If you’re new to betting online or maybe you are an online casino expert but want to try sports betting for something new and exciting, there is so much to know before choosing some football betting sites and placing your first few bets. In truth, even if you are a seasoned football betting pro, it is good to know what else is on the market – maybe there’s a better deal available.
How to choose the best football betting site for you?
First of all, you should know that not every betting site offers the same range of sports to wager on. Most have football, basketball and tennis markets, and the top betting sites have a long list of sports markets that even include esports, plus poker betting. Esports is competitive video gaming and you can bet on a range of teams, in different leagues and tournaments.
If your priority is to bet on football, you will have a wide range of options due to the sport’s popularity. Many have at least one welcome offer and some have weekly offers too – you can find out more about them later on our site.
Do You Want To Bet on Mobile?
When you choose the best football betting brands, try to consider how and where you will play. If you plan to bet when you are out and about, maybe even at sporting events, you should register with a site that has an excellent mobile app, but if you only plan to bet from home, the choice is easier. All the big football betting sites have a mobile app but that doesn’t necessarily mean these are the best sites for you.
Football Stock Markets
Apart from the more common online sportsbooks, you might have heard of football stock markets, like Football Index, PlayersSX and FootStock. These games work just like the New York Stock Exchange and the FTSE 100, offering an alternative way of betting on football. They allow sports fans to make real money from buying and selling shares in football players.
Betting Promotions
You might find that betting promotions help you choose your favourite football betting sites, with welcome offers helping you hit the ground running. Find out more about acca insurance, enhanced odds and welcome bonuses in this section.
Acca Insurance
We all know how popular accas are, and we probably know someone who has boasted about winning hundreds or thousands on one unlikely bet. To make these long odds bets even more tantalising and fun, betting companies introduced ‘acca insurance’ which gives the bettor all or some of their stake back if just one result ruins their accumulator.
Enhanced Odds
Enhanced odds are simply when a bookmaker boosts the odds of a selection, e.g. when the favourite to win a football game has short odds, i.e. 1-2 to win, the football betting site could enhance those odds to something like 5-1 to win. Beware though as this enhanced odds feature, often occurring alongside a major sports event, can be a tactic by the bookmaker to attract players to register an account. In that same vein, enhanced odds often come with terms and conditions – for instance, the offer is only available to new players, there might be a minimum and maximum bet, and it might be forbidden in some countries. There could also be restrictions on deposit methods. Also, if you win the bet, you might be paid in cash or free bets, so read the terms first.
Bear in mind that if these enhanced odds attract a lot of attention, the bookmaker will be happy to withdraw the offer as soon as they get enough sign-ups, or the bookmaker might realise that the bet is almost certain to win.
Welcome Bonuses
Just as football betting sites come with different sports to choose from, there is a wide variety of welcome bonuses to find. For example, Betway offer up to £30 in free bets when players deposit at least £10, Betfred have ‘bet £10, get £30 in free bets,’ Unibet offer 100% up to £50, and Bet365 give up to £100 in bet credits to match players’ first deposit.
Many of these welcome bonuses must be claimed within 30 days of opening an account and there will be terms and conditions to follow.
Football Live Streams
As if betting on football matches wasn’t exciting enough, the best betting websites allow players to stake and watch live streams of the events they have a stake in.
Often, you need to bet on the game or at least have funds in your account to stream the event. But you almost always need to be registered. Note that the action you see on a live stream is generally two to 10 seconds behind the event, so it is not exactly live but close enough.
Premier League Live Streams
Some of the best betting sites for live streaming Premier League football are Unibet, Coral, Betsson, bet365 and Betsafe. Unibet allows players to live stream football matches with Unibet TV, if they have funds in their account, or they have placed a bet on the event. With Unibet, you can also bet and stream tennis, basketball, horse racing, baseball and snooker. If you want to live stream horse racing, you must place a bet of at least £1.
La Liga Live Stream
Many of the major football betting sites will stream La Liga games – it’s one of Europe’s biggest competitions after all. Some of the sites you can rely on for streaming are Betfair, Coral and Ladbrokes. La Liga is a unique league and this presents a unique set of possibilities where betting is concerned. For instance, almost every season, Barcelona and Real Madrid dominate the league, so it can be easier to win if you back the two Spanish giants. It could also produce more opportunities to win big by backing the underdog. Regardless, La Liga presents a tantalising proposition for bettors and a live stream while you bet is a must.
Bundesliga Live Stream
Unibet also offers live streaming for Bundesliga betting. There, you can bet on all your favourite Bundesliga teams, like Bayern, Schalke, and Dortmund. Another option for live streams of German top flight matches is bet365. To live stream events at Bet365, players must have funds in their Sports account or have bet in the last 24 hours. As the Bundesliga is a popular football league, you can also expect to find streams on other major sites, like Betfair.
Championship Live Stream
In addition, you can bet and live stream English Championship football for free on sites, like William Hill, Coral, Ladbrokes, Unibet and Betfred.
