Football Bets: Popular Bet Types Explained

One of the biggest drivers behind the growth of the online betting industry has been the influx of new betting markets. Football has probably been the biggest beneficiary of this expansion as well, with literally hundreds of markets to choose from for a huge range of the top flight games, and plenty for the lower leagues too.

If you are new to the industry or new to betting on football, then when you first land on the bookmaker it has the potential to be quite overwhelming. There are a lot of markets to choose from and it’s not always clear as to what they might mean.

We’ve produced this guide to highlight the vast majority of football betting markets and how they work. The only markets that we will omit from this are ones that are dedicated to a single bookmaker, often ones that they have created themselves but aren’t industry-standard.

Match Betting

Final Whistle Celebration — Christopher Johnson / CC BY-SA

The match betting section is where you’re going to find a lot of the more familiar markets to bet on, and likely where you are going to place the majority of your bets, at least to begin with. All of these markets have some sort of reliance on the final result of the game.

These markets are very common, every bookmaker offers them, and that makes them super competitive. This is advantageous for the bettor because you can often get really good odds if you are prepared to shop around.

When betting on these it’s important to realise that all of them are based on 90 minutes of play and all bets will be settled after normal time. That means that extra time does not count, so even if you bet on a team to win a game and they are drawing at 90 minutes but go on to win in extra time, your bet would lose.

Also, you need to note that these markets include injury time in both the first and second half. Betting rules will state “90 minutes”, but the market doesn’t just stop as soon as the clock hits 90, they will include any added time.

Win/Draw/Win – The most common match betting market is where you bet on either the home team to win, away team to win, or the draw. These markets are sometimes referenced as “1X2”, with 1 signifying home win, 2 away win, and x the draw.
Double chance – Double chance allows you to bet on two or more outcomes from the Win/Draw/Win market above. This can be home or away win, home win or draw, and away win or draw. These give you two chances of winning the bet but at reduced odds.
Draw no bet – This market is where you pick a team to win and if the game ends as a draw then the bet is void. ‘Void’ is basically just industry jargon meaning that your stake will be returned; it can also be called a ‘push’ but this is more common in casino betting.
HT/FT – This market represents the match result at both half time and then again at full time. For this bet to win you need to make sure that you pick both of the correct results. For example, you can pick a draw for half time and then an away win by full time. There are 9 possible combinations for this, and the odds can be quite lucrative as a result.
Win from behind – This market is where you bet on a team to win the game after initially being behind. So ideal they would go down in the first few minutes and have the whole match to come back. Most bookmakers will allow them to be losing at any point, so they could go 1-0 up, then 1-2 down, before then winning 3-2, which would count as a winning bet.

Cup Match Betting

2014 World Cup — Agência Brasil / CC BY 3.0 BR

You remember how we mentioned that cup game bets only run for 90 minutes in the match betting section? You might be wondering if there is a way around this.

There is, but you need to be aware of what the markets mean and what exactly is classed as a result for cup match betting. It’s worth noting too that the odds for a team to win a match as opposed to the odds for that team to progress are going to be different.

For example, in a Copa America game between Brazil and Paraguay in the knockout stages, Brazil were priced at 1.16 to win the game, but priced lower at 1.083 to qualify. They are huge favourites regardless, but the “to qualify” bet allows for the draw as one of the 90-minute results plus the possibility for them to win in extra time or on penalties. In short, you have more chance of winning your bet.

Granted that this is a short price example, but the discrepancy between pretty much every game will be like this. In the same game Paraguay were 15.00 on the Win/Draw/Win and 8.00 to qualify by any method. A drop of almost half.

Method of victory – This allows you to choose how the game is decided. You often get three options here that include within 90 minutes, extra time, and penalties. You can also choose the team with the victory as well, which increases the odds quite dramatically for some bets.
To qualify – This market is where you choose one of the two teams to qualify for the next round. The method is irrelevant and whoever goes through wins the bet. This is similar to what we’ve just spoken about above but is an easier bet to win.
Game decided after penalties – For this market you choose if the game is going to go to penalties or not. It’s pretty simple, you don’t need to choose the team that will win, just whether the game goes to penalties or not.

