Football/soccer Arbitrage Betting: full guide (2023)

Football or soccer, known as the beautiful game, attracts millions of fans and bettors worldwide.

In this article, we’ll explore football arbitrage betting, a unique betting strategy that can help you secure profits on each bet you place by taking almost no risk (except when you make mistakes).

The excitement of watching your favourite team win a match is greatly increased by the simple fact of winning some money while you’re at it.

I’ll cover everything about soccer arbitrage bets from what it is, how it works, and how to find and calculate arbitrage bets, to offering tips and introducing you to some football arbitrage betting calculators and software.

Football Arbitrage Betting Explained

Arbitrage betting, also known as arbing or sure betting, is a betting strategy that involves placing bets on all possible outcomes of a chosen sports market, guaranteeing a profit no matter who or which outcome wins.

In football, this means taking advantage of differing odds/ significant odds discrepancies between various bookmakers to ensure that no matter the outcome of the match, you’ll generate a small but guaranteed profit.

When bookmakers set their odds, they factor in their profit margins, which can lead to discrepancies between different bookmakers’ odds.

By identifying these discrepancies and placing bets strategically, you can create an arbitrage opportunity on football as well.

Does Arbitrage Betting Work in Football?

Yes, arbitrage betting can work in football as long as you identify the right opportunities and act quickly.

Football is one of the most popular sports for betting, and with numerous bookmakers offering odds on matches, there’s a higher likelihood of finding arbitrage opportunities.

However, it’s important to note that arbitrage betting isn’t a get-rich-quick method. While the risk is minimal, the profit margins tend to be relatively small, often ranging from 1% to 5% of the total stakes on each outcome.

This size of profits might make you think that soccer arbitrage betting is not worth your time.

But on the contrary, probably it’s one of the best income sources that you can try from your home.

A single arbitrage bet placed on football might not generate a big profit, but with time and learning comes the skill to place tens of football sure bets in an hour. This can increase your hourly profit easily up to €50-€60.

Additionally, consistent success in arbitrage betting requires patience, dedication, and careful attention to detail.

Relevant article: Is Arbitrage Betting Still Possible?

How Do You Find Arbitrage Bets in Football?

Finding arbitrage bets in football can be a time-consuming process and not the most profitable if you are not using the right methods. Here are a few techniques to help you spot these opportunities:

1. Manual searching: You can manually compare the odds offered by different bookmakers for specific football matches. Look for significant discrepancies in the odds that will allow you to place bets on all possible outcomes while still guaranteeing a profit. This method can be time-consuming and almost useless for beginner sure bettors, but it can be effective with practice and dedication. The biggest advantage of finding football surebets manually is that you can use markets that are not covered in the tools mentioned below.
2. Use free odds comparison websites: These websites aggregate odds from various bookmakers, making it easier to spot discrepancies on football bets. Some popular free odds comparison websites include BetOnValue, RebelBetting, and OddsJam. Keep in mind that while these websites can save time, they may not always have the most up-to-date odds or cover all bookmakers. The biggest reason is the delay and certain limitations they apply to football arbitrage bets without a paid subscription plan.
3. Arbitrage betting software: There are specialized software and services that automatically scan bookmakers’ odds to identify soccer arbitrage opportunities in real-time. These tools can save you time and effort, but they often come with a subscription fee. Some popular arbitrage betting software are RebelBetting, BetBurger, and OddStorm.

You can find a step-by-step guide in my following article: How to find arbitrage bets. It’s not focusing on football, but you will find the basic steps that can be applied to football sure betting as well.

How to Calculate Soccer Arbitrage Bets?

Calculating soccer arbitrage bets involves determining the amount you should bet on each outcome to guarantee a profit. To do this, you’ll need to follow these steps:

1. Convert the odds to decimals: If the odds are presented as fractions, convert them to decimals using this formula: (numerator / denominator) + 1.
2. Calculate the implied probability: Divide 1 by the decimal odds for each outcome to find the implied probability. For example, if the odds for a team to win are 2.0, the implied probability is 1 / 2.0 = 0.

50, or 50%.

3. Calculate the arbitrage percentage: Add the implied probabilities for all possible outcomes. If the sum is less than 100%, you’ve found a football arbitrage opportunity. For example, if the implied probabilities for a win, draw, and loss are 50%, 30%, and 25% respectively, the arbitrage percentage is 50% + 30% + 25% = 105%.
4. Determine the individual bet amounts: To calculate how much to bet on each outcome, divide the implied probability by the arbitrage percentage and then multiply by your total desired stake. Using the example above, if you want to bet a total of $100, you would calculate:

4. Win bet: (50% / 105%) * $100 = $47.62
5. Draw bet: (30% / 105%) * $100 = $28.57
6. Loss bet: (25% / 105%) * $100 = $23.81

Remember to round the bet amounts to whole numbers if you want to avoid getting banned for arbitrage bets after your second football sure bet is placed.

