How to bet on goals in halves in football?
Yuriy SheremetOver the last three years total in a particular half has become one of the most popular bets among bettors. It is obvious that betting on a goal in a half is profitable considering the quotations before the meeting is on. For example, the average odds for TO 1.0 in the first half is 1.75. These odds are great in the long-term, especially if you take into account a possible scenario at the start of the battle. However, only professional bettors can fully analyze the situation in a match, making a measured bet on a goal in any half or in a particular range.
Today’s article tells how to make correct bets on goals in halves.
Goal in the first half of the match
As the statistics show, goals are rarely scored in the first half. Alongside, by the statistics only a third of goals are scored in the first half. This is where the high odds of bookmakers come from.
To choose a match where the first goal will be scored correctly, it is crucial to stick to the following aspects:
- Inequality of opponents. If the meeting is held between a favourite and an outsider, you should expect a goal in the first half.
- Face-to-face battles. Having looked through the statistics of the last 5-10 face-to-face matches, you can estimate chances of success of the selected bet.
- Matches before European cups. If the club is going to play in the Champions League in a couple of days, you should expect goals in the first 45 minutes. Such teams, as a rule, try to answer all possible questions about the triumphant before the break. After the break the team will start to hold back the game keeping the score.
- Teams’ specific characteristics. In this aspect you should consider their statistics of scored and missed goals in the first half. You could also opt for a meeting where one team likes missing and the second one likes scoring goals to their opponents.
- Motivation. This aspect often arises in cup matches where one team has to catch up urgently so that the players make goal attempts and score goals.
Let us also say that betting on a goal in the first half should be done 10-20 minutes after the start of the battle. By the middle of the half the odds climb up rapidly which will be profitable for bets.
Goal in the second half of the meeting
At first glance it could seem that betting on a goal in the second half is an easy and profitable idea. However, if you make a blind choice, it will be challenging to catch goals. Even if you build your choice on quotations only, it will be impossible to make profit in the long distance.
To find proper matches, you should consider the following points:
- Situation and teams’ motivation for the rest of the match. It will be more lucrative to pick battles where the favourite is losing with a minimal score. If both teams reckon on points and play in attack, the chance of a goal is tiny for a bettor.
- Booking in a team. If they have a minority, the teams will try hard to keep the result. However, as the statistics show, there is 80% likelihood for the second team to score a goal if they have a majority in number.
- Fruitful battle. If before the start of the battle there is a prognosis for scored goals but the teams ended the first half with 0:0, you should consider a betting option of TO 1.0.
Let us also say that you should not take TO during the break. As a rule, teams start to score goals after the 50th-55th minute when the odds grow up for the future bet. We should also consider increasing the odds thanks to a bet on TO 1.0 instead of 0.5. However, in this case it is important to estimate a probable quantity of scored goals. If only one goal is possible, you should choose TO 0.5.
Betting on a goal in the last 15 minute of a match
If we speak about high quotations, you should take goals in the last 15-minute period when teams are exceedingly aimed for a scored goal. You should look for a match where the favourite is losing or one of the teams is extremely motivated to score a goal at the end of the meeting. You should not choose matches where favourites lead with a minimal score as in this battle the first is likely to dry the rest of the meeting while the second will be merely unable to make a goal attempt.
You also have to look through the second half in order to understand a possible scenario for the game. If you see that teams in the second half make an attempt which does not end with a goal, you should hope for a scored goal till the end.
Let us additionally analyze situations when you should bet on absence of a scored goal in the last 15-20 minutes. Let us outline the most popular situations:
- The meeting will end with a draw, both teams make the least quantity of goal attempts playing in defense.
- Absence of attack footballers: injuries or disquals.
- Unfavourable weather conditions. For example, heavy rain, snow or fog.
Goals in extra time
In cup battles when rivals can't tip the beam of the meeting within the match, extra time starts: two halves of 15 minutes. Initially bookmaker set tiny odds of 1.4 – 1.5 for the chance of scoring goals in this period. But, as a rule, teams try to minimize goal attempts dragging the battle to the penalty series.
However, there are situations when one team can score a goal during the 30-minute period. In this case it is important to keep an eye on how tired the teams are. If you see that one team is exhausted and plays weaker than the opponents, chances for a scored goal will be rising. If both teams play indolently, without enthusiasm, you should pick TU.
Takeaway
To make a bet on goals in halves or in extra periods is a tricky task. Here bettors will have to gain experience and mastership. Superficial knowledge will not help you to achieve a positive outcome of your bet.
Let us also say that you need to choose a strategy. Your first step should be to choose a betting strategy. Professional bettors who can predict matches correctly should opt for a ladder strategy. Newbies should select Flat where you have a particular sum for every next deal. You should not forget that you should run a thorough analysis of the football event. Without such an analysis no bettor will be able to look for and opt for battles which will influence the bankroll in the long-term.
Yuriy Sheremet – Expert in mobile gaming and esports among shooters and MOBA games.
At EGamersWorld, Yuriy, as in 2020 when he joined the portal, works with content, albeit with adjustments to his area of responsibility.