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Football Value Betting

Written by Glenn Roberts
Glenn is a sports lover and writes about Soccer and American Football. He also covers reviews of bookmakers, betting apps and deposit or withdrawal methods that players can use at online sportsbooks.
, | Updated: September 12, 2024

Football Value BettingBeyond the shadow of a doubt, one of the hardest things about inexperienced football bettors remains to memorize all the special terms and phrases which are utilized by bookies and old hands. Still, one of the most arduous tasks remains to make out the concept of value. It is fair to say that this is essential as thus, you will enhance your chances to enjoy a larger profit. Even though it might turn out to be quite a daunting task for a total rookie to adjust to this concept, they should definitely try to do their utmost in order to develop a sense of value betting.

Basics of Football Value Betting

Basics of Football Value BettingPerhaps, you have not pondered over this, but when it comes to wagering on sports, nobody can tell for sure what is the true probability of a particular outcome to occur. One of the most essential things gambling enthusiasts should take account of is that while bookies are determining the value of the odds, they are guided by their own assumptions, as well as by the market itself. In simple terms, football value betting involves capitalizing on the mistakes bookies might sometimes make.

Most of the knowledgeable football bettors will tell you that one of the preconditions of becoming a skilled punter is to figure out that the chances of the team to end up victorious and its chances to gain the upper hand in the matchup when compared to the odds the bookie has come up with are poles apart. To put it in another way, with football value betting, gambling enthusiasts need to make their own predictions about the probability of a specific happening to come about. Thus, you will be capable of making much better decisions, provided that you develop a sense of value betting which would mean that you will be able to spot football matchups in which the chances of specific events to occur are higher than the odds indicate. Thus, you should not only spot such opportunities, but you should also benefit from them due to the fact that this is the best way to enjoy nice rewards consistently.

In essence, value is a term which is also utilized in finances, and it has the exact same meaning when it is utilized in wagering on football. In other words, as long as you have noticed that the probability of a specific selection to occur is less than you consider it should be, then, it is advised to seize your chance and to make a value bet. Despite the fact that sometimes, such outcomes might seem even improbable, continually finding such opportunities, and making use of them will undoubtedly bring you good results.

As long as you wish to get the most out of your betting session, you should remember that with football betting, backing the heavy favorites might not always bring you the desired profit simply because the odds might not give you a good value. That is the reason why as long as you are after a long-run profit, you should try to bend all your efforts to figure out when the market is out of line, and how you should capitalize on this.

How Are Value Bets Calculated

How Are Value Bets CalculatedAs long as you wish to learn more about the manner in which value bets are calculated, first, you should make sure that you are aware of the interrelation between probability and odds. For beginners, probability is a term which is used to describe the likelihood of a specific event to come about which is expressed via percentages. Once bookmakers have made their assumptions about the manner in which the matchup is most likely or less likely to progress, their predictions will be reflected via odds.

As it was already stated, when it comes to soccer value betting, odds do not show the true probability of a specific outcome to take place. Thus, as long as the actual probability is higher, this would mean that there is more value than odds reflect, meaning that you will manage to make money as long as the value you are offered is positive.

Now, let’s take a look at a toss of a coin so that you could figure out the manner in which you should spot and estimate value. As long as the result is not biased, this would mean that each of the possible outcomes has a probability of 50% to occur which therefore means that the odds will be fair and that they will stand at 2.00. Gamblers should be aware that there is no point in making a stake in such cases due to the fact that eventually, they are more likely to end up square.

Let’s assume that there is a bookie which will allow you to make a stake on the outcome of the coin toss, and it offers odds of 1.50 on heads and odds of 3.00 on tails. In this case, if you decide to make a stake of $20, you will have the chance to sweep $30 or $60 respectively. If someone asks you which option you will go for, perhaps, you will say straight away that you will decide in favor of tails due to the fact that the reward is more substantial.

Now, let’s check whether such a stake offers a positive value. The first thing we need to do in order to achieve this is to estimate the implied probability. So as to do this, football lovers should make sure that the odds format they are employing is decimal. After this, you simply need to divide one by the value of the odds you are offered on the particular outcome. It is important to note that the number you will get should range between 0 and 1. The next thing you should do is to multiply the number you have got by 100 so that you could get your results in percentages as this will greatly facilitate your job.

If we return to the stake you were bent on making, we need to divide 1 by 3.00, and then, to multiply the number by 100, meaning that eventually, we will get 33.33%. As it was already stated, the actual probability of each of the possible outcomes is 50%. Thus, since the implied probability is less than the actual probability, this means that in our case, a wager on tails will bring you a positive value.

It is important to note that some football lovers prefer using the formula (probability x odds) – 1 in order to get the value. Thus, in our case, we will get that the value is 0.5, which once again proves that in this case, you should contemplate wagering on tails.

