7 Proven football betting strategies & systems

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After active & profitable betting since 2013, I created this guide with the best football betting strategies.

By the time you finish reading this article, you will know about the best football betting strategies & systems like value betting and arbitrage betting.

The best and most profitable football betting strategies are based on sudden odds movements.

When looking for a successful football wagering strategy you need to verify if it considers mathematical and statistical probability calculations.

Both factors have great importance in the long-term profitability of a strategy because bookies use a similar approach to define odds.

Our goal when trying a new soccer betting strategy is to make sure it’s not based on intuition but on the ability to have an edge against bookies.

Which are the most profitable football betting strategies?

The most profitable football betting strategies are the ones that take advantage of bookie mistakes such as wrong odds and lines.

These strategies offer the most profits for football bettors in the long run when the basic rules are consistently followed.

1. Taking advantage of odds discrepancies with arbitrage betting

One of the most profitable and yet simple-to-learn football betting strategies is called arbitrage or value betting.

This betting strategy is based on finding odds and differences between sportsbooks for the same outcome.

You can check my in-depth article on the best arbitrage bet finder software.

Bettors prefer arbing (sure betting) as a football betting strategy because of its decreased risk level.

By covering both outcomes on a football market, you are excluding the opportunity of losing.

The profits with this strategy are generated by using the right stakes on the wrong odds.

A short example would be betting on the football team that plays at home on odds of 2,10 and covering the X2 market (draw + away team) also on decimal odds of 2,10.

These opportunities appear in almost every football match.

For more information, you can read the following article about how to find arbitrage bets or my list of the top sure bet finders.

Advantages

• You will make profits on each of your bets placed correctly
• You exclude the risk of losing in the long run
• You will know which bets to place even if you don’t know anything about the teams/players
• Requires no previous experience in betting

Downsides

• Requires access to at least 6-10 bookies
• Bookies might limit your account fast if you abuse sure bets on small leagues and big returns

Sounds interesting? Start earning now with the help of the best/free arbitrage betting sites.

2. Finding overpriced outcomes with value betting

Value betting in general is based on finding markets on football matches where bookmakers are offering the wrong odds. It is the most profitable football betting strategy in the long run.

A simple explanation of this strategy is to find football markets and odds that are higher than the odds offered by sharp bookmakers (the most accurate operators in defining the real probability of an outcome).

An example of this betting strategy is finding a match where a team has a 66% true probability of winning the match.

Most of the bookmakers are offering an odds of 1.40-1.45 with their margin of winning.

The goal of a value bettor is to find bookies that offer significantly higher odds such as 1,70 for the same outcome.

Advantages

• You will earn the most profits with this football betting strategy
• The hardest-to-spot football betting system because you will use smaller stakes
• Easy to start and practice because you just need to place the bets displayed by value bet finders
• You can use simple flat staking to have a decent result

Downside

• Profits are generated only in long-term and you can face losing streaks
• Requires focus and being in front of the PC or Mobile phone

You should check my RebelBetting review to learn more about one of the best football betting services in the industry.

3. Using statistics-based strategy

Bookmakers are generating odds based on their database of historical data and every piece of information available.

The amount of information they get can be different between bookmakers.

Winning football bets based on statistics is only viable if you prove that your information about the match and players is more accurate.

Example of football betting strategy based on statistics

• You can find a lot of databases about football matches in the past
• You can analyze them, noting for example,  how both teams had a lot of corners in the past 5-8 matches in the first half
• Open the match when the match is live and follow them in the first half

If they have fewer corners at the minute of 30-35 than you would expect after statistics you should have more attention to the dynamic of the playstyle.

If one or both of the teams are pushing for a goal and the number of dangerous attacks is high you can wait for at least one more corner.

Keep in mind that this strategy should be based on experience and a deep understanding of statistical data.

I have used many football databases and statistical tools, but the top two services that caught my attention were StatisticSports and ZCode Systems.

Both services get data from tens of thousands of football matches each year.

StatisticSports for example is capable of processing this data and backtesting your football betting strategy.

Zcode system, on the other hand, focuses on analyzing historical data and will display predictions based on them.

One of their most important tool for your football betting strategy is to compare upcoming events based on these statistics.

This AI sports betting software will display every essential data, like the chance of scoring over 2.5 goals, having over 5 cards, scoring more than 10 corners, etc.

