The jackpots on football betting sites keep getting bigger and more people are gunning for the win. After all, who would walk out on the chance to make millions by just predicting which team will win? Many people have changed their fortunes by making the right bet. And many others have followed them, hoping to be just as successful. But what makes a good football bet, and what reduces your chances of winning?
Let’s start with the most obvious one. Before you even stake any money, you must consider the platform you will use. Are the odds competitive? Can you trust the bookie to give you what’s yours? Always work with the top football betting sites so you can focus less on how the system works and instead on clinching the win. Secondly, winning in football has a luck aspect, but that accounts for very little in the outcome. As such, you must pay particular attention to:
The Motivation Behind Both Teams
Suppose teams A and B are about to face each other in a match, and you want to predict the winner. You must consider the emotional and psychological factors that will be in play before and during the match. But what does this mean?
Take the example of a friendly game. Teams don’t put too much emphasis on these games and will often show up just for a chance to put their skills to the test. But they will not push themselves too much as they will not want to use up their energy, yet it could be put to better use in a bigger game. So, you should avoid making huge bets on such matches.
Now, take a tournament as an example. Every team gunning for that trophy will want to put its best foot forward and inch closer to the final. However, the motivation is not so straightforward. Teams are after points, and they score 3 for wins and 1 for draws. As the games continue, the teams rack up points. And each time two teams face off, you must consider how many points each needs to get to the next stage. Sometimes, a team is doing so well that it needs a point to keep going and will not push itself too much. And at others, it needs a win so badly because failure to get one might result in missing out on a key game.
What are the motivations behind the team you want to back? If it’s stronger than that of the other team, backing it may be a good idea. But read the next section for some more context.
The Strengths of the Teams
Even with motivation, a team must still have the skills to achieve its goal. For example, an amateur team may be up against a professional one. Even in a friendly match, the amateur team would likely lose. That’s because motivation alone is insufficient to carry the team through the match.
The challenge comes in when assessing equally strong teams with equally strong motivations. How can you tell which one is likely to come out on top? You should focus on:
- The class of the team: In this case, you must analyze how much the management has spent on the team, what transfers they have made, and how these have affected the team. Sometimes, managers spend so much on adding key players, but they end up not syncing, and all that investment amounts to slight improvement.
- The form of the game: How coordinated are the players? An amateur team that takes the time to learn how to work together is much better poised than a professional team where teamwork barely exists. If a team can maintain consistent gameplay throughout the match, despite aggressive attacks or strong defenses from the other team, it has the upper hand. It takes just one misstep from the other team for the coordinated team to bag a goal.
But even with these factors working in favor of a team, you must consider how motivated it is to win. If the match is just but a preliminary, the team will have little motivation to bring their A-game to the field.
The Style of Play
Have you studied how the teams like to play? Some teams like to possess the ball, while others like to do what is known as ‘parking the bus.’ When such teams go head-to-head, the latter usually emerges as the winner. Let’s use another example. Consider a team that likes to attack and has aggressive gameplay. Such a team will primarily emphasize attacking. But what happens when it plays against a team that likes to counter-attack? The strength of the attacking team will be significantly diminished. Now, let’s add the other factors above. Suppose the counter-attacking team is highly motivated and has coordinated gameplay. What are their chances of winning?
The Previous Home and Away Records
Teams playing at home often have the advantage of being on home ground and having a solid fan base to cheer them on. Sometimes, their opponents get discouraged by the constant booing and may even lose their morale. However, this is not the only thing to consider.
Instead, look at the history of the teams playing in that stadium. Which team often takes the win? You might find that even if a team is away, it still has the upper hand as it can maintain its gameplay even in foreign stadiums.
Odds are another way to consider which team might win. However, these are often based on public perception and have a vig factor that alters their accuracy. But if you still cannot make up your mind based on the above factors, they might be worth trying.
