Soccer is an excellent sport to bet on. Whether you are new to this hobby or even if you are a seasoned bettor, soccer can provide you with fun, excitement, and profit if you’re up to the challenge. 

It’s free-flowing, and the variables are straightforward during the game. Soccer, unlike the NFL, counts a goal as one point, so it’s easy to forecast an over/under or 90-minute score line with thorough research.

Therefore, you must try betting on soccer and see how straightforward it is. But, before you jump into this new venture of yours, you must remember that there are vital factors you need to consider when betting on a soccer game, such as:

Choose a Bookie With the Best Odds

If you are new to soccer betting, you should know that all bookies provide the same betting odds. However, you might discover that the odds in a specific game are remarkably better in terms of the return than the others. It is why you should first shop around.

Choosing the best bookmaker is a vital decision you should consider before you even start betting on a soccer game. Allocate time just to do the shopping with the best odds available. Lucky for you, many sites can already provide you with information about which bookies can offer you better odds. 

In addition to shopping for the right bookies to give the best odds, you must also look for the one that offers additional betting types during the games. One example of a betting variety you could aim for is prop bets. 

The Home and Away Record 

Before you place your bet, you should check out each team’s home and away records. Figuring this out will help you increase your chance of choosing the team that will likely win the game. 

You should take into account the home advantage of a specific team. It can’t be stressed out how crucial home advantage is in soccer. Most of the time, a home team is expected to defeat the visiting team, this belief in home court advantage holds true also to other sports. 

The player’s familiarity with the pitch, crowd support, and enough rest before the game are huge factors that will affect a team or player’s performance. You must also check the history of both teams on that particular field where the game will be held. For example, the Arsenal team never won a single Premier away game at Manchester United’s Old Trafford Stadium in the last 14 years. 

The Weather on the Day of the Game

Another factor that could affect the outcome of a soccer game is the weather. So, you must consider the weather on the day of the game when choosing a bet. Rain, for instance, can make the pitch muddy and slippery, putting players in a challenging situation. 

A wet pitch can slow down players. They will also need to adjust to the changes, which make them play at a slower phase. Meanwhile, too much heat isn’t good either. A study concluded that excessive heat could decrease the player’s performance. The study assessed players’ activity patterns and thermal responses in various environmental conditions throughout soccer games. 

Team Balance and Unity

It’s great to have several high-profile star players on the team, but what if all the players are star players and start playing more “I” than “We?” A star-studded lineup(that’s full of selfish players) can easily get owned by a team with average players who work together flawlessly. 

Although having a lineup of highly-paid athletes is almost impossible to create due to money, logistics, preferences, etc., every team has their ace player/s. These aces’ job is to rally their teammates together and work for a common purpose: Score the most goals. Balance, chemistry, and camaraderie are far more valuable when winning team-oriented sports such as soccer.

Study the Last 3 Matches of Each Team

Check a team’s last three matches to see how well they are likely to perform in the upcoming game. Knowing this information will tell you which participants are performing well and who isn’t. 

If a goalie has allowed eight or more goals in his last three games, it is possible that he is on a losing streak and will allow three or more in his next game. 

Meanwhile, if a player has scored four goals in his last three tournaments or shown dominance on the pitch, he will likely perform the same in the next game. It is a significant indicator that will help you pick a team to bet on. 

To Sum It Up

Soccer is known to be an easy sport to bet on. However, like with other sports, you should create a strategy for choosing a team to wager by considering the abovementioned factors. If you do, you will increase your chance of choosing the team that will likely win the game.