Kanyi Okeke
Soccer Betting is an interesting hobby. And with other soccer tournaments coming up, we figured it would be a good time to talk about lessons from betting on Euro 2020.
If you’re interested in placing a bet on this soccer competition, you might be wondering what the best stake is for this tournament. Well, that’s a topic for another day.
Let’s take a look at what to expect as well as some lessons we learned so far from these games.
Euro 2020 has been an eventful tournament so far with many surprises and some not-so-pleasant moments along the way, but let’s try and break it down into lessons that the modern gambler can take away from this challenge.
1. Proper Bankroll Management is key
This one is easy. When betting on soccer, the first thing to understand is that a soccer bettor needs to split their bankroll into different bets. Ideally, you want to have a percentage of your overall bankroll (let’s call it 20%) set aside for each and every bet.
This way, if you win some bets and lose others…you’ll still have the same overall amount in your account at the end of it all.
To have an edge over bookies, you want to have some of your bankroll set aside for each and every soccer bet you make.
This only makes sense since if you only have 60% of your budget set aside, there’s a good chance that 60% of the games will turn out to be losers. That’s why setting aside 20% for each and every bet is a very good idea: It puts you in control while minimizing the chances that your entire bankroll will end up as losers.
2. Always analyze both teams before betting
It’s important to look at both teams when soccer betting to make sure that each team has a chance of winning the game. The underdog is obviously the weaker team in the match and, as such, it also needs to have a chance of winning in order for you to make a successful wager.
If you’re only betting on stronger teams then your chances of success are very slim. Bookies know these and manipulate odds to diminish their weaker teams.
Analyzing both teams will give you a better idea of how each team is playing, which will help you determine the outcome of the entire game. After all, who can’t lose to Bayern Munich?
Sure they are one of the strongest sides in the world but that doesn’t mean they won’t lose to Benfica or Young Boys at least once every five years.
3. Make sure you have good lines
Good lines are always key when it comes to making value bets that will create an edge for the soccer bettor. Value bets are when you find games where the oddsmakers are offering very attractive odds to wager on your favorite team.
Naturally, these games will give you more bang for your buck; however, making sure there’s adequate information about both teams before placing a bet is crucial for maximizing your chances of success here.
If you’re not sure what a good line is, then ask your bookie or go to an online site where you can find odds for upcoming matches.
If the odds differ greatly for both teams, make sure to try and get information about the weaker team before placing a bet.
The three-way market is where you can find the best soccer odds. These are offered from bookies that have three different prices for each outcome. The first one is the fave, which is the favorite team in most cases. The underdog price will be a lot lower than this one and then there is a third price which represents the draw outcome of the game.
This is where you can find great value bets as it puts bookies in a position where they need to balance their risk-reward for each team.
4. Know your tipster
Every professional bettor has their favorite analyst, and those that don’t have one should start looking for a professional.
This person will be able to tell you everything you need to know about any upcoming soccer games and if they are even worth watching.
They will also tell you who the best bet is for each game so that you don’t end up betting on a team that’s going to lose against an opponent much stronger than them.
From analysis, tipsters that offer free betting tips, are just as good as the paid ones. Of course, it’s much harder to find these guys so you might have to look a little harder. You might also want to read their opinions on the teams in the game, and if they have a good rating then you might even want to check them out. Remember, don’t be afraid of free-ish sports betting advice.
5. Follow team news
I’m not suggesting that you start following every single team in the world. Doing this would be way too much of a time drain. But every now and then you should be able to take a look at the latest news from each team so that you know what’s going on with them. This can include transfers, player injuries, and other important information to know about your players. After all, betting on soccer is about making predictions that will help you make a profit as opposed to gambling on just looking at odds.
Accurate predictions depend on having up-to-date information so that you can act on it. If these updates don’t arrive in time for you to make a bet, then you’re finished and have no shot at making any profit.
This means that the information has to be more reliable than what bookies can provide. The best way is to use Twitter or a similar social media platform to get this info rather than relying on official channels that can be very unreliable at times.
6. Don’t overthink the system
Follow your gut feeling. If you have a feeling that a team will lose, then it probably will lose. Don’t overthink things by trying to learn new strategies or anything like that.
Soccer betting is usually simpler than that. Just follow your gut feeling and you’ll be able to make the best choices available to you without dying from thinking too much.
Soccer betting can be lucrative, but only if you have a system in place. This will keep you focused on what’s important, which is the weakest or the strongest team in each game and not which bookie’s odds are the best at any given moment. Make sure to follow all these steps to ensure that no matter how you end up betting, winnings won’t be far behind.