Handicap Betting

Handicap betting has an article all of its’ own, but we will run through it briefly here. There are two different forms of handicap: traditional and Asian. The concept of both forms of markets is to level the playing field up to create a more equal base for the match.

The bookmaker does this by either adding or subtracting goals for markets in the match result bracket, which is where they are most popular. If a team is an underdog, then goals are added to their score and if they are a heavy favourite then goals are removed from their score.

You can control the amount of handicap that you want to apply, so you can choose to add or subtract 1 goal, 2 goals, 3 goals, and so on. With each increment the odds will change to reflect the probability; the less likely the higher the odds, the more of a chance you give a team the lower the odds. Bookmakers generally set a line to try and make an even money shot for both teams where possible, but for games that are already tight before they kick off, then this is tricky.

As we mentioned there are two handicap types in traditional and Asian handicaps. The key difference is that the traditional handicap includes draws and the Asian handicap removes draws. The Asian does this by working with fractions so that it creates a final score that always has a winner.

For example, a typical Asian Handicap would be -1.5, which means that 1.5 goals will be removed from the final score. If a team won 3-1, then you removed the 1.5 handicap, then the adjusted handicap score would be 1.5-1. The team would still win as a result.

You will notice as we work through the list of markets in this article that handicaps can be applied to many different football bet types. We will note them in each of the bet types throughout, but if you want to skip then check out things like goals, corners, and cards, as few notable mentions.

Traditional handicap – This is where you add or subtract goals from a score line to create a handicap result. These are three-way markets that include the draw (often referred to as ties) and used as whole numbers.
Asian handicap – These markets are similar to traditional in that add or subtract goals to create a handicap result, but are displayed as fractions, meaning the removal of the draw. These bets are now more popular than a traditional handicap because of their ease of use.

Score Line Betting

Score line betting is one of the most lucrative market ranges within football betting. The majority of them require the punter to either predict the correct score for the match or work with the total number of goals scored in the game.

It’s worth noting that some of these markets don’t require you to select the winning team, merely the correct number of goals or the score line that has been reduced. Its difficulty comes in that often a goal either way can have a massive effect on the outcome of your bet.

This section is one of the most varied that you will come across with football betting. The markets have grown massively over the last few years and they are now as diverse as you will find. It’s also worth noting that for a lot of these you need to be spot on with your predictions as well, which makes the bets tough to call, hence the large odds on offer.

