While moneyline betting is popular among football fans, this market is complicated by the prevalence of drawn matches. Of the 110 Premier League games contested so far in 2024/25, 30 have ended in a tie after 90 minutes (27.27%).
One way to negate this complication is to engage in matched betting. This is a strategy that enables you to cover all potential outcomes in a football match, while you can leverage free bet offers to secure at least a nominal return in relation to your stake amount.
However, the correct execution is key if you’re to carry out matched betting successfully. So, we’d recommend reading this betting guide to fully understand the matched betting process and negate the most common risks!
What is Matched Betting?
Matched betting is synonymous with moneylines, particularly those where there are three potential outcomes (including the draw). This includes football, with matched betting enabling you to cover all three outcomes with just two wagers.
These are so-called “back” and “lay” wagers, the latter of which can be placed at a dedicated betting exchange. With a conventional ‘back’ bet, you’ll stake a certain amount of money on a specific outcome occurring. This may include picking one team to defeat another in a Premier League match.
Conversely, ‘lay’ betting involves backing the same outcome not to occur. For example, let’s say that you want to deploy a matched betting strategy and wager on Man United to defeat Ipswich at Portman Road in the EPL. You could place an initial back bet on the Red Devils to prevail, while a subsequent lay wager would simultaneously cover an Ipswich victory and the draw.
Because of this, matched betting is a relatively simple and risk-free strategy. However, it relies on the effective use of free bets if you’re to be profitable, while the odds at which you wager will also impact your potential returns.
How Does Matched Betting Work?
Placing back and lay wagers is key to the process of matched betting. However, this strategy also requires you to constantly manage and minimise risk, in order to maximise your eventual profits.
So, we’re going to break down matched betting in a little more detail below, using an example from the Premier League!
Qualifying Bets and Losses
To secure a free bet offer, you’ll usually have to place a qualifying wager with your chosen sportsbook. The primary goal here is to minimise your so-called “qualifying loss”, as if this exceeds the value of your free bet then any future profits will be completely undermined. For example, let’s say that you have to wager £25 to unlock a £25 free bet at your chosen site.
Let’s also say that you choose to wager on Everton to defeat Brentford in the EPL at 2.00. You’ll stake £25 on the Toffees to win, creating a potential return of £50 (including your initial unit bet). However, the operator will bank your stake in the event of a draw or Brentford victory, creating a loss that’s equal to the free bet value.
However, you can minimise your loss by simultaneously laying Everton not to win at 2.02 with a betting exchange. Using a matched betting calculator, you can use the odds and betting exchange commission (which is usually around 5%) to reveal your lay stake (which will be £25.28).
Your liability here (which on an exchange refers to the amount you’re risking when placing a bet) will be £25.88. So, if your back bet comes in, you’ll win £25 but lose £25.88 on your lay wager, creating a qualifying loss of just -£0.88. If your lay bet is successful, you’ll win £24.11 in total, establishing a similarly negligible loss of just -£0.89.
Leveraging Your Free Bet
To offset your loss, you now have a £25 free bet on our sportsbook account. You can subsequently use this to back Wolves to win away at Fulham in the EPL, at conventional odds of 5.50.
When you head to your chosen exchange, you’ll lay a bet against Wolves winning at similar odds of 5.60. Accounting for the exchange’s 5% stake, you can use the calculator to reveal a £20.27 lay stake and total liability of £93.24. It’s important that you have enough money in your exchange account to cover the liability in the event of a loss.
Regardless, if Wolves were to triumph at Craven Cottage, you’ll recoup £137.50 in total and a profit of £112.50. When you subtract the liability value, you’ll be left with a cumulative and incremental profit of £19.26.
Thanks to the use of a free bet, you won’t lose anything if your back wager is unsuccessful. Conversely, your lay bet will deliver a profit of £19.25, so you’re guaranteed to be quids in irrespective of the final result in your chosen match!
Step-by-Step Guide to Matched Betting
To further help you understand the matched betting process, we’ve created a concise step-by-step guide below. Follow this closely to maximise your real money bankroll!
#1: Find a Matched Betting Offer
You can start by finding a viable welcome bonus or free bet offer. Ladbrokes (which is also home to a betting exchange) offers one of the best value free bet promotions, with this comprising four £5 free bets.
This requires you to place a qualifying stake of £5 at odds of 1.50 or greater, which opens up a significant number of football moneylines.
At Highbet Sports, you can also access a £15 free bet when you deposit and wager £10 at odds of 2.00 or greater. Ultimately, you’ll need to compare all available free bet offers to determine which one best suits your bankroll and desired profitability.
#2: Place a Qualifying Bet
You can then place your qualifying bet. The key here is to identify betting lines and markets that meet the minimum odds requirements. Broadly speaking, most free bet offers require you place a qualifying wager at between 1.50 and 2.00.
Then, be sure to deposit and wager the minimum amount, while using a bet calculator to ensure that you set the optimal stake.
Save the Student has an excellent resource in this respect, as you simply need to select ‘Qualifying Bet’ at the top of the screen before entering the relevant odds and commission.
#3: Use the Free Bet
Once your free bet has been unlocked, you can target your primary matched betting market. Depending on your choice of sportsbook, your free bet will be active on your account for around seven days.