They know how to predict football matches correctly and anticipate future scores based on pure data.

4. Following tipster-based football betting strategy

If you are reading this article, you probably already tried following tipster services.

Many people think that finding a tipster on a platform with a long and profitable prediction history is enough to support even your American football betting system.

In most cases, this is not true because of the simple fact that many tipsters can manipulate their betting history.

By this, they can change a losing streak into long-term profits by simply changing stakes or deleting some bets.

If you truly want to follow successful and trustworthy tipsters, you need to use platforms such as Tipstrr.

Here nobody can delete/manipulate betting history. 

Some of them offer predictions even for free.

If you can spot an upcoming skilled tipster, you can follow them even for free or for a very low fee (like $1).

The one thing I learned is that nobody is going to offer a quality strategy or information for free.

You can also check my article with the top football tipsters included.

5. Take advantage of bonuses with matched betting

Matched betting is the simplest football betting strategy. It is based on odds comparison sites and bookie bonuses.

Even crypto bookmakers are offering welcome bonuses, free bets, and boosted odds to attract the attention of potential customers or bettors.

To successfully take advantage of these bonuses with this betting strategy you need to cover each outcome of a market at different sportsbooks.

This process allows you to complete the roll-over requirement on bonuses so you can withdraw them without losing any money.

Using the right odds is an essential part of this football betting strategy. Each bet pair you place needs to have an overall profit of at least 0%.

Besides using many bookie scanners, you can also use matched betting services to make the process faster and more profitable.

6. Make instant profits with courtsiding

The wagering strategy called courtside betting originally was used on tennis matches.

Smart bettors watched the matches live from the tennis court and transmitted information to an outsider through a phone or other device.

This outsider placed the bets before the bookies could change the odds. This betting strategy can be applied to football and can generate instant and guaranteed profits.

Knowing the result of an outcome before bookies will give you an unfair advantage and a way to beat them.

While it is a great football betting strategy, courtsiding has many downsides. You can read more about them in my detailed courtside betting guide.

7. Compare odds to sharp bookies

Comparing the odds between local bookies and sharp betting sites is one of the best ways to future-proof your betting strategy.

The majority of traditional bookies offer low odds due to high profit margins. This house edge can make even the best soccer wagering strategy generate losses.

By comparing your local bookie odds to sharp betting site lines, you can make sure to take odds that hold a positive expected value.

Generating profits with wagering strategies is possible only if you beat the bookie lines in some way. The easiest to achieve this is by using odds comparison sites, shopping around, and taking always the highest possible odds.

What is the definition of a football betting strategy?

A football betting strategy refers to a systematic approach to wagering on football matches. This strategy focuses on making profits from football bets instead of just practicing as a recreational activity.

A profitable football betting strategy includes key elements such as understanding and analysis of odds movements, money management, and sticking to the plans.

Understanding and taking advantage of sudden odds droppings leads to a higher chance of increasing the success rate of a football betting strategy.

Stake management is essential in a football betting strategy to decrease the length of variance and increase long-term profits.

A profitable football betting activity requires a clear mind and the ability to stick to the strategy even when facing profit spikes or significant losses.

How to choose the best football betting strategy for your needs?

Choosing a football wagering strategy that aligns with your goals and experience requires multiple steps.

1. Determine your starting capital

Knowing the amount of money you are willing to allocate for wagering purposes on football will show you the strategy you can practice.

A small betting balance of $100 will be enough for betting strategies such as matched betting or limited value betting.

Arbing and other football strategies require a bigger starting capital.

2. Know your risk tolerance

Soccer betting strategies such as value betting or bets based on statistics require a higher risk tolerance.

Other techniques such as arbitrage or matched betting are more beginner-friendly and risk-free.

3. Have a goal of desired profitability

Knowing your goals with a football wagering strategy is essential to avoid any disappointments. While value betting is the most profitable wagering system for football, matched betting can generate only a few hundred $ profit each month.

Starting with a strategy with a low profit potential can easily lead to wasting time and energy.

Conclusion: Which is the best football betting system?

Arbitrage betting is the best football betting strategy for bettors who don’t like to take risks at all. Placing arbitrage bets only on football might offer a decent monthly profit for a very low risk.