The World’s Game, The Beautiful Game, futbol or soccer, whatever you call it, there are plenty soccer events that bettors can tune into this year. Major League Soccer is already underway here in the US, and Premier League is reaching the end of the season for those English football fans. Arguably the largest soccer competition of them all will be the FIFA Women’s Wold Cup, kicking off in July of this year.
For bettors unfamiliar with the rules and betting lines for soccer, let us try and make things simple for you. On this page you will find the breakdown of soccer betting odds, lines, leagues and opportunities. Soccer can be immensely rewarding and a valuable asset to a bettor’s portfolio because there is such a deep selection of competitions on which to wager across the globe.
Soccer Betting Lines
The trickiness of betting on soccer lies in the nature of its typical three-way offerings—patrons can pick either Team A, Team B, or draw, with corresponding odds.
In any type of sporting event, there is enough difficulty in simply attempting to pick one of two sides, with points and/or odds involved. Mix in a third element, the dastardly draw, and the challenge can seem to magnify geometrically.
However, that’s the fantastic challenge of doing proper homework and research. With such a vast amount of match selections, and with insights and experience, matches projected to be too tight, or too difficult to call can be bypassed–onto the next one, or the next, or the next … pick and choose to your liking and to your strengths.
Experience is the great intangible, requiring years if not decades to develop certain gut instincts. Perusing a set of 14, 16, or 20 matches or a weekend stocked with 70 games is enviable. When instincts and experience combine to pinpoint an angle on a few matches, that’s the reward.
The trickiness is not restricted to three-way action, either. The sport demands attention because in Europe, for example, there are domestic and European club tournaments that compound schedules.
Moreover, players who leave for international duty with their national sides are that much more taxed. Who is being rested and who has been pressed, say, with five or six matches over 10 or 11 days, must be followed and noted.
The greatest gray area is motivation. A team with no shot at a domestic regular-season crown but is still alive and thriving in a domestic tournament must be circled. Those are the types of details that must be followed like a hawk.
Soccer Betting Odds Scenarios
| Sportsbook | Moneyline | Total Goals | Goal Line |
| Team A | -115 | Over 3 -130 | -½ -115 |
| Team B | +280 | Under 3 +110 | +½ -105 |
| Draw | +295 |
Betting on either team to win, draw, or placing a wager on the match to finish ‘over’ or ‘under’ the designated goal total are singular side bets.
Parlays are typically offered on soccer and can be lucrative, especially if a bettor is confident about taking a three-way option. A rotation number will precede either team or choose to draw, and a patron can parlay combinations of teams and/or totals together.
“A two-way parlay please on 224409 to the ‘over’ in 224413 for fifty bucks.”
That is a request from a SuperBook Europa League sheet on May 6: 224409 being Manchester United (at -115 over AS Roma) and 224413 being ‘over’ on 2½, at -120 from the Villarreal-Arsenal match.
There are countless other ways to make a bet on a soccer match, from who will score the first goal to the exact final score of the game to mutually exclusive wagers on the first or second half alone.
To keep this simple, we are addressing the basic ways to get involved with soccer.
How Soccer Bets Are Calculated
Oddsmakers at each sportsbook establish the aforementioned odds, totals, goal lines, futures numbers, and all other figures related to soccer betting.
A combination of experience, power rankings and insights from colleagues and other experts factor into their equations and final numbers. They also track what is typically referred to as “sharp” money from bettors who have fared well in the sport and adjust their figures accordingly.
Injuries, coaching changes, potential roster alterations, and a run of poor or excellent form can also affect a team’s match odds as a season unfolds.
A team in England in the middle of the Premier League that has been running well in the FA Cup, say, might place more stock in trying to win that domestic tournament than continuing to spin its wheels against a top side in the league.
So if there’s a string of three matches in five days and that middle match is an FA Cup fixture, that team might rest a couple of its top players in the game before the cup match to ensure they are rested and ready for that tournament.
That is vital information to monitor when betting on soccer.
Types Of Soccer Bets
For those new to soccer, there are some different ways to place your wagers and opportunities to look out for that you might not be used to with other popular sports in America. Getting familiar with all the different types of soccer bets can help not only with your winnings but understanding the game.