The next thing football lovers should work out is the manner in which they can determine the profitability of the stake they are bent on making. In order to do so, soccer lovers should make use of formula about the expected value of their stakes. Football bettors should know that they can figure out whether their stake is beneficial by multiplying the possible values by their probability to occur, and then, by subtracting the numbers they have got. In other words, the formula looks like this: (the amount you have pocketed per wager x probability of winning) – (the amount lost per stake x probability of losing). Thus, as long as we return to the toss of a coin, and we assume that the odds you are offered are 2.15, and you have made up your mind to stake as much as $10, the formula will look like this ($11.50 x 0.50) – ($10 x 0.50), meaning that eventually, you will get 0.75. Now, it should hit you that for every $10 you decide to wager, you will get as much as $0.75 profit.

There is no doubt that with the example we gave, figuring out whether a stake on tails has a positive value is pretty simple. Still, this is definitely not the case with football betting due to the fact that you cannot be confident in the exact probability of a specific outcome to take place. In essence, this is precisely what versed soccer bettors should do, they need to estimate the chances of an outcome to occur more successfully than bookies will do.

Tips for Spotting Value Bets

Tips for Spotting Value BetsPerhaps, you have already come to the conclusion that when punters resort to value betting, in practice, they challenge the assumptions bookies have made. Despite the fact that this might seem like a one-sided competition in which bookies are given a decided advantage, football lovers should take into account the fact that they will have the chance to make use of value football betting more often than they suppose.

It is fair to say that most of the football devotees might find it quite hard to develop a sense of betting value. The good news is that there are several things you can do as long as you wish to improve your chances to spot value bets.

At the outset, soccer devotees are advised to set their own odds. You might be surprised to hear this, but punters should contemplate doing in-depth research so that they could estimate the odds on their own. Thus, gambling enthusiasts will be able to figure out whether there are any discrepancies, and whether the selection they have decided to punt on is overvalued, or undervalued. In this way, they will have the opportunity to make informed decisions which is of crucial importance when it comes to soccer betting.

In essence, it might be a good idea to decide which are the tournaments and the competitions you would like to punt on. Then, you simply need to pick the matchups which tickle your fancy and to come up with odds on your own, without checking the prices bookmakers proffer. In this way, most of the punters will come up with prices at which they feel unease. Perhaps, at this instant, this might seem like a waste of time, but you should know that this exercise will make you pay attention to probabilities, statistics, and so on. In this manner, football devotees will find it much easier to nurture their intuitive sense of value. Irrespective of the fact that it might be time-consuming and burdensome, it will undoubtedly pay off in the future as thus, you will have the chance to sharpen up your act.

The other thing you should consider doing is to stop thinking in terms of heavy favorites and underdogs as instead, it would be a much better idea if you think about the football matchups in terms of probabilities. As you have already puzzled out, the main aim of football value betting is to make more precise assumptions about the probability of a specific outcome to occur. That is why as long as you pay attention solely to the supposed favorites or underdogs, you will be less likely to enjoy good results. One of the most essential things punters should remember is that favorites are not bound to win all the time. The best approach is to try to spot the discrepancies which might be observed in the implied probability of the possible outcomes.

Once you have done all the maths, you should consider the other factors which might have an impact on the possible outcomes. In this way, football bettors will be able to make informed and dispassionate decisions which is a step in the right direction as well.

The next thing you should do is to try to broaden your horizons. In the beginning, it will be much better if you stick to competitions you are more than familiar with. Once you have managed to gain some experience, it might be a good idea to apply your knowledge beyond the scope you have initially set. Once you have managed to expand your field of expertise, it will be much easier for you to keep track of the events, and most importantly, to make the right decisions.

Football bettors who wish to improve their overall performance bit by bit should also make sure that they review their results on a regular basis. One of the best ways to develop your sense of value is to check the assessments you have made before. Thus, you will be capable of drawing conclusions about your strengths and weaknesses.

The last thing we should highlight is that the value of the odds matters as well. That is the reason why football bettors should go out of their way in order to find the interactive sportsbook which offers the most advantageous odds on the event they wish to punt on. As long as you make rushed decisions, and you make do with lower odds, the profit you might eventually enjoy will be noticeably smaller.

Conclusion

ConclusionTo sum up, we should say that soccer bettors do not need to set little store by value due to the fact that it might have a lasting effect on their overall profit. Despite the fact that it might require a lot of efforts to find selections which proffer positive value, you need to know that it is undoubtedly worth the exertion.

Thus, as long as you take your time to nurture your sense of value betting, you will be capable of making right judgments much easier, which therefore means that you will be more likely to enjoy fruitful results at the end. Irrespective of the fact that value betting is not a guarantee of success, it is definitely a step in the right direction.

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