Using the same matched betting calculator, select ‘Free Bet’ and enter the relevant back and lay bet odds. Once again, enter the exchange’s commission to determine the optimal lay stake and your liability.
You can then place the free back bet online. Just remember that free bets carry minimum odds requirements too, and you’ll often have to target markets priced at 2.00 or above.
#4: Lay the Bet on a Betting Exchange
At this stage, all that’s left is to lay your back bet on a dedicated betting exchange. Spreadex and Ladbrokes are among the best betting exchanges, especially if you’re searching for the most competitive odds and lowest commissions.
Using the information gleaned from your matched betting calculator, lay the back bet at the published odds using the recommended stake. Ensure that you have enough money in your exchange account to cover your losses and total liability too.
#5: Withdraw Your Profit
So long as you minimise qualifying losses and use one or more free bets (and also wager at the optimal odds), you should be able to guarantee at least a nominal profit on your back and lay bets.
Once the bets have been settled, you can withdraw the profit from your account via a preferred payment method. You can also use your profits to fund an additional matched bet and unlock further profits over time.
Best Matched Bet Betting Sites
There are numerous bookmakers that you can use to engage in matched betting. However, some of these offer superior value to others, especially when it comes to the breadth of betting markets, odds comparison and the available free bet offers. Here’s our pick of the top four!
Best Matched Bet Betting Site: Ladbrokes Sport
We’ll start with Ladbrokes, which is our pick as the best matched betting site in the UK. Here, you can access both a traditional sportsbook and your choice of two betting exchanges: namely the Ladbrokes Exchange and Betdaq.
As we’ve touched on, Ladbrokes also runs an exceptional welcome offer, which comprises four separate £5 free bets when you initially wager £5 at odds of 1.50 or greater.
This is an affordable welcome offer that enables you to trial matched betting without having to commit a significant percentage of your real money bankroll.
Best Matched Betting Offer: BetVictor
BetVictor is another established name that offers value to matched betting enthusiasts. Here, new customers can access a free matched bet up to the value of £60, when they initially wager £10 or more at odds of 2.00 or higher.
As a new account holder, you can also place three successive £10 wagers on selected EPL markets. This unlocks three £100 free matched bets, which will expire seven days after they’re added to your account.
The site also offers highly competitive odds across all football betting markets, especially Premier League moneylines!
Best Choice of Promotions: 10Bet
When you sign up at 10Bet, you’ll see a dazzling array of promotional offers for both new and existing players. The welcome offer comprises a 100% first deposit match up to £50, while providing access to a selection of potential back bets priced at 1.80 or higher.
You can also earn a £10 free bet when you wager £75 or more during the previous seven days. This can also be used to engage in matched betting, although you’ll still have to mitigate your qualifying losses.
10Bet also publishes some of the most competitive Premier League moneylines around. So, it’s highly recommended when placing back bets online.
Best for Matched Betting Rewards: Midnite Sport
Midnite Sport also offers an intriguing welcome bonus. Simply place a pre-match, four-leg accumulator with a minimum stake of £10 to unlock four £5 free bets. Also, wager at odds of 4.00 or greater to access single, acca, in-play and Bet Builder vouchers.
This sportsbook also offers weekly rewards to existing customers, depending on how much and how frequently you wager. Qualifying for the ‘Bet Club’ unlocks a weekly £5 free bet, for example, which could be used to place back wagers as part of your matched betting strategy.
You can also access weekly accas and Bet Builder wagers, so this site is recommended for experienced and active bettors!
Matched Betting Tools
We’ve already touched on many of the tools used to formulate, test and execute matched bets. However, we’re going to summarise these and their exact role in the matched betting process below!
Matched Betting Calculator
Matched betting calculators help you to determine optimal back and lay stakes, while also confirming the precise liability that you’ll need to cover.
This enables you to both minimise qualifying losses and guarantee nominal profits. You can use this type of tool to structure both your qualifying and free bets.
Best Matched Betting Football Bookmakers
The best matched betting football bookmakers include Ladbrokes, Midnite Sport and BetVictor. These sites are all trustworthy and home to exceptional free bets, while they offer extensive coverage of football leagues and markets across the globe.
Ladbrokes also offers access to two highly recommended exchange platforms. Spreadex is another betting exchange that offers highly competitive lay odds, especially when wagering on Premier League matches.
Matched Betting Offers
You can place conventional back wagers using any number of matched betting offers and structures. Different types of bonus will be offered as incentives to new and existing players, while each one will have its own unique terms, conditions and wagering requirements.
So, it’s crucial that you understand the different types of matched betting offers and identify the best one for you!
Types of Matched Betting Offers
We’ve already discussed some of the best matched betting offers for new customers, especially those at Ladbrokes, BetVictor and Midnite Sports. So, let’s take a closer look at so-called “reload” offers and cashback promotions!
Matched Betting Reload Offers
Sportsbooks leverage reload bonuses to incentivise existing customers, typically those who wager on a regular basis. Usually, they’ll take the form of either a free bet offer or matched deposit up to a specified value. For example:
- Free Bet Offer: Place 5x £5 qualifying wagers each week at minimum odds of 2.00 to qualify for Midnite Sport’s ‘