Three-way
Three-way is the most common offering. We’ll use a previous CONCACAF Gold Cup match as an example.
El Salvador was -125 to win, Trinidad and Tobago +335, and the draw +190. To bet on El Salvador to win outright would have required $125 to win $100, a $225 return. For the underdog, $100 would win $435—the principal plus $335.
El Salvador had been 2-0-1 against this foe in the Gold Cup, with a 7-5 goals advantage. For it to win would have been the way to go, as El Salvador won 2-0 in Frisco, Texas.
Totals
In the above example, a total of 2 was established at one Las Vegas sportsbook. ‘Over’ that total was listed at -130, ‘under’ at even-money. Anyone who expected a bushel of goals would have had to risk $130 to win $100 on more than two being tallied.
The Gold Cup history of these two sides might have suggested fireworks—several goals from both teams. Instead, El Salvador played smart and deliberate, forging a 2-0 victory. A wager on either side would have been a push, with money being refunded.
An ‘under’ at 2.25 or ‘over’ at 2.75 can be typical offerings, too. The former bet entails half on 2 and a half on 2.5; both are winners if there are one or no total goals. If there are two, one is a draw and refunded, the other is a winner. Three goals mean both lose.
At ‘over’ 2.75, half is on 2.5, the other half on 3. Both win if there are at least four goals scored. At three, one wins, the other is refunded. If two or fewer, both lose.
Goal Lines
In another Gold Cup match example, Mexico was a -3 favorite, meaning it would have to beat Guatemala by at least four goals at +105 to win. A $100 wager would win $105. Taking Los Chapines (Guatemala) at +3 cost -135, or wager $135 to win $100.
These Goal Lines are adjustments in what appear to be one-sided matches, so the goal handicap comes into play. In this case, Mexico won, 3-0, and money on both sides would have been returned.
Asian Handicaps
Consider these advanced plays, but we address them because of their popularity abroad. A game with an AH of 0 means it’s evenly matched. Bettors take one side or the other, and if it ends in a draw, the money is refunded.
This type of betting essentially removes the Draw from a typical three-way wager, distilling the decision to one of two sides minimizing risk.
So if a wager is made on Team A at +0.5 and it wins or the match ends in a draw, the bet is a winner.
If a bet is made on Team B, in another match, at, say, -1.25, half goes on -1 and the other half at -1.5. If Team B wins by two goals, both wagers are winners. If it wins by a single goal, the former is a draw and the latter a loss; ultimately, less money is lost. Consider it a form of insurance.
Parlays
These involve combining at least two options from different matches, a popular activity since it enhances the payoff if both hit.
Just remember that on the three-way, it can be a challenge to win just one of the three options. But let’s say you wager on Team A at +120 (risk $100 to win $120 as a solo play), to win Game 1 and Team D at -130 (bet $130 to earn $100 by itself) to win Game 2.
Should both come in, a $100 parlay on Team A to Team D, would return $289.23. The more “legs” that are involved, the greater the payoff.
Professionals, however, avoid these like the plague due to the difficulty of them being profitable over the long haul.
Soccer Futures Bet
A futures bet is a wager on a team to win a league, domestic, European, or international tournament to be decided a few months down the road, or in the case of the World Cup, sometimes a few years in the future.
An epic example of this type of wager in the US occurred on July 15, 2015: Someone at Silver Sevens in Vegas placed ten bucks on Leicester City to win the Premier League at 2500-to-1 odds.
Leicester, behind striker Jamie Vardy and the rest of a side immortalized as “The Unbelievables,” won England’s top flight for the first time since its inception in 1894.
Almost exactly one year after making the wager, the bettor won $25,010—the principal of $10 and the $25,000 winnings.
In England, those were the highest odds ever paid out by many veteran bookmakers.
How To Bet On Soccer Props
The list of props on soccer matches can seem endless, especially in Europe. The first goal, correct score, and halftime/full-time results are just some myriad options that are widely available for the sport.
Note that nearly all of these wagers deal with regular time—90 minutes plus stoppage time. Unless indicated, they exclude extra time of 30 minutes (following matches tied in regulation) and penalty kicks.