Live Betting & In-play
If you are looking for the most exciting way to bet on football, betting live and in play is where it’s at. You can feel part of the action and stake on almost any event you can imagine, like the number of corners and yellow cards, as the game develops in front of you.
Bet & Watch
You can usually live stream games on leading football betting sites if you have funds in your account or bet on the event. With Sky Bet’s Bet & Watch feature, you must stake at least £1 to watch along.
In-play Markets
In the past, bettors were limited to wagering on an event before it started, and then waiting to see if they won. Football betting has evolved and now you can bet as things happen. This is called inplay betting. As the match progresses and events occur, like a goal, a yellow card, or a corner, etc, there’s a multitude of bets to make. You can bet on a goal in the first five minutes, the number of goals in the first half, or the first team or player to score.
Best Betting Sites for Football
Bookmaker
Bonus Amount
Bonus Code
Our Score
Visit Site
Bet £10 And Get
£30
In Free Bets (+£10 Casino Bonus)
Show Bonus Code ******
10
Show Bonus Code ******
18+ only. New Customers Only. Full T&Cs Apply. Begambleaware.org.
18+ only • Min deposit £10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days and expires after 14 days • To withdraw any winnings from the Casino Bonus, wager the Bonus amount 40 times within 14 days • Withdrawal restrictions, payment methods, country & Full T&Cs apply • BeGambleAware.org •
Bet £10 And Get
£30
In Free Bets
Show Bonus Code ******
10
Show Bonus Code ******
18+ only. New Customers Only. Full T&Cs Apply. Begambleaware.org.
18+ only. New Customer offer. Place a min £10 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £30 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org.
Bet £10 & Get
£50
In Free Bets
Show Bonus Code ******
10
Show Bonus Code ******
18+ only. New Customers Only. Full T&Cs Apply. Begambleaware.org.
18+ only. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org.
Bet £20 and get it
Back As Cash
if it loses
Show Bonus Code ******
10
Show Bonus Code ******
18+ only. New Customers Only. Full T&Cs Apply. Begambleaware.org.
18+ only. New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any market at odds of min 2.0 (EVS) and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using cards will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org.
Bet365 Sportsbook & Live Stream
Bet365 is one of the best football betting sites due to its wide range of markets and live streaming technology.
Bet365 Live Streaming
Sports live streams are available at Bet365 virtually 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And almost every day, there is a football match streamed live from Bet365’s website. Are you interested in betting live on Derry City versus Cork City in Ireland? What about watching and betting on Dinamo Brest against Belshina Bobruisk in Belarus? Or would you like to stream and bet on Nacional Asuncion versus Sportivo San Lorenzo in Paraguay? Well, you can at Bet365, plus there are table tennis, basketball, tennis and beach volleyball markets to try.
Not everyone can view Bet365 live streams. Only players with a Bet365 account who have placed a bet in the last 24 hours or have an account containing funds, can watch as they bet.
Bet365’s 2-Up Bonus
An exciting feature of the Bet365 sportsbook is the 2-Up Bonus , which rewards players whose backed team goes two goals ahead. So, if you don’t have a lot of time to wait around, you can relax knowing that if the team you backed gains a two-goal advantage, Bet365 will pay out straight away. Even if the team goes on to lose or win by only one goal, you will still get the win. Paddy Power also has this 2-Up bonus.
Goals Galore & More With Betfred
Betfred’s Goals Galore
Goals Galore is Betfred’s promotion special where players win if both teams score. This is a repackaged “both teams to score” bet but with added conditions. First, you must bet on at least three games from the two pre-picked coupons, then make your predictions.
Betfred Live Streaming
At Betfred, you can watch football, tennis, cricket, esports, ice hockey, basketball, baseball and rugby streamed live. There are lots of in play bets for the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A in Italy, and you can use their Watch Live feature to stream on the web and mobile.
Price Boosts & Free Bets with Sky Bet
Sky Bet Price Boosts
Sky Bet’s football betting site ties in perfectly with the company’s sports coverage on television. As well as promotions linked to their Sky Sports TV channels, like Super 6, they keep punters interested with boosts, such as the Soccer Saturday Price Boost.
With the Soccer Saturday offer, Sky chooses a three-fold accumulator and two of the match results, while the punter chooses the third. Due to the special nature of the bet, the odds are enhanced but there might be a maximum stake.
Sky Bet Club
Sky Bet Club rewards new and existing players a £5 free bet every week when they bet at least £25 and opt in for the week. Plus, you can #RequestABet – either tweet @SkyBet with the bet you want to make or use the Sky Bet app.
Paddy Power’s Loyalty Rewards
Acca Insurance
Paddy Power has an acca insurance feature that covers you if one leg loses. For instance, if you bet on 10 results and only one fails, your stake will be returned as a free bet within 24 hours. This insurance is available on all sports except horse racing.
