European Football Betting: Ways To Bet on Soccer

European football, or soccer, is the most popular sport in the world outside of the United States. It’s the online Texas Holdem of sports, you might say. This being the case, it is also one of the most popular sports to bet on.

However, for those who have not attempted betting on European football before, it may not be clear exactly how it works.

Money Lines in Sports

To understand European football betting, one must first understand money lines. A money line is simply a different way of expressing odds than the typical X-to-1, format.

If you were betting on a horse, you might take odds of 6-to-1, or you may get 7-to-1 on a particular craps bet. In team sports, the money line is calculated against a $100 bet, as follows.

If a money line is -120/+140, it means that to bet on the favorite, you would have to put up $120 to win $100. To bet on the underdog, you would bet $100 for the chance to win $140.

In terms of traditional odds, it’s like giving 1.2-to-1 on the favorite or getting 1.4-to-1 on the underdog.

Money Lines in European Football

The problem with European football is that the games frequently end in draws, where neither team wins. For this reason, European football lines include a draw option.

So for example, you may find a line like: Real Madrid: -160 Draw +120 Barcelona +180. This would mean if you bet $100 that the teams would draw, you could win $120 if the game ends in a tie.

If you bet $100 on Barcelona you would win $180 if they win. If you want Real Madrid, you’d have to bet $160 to win $100.

Important Facts About European Football Betting

It’s important to keep in mind that since there is a draw betting option, bets on either team lose if the game ends in a draw. This can be confusing to those who are used to betting on American football, where if the game ends in a tie, or the game is a tie against the spread, it is a push and no one wins or loses.