Football Tips - The Top 10 Alternative Football Betting Markets

Alternative Football Betting Markets

Many years ago OLBG member Tommy Buckley produced  Football Tips - The Top 10 Football Tipping Markets and it has stood the test of time. 

In this blog, I thought I would look at some alternatives to the top tipping markets that are available from the best online betting sites. 

I checked an EPL match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa to get some idea of the kind of odds you can expect in a game, obviously, odds in different matches will wary depending on the strength of the sides. 

Many of these markets can be used to build a bet or request a bet, it is important to always get the best odds from the bookies. 

Match Result and Both Teams To Score

First off the bat is Match Result and Both Teams To Score and you should note that this is really two bets.

You need to decide which team you are siding with and should always look at the 1X2 odds to compare the odds. 

Look to previous meetings between the teams, their current form, team news and any pronouncements by the managers. 

In the last 3 EPL seasons, 50% of games ended with both teams scoring.  

Below you can check 1X2 & Match Result and Both Teams To Score Odds. 

EG 1

E.G 2 

You can see that the biggest priced outcome was Aston Villa at 6.5, in the end, the game was won by Villa 2-1, so that would have been a winning bet. 

The Match Result and BTTS is always worth checking

To Be Shown A Card

On OLBG we have a dedicated yellow card blog where we recorded the players with the most yellow cards in that particular season, this can be a good guide to placing a bet on this market. 

Often you will not see odds being offered until later in the week (For weekend games) as the bookies are wary of supplying odds for players who will not start or alternative players who may be brought into the 11 who are known to "like a tackle" or have a short fuse. 

The favourite players to be booked in individual EPL matches are normally between 6/4 and 2/1, with the outsiders around the 10/1 mark. 

Winning Margin

Once you have worked out how you think the game will go you may have considered a correct score bet, the winning margin can give you an alternative. 

You could split between the two bets, or if you are convinced of on teams superiority cover a couple of options in this market, say Team A by 1 goal and 2 goals. 

Score/Win Double

Like match result and both teams to score but here you need to be specific with a player to score and that team to win. 

However most of us regularly have a team in mind that we think will win, you just then need to find a player to get on the scoresheet. 

As an example of this, we checked the odds on Score/Win Double. 

Win To Nil

Another bet that over the years has proved very popular, thanks in part to the excellent blog written by OLBG member monkeytennis.

You can often double the odds of the 1X2 market when selecting a team to win to nil. 

Again splitting your stakes between the straight win and the win to nil is a route many punters favour. 

To Win From Behind

Does what it says on the tin, if a team goes behind in a game do they have what it takes to fight back and win the game. 

The odds can be generous as you can see by the table in our featured EPL game. 

To Score A Penalty

You can normally get a market on a team to score a penalty, often around the 5/1 mark. 

So far in the 2021/22 season, 120 games have been played and there have been 31 penalties awarded. 

Around 80% of awarded penalties are scored, the bookies get out of jail when a spot-kick is missed. 

A study of the EPL referees penchant for awarding spot kicks is time well spent for those who want to profit in this market. 

Most Corners

Home sides are predominately the favourites in the corners market as in theory they should be doing more attacking, however, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea who are riding high tend to buck this when away from home. 

You can also get tie odds which tend not to happen. 

The Crystal Palace v Aston Villa match ended with Palace having 7 corners and Villa 3. 

Asian Handicap

For those new to Asian Handicap betting please visit many of the helpful articles on OLBG in relation to the Asian Handicap.

There is no draw option in Asian Handicap betting. 

The better team will be given a minus "Handicap" say minus 0.25 or -0.5 or -0.75 or  -1 it could be anything up to around - 3.0. 

The poorer team will be given a plus  "Handicap" say + 0.25 or +0.5 or +0.75 or +1 it could be anything up to around +3.0 

You can see that Arsenal are the favourites in this match away at Everton. 

This means if you are betting for the team with a minus handicap they need to win by more than that amount for you to be paid out in full and vice versa for a plus handicap. 

Below are the most popular - and + handicaps from a range of the best betting sites on an EPL game from the 2021/22 season. 

You have to decide which options offer value with the Plus and Minus handicaps. 

Even if your team loses you can still win or the bet be voided depending on which handicap you chose. 

Asian Handicap