Correct score – Probably the easiest to grasp but one of the most rewarding markets for score line bets is that of the correct score. All you need to do is predict the score line at full time to win. Bets will be counted within 90 minutes, unless otherwise stated.
First team to score – This market is where you bet on the team to score first in the match. The final result is irrelevant, all you need to do is choose which team scores first. If the game finishes 0-0, then some bookies will count this as a loss and others will count it as void, before returning your stake. The ideal scenario would be to find bookies that void the bet.
Win to nil – This market is where you back one team to win without conceding a goal. This might be 1-0, 2-0, 3-0 and so on.
Total goals – The total goals market is where you bet on the total number of goals scored by both teams in the match. Generally, these are split up into two sections; over/under line and then clusters of goals. The over/under lines are the most popular bets and these can range from 0.5 through to 6.5 and even higher for some games. They use fractions so a result will always occur.
Winning margin – This market is where you bet on the winning margin for a team to win. Again, this ranges from bookmaker to bookmaker, but generally you will select a single number and that is the margin you need to come in. For example, if you chose a winning margin of 2 goals and the team won 3-1, then you would win your bet.
Exact total goals – This is where you choose the exact number of goals in the match. Again, this is another market where you need to select a single number, and the payouts are highly lucrative.
First/second half goals – These markets are the same as total goals but related to each half. They are more commonly displayed as fractions and you choose the bet either over or under the mark for that half.
Exact half goals – This takes the same format as the exact total goals, except you are picking them for the half indicated, rather than the full game.
Early goal – The early goal market is one that is actually quite new. Here, you need to decide if there will be a goal before a certain amount of time in a specific match. The bookmaker will choose a line (time) and then you need to choose before or after that time. Most games are around the 30 minute mark.
Late goal – This works in the same way as the early goal market, but instead of choosing whether a goal will be scored before a certain time, you are choosing after a certain time. The options here are often later than the early goal market as more goals are scored in the last 15 minutes of games than in the opening 15 minutes of games. The bookmaker will have around the same price for both bets.
Time of first goal brackets – This is where you choose a time for the first goal of the match to be scored. You will be given a few time brackets to choose between including 1 – 10, 11 – 20, 21 – 30 and so on. These will usually include the “no goal” selection as well. It’s worth noting this as sometimes you can find discrepancies between this and the 0-0 correct score, with one offering more value than the other, but essentially being the same bet.
Half with most goals – Pretty obvious this one, you just choose the half that has the most goals in it. This will be a 3-way market, meaning that you can choose 1^st half, 2^nd half, and the tie.
Home/away team highest scoring half – An adaptation of the above, but for this you are just choosing the half of either the home team or the away to score the most goals in. Again, this is 3-way market with 1^st half, 2^nd half, and tie included.
Clean sheet – For this market you can choose either Yes or No as to whether or not the team will keep a clean sheet in the match.
Goals odd or even – Again, very simple here; just choose if there will be an odd or even number of goals in the match. Generally, even will be slightly shorter priced in most games, but the prices are usually pretty close.
Last team to score – You can choose which team is going to score the last goal of the game for this one. The actual result is irrelevant, but it’s worth noting that you can also select “no goal” for this market as well. Again, worth checking the price of this against 0-0 correct scores and other “goalless” related markets in case there is better value to be found.
Total goal minutes – Another fairly new market to all of this is the total goal minutes. For this you need to select the over, under, and the middle bracket for the total number of minutes combined. For example, if a goal was scored in the 30^th and the 60^th minute, the total minutes would be 90 minutes. The bookmaker will set an over and under line, but also a middle bracket. This could be under 135 minutes, 135 to 155 minutes, and over 155 minutes.
First goal method – This market allows you to choose the method of the first goal scored by either team or any player. They include shot, header, penalty, free kick, own goal, and no goal.
To score a penalty – This market is where you bet on a team to score a penalty.
To miss a penalty – This market is where you bet on a team to miss a penalty.
Penalty in the match – For this you need a penalty to occur at any point in the match and for either team. Whether a goal is scored from that penalty or not doesn’t matter.

Both Teams to Score (BTTS)

Both teams to score is one of the most popular betting markets in the industry right now. They are super-hot with accumulator bets and were first included in the Goals Galore accumulator lists set up by Betfred. These days all bookies offer these markets and they get tons of people utilising them.

The reason they are so popular is because the final result doesn’t really matter. If you choose a game with BTTS “Yes” then it makes no difference if the score is 1-1 or 6-9, as long as both teams score at some point your bet wins.

It’s worth pointing out that these bets are settled within 90 minutes unless otherwise stated. Extra time and penalties will not count towards this, although penalties scored within the regular 90 minutes will count. Another point of note is that own goals will count as a goal, and will be credited to the team that they assist.

Finally, these bets are often excluded from welcome offers and accumulator promotions. This will change from bookmaker to bookmaker, but it’s pretty common to see them as an ineligible market to bet on to either clear or trigger a promotion.

Before we jump in, remember that for every market that you can bet on both teams to score, you are also going to be able to bet on both teams not to score as well. This can be applied to pretty much all the markets below.

