What Are the Best Soccer Betting Markets for Beginners?

Any soccer fans who are new to soccer betting should start with our simple straight bets that are consistent with many major league sports. The best soccer betting markets for beginners include:

• Match Winner (3-way moneyline)
• Spread
• Over/Under Goals (totals)

These bets focus on clear outcomes and are easy to understand. They’re also widely available on soccer gamelines at the majority of online betting sites, Ozoon Sportsbook included.

What Are Soccer Betting Markets?

Betting markets are classifications of bets that can be placed at a sportsbook. For soccer, they could be:

• Match result
• Total goals
• Futures
• Player performance props

Each market has betting options that support different types of bets. For example, the futures market has bets that are resolved long-term, such as FIFA World Cup winners. Player props, meanwhile, focus on bets on individual accomplishments and stats. Check our article about how to bet on FIFA World Cup matches in Canada.

What Is the Match Winner (Moneyline) Market?

The best way to start betting on soccer is with the basic match winner bet, also known as the 3-way moneyline in the soccer betting world. This lets you pick one of three betting options for the match outcome after 90 minutes plus stoppage time.

• Team A
• Team B
• Draw

Each betting option has odds that dictate the payout. If you want to bet on FIFA World Cup this way, with Canada’s first group match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in mind, you would see a 3-way moneyline like this:

Canada                                    -115

Bosnia and Herzegovina         +300

Draw                                        +265

These odds are American odds—the default at Ozoon Sportsbook—and the negative ones show how much you’d have to bet to win $100. Meanwhile, the positive ones show how much you’d win off a $100 bet. For Canada (-115), a $115 bet would yield a $100 payout. Betting $100 on the draw, however, would yield a $265 payout.

How Does the Over/Under Goals Market Work?

Once you fill in your 3-way moneyline, you may want to add a totals bet—also known as over/unders. These bets let you decide if you think the total number of goals scored in the game will be over or under a number determined by the oddsmaker.

To carry on with our FIFA Canada-Bosnia & Herzegovina example, just right of the moneyline, you’ll see a column under Total that could look like this:

O 2.5 —110 

U 2.5 —110

In this example, you’re betting on the over (O) if you think that three or more goals will be scored in the match, or under (U) if you think that two or fewer goals will be scored. Either way, a $110 bet would yield a $100 payout in this example. It’s the perfect market for bettors who can anticipate the pace of a match.

What Is Both Teams to Score (BTTS)?

Another popular betting market is “both teams to score” (BTTS), which asks if you think both sides will make it onto the scoreboard. This simple yes/no proposition can be added on to a bet slip as an extra, or targeted for its value. Often, bets that don’t back a certain team offer good value since most fans tend to simply pick their favoured team.

What Are Double Chance Bets and Why Are They Beginner-Friendly?

Beginners wanting to boost their chance of success can think about getting into the double chance betting market. This lets you cover two possible outcomes in a match scenario, increasing the odds of winning, but also decreasing the payout at the same time. Here is an example of how it works:

Home Team + Draw

Away Team + Draw

Home + Away The result after 90 minutes plus stoppage time determines the bet outcome. Odds offered at the time you place the bet are used to calculate payouts.

What Are Player Props and Should Beginners Use Them?

Once you get some straight bets under your belt, you can move on to other, more nuanced betting markets like player props, which involve betting on key parts of an individual player’s performance.

• Goals
• Assists
• Shots

These standard performance metrics make up the bulk of player prop betting options, which often use a totals format. For example:

Alphonso Davies 0.5-Goals

over/under In this example, you could bet on Davies scoring at least one goal in the upcoming match. Often, the best Canadian soccer players in FIFA will have a series of props available during the tournament. Browse them daily to spot good value.

Which Betting Markets Should Beginners Avoid?

Any betting markets that are complex and unpredictable are not good starting points for beginners. Two examples are:

• Correct Score
• Parlays

The correct score bet is hard to guess because you need to choose the winning side and guess how much both sides will score in the game. That’s a significant step up from combining the 3-way moneyline and a totals bet.

As for parlays, these combo bets allow you to connect multiple bets into one mega bet for a mega payout. But a single loss is enough to wreck the whole thing—better for experienced fans who know which bets are safer to combine.

Where Can Beginners Bet on Soccer in Canada?

Now that you know the best beginner-friendly soccer betting markets, it’s time to get in the action, especially with FIFA World Cup around the corner. Canada-based online sportsbooks are the gateway to soccer betting in the Great White North, whether you’re into:

• FIFA World Cup
• MLS
• EPL
• La Liga
• Bundesliga
• Italian Serie A
• French Ligue 1

Here at Ozoon, we cater to Canadian bettors and offer all of the betting markets listed above. Our intuitive interface makes it easy to navigate our sportsbook, including our comprehensive soccer section. There, you’ll find competitive odds in a wide range of beginner-friendly markets. There’s no better place to start your soccer betting journey than right here at Ozoon Sportsbook—the best sportsbook to bet on soccer in Canada.

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