In the Euro 2020 finale won by Italy on PKs over England, the Westgate SuperBook in Vegas posted an impressive menu.
Team to score first? A wager at -125 (risk $125 to win $100) would have been a winner as the Three Lions scored the match’s first goal in the first couple of minutes.
Will both teams score? A Yes wager at +120 would have been successful.
Will there be an own goal? Yes was +1100. In a tournament that featured 11, two more than the combined total of its previous 15 editions, it might have been a popular choice.
However, none were recorded in Italy–England. The No was -2500, or wager $2,500 to win $100, and would have delivered a winner.
Will England’s Harry Kane score a goal? Yes was +210. But he didn’t, so -250 would have won. Will Italy’s Ciro Immobile score a goal? Yes was +290; alas, he didn’t either, so -350 won.
The list can be hypnotic. The best approach is to do your own extensive homework before matches, preferably for days. Digest all the facts, figures, and statistics, and develop a few wagers that are appealing.
Then, and only then, review and compare odds that are out there for those specific plays. When those figures are deemed enviable and when you’ve spotted a few potential edges, fire away and have fun.
Best Sportsbooks for Soccer Odds
Like other popular sports, adding some skin in the game with a few responsible wagers can make soccer even more exciting. And for the instances in which a game can become slow, having a couple of wagers in play elevates the entertainment value. These are our top picks for sports betting apps with the best soccer odds.
Major League Soccer In The US
Do not discount the US top league for opportunities to fatten the wallet. It requires research and monitoring, and a few years of observance are always beneficial.
MLS is a league on the rise that’s finding its place in the global landscape. From a big picture perspective, it’s interesting to see how the league positions itself.
On one hand, the league’s health is demonstrated by the increasing frequency of players moving from the states to European sides. On another, at some point, the league may aspire to be the destination as opposed to Europe’s development arm. Signs of the league’s growth were also on display during the 2021-22 CONCACAF Champions League, where the Seattle Sounders claimed the title over Liga MX side Pumas.
The Best Soccer Leagues in Europe
Premier League – England
Abu Dhabi United Group bought Manchester City in 2008, and the club has taken flight since then, winning six titles, including four of the last five. It doesn’t appear as if they have any intention of slowing down in the immediate future.
City brought in big-name reinforcements during the summer transfer window leading into the 2022-23 season. DraftKings Sportsbook places them atop the preseason odds board with -165 odds to win the Premier League. Liverpool (+250), Tottenham (+1400), and Chelsea (+1400) will be in best position to break City’s stranglehold on the Premier League.
Manchester City are also +270 at FanDuel Sportsbook to win their first UEFA Champions League title.
(Note that odds are subject to change.)
The middle of the table offers plenty to watch as well. Arsenal appear on the rise, and they added some firepower over the summer to help them compete for European position in the league. Newcastle United is under the watch of new ownership, and their aggressive injection of money and talent has supporters excited about what the “Magpies” may be able to achieve this season.
Championship – England
England’s second division is called “The Championship”. The top two finishers in the table automatically qualify for promotion to the Premier League. The third and final promotion spot is determined through a four-team playoff. Meanwhile, the bottom three teams from the Premier League are relegated down to The Championship.
Fulham, Nottingham Forest, and Bournemouth earned promotion into the Premier League for the 2022-23 season. They’ll take the spots of Watford, Norwich City, and Burnley, who will now have to scratch and claw their way back into England’s top division.
Norwich (+600) and Watford (+700) are top of DraftKings’ odds board to return to the Premier League with Middlesbrough (+850) next in line according to price. It’s a rugged and ruthless league to emerge from as second-division teams strive for the financial windfall playing in the Premier League provides.
Serie A – Italy
Perennial Italian powerhouse Juventus has seen its Serie A drought stretch to two seasons without winning the scudetto. Inter Milan broke the streak in 2020-21 and then watched crosstown rival AC Milan take the top spot in 2021-22.
The “Old Lady” is primed to reclaim its crown in 2022-23, bolstered by summer reinforcements. They’re led by towering striker Dusan Vlahovic, who scored seven goals in 15 matches after arriving from Fiorentina midseason.