BTTS – This is the bet in its simplest form; all you need is both teams to score at any point of the game. The final result is irrelevant.
BTTS No – This market is where you are betting on both teams not to score. Your bet will still win if only one team scores, as well as if neither team scores.
Result and BTTS – For this you will need to predict the result of the match from the Win/Draw/Win market and you will need both teams to score. So, score lines like 2-1, 3-1, 4-2 and so on are all winning score lines assuming that you have chosen the correct team to win. You can choose either a home win, an away win, and even the draw for this, which is essentially the same as a score draw bet.
Win to nil – This market is essentially the same as backing BTTS no and the result as mentioned above.
BTTS and over/under – To win this market you will need to choose a game where both teams score and there are either over or under a certain number of goals in the match. So, for a BTTS and over 2.5 goals – which is probably the most common of this type – a score line like 2-1 would do the trick, but if the score was 3-0 then you would have lost as even though you had over 2.5 goals both teams failed to score.
BTTS in both halves – This is an increasingly popular market and one that is often used in accumulator bets given the high odds that you can get. For this to come in you need both teams to score in both halves. This means that they need at least 1 goal each in first half and in the second. The final result is irrelevant. This can also be adapted to BTTS specifically in the 1^st/2^nd half as well.
BTTS and certain player to score – For this you need both teams to score as usual, but you also need to choose a specific player to score (usually at any time). Some bookies offer this as a player to score first bet as well, with the odds being really high. It seems an odd market, but it actually offers great value given that once that player has scored you are half way to your bet, and if you were going to bet on the first or anytime goal scorer anyway it makes sense to boost your odds.
BTTS from a set piece – Fairly simple; for this you need to choose a game where both teams score directly from a free kick or corner. It needs to go straight in without a touch from a teammate and the goal to be officially awarded to that player.
BTTS from a penalty – This is actually a super rare market and a very tough bet to call, but you need both teams to score from the penalty spot for this to come in. Odds for this market, as you would expect, are usually very high.

Goalscoring Betting

These markets are another set that are proving to be massively popular with football bettors. The pricing is what draws in a lot of punters as you can often get really high odds, especially for first goalscorer bets.

They allow a fair bit of room to get creative, and if you manage to land a centre back scoring first, then the odds are likely going to be well in excess of 30.00. The real beauty is that even the favourites go off at fairly long odds of around 3.00.

All of these bets are settled within 90 minutes and this includes injury time. Some bookies may extend this to extra time for cup matches, but this is rare and often done as a promotion more than anything else.

Own goals will not count for these markets, so if an own goal is scored then for the purpose of goalscorer bets it will be ignored and the next player to score next will be recognised as the first goalscorer. If you have backed “no goalscorer” then this also applies. It’s worth noting that often a “no goalscorer” bet offers the same odds as a 0-0 correct score, but it won’t include own goals if scored.

Goals from this market are settled based on official Press Association (PA) results that are announced after each match. Any goals that are put forward to the dubious goals panel at a later date will not be overturned and the decision at the end of the game is final.

If games are postponed and/or abandoned then any markets that have been settled will remain, but any markets still live will be voided and your bets returned. For example; you back the first goalscorer in a match, they score the first goal but the game gets called off 10 minutes for a waterlogged pitch. In this scenario your bet would still stand, and you would win.

If a player does not start and does not enter the pitch at all then bets on this player will be voided. If they do not start but come on before the market has been settled, then bets are live. If they come on after the market has already been settled then your bet will be voided and your stake returned.

