Football betting is incredibly popular, with some 45% of active sports bettors in the UK having wagered on competitions like the Premier League or UEFA Champions League.
The EFL is also popular among bettors, with its three tiers offering access to a huge selection of betting lines and markets. But what are the best EFL wagering markets, and which strategies can help you to make the most of your bankroll?
How Football Betting Works
In simple terms, football betting is the practice of wagering on different outcomes in matches or tournaments. You’ll bet at fixed odds that will determine your potential payout.
For example, you may back one team to beat another in an EFL Championship game or bet on a side to win the League One title outright. Let’s explore these mechanics in a little more detail!
Common Football Betting Terms
When engaging in football betting, you’ll come across a number of key terms. Here’s a summary of the most important:
- Moneyline: This is a straightforward bet that requires you to pick the winner (or result) in a single match.
- Accumulator: This is a wager type that includes between four and 20 picks in a single bet. It allows you to back the winners of multiple matches at enhanced odds.
- Spread Betting: Also known as handicapping, this lets you apply a virtual deficit to betting favourites and back them at extended odds.
- Odds: Odds can be expressed in different formats and tell you much you can win in relation to your stake. They also reveal the implied probability of an outcome occurring.
Types of Football Bets
Now, we’re going to drill down a little deeper into these terms and a wider range of football betting markets. These include:
Matched Betting
Matched betting is a strategy that lets you cover all potential outcomes in a particular game, while guaranteeing at least a minimal profit. This usually involves laying a traditional back bet at a betting exchange, at the exact same odds too.
Typically, one or more free bets are used to guarantee a matched betting profit. You can learn more about this and our complete matched betting practice here!
Spread Betting
Spread betting lets you handicap a betting favourite by a specific margin (such as -1.5 goals). This unlocks enhanced odds, while your pick will have to beat the spread and win by two goals or more for the bet to pay out.
You can also use spread betting to back betting underdogs and potentially receive a payout even if they lose. They’ll have to cover the spread for the wager to come in.
Arbitrage Betting
With arbitrage betting (or ‘arbing’), you’ll place simultaneous wagers on all possible outcomes in a football game. The goal here is to leverage the differences that exist in real-time odds to guarantee a profit, usually by betting with different sportsbooks.
This is an advanced betting market and strategy, and one that’s commonly used to target in-play lines. This may also be referred to by some as ‘sure betting’.
Pools Betting
Commonly referred to as the “pools”, this describes an on and offline betting pool in which you have to predict the outcome of upcoming football matches. It’s one of the more traditional ways of betting on football.
Pools are highly accessible and cheap to enter, while they usually deliver modest rewards. They also require you to have knowledge of competing teams and players. You can read our complete pool betting guide here.
Patent Betting
A ‘patent’ bet is based on three different selections in football or alternative markets. This wager type comprises seven different bets: namely three singles, three doubles and one treble.
This is a highly complex wager type for advanced bettors, although its potential payout can be sizable. To fully understand how to place and profit from a patent bet, check out our comprehensive guide with expert tips and detailed explanations
Acca Betting
We’ve already touched on accumulator or ‘acca’ betting, which includes between four and 20 picks in a single wager. The odds of each individual line will be multiplied together to create a single price, while all selections must win for the acca to be successful!
Accumulators can unlock sizable payouts, although your chances of winning diminish with every single pick.
In-play Betting
This may also be referred to as ‘live’ betting, which takes place during matches. In-play wagering unlocks a diverse selection of markets, including player props like the identity of the next goalscorer.
In-play odds are known to fluctuate wildly during games, so try to watch the action as it unfolds and time your bets well.
Value Betting
A ‘value’ bet describes a market where the probability of a particular outcome is actually greater than implied by the odds. There’s even a formula to help calculate value bets, which reads as follows:
Value = (Odds * Odds) – 1
If your resulting value is greater than zero, you’ll have an opportunity to engage in value betting and pursue enhanced returns.
Prop Betting
You can access both team and player props when betting on football matches. Props refer to a number of in-game outcomes and events, which may not have a direct bearing on the final result.
These can include the number of assists contributed by a player or the over/under on how many corner kicks will be won during a game. Once again, prop bets work best when deployed in-play.
Nap Betting
In football betting, the ‘nap’ refers to a particular tipster’s best wager of the day. This is the bet that they believe has the best chance of being successful.
To engage in nap betting, you’ll need to identify proven tipsters who you trust. However, you should still conduct your own market analysis too before betting.
