predict how many goals will be scored across the full match. The bookmaker sets a line, most commonly 2.5 goals, and you choose whether the total will go over or under that number. Backing Over 2.5 requires three or more goals to land, while Under 2.5 wins when the final total stays at two goals or below. A $10 bet on Over 2.5 at 1.80 returns $18 if the match produces three goals or more.
Both Teams to Score (BTTS)
This market simply asks whether both teams will score at least one goal by the end of the match. Betting "Yes" wins on any scoreline where both sides get on the board, like 1-1 or 2-1, while "No" wins if either team is shut out, covering results like 1-0 or 0-0. The match outcome has no bearing on the bet; only whether both teams scored matters.
Say you bet $10 on BTTS "Yes" at odds of 1.80 in a match between two attacking sides. If the game ends 2-1, both teams have scored, and your bet wins, returning $18 in total with $8 profit. If the final score is 1-0, only one team scored, so the bet loses regardless of how many chances the other side had.
Risk-Management Bets
Some soccer bet types are built around limiting your exposure instead of attempting to increase your return. These bets cover more than one outcome in a single bet, which improves your probability of a winning result but lowers the odds you receive.
Double Chance
A Double Chance bet lets you cover two of the three possible match outcomes in a single wager, meaning you only lose if the one result you left out actually happens. The most common version is backing the home win or draw (1X), which only loses if the away side wins. You can also bet on either team to win (12), where a draw is the only result that beats you. The trade-off is that covering two outcomes means the odds are noticeably shorter than a standard 1X2 bet, so the potential return is smaller.
Draw No Bet (DNB)
This market removes the draw from the equation, so you are only choosing between a home win or an away win. A drawn result means your stake comes back to you in full, meaning you only actually lose if the team you backed gets beaten. The odds are a little shorter than a standard 1X2 bet because you are taking on less risk, but the protection against a draw can make it a reasonable trade-off.
Advanced Bets
These markets generally offer higher odds than the standard options, but they require more thought and a better read on the game before placing them.
Asian Handicap
Asian handicap betting eliminates the draw outcome by assigning one team a virtual head start or deficit before kick-off. This helps balance the odds between a stronger team and a weaker team. The handicap is added to or subtracted from the final score to determine the betting result.
For example, if Team A has a -1 Asian handicap against Team B, Team A must win by two or more goals for the bet to win. If Team A wins by exactly one goal, the stake is refunded (a “push”). If the match ends in a draw or Team A loses, the bet loses, and the full stake is gone.
Correct Score
The Correct Score market requires you to predict the exact final scoreline of the match, which makes it one of the hardest bets to get right, but also one of the higher-odds markets available. Instead of simply picking the winning team or whether the game will end in a draw, you must choose the precise scoreline for the bet to win.
Because predicting the exact result is more difficult, the odds are usually higher than standard match bets. If you place a correct score bet on Manchester United to beat Chelsea 2-1, the match must finish exactly 2-1 for the bet to win.
Half-Time/Full-Time (HT/FT)
The Half-Time/Full-Time (HT/FT) market in football is a type of bet in which you predict which team will be winning at half-time and which will be winning at full-time. This means you are predicting both the result after the first 45 minutes and the final result after 90 minutes in a single bet. Because you must get both outcomes correct, the odds are usually higher than a standard match result bet.
Player & Stat “Props”
Rather than betting on team results, prop bets focus on individual players or specific in-game events. These markets favour bettors who closely follow player form, lineups, and match conditions.
Goalscorer Markets
These football markets are bets on which player will score a goal during a match. Instead of focusing on the final result, these bets focus on individual players and their likelihood of scoring. There are different types of goalscorer bets, including first goalscorer, last goalscorer, or anytime goalscorer, depending on when the player scores.
If you place an anytime goalscorer bet on Erling Haaland, your bet wins if he scores at any point during the match, whether it is the first goal, the last goal, or any goal in between. If he does not score at any point during the match, the bet loses regardless of the final result.
Card and Corner Betting
This market focuses on match events other than goals, specifically the number of yellow/red cards or corner kicks per game. Instead of predicting the winner, bettors try to forecast how many cards or corners will occur, or which team will have more of them. These markets are often influenced by playing style and the referee assigned to the game.
You might place a bet on over 9.5 total corners in a match between Liverpool F.C. and Manchester City F.C. If the game finishes with 10 or more corners in total, the bet wins. If there are 9 or fewer corners, the bet loses.
Scorecast
A scorecast in football is a type of bet in which you predict both the first goalscorer and the final score of the match in a single wager. Because both predictions must be correct for the bet to win, this is one of the hardest markets to land consistently, though the odds reflect that difficulty and the returns can be significant. Backing Arsenal to win 3-0 with Gabriel Jesus as first scorer only wins if that precise scenario plays out, nothing else.
Strategy for Selecting the Right Bet Type for You
Picking the right soccer bet type comes down to the game in front of you and the level of risk you're comfortable with. Here are some tips to guide your selection:
Match Situation: Always consider the match context before choosing a bet type. A strong team facing a weak opponent may suit an Asian Handicap, while a game between attacking teams can point toward Over 2.5 goals or Both Teams to Score. Team form, injuries, head-to-head record, and motivation also influence which market makes sense
Odds and Value: Compare odds across different markets before placing a bet. If the favourite has very low odds in the match winner market, a handicap bet may offer better value. Watching odds movement before kick-off can also reveal useful signals when new team news appears
Risk Tolerance: Choose markets that align with the level of risk you are comfortable with. Lower-risk options include Double Chance or Draw No Bet because they cover more outcomes. Higher-risk bets, including Correct Score, require a precise prediction but offer larger returns
Bet What You Know: If you follow a league closely, using that knowledge to find edges in specific markets will serve you better than spreading your attention across everything at once
Things to Avoid: Don't chase big odds or back your favourite team out of loyalty, as both habits lead to poor long-term decisions. Use stats and head-to-head records to guide your market selection, and always factor in the latest team news before placing anything. Shifting to lower-variance bets after a losing run is far more sustainable than increasing your risk to chase losses back
The best soccer bet type for any given game depends on the situation and your preferences.