First/ last goalscorer – For this market you are betting on a single player to score either the first or the last goal of the match. You can also bet on that player to score both the first and the last goal of a match.
Anytime goalscorer – This is where you back a single player to score at any point in the match. It doesn’t matter if it’s first or last, just as long as they get at least one goal.
First goalscorer double chance – This market allows you to choose two players that might score first in a match. As long as one of your two selections scores first, then you win a set amount of money.
To score 1^st and win/draw/lose – This is where you choose a player to score first and then predict that their team will go on to win, draw or lose the match. As you can imagine, these bets can be priced very highly, especially for players that were already longer priced to start with. Another adaptation of this is for a player to score anytime along with a win/lose/draw result.
To score 1^st or 2^nd goal – This market means that you choose a player to score first but your bet will also win if they score second instead.
1^st team goalscorer – For this market you are selecting a player that will score first for one specific team. This means that whatever the other team has done is irrelevant, so instead of the player going up against 21 other players, they are just going up against 10 of their teammates instead.
To score a brace – A brace is basically two goals, but this market suggests that the player can actually score two or more goals. These goals are generally considered to be anytime and no 1^st or last goalscorer is required.
To score a header – This will require a header to be scored by the player. Again, another market that will be anytime rather than the 1^st or last.
To score from outside the box – For this the player must score from outside the 18-yard box. These markets are adjudicated by OPTA who determine if the player was indeed outside the box or not.
To score inside the 6 yard box – A goal to be scored by that player within the 6-yard box. Again, OPTA adjudicate where exactly the ball was struck from.
To score and be carded – This market will require the player to score a goal and then pick either a yellow or red card as well. These can be in any order, but obviously if they get sent off prior to scoring a goal then the bet can’t win.
Hattrick – Player to score three or more goals.
Full time result and player to score – This market will require you to choose a player to score at any time, but also to select from either a home win, away win, or the draw.
Goal scorer match bets – This is where you are betting on the player to score the most goals in a head to head match up with another player. It’s worth noting that this is a 3-way market, with a tie being an option that you can choose.
To score in 10 minutes – For this market you need to select a player that will score within 10 minutes. This is an anytime market, so it doesn’t matter if its first or not as long as it’s within the 10 minutes time indicated.
Both players to score – This is where you chose two players to score anytime in the match. You will need both of them to score to win this bet.
Goalscorer treble – An adaptation of the above market, but instead of choosing two players you need your three chosen players to score at any time in that match.
Goalscorer/assist double – For this market you need to choose the player to score and the person that is going to assist them. It doesn’t matter how many they score or when the combination comes about, just as long as it does.
Player to outscore opposition – This market is where the player needs to score more goals than the entire team that they are playing against.

Player Specials

The player specials are the more niche type bets, and they include a number of pretty random markets to be honest. They follow a similar set of rules to that of the goalscorer markets in that they will last for the 90-minute period of the game unless otherwise stated.

Also, if your player fails to enter the field before the market is settled then the bet will be void and your stake returned. If your market has been settled and the match is abandoned or postponed, then your bet will stand.

Most bookies take their final decision from organisations such as OPTA and the Football Writers Association, who are both independent outside parties so they can’t be accused of cheating. Any discrepancies in what has happened will be settled by the final ruling for the organisation that the bookmaker is using.

Finally, VAR is playing a big part in football betting these days. This means that bets might not be settled as soon as they occur given that decisions can now be overturned.

Man of the match – This is where you are betting on the player to be nominated man of the match. For this market it is vitally important that you note which organisation the bookmaker is using to determine this. Different outfits can give different results, but the bookmaker will likely use the same source for all games that they offer this market on.
To be sent off – This market is where you bet on a player to be sent off in a match. The player must be sent off within the normal 90 minute period, so any red card that is produced after the full-time whistle will not count.
To be booked – This is the same as the above really, with a player to be booked at any time in the match.
1^st player to be booked – This is slightly different from the above market as we are betting on the 1^st player to be booked in the match. You can often get the first player to be booked for each team as an adaptation of this market as well.
Player assist – Betting on a player to assist one or more goals throughout the match.
Both players to assist a goal – This market is where you need to choose two players that both assist separate goals in the match.
Most tackles – Choose the player to make the most tackles in a match. Dead heat rules will apply if there is a tie.
Most shots on target – This market is where you choose the player to have the most shots on target throughout the match. Goals scored are irrelevant. Outside organisations, usually OPTA, will provide the stats for this.
Most fouls conceded – The player to make the most fouls in a 90-minute match.

Combination Bets & Accumulators

Combination bets are some of the more popular bets for football, and this is where you combine two or more markets to create one bet. These are set out by the bookmaker and you simply choose the combination that you want for that market.

A lot of these bets are linked to goalscorer markets, so often any rules that apply to goalscorer bets as outlined above will apply to these bets as well. The great thing about these is that you can get really creative with them and in turn get some massive odds.