Btts Betting
BTTS (or ‘Both Teams to Score’) betting is a popular match wagering market. It requires you to predict whether both sides will score in a particular football game or not.
Ultimately, this is an even money football betting market. You can also make informed picks based on careful form and scoring analysis.
Over Under Betting
This is another even money market, which lets you bet on the number of goals that will be scored in a game.
Sportsbooks set different totals as individual betting lines, and you’ll have to pick one before deciding whether the actual number will be over or under this threshold.
Moneyline Betting
As we’ve touched on, moneyline betting requires you to pick the winner of a particular EFL match. You can also back the draw, with this outcome occurring in around 25.5% of EFL games.
This is the most straightforward way of betting on football matches. You can also inform your picks using basic analysis of home and away form and historic head-to-heads.
1×2 Betting
This is a simplified way of describing moneylines, as it outlines the three available outcomes at a glance. ‘1’ signifies backing the home team to win, ‘x’ relates to the draw and ‘2’ indicates support for the visiting side.
Lay Betting
When you place a traditional ‘back’ bet at a sportsbook, you’re backing a particular event or outcome to occur. However, a ‘lay’ bet is a counter wager that requires you to bet against something happening.
This is a key element of matched betting, with back and lay bets covering all potential outcomes in an EFL game and ensuring a winning outcome.
Hedge Betting
Although ‘hedging’ isn’t as specific as matched betting, it involves taking the opposite side of an original wager to increase your chances of winning.
Interestingly, matched betting is considered to be the most profitable form of hedging, which generally allows you to bank small and incremental profits.
Cashout Betting
Most sportsbooks allow you to ‘cash out’ online, especially when wagering on football. Particularly common when wagering in-play, cashing out is the process of withdrawing a bet before the market or event in question has been settled.
Usually, this enables you to minimise losses and recoup some of your stake in instances where markets turn against you.
Trixie Betting
Like patent betting, a ‘Trixie’ wager adopts a complex structure that’s suited for advanced bettors. It includes three selections that are combined into four bets, which comprise three doubles and a treble.
There are no singles included in this wager. The treble wager here is a bet on each of your individual selections, so each one will have to come in if you’re to bank a return.
Round Robin Betting
A round robin includes a number of different parlays, which feature different combinations of betting lines and markets. Typically, you’ll combine different markets from between three and 15 matches, while each individual parlay must include at least two lines.
A key distinction between round robin bets and accumulators is that the former can pay out even if some of your picks lose. This makes round robin betting highly appealing.
Treble Betting
Treble bets also have a great deal in common with accumulators. In this instance, however, you’ll combine three picks or legs into a single wager, each of which must win for the wager to pay out.
Remember, the odds of each selection will be multiplied together here, enabling you to wager at a single, enhanced price.
Asian Handicap Betting
This is the most popular form of handicap or spread betting, as it utilises half points to eliminate the draw as a potential outcome.
For example, you could back Burnley to beat Sheffield Wednesday by -1.5 goals in the EFL Championship, accessing superior odds in the process.
If the Clarets win by two or more goals, your bet will come in. However, if they lose, draw or only prevail by a single goal, your stake will be lost.
Correct Score Betting
This is a high risk, high reward wager type, which requires you to predict the correct score in a particular EFL match.
Unsurprisingly, this market unlocks highly competitive odds and low implied probability percentages, so it should be accessed sparingly. You may also want to commit a nominal bet unit to reduce your exposure to loss.
Stake Betting
In the world of EFL betting, the word ‘stake’ simply refers to the amount of money that you wager on a particular line or outcome. This will have a direct bearing on your potential payout, alongside the odds at which you wager.
Setting optimal stake amounts is therefore key to maximising returns and effective bankroll management.
Dutching Betting
The term ‘Dutching’ means to distribute the risk of loss by making more than one betting selection in a particular event or market. This is most common in outright betting, as you may pick two or more teams to win the EFL Championship.
The key here is to distribute your bankroll in a way that guarantees a nominal profit on your stake, so long as one of your picks prevails.
Over 0.5 Betting
In the aforementioned BTTS market, most betting takes place around the 2.5 goals line. However, you can also bet on over 0.5 goals being scored in a game, usually at relatively short odds.
This means you expect at least one goal to be scored in a match. This is statistically likely in the EFL, so your bet will have an excellent chance of paying out.
Football Betting Strategy
When people talk about football betting strategies, they’re referring to the systems and methodologies that you use to structure wagers.