Juventus and Inter Milan are both +175 at DraftKings to finish atop the Serie A table. AC Milan (+400) and Napoli (+1400) draw the third and fourth shortest odds as the clubs most likely to make a mildly surprising run to a Serie A title.
Sides like Roma, Lazio, and Sassuolo offer additional intrigue with European aspirations and/or exciting young talent.
Bundesliga – Germany
Bayern Munich has won the past 10 titles, demonstrating a run of dominance rarely witnessed on the European stage. They’re massive -600 favorites at DraftKings to the Bundesliga, and rightfully so. They’re also +700, FanDuel’s fourth shortest odds, to win the Champions League.
It will take a monster effort to unseat the German giants, but there are a few teams in line to take a shot. Borussia Dortmund underwent significant staff and personnel changes during the summer, but they’re priced +800 at DraftKings. That’s second shortest on the board. RB Leipzig (+1000) and Leverkusen (+2000) are among the likeliest to break Bayern’s stranglehold on the league.
The Bundesliga is home to some of the continent’s — and world’s — top talent. It’s a league willing to gamble on young players, signing them and playing them. It also frequently produces talent that matriculates into England’s top tier.
La Liga – Spain
La Liga power Real Madrid returned to the top of the La Liga table in 2021-2022 in addition to winning the Champions League title. Needless to say, it was a memorable season for “Los Blancos”. DraftKings installs Real Madrid as the +110 favorite to win the La Liga title again in 2022-23.
They’ll look to hold off principal rival Barcelona, +150 at DraftKings. Barça came on strong in 2021-22, and they have eyes on knocking off Real to reclaim hold of La Liga. They own the most La Liga titles (26) of any Spanish side and serve as perennial contenders on the European stage.
Atlético Madrid is a thorn in the sides of Real Madrid and Barcelona. They unseated the league’s heavyweights to take home the 2020-21 title. Manager Diego Simeone leads Atlético and his side plays with the grit and bites that he developed as a player.
Spain’s top three sides frequently make their presence felt in Europe, as does Sevilla, six-time winners of the Europa League.
Ligue 1 – France
The top of the French first division was restored with Paris Saint-Germain returning to its familiar perch. They’ve won eight of the last 10 Ligue 1 crowns, and DraftKings prices them at -1000 to win again in 2022-23. Those incredibly short odds illustrate the dominance the French side has experienced in France’s top division.
The real prize for PSG is the Champions League. They’ve made a habit of falling short in Europe’s top club competition. FanDuel prices them at +650, the third shortest odds at the sportsbook.
While Ligue 1 isn’t renowned for its stiff competition in the league, some of the world’s best talent is developed in France. French talent is scattered throughout the world’s top leagues.
PSG figures to receive the most resistance from Lyon and Marseille, both +1400 at DraftKings, but on paper, it doesn’t look like they’ll have enough to finish off a surprise upset in 2022-23.
Liga MX – Mexico
Mexico’s top division doesn’t receive the same global attention as the European Big Five, but it produces compelling, exciting, and often high-scoring action.
Liga MX operates in two cycles, the Apertura (or opening) in 2022 and the Clausura (or closing) in 2023. Atlas is the reigning champion of both the 2022 Clausura and the 2021 Apertura cycles.
Another of the compelling features of Liga MX is the large number of Mexican internationals playing in the league, concentrated among some of the top sides such as Club America and Chivas. The Mexican national team has run into some struggles on the international stage in recent years, but they’re still a rich and passionate soccer nation.
The Growth of Sports Betting and Soccer in the US
The expansion of legalized sports betting in the US has resulted in nearly half of the country having some form of legal sports wagering.
Oddsmakers at the industry’s sportsbooks set odds on all the professional sports, and soccer menus are especially deep with all of the action going on around the world. That it happens to be the world’s most popular sport is one reason why such games and tournaments are being offered.
Another reason, which many behind the counter will not divulge, is that the shops do very well in booking soccer. It’s a great revenue stream for them, which means it’s a challenge for the bettor. But with tact and discretion, bettors can make money on soccer.