Football Arbitrage Betting Example

Let’s walk through a hypothetical football match between Team A and Team B, using real-world odds from three different bookmakers:

Bookmaker 1

• Team A to win: 2.10
• Draw: 3.40
• Team B to win: 3.75

Bookmaker 2

• Team A to win: 2.05
• Draw: 3.50
• Team B to win: 3.60

Bookmaker 3

Team A to win: 2.00

• Draw: 3.60
• Team B to win: 3.80

By comparing the odds from different bookmakers, we can see the following arbitrage opportunity:

1. Bet on Team A to win with Bookmaker 1 (odds of 2.10)
2. Bet on a draw with Bookmaker 3 (odds of 3.60)
3. Bet on Team B to win with Bookmaker 3 (odds of 3.80)

Now, let’s calculate the implied probabilities and the arbitrage percentage:

• Team A to win: 1 / 2.10 = 0.476, or 47.6%
• Draw: 1 / 3.60 = 0.278, or 27.8%
• Team B to win: 1 / 3.80 = 0.263, or 26.3%

Arbitrage percentage = 47.6% + 27.8% + 26.3% = 101.7%

With an arbitrage percentage below 100%, we have an arbitrage opportunity. If we want to bet a total of $100, the individual bet amounts would be:

• Team A to win: (47.6% / 101.7%) * $100 = $46.80

Draw: (27.8% / 101.7%) * $100 = $27 .35

• Team B to win: (26.3% / 101.7%) * $100 = $25.85

By placing these bets, we guarantee a profit regardless of the match outcome.

Football Arbitrage Betting Tips

To make the most of your football arbitrage betting experience, follow these tips:

1. Be prepared: Open accounts with multiple bookmakers and fund them in advance. This will allow you to act quickly when a soccerl arbitrage opportunity appears. Many people complain about not being able to place a football sure bet before the odds drop. Their biggest mistake is not being slow, but not having funds already available at bookies.
2. Stay organized: Keep detailed records of your bets, including the odds, stake amounts, and the bookmakers involved. This will help you track your progress and identify any patterns or trends. RebelBetting is one of the best football arbitrage betting software for this simple reason. With a single click, you can log each bet you placed. Down the road, you will be able to spot football markets and leagues that you should avoid.
3. Be patient: Arbitrage opportunities don’t come along every day, so be prepared to wait for the right opportunities to present themselves. It’s not uncommon that you will stay in front of your PC waiting for tens of minutes and sometimes even an hour before you could place a good football sure bet.
4. Start small: If you’re new to arbitrage betting, start with a smaller bankroll and gradually increase your stakes as you gain experience and confidence. This will help you not only avoid large costly mistakes but also will help you stay under the radar so bookies won’t ban you for arbitrage betting right away.
5. Be aware of bookmaker restrictions: Some bookmakers may limit or close accounts that engage in arbitrage betting not only if you win too much, but even after several bets. Keep an eye on any potential restrictions and consider spreading your bets across multiple bookmakers to minimize risk and decrease the volume of your football arbitrage bets at a single betting site.

Football Arbitrage Betting Calculator

A football arbitrage betting calculator is a valuable and key tool for quickly and accurately determining bet amounts and potential profits. There are several online calculators available that can help you with this process.

Some popular football arbitrage betting calculators include:

1. RebelBetting calculator: their sure bet calculator is free after opening a free account on their site. This allows you to input odds and your desired stake to calculate the optimal bet amounts for a guaranteed profit. You can find it at RebelBetting.com.
2. Surebet.com Calculator: This online calculator offers a variety of betting calculations, including arbitrage betting. You can input the odds and desired stake to determine the bet amounts and potential profits. Their calculator can be used on football sure bets with different amounts of outcomes not only at 2-way arbitrage bets. Check surebet.com.
3. OddsMonkey: OddsMonkey offers an Arbitrage Betting Calculator as part of their matched betting services. While it’s a paid service, they offer a free trial for new users. The calculator allows you to input odds and desired stakes to calculate the optimal bet amounts for a guaranteed profit. Check it out at oddsmonkey.com.

Using a soccer arbitrage betting calculator can save you time and help you avoid errors, making it a valuable addition to your betting toolkit.

Best football arbitrage betting software

Plenty of football arbitrage betting software is on the market, but only a few can offer the highest standard of scanning speed, accuracy, and user interface.

They also need to scan each possible bookie from your country and hopefully each relevant football event to fully benefit from their services.

I have used over nine services during my arbitrage betting activity on football. Based on my experience, OddStorm is the best service if your plan focuses only on football.

Unfortunately, they have a pretty high subscription fee that mirrors the quality of their services.

For bettors with a lower budget and the need to focus only on pre-match soccer arbitrage bets, RebelBetting is my top pick.

They not only have a high standard of accuracy and great scanning speed, but the mobile-friendly interface, the free trial, and the acceptable monthly price is also key choosing point. Check my RebelBetting review for more insights.

I have included each relevant service in my following article about the best arbitrage betting finders. It’s important to know that some focus entirely on football, while others offer great service for other sports.

Conclusion: football arbitrage betting

Football arbitrage betting is a profitable strategy for those willing to invest time and effort in finding the right opportunities.

With patience, dedication, and the right tools, you can minimize risk and earn consistent profits from your bets. As you gain experience, you’ll develop a better understanding.

Relevant articles:

Even though arbitrage betting is the safe way, I would suggest taking a look at my comparison between arbitrage betting vs value betting article.

If you do not understand some of the terminologies I mentioned above, check my sports betting abbreviations and terminology article.

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