We’ll touch more on this later on the page, but the goal of such strategies is to minimise loss, maximise your potential payouts and identify the best value picks.
Betting Exchanges
Matched betting is a common football wagering strategy, and if you practise this, you’ll need to access a betting exchange.
It’s here where you’ll lay your initial back bet, ideally at the exact same odds. Popular betting exchanges in the UK include Betfair and Ladbrokes.
Kelly Criterion Betting
The ‘Kelly Criterion’ is a betting system that lets you set the optimal stake for individual betting lines. It uses published odds and their implied probability values to calculate this, with this system used to ensure effective bankroll management.
The calculation presents your stake as a percentage of your total bankroll, rather than a precise financial sum. The system can also be combined with others as part of a wider betting strategy.
Betting Apps
While all EFL sportsbooks are optimised for mobile use and can be accessed through smartphone browsers, some have also developed native apps for iOS and Android.
These apps are typically slick and well designed, while they’re inherently secure and allow you to wager with genuine peace of mind.
Ev Betting
‘EV’ refers to ‘expected value’. In betting parlance, this is the measure of what you can expect to win (or lose) on a bet. This is calculated over repeat wagers that are placed at the exact same odds.
Positive expected value (+EV) implies that you’ll generate a positive P/L value. However, a negative value (-EV) indicates the risk of extended losses over time.
System Betting
A system bet will combine several accumulator bets in one, while creating an opportunity to lose one or more wagers and still bank some kind of return.
System betting requires you to wager on a minimum of three events, which may be three different EFL matches. Like most combination bets, this will also unlock enhanced odds.
Double Betting
This is the most straightforward type of combination bet. With double betting, you’ll incorporate two selections into one wager, with the price of each one combined to create enhanced odds.
In this case, both selections will have to win for your double bet to pay out. If one fails, the bet will be void and your stake lost.
Yankee Betting
While ‘Yankee’ betting is synonymous with horse racing, it can also be used to target football markets. This wager type includes 11 different bets and four selections, comprising six doubles, four trebles and one four-fold accumulator.
This is a popular choice among seasoned and knowledgeable football bettors, while it can unlock potentially huge returns.
Lucky 15 Betting
This is similar to Yankee betting, although it consists of 15 wagers combined into four selections. The exact composition features four singles, six doubles, four trebles and a single, four-fold accumulator.
Once again, the four selections must come in for the wager to be successful, so the quality of your picks is critical.
Canadian Betting
A ‘Canadian bet’ is also known as a ‘Super Yankee’, as it’s described as a five selection wager comprising 26 wagers. The selections comprise 10 doubles, 10 trebles, five four-fold accas and a five-fold accumulator bet.
At least two selections must win here if you’re to bank any kind of return on your initial stake.
Alphabet Betting
We’re now entering the realm of truly exotic bets. Take the ‘Alphabet’ wager, for example, which is so-called as it comprises 26 different bets.
These are incorporated into six different selections: namely two patents (which includes 14 bets), one Yankee (an additional 11 wagers) and a single, six-fold accumulator. This wager type can unlock incredibly high odds and sizable wins.
Lucky 31 Betting
With a ‘Lucky 31’ bet, you’ll place a total of 31 wagers and create five different selections. The precise composition features five singles, 10 doubles, 10 trebles, five four-folds and one five-fold acca.
Each selection can pertain to a particular EFL match, with detailed analysis crucial if you’re going to make the right picks.
Heinz Betting
The notorious ‘Heinz’ bet places 57 wagers over six different events and matches. While you can bet on a number of sports with this wager type, you could just as easily stake your cash on six ELF games.
A ‘Heinz’ bet comprises 15 doubles, 20 treble wagers, 15 four-fold accas, six five-folds and one six-fold accumulator.
Super Heinz Betting
Next up is a ‘Super Heinz’ bet, which includes a staggering 120 wagers. The structure here comprises 21 doubles, 35 trebles, 35 four-folds, 21 five-folds, seven six-folds and a single, seven-fold accumulator.
You can also make each of your bets each way, potentially increasing the total number of wagers to 240.
Lucky 63 Betting
If you want to unlock even more bets, consider placing a ‘Lucky 63’. As the name suggests, this includes 63 different wagers across six different selections, which can be drawn from a number of different sports.
Your wagers here will include six singles, 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 quadruples, six five-folds and one six-fold accumulator!
Goliath Betting
This is the mother of all sports bets, as a ‘Goliath’ wager contains 247 different picks across eight selections.