Retail Sportsbooks
The Westgate SuperBook, which has expanded into Colorado and New Jersey, is a premier destination for any bettor seeking to elevate the stakes with a wager or two.
At the SuperBook, John Murray and Jeff Sherman post numbers on Serie B (Italy’s second division), the Jupiler Pro League (Belgium), the Allsvenskan (Sweden), South American domestic leagues, national tournaments, and more to feed a growing appetite in the game.
William Hill US, now Caesars Sportsbook, began in 2012 with its acquisition of three smaller books and has continued to grow. Its global empire began in WWI when Mr. Hill ran betting sheets in BSA’s industrial plant in Birmingham, England.
Its soccer expertise is first-rate. Even though Caesars mounted a successful multi-billion-dollar takeover bid in spring 2021, the company vowed to keep operations and personnel smooth through the end of 2022. Expect it to continue unabated way past that time frame under whatever new company name it might assume.
Circa Sports is always setting trends, as in offering yes/no proposition options, that are carving its niche in the business. And at South Point, book director Chris Andrews and lieutenant Vinnie Magliulo keep their soccer offerings fresh and are a must-stop on the circuit.
Online Sportsbooks For Soccer Fans
Companies that have proliferated with sports-betting apps include DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetRivers, and soccer is one of their main attractions.
BetMGM, BetRivers, and PointsBet are also competitive on desktops and smartphones, and many companies offer bonuses to patronize them.
Among the bonus offers available to new bettors include FanDuel’s “No Sweat First Bet” up to $1,000 and BetMGM’s up to $1,000 paid back in Bonus Bets if you don’t win your first bet (offer is not valid in NY). That’s only the tip of the iceberg. Welcome offers span bonus bets, deposit matches, and a number of promos for existing users that become available throughout the season.
The industry is growing rapidly; however, it is best to research each state for the current status of whose books are operating within those borders. From there, it will be easy to gauge which offers and whose odds are most appealing.
Soccer Partnerships
In 2019, BetMGM inked a four-year deal with Major League Soccer to be its “official sports-betting partner,” an association in which both entities hope to benefit from being exposed to the other’s consumers.
In October 2020, FanDuel signed an exclusive partnership agreement with D.C. United. In 2018, William Hill announced such a link with the Las Vegas Lights, a team in the lower-level United Soccer League.
And in March 2021, BetMGM linked an exclusive partnership deal containing many cross-marketing and promotional plans with Borussia Dortmund of the German Bundesliga. It’s BetMGM’s first foray into Europe.
Sportsbooks and gambling sites have long advertised in Europe, even having their logos emblazoned across teams’ uniforms, which the MLS allowed in 2019. Signage is prevalent in stadiums across the Continent, which is beginning to appear in US stadiums as well.
Soccer Betting FAQs
NBC’s commitment to air English Premier League matches in the US has resulted in increased ratings. The partnership has been so successful, in fact, that they signed a six-year extension in 20221. Additionally, German and Italian matches can often be found on cable networks and streaming platforms.
MLS recently added a 27th team in Austin, Texas, and there are additional plans to further expand the top flight of US soccer.
Average game attendance has recently surpassed that of the NBA and NHL, so there is an abundance of optimism that the sport is on the rise in America.
Yes, but it depends on the state. The industry has been expanding rapidly in the three years since the US Supreme Court struck down a federal law, paving the way for each state to decide its own sports-betting fate.
Most do, but it would be best to consult with each individual book to review their offerings. Menus and odds can be different at each book, so it is wise to shop for the most beneficial returns.
FanDuel has a deal with D.C. United and BetMGM has an overarching pact with MLS. William Hill is linked with a minor-league side in Las Vegas. Parties on both sides hope exposure benefits will be mutual.
Yes, and it can be very entertaining and rewarding. But it sometimes requires constant attention and hair-trigger reactions to capitalize on a run of play and other factors like injuries.
It depends on what is being sought, and it always requires vigilance and dedication to compare odds on various mobile apps to ensure maximum profit, for example.
For Vegas soccer odds, it’s always wise to check the numbers at Circa Sports and the Westgate SuperBook. The figures at those two shops will often trump what’s available elsewhere.
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