Accumulator bets work a little differently and aren’t a specific bet as such. They are a group of individual bets lumped together to create one bet. To form an accumulator bet you simply include multiple bets and then multiply the odds together to get the overall price. These markets are highly popular, but it’s worth noting that you need all results to come in for a successful bet.

We also wanted to touch on the fact that you can request bets with a lot of bookmakers these days. These are custom bets that include several selections. The difference between these and an accumulator bet is that you can include bets that are dependant of each other. For example, in an accumulator you couldn’t have two markets from the same game, but with request bets you can.

The process for these are pretty simple; you just need to get in touch with the bookmaker, often by social media, and state the markets that you want including. Their team will then come up with a price for you for the selections that you want to include. An extension to this that some bookies offer is a “bet builder” feature which allows you to do this yourself onsite, coming up with odds instantly.

Scorecast – The scorecast bet requires you to select the player that will score the first goal of the game as well as the correct full time score. This is a tough market to call, so the odds are high, even for the most likely of events.
Wincast – A slight adaptation from the scorecast bet is the wincast. For this you need to choose the player to score the first goal and then the result of the match (home win, away win or draw).
Timecast – The Timecast is where you select the player to score first and within a certain period of the game. Most bookies will have three selections that include 1-20 minutes, 21-45 minutes and 46 minutes+.
Anytime scorecast – This works in a similar fashion to the scorecast bet above, but you select a player to score anytime along with the correct score, rather than the player to score first.
1^st half scorecast – This market is where you select a player to score first and predict the correct score at half time.
Full cover bets – These include a number of bets all combined into one. The number of selections that you make will determine the number of bets that you have. They start from as few as three selections, which is known as a Trixie. You then have four wagers for the bet, that include a treble and a double. If you have 4 selections then you have a Yankee, which is one 4-fold, 4 trebles and 6 doubles. As you increase the number of selections, the number of bets start to rise as well.

Time Bets

Timing can be crucial in football, and a fairly popular betting market includes a host of timing-based bets. For this you need the event you bet on to occur within that set time period.

Accurate timing can sometimes be an issue, so most bookmakers take the official timings from an outside source, like OPTA, who track pretty much all football matches from around the world. It’s worth noting that on occasions these numbers might not match that of the timing given in the match, so bear that in mind.

Often with timed bets, if your player hasn’t entered the field of play before the end of the time period that you select the event to take place within, then your bet will be void and your stake returned.

Time of first goal – This is where you bet on when the first goal of the match will be scored. You will get brackets of time to choose from, usually in 10-minute periods, but sometimes quarters of the match as well.
Time of first home goal – Same as the above, except the market only applies to the home team. Also, “no goal” will be an option with this market so if they fail to score at all then you lose.
Time of first away goal – Exactly the same as the above but relating to the away team only.
10-minute result – This market is where you choose the result of the match after just 10 minutes. This will include home win, away win, or draw based on the score at that time. It’s worth noting that over time intervals are available for this bet, within 15, 30, and 45 minutes being alternative popular bets.
First 10 minutes goals/cards/corners – This market is where you choose the over or under on a line for either goals, cards, or corners within the opening 10 minutes of a match. Given that the time period is so short, the line is usually 0.5. This means that 1 or more need to occur for over bets and none for under bets. As above, other time limitations are available for the same bet types.
Time of first yellow card – This market applies to the time when the first yellow card is shown. This is usually settled on the time that the challenge is made and can be quite confusing with the introduction of VAR.
Time of first red card – The time shown when the first red card is produced.
Time of first corner – This market is the time that the first corner in the match is won. This is for both teams, and the time will be either before or after a time set by the bookmaker with the odds on both being near enough even money.
Early goal – For this bet you are choosing a goal before a certain time in the match.
Late goal – For this you are betting on a goal after a certain period in the match.

Corners

The corner market has shot up in popularity over the last few years and there are even tipsters that specialise in these sorts of things. Many teams set up in a certain manner that allows them to win more corners than others, so you can spot trends.