This includes 28 doubles, 56 trebles, 70 four-folds, 56 five-folds, 28 six-folds, eight seven-folds and one eight-fold accumulator. Once again, multiple wins are required to secure a payout, while you’ll need to multiply stake amount by the total number of bets to calculate your outlay.
Goal scorer Betting
EFL football betting unlocks a number of goalscorer markets, including first, last and anytime scorers during a game. First goalscorer betting unlocks the most competitive and enhanced odds, while anytime scorer markets afford you the best chance of winning.
You can also bet on specific players to score twice in a match, or even contribute a hattrick (at incrementally higher odds).
Player Transfer Betting
The EFL Championship is the seventh highest spending league in the world, with €271.92 million invested in new players last summer. You can also wager on player transfers in the UK, whether you want to pick the next destination for a particular player or bet on a club’s next signing.
You can inform this type of bet by staying in touch with the latest news, while tracking transfer betting odds to identify obvious trends and the most likely imminent moves.
To Win Both Halves Betting
Half betting is also commonplace among EFL fans. This enables you to access different markets and outcomes during the first and second halves of matches, including the winning team and various over/under lines.
You can also pick a team to win both halves during a match, usually at competitive odds (depending on the nature of the two competing teams).
Football Betting Strategies for the EFL
It’s important to understand these betting markets and terms when wagering on the EFL. After all, they’ll play a key role in determining the football betting strategies that you use, whether you want to focus on disciplined bankroll management or guarantee a nominal profit through matched betting.
But what are the key strategies when betting on the EFL? Here are some ideas to keep in mind:
Bankroll Management
When it comes to bankroll management, it’s crucial that you only ever wager an amount of money that you can afford to lose. This should cover a finite period of time too, such as the entirety of the EFL season or a single gameweek.
You can also customise deposit limits to suit your betting frequency, while using the Kelly Criteria and implied probability values to set optimal stake amounts.
Research and Analysis
Detailed analysis is key to making informed bets, so long as you target the most relevant datasets in every instance. For example, you should analyse home and away form and historic H2H data when engaging in moneyline betting, alongside current team and injury news.
Conversely, totals betting requires analysis of scoring data and each competing team’s average goals-per-game.
Using Football Statistics to Your Advantage
You can certainly access a huge selection of football and EFL statistics, especially at sites like FBRE. This unlocks data pertaining to scoring, expected goals, average possession and ball recoveries.
Accessing and analysing this data can inform a number of bets, from moneylines and totals wagers to correct score predictions. You can also access individual player data and make more informed prop selections.
In-Play Betting Strategy
In-play betting unlocks a huge selection of markets, including extensive team and player props. These refer to performance metrics and events that don’t directly impact on results, such as the next goalscorer or recipient of a yellow card.
In-play odds are also dynamic, so it’s important to watch the matches that you’re betting on in real-time and time your wagers carefully.
Popular Football Leagues for Betting
The three divisions of the EFL offer numerous betting markets and opportunities, but there are also plenty of other leagues and competitions for you to wager on.
These include the Premier League, which represents the elite level of English football and is watched by 1.87 billion people globally.
You can also wager on the remainder of Europe’s top five leagues: namely the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1 in France.
Then there’s the coveted UEFA Champions League, which is contested by the top European clubs every year and has been expanded to include 34 teams in 2024/25.
Betting on the EFL
If you’re going to bet on the EFL, you’ll need to learn more about its structure and individual leagues. Here’s a summary of each one:
- Championship: The EFL Championship is a high quality competition that features 24 teams and 552 games per season. Here, you can bet on iconic clubs such as Leeds United, Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion.
- League One: The profile of League 1 is high in 2024/25, with big spending Birmingham City and Wrexham performing well so far. There are also 552 games and numerous opportunities for match betting here.
- League Two: League two is a close and keenly contested league, which creates competitively priced markets. Here you can bet on former top-tier sides like Notts County and Swindon.
Betting on the Premier League
The Premier League is the single most watched and bet on football competition in the world. Home to famous clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, the EPL tops UEFA’s coefficient rankings on a regular basis.
Outrights and match betting are particularly popular here, as is handicapping when wagering on dominant sides like Manchester City.
Player prop betting is also incredibly popular in the Premier League, especially when it comes to picking the Golden Boot winner each season. Forwards like Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Kai Havertz are among the usual front-runners in this market, while Chelsea’s Cole Palmer is a popular pick in 2024/25.