Want to be in Paddy’s gang? Paddy’s Rewards Club [link to Paddy offers article?] gives you free bets and more, like up to £10 and a power up, when you place five bets on sport online. Also, Paddy has an exciting free game called Hit The Spot, where players must hit targets to gain points on the leaderboard. The week’s winner gets a £100 free bet!
Smarkets Exchange System
Smarkets is different to standard football betting sites. It’s a betting exchange system allows punters to stake against other punters’ bets rather than against the bookmaker. This allows for better odds, if you can find someone who wants to bet against your prediction. The exchange makes money by taking a cut of punters’ winnings.
Smarkets’ Refer a Friend
Smarkets’ Refer a Friend system lets an existing member of Smarkets and a referral earn a risk-free bonus of £10 each. Players can earn 50 referral bonuses per account.
Virgin Bet’s New Popular Sportsbook
Virgin Bet is a new betting site from Virgin which gives a welcome offer of £20 in free bets when you bet £10. With its SBTech, it is aiming to be the future of football betting online, and offers users a smooth experience. Virgin Bet’s user experience is almost on par with the excellent Sky Bet, and its football betting markets are easy to find from the homepage.
Football Betting Markets & Football Betting Strategy
Whether you’re looking to spice up your betting sessions with new betting markets and strategies or you’re starting out and want to know the best ways to play, keep reading and you’ll be ITK in no time.
Both Teams To Score (BTTS)
It does exactly what it says on the tin. Both teams to score bets are popular on football betting sites, partly because they’re so simple – bettors win if both teams score. One of the advantages of BTTS is players will gravitate to match-ups they think will produce more goals. Not only are these games more fun to watch but it makes betting on them more entertaining too.
The trick is to find a match between two teams who have firepower but whose attacking styles leave them open. Think Arsenal and Leicester City or Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Also, consider betting on two teams you know are so strong in attack that even if the opponent has a good defence, each team is likely to score at least once, such as Manchester City versus Liverpool or Manchester United versus Chelsea.
Correct Score
Correct score bets tend to separate the pros from the amateurs. It is much more difficult to bet on the correct score than to wager that both teams will score at least once. If betting on what you think will be the correct score, it is safer to bet on games that you expect to end 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1, and where one team that is slightly stronger than the other. In the English Premier League’s 2018/19 season, the most common score was 2-0 (17.6%), followed by 2-1 (16.3%) and then 1-0 (14.5%).
Scorecast
A scorecast is a kind of two in one bet, where punters predict a goalscorer and the result of the match. If your chosen goalscorer does not play, the bet on the result will go ahead as a single.
Over/Under Goals Scored
On football betting sites, bettors can wager on the result of the game having more than or less than the number of goals specified in the bet. For instance, you can bet there will be more than four goals or less than two goals, and so on.
Half Time/Full Time Result
If you know a team comes out of the blocks quickly and tends to score an early goal, you might have an idea who will lead at half time. With a half time/full time result bet, you can bet independently on which team will be leading at half time and which team will be ahead after the final whistle. Or you can bet that the teams will be level at half time and/or full time.
Popular Football Competitions to Bet On
Premier League Betting Odds
One of the things that makes betting on the Premier League so entertaining is the number of markets. Bet on teams to finish top four, teams to stay up, the top London club and lots more. For example, Sheffield United are currently 35/5 to finish in the top five in the 2020/21 season.
Champions League Betting Odds
The Champions League offers similar markets, plus price boosts. At the time of writing, you could get boosted odds for the winner of the competition in 2020/21. Bayern Munich are a generous 7/2 while Manchester City are 9/2.
Europa League Betting Odds
Europa League markets are similar to Champions League bets, with the qualifying rounds open to wager on, and you can bet on the winner months in advance. Arsenal are currently the favourites to win the competition at 9/1.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best football betting site?
There are several excellent football betting sites to choose from and the pool is getting larger as time goes on. Bookmakers know football betting is popular – the 2020 Champions League final between Germany’s Bayern Munich and France’s Paris Saint Germain attracted 12.79 million viewers from Germany and 11 million from France – and they want in on the action. Football is the most popular sport to bet on in the UK, while it is becoming more popular in the United States.
Which football betting sites offer live streaming?
Most leading sites offer live streaming but Unibet, Coral, Betsson, Bet365 and Betsafe are some of the best.
What is the best betting site for free bets?
Almost all sports and football betting websites have some form of free bet offer. For example, Bet365 gives up to £100 in matched deposit bet credits, so if you deposit £100 you get £100 in bet credits. On the other hand, Betfred welcome new customers with a ‘bet £10, get £30 + 30 free spins’ offer. Plus, 888 Sport have a £40 free bet offer, while Sky Bet give £30 in bet tokens when new customers bet £5 or more.
Which football betting sites accept paypal?
Betfair, Bet365, Ladbrokes, William Hill, 888 Sport, bwin, PartyPoker and Paddy Power accept PayPal.
What is the best football betting site for acca insurance?
One of the best sites for acca insurance is Paddy Power. Its Acca Insurance product is dedicated to this aspect of online football betting.