One of the things to note here is that if a corner has to be retaken for whatever reason, then only 1 will count towards the tally. The corner will also need to be taken to count, so if one is awarded just before half time for example, but there is no time to take it and the referee blows his whistle indicating the end of the first half, then the corner will not count towards the tally.

Bets are typically over the course of 90 minutes unless otherwise stated and don’t include extra time. These markets are also the combined tally of both team’s corners unless otherwise stated.

Corners – This is the general market that is set out by the bookmaker and comes as a 3-way option. The bookmaker will set a line and you can choose that exact number, over it, or under it. For example, 9 corners is seen as standard for most games, so you could bet on 9 exactly, over 9, or under 9.
Total corners – This market allows you to choose from a number of brackets in the game. These brackets are typically under 6, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14 and over 14. Remember, these are the total combined corners from both teams.
Alternative corners – The alternative market is where you choose from the over, under, or exact number of corners with a huge range to choose from. A list can typically range from 3 through to 17 for most games, with all three options being available for each number.
Corners 2-way – This market is the over/under line set out by the bookmaker. It’s a 2-way because the number is represented as a fraction. For example, it might be over/under 9.5 corners.
First half corners – This is the over, under, or exact number of corners throughout the first half.
Corner match bet – For this market you can be on the team that has the most corners in the match. This is a 3-way market, so you can also bet on the tie as well.
Corner handicap – The handicap market is where you give one team a head start or a disadvantage over the other team. It works in the same way as the handicap goals market mentioned earlier.
Asian handicap corners – This market is the Asian version of the handicap market so the number is represented as a fraction to make it a 2-way betting market.
Team corners – This market is where you bet on the over/under total corners for each team.
Corners race – The race market is where you are betting on the team to hit a certain number of corners first. They are usually in intervals of 3, 5, 7 and 9 and the team that gets there first, wins. You can also bet on “neither” team hit any of these milestones.
First match corner – This is where you bet on the team to have the first corner of the match. If no corners occur, then this bet is void.
Last match corner – This market is where you bet on the team to take the last match corner. Note that if only 1 corner is taken throughout the game, the first and last corner will be the same.

Cards

Like corner betting, card betting is another popular market that many people have latched on to of late. Lots of bookies operate a point scoring system for this, usually where a yellow card signifies 10 points and a red card will signify 30 points. You will need to check how this works for each bookmaker if this is a market that you are going to be betting on. Where points aren’t indicated a red card will count as a single card just like a yellow.

If you bet on a player to get a card and they don’t play any part in the game then your bet will be void, but if you bet on the player to be carded and they play at least 1 second of that match, the bet will stand.

It’s also worth noting that any bookings of players after the game will not count towards these markets, nor will any bookings for players who are not active on the field of play.

Number of cards in a match – This market will be an over/under market for most bookies. They will set a line and then you need to select whether you want over or under that amount. The standard is around 5.5 cards for most matches.
Card handicap – The handicap market gives an advantage to one team over the over with an additional card awarded, theoretically of course. This is a 3-way market where you can bet on the tie as well.
Alternative card handicap – This will offer up more choices for the card handicap. Again, all bets are on a 3-way market, with home team, away team, and the tie.
Asian total cards – The Asian market for the total number of cards in a match. This is an over/under market.
Asian handicap cards – The Asian handicap market will give a slight advantage or disadvantage to one team in the form of a fractional handicap. Usually +/- 0.5 for either team.
First card received – The team to get the first card awarded to them. Another 3-way market with “no card” included in this selection.
Time of first card – The time that the first card of the game is shown to either team. Usually before or after a certain time set out.
Team cards – The over/under on the number of cards shown for each team.
A red card in the match – A simple yes or no for this for a red card to be shown at any time in the match for either team.
1^st player to be booked – The first player to be booked in the match from either team. Also, “no booking” is an option in this market so no there are no void bets if no booking is shown.
Player to be sent off – A bet on any player on the pitch to be sent off at any time. If no red card is shown then this market becomes void and stakes are returned.