Understanding Betting Odds
Each betting line and market is ascribed odds by a sportsbook. These let you calculate the amount you stand to win in relation to your stake.
For example, let’s say that you want to back Wrexham to top Ligue 1 at odds of 13.00. In this decimal format, the odds relay how much you stand to win for every £1 staked, inclusive of your stake amount.
Odds also imply the probability of specific outcomes occurring. There’s even an equation to help you calculate this:
(1/ decimal odds) * 100 = implied probability
If we use the same example of Wrexham winning League 1, you’ll have to divide 1 by 13.00 to create a value of 0.076. Then, multiply this by 100 to reveal an implied probability of 7.69%.
Decimal vs. Fractional Odds
Decimal odds comprise single numbers to two decimal places and they’re arguably the easiest to read.
Conversely, fractional odds feature two numbers that are separated by a slash. The first tells you how much you can win in relation to your second (your stake amount). This sum is calculated exclusive of your stake.
Choosing the Best Betting Sites
At the Real EFL, we’ve comprehensively reviewed the best betting sites in the UK. We’ve done so using a number of key criteria, such as the range of available betting markets, bonus offers and the competitiveness of odds.
These criteria are weighted and applied evenly across all sportsbooks, in order to create consistent and accurate ratings.
However, we’d urge you to conduct your own analysis of the leading football betting sites, so that you can identify the best sportsbooks for you!
Comparing Betting Sites
To help you compare and select betting sites, we’re going to drill down deeper into the most insightful criteria:
- Betting Markets: Check each site to see the range of betting markets that they offer, including props, match wagering lines and ‘specials’.
- Odds: Odds will also vary from one sportsbook to another. Highly competitive odds may create opportunities for value betting.
- Bonuses: You may qualify for a welcome offer when you sign up at an online sportsbook. Be sure to review the key T&Cs, including any wagering requirements and the timeframe for fulfilment.
- Customer Support: Most UK betting sites now offer 24/7 customer support via interactive live chat. However, we’d recommend evaluating how accessible and responsive agents are through email and telephone too.
Responsible Football Betting
Of course, you should also ensure that your chosen betting site is fully licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). This should guarantee peace of mind and also make it easier to gamble responsibly at all times.
Responsible gambling is key if you’re to wager within your financial means. The good news is that there are numerous online tools and resources that allow you to retain full control of your betting.
Setting Limits and Sticking to Them
We’ve already touched on the importance of effective bankroll management, which can provide practical help as you look to gamble responsibly and within your means.
Once you’ve set an affordable bankroll, we’d recommend that you also customise your deposit limits. This is an effective management tool that can be tailored to suit your precise betting patterns and activity levels.
Resources for Gambling Related Problems
Over time, you may see your betting volumes or stake amounts increase (especially after a series of wins).
If you do start to lose control or wager more than you can comfortably afford to lose, you should urgently seek out expert advice and guidance. Here are some helpful resources:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do you bet for beginners?
If you want to get started betting on the EFL, we’d recommend committing a small and manageable bankroll. Also, target simple betting markets such as moneylines and competitively priced outrights.
How to bet without losing?
Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a surefire bet. However, advanced strategies like hedging and matched betting allow you to cover all event outcomes and guarantee at least a nominal profit. Matched betting relies on the use of free bets to deliver success.
What is the simplest betting strategy?
The simplest betting strategy is to focus on moneylines, outrights and totals while adopting a flat wagering system. The latter sees you commit the same stake per individual betting line, irrespective of the odds and their implied probability values.
What is the best source of betting tips?
Here at the Real EFL, we offer a range of insightful predictions and betting tips. We offer extensive football betting tips across a number of different leagues and competitions.
How many types of betting exist?
As you can see from the list above, you can access a huge range of betting markets and wagering types online. This includes potentially thousands of team and player prop lines, which are incredibly popular in-play and capable of creating exceptional value for bettors.
What is the most common type of bet?
The aforementioned moneyline (or 1×2 bet) is the most popular online. Outright bets such as picking Sunderland to win the EFL Championship are also commonplace, especially as they unlock enhanced odds. Match betting markets like BTTS and the over/under on total goals scored are also widely deployed, as are football player props.
What is the most profitable type of betting?
Ultimately, hedging is the most profitable type of betting, as iterations like matched betting guarantee at least some level of return. In terms of implied probability, backing dominant Championship teams like Burnley to win can deliver frequent (albeit modest) returns.