How to bet on football and win: soccer betting tactics, Do’s & Don’ts 

Football is the most popular sport in Nigeria! One mate we know is literally going crazy about Chelsea in the Premier League. He is as cheerful when the club triumphs as he is totally devastated when it suffers. African soccer is on the rise too as AFCON 2022 and the CAF qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup have both gained a lot of traction in the world.

So how it would be possible for football betting in Nigeria not to become THE entertainment for millions of footy? Behold, as we will tell you the basics of how to bet on football and win!

Firstly, you need to have an account with an online sportsbook. When creating one, be sure you choose a legit online bookmaker with a Nigerian licence. Always fill in the correct details and banking data because inputting false information might lead to yourself losing your cash.

Now, pre-match football analysis and odds comparison are the next two big important things in soccer betting. As well as the rules of sports betting we will cover in this article going forward. 

Various websites on the internet offer analysis and football preview to inform you and also drop daily football betting tips ranging from the regular free 1×2 betting tips to player markets like anytime goalscorer predictions. “Takebet Nigeria is a perfect example of a website offering both in-depth reviews of top online sports betting sites in Nigeria and professional free football predictions,” stresses Dipo Lukman of Takebet.ng, a Nigerian sports analyst and betting expert.

What is special about football betting sites? (H2)

Sports fans find betting special due to many reasons. A major one is the prospect of financial gains, and sites offering football 1×2 betting tips are no different. A job usually won’t bring you millions of naira in a day, however football jackpots and accumulator bets do — sometimes.

Apart from the financial gains, sports betting provides a great deal of excitement for football fans. Crazy as it sounds, a good number of gamblers bet on sports because of the excitement and fun derived from betting on football. Plus, this is something people do with friends!

Football betting sites let you into this world and, if safe, will pay you awards in case of winning.

Top betting markets and odds for football (H2)

Betting markets are simply the outcomes you bet on in a particular soccer game. It is paramount to understand what various options mean before placing your bets. Odds are like the currency of betting. These are numbers (values) assigned to the different market options, depending on the bookmaker. There are hundreds of betting options, and there are some top popular options:

• 1×2 betting. Tips on the outcome, also called win draw win. This market typically consists of three options to select from: a home win represented by ‘1’,  a draw (X), and an away win represented by ‘2’. For example, in a match Team A vs Team B, a selection of 1 requires a home win to bring you reward (e.g. Team A), a selection of X needs a draw result to be a winning one, while a pick of 2 is a prediction for Team B to win.

• Total goals (Over & Under). This option requires you to predict whether the total number of goals in the match is more or less than the number you select. For example, a bet on over 1.5 goals means you need at least two or more goals for a winning bet while betting on under 2.5 goals needs two or fewer goals to be a winning outcome.

• Double chance. This is a popular betting option, less risky than the match result option, but the odds are lower. It also has three options: 1X represents a home win or draw, 12 means any team to win (a draw results in a loss), while X2 signifies an away win or draw.

• Both teams to score (BTTS). This market is also known as GG/NG, and you have to predict if both teams would score or not by choosing the “Yes” or “No” options. “GG” translates to goal-goal, meaning both teams would get on the scoresheet, while NG translates to No-goal and requires any or both teams to draw a blank.

• Correct score. This is a valuable but risky market option, where you need to predict the final score of a football match. The odds are very high compared to popular bets, and there is no margin for error. The order matters: a 1-2 correct score option is different from a 2-1 score option — the latter is a home win while the former is an away win.

Top points to consider when betting on football (H2)

No matter your reasons for betting, there are top points to consider when betting on football.

Firstly, bet only on the tournaments well-known to you. Don’t gamble, but bet responsibly, research and analyse what you are betting at. Then you’ll know the whole history of the competition and its teams, all ins and outs of the current squads and their key players, their form and motivation. This is the only way to win your 1×2 betting tips or correct score predictions. 

Secondly, know your bookmaker and its bet rules: the minimum withdrawal and maximum bets, bonus rollover requirements if you have one, and the rules of bet settlement. These may slightly differ between online sportsbooks, so explore and understand the T&C of your bookie.

You also need to understand various football betting markets, as this would guide you in making well-informed decisions on your bets. For instance, the “over 2.5 goals” option is often mistaken for “over 2”. Two goals scored result in a losing outcome on the former but a return on the latter.

It is necessary to bear in mind the recent results of both teams and their H2H as well as deeper statistics. This gives you an insight into whether the teams are in form or not. This information is available on football betting preview websites. These websites also offer updates on head-to-head statistics and team news, worthy of note when predicting the outcome of a match.

Do’s and don’ts when placing a bet on football (H2)

Football bets can result in large profits or losses, as the case may be. Below are some things you should do to increase your chances of a win and other things you should avoid in betting.

The Do’s:

• Make a weekly budget for betting. It helps to limit the risk of unforeseen losses and ensure you stake what you can afford to lose.

• Take advantage of multiple market options. As this can help you a lot in situations where total goals are much easier to predict in certain games than match results. In tricky games between two tough teams, anytime goalscorer predictions can be helpful.

• Wager on popular European leagues if you are only starting in sports betting. Like the English Premier League and Champions League. They have more predictable outcomes than lower divisions with inferior quality of football and players.

The Don’ts:

• Never chase your losses. Desperation can be harmful in football betting.

• Do not repeat a particular outcome on two separate bets. If you already placed a bet on Barcelona to win, avoid repeating this same option in another bet.

• Do not bet with bias. As biases influence your judgement, and it would be great if you desist from betting on your favourite team just because you love them more.

So how to win football bets? (H2)

Sports betting is unique in a way as it is a blend of chance and skill plus knowledge, so placing and winning football bets is lucrative with a good strategy. A clear understanding of different market options offered by top sports betting sites is crucial to making profits. Football predictions from tipsters of Takebet.ng can be helpful, coupled with your knowledge of the game.

It is also necessary to keep track of betting records and never forget to take your profits no matter how little they are. Manage your bankroll and never bet more than you can chew, and even better set yourself a fixed amount for betting in a month and bet 1-3% each time, max.

Mind our advice, and good luck in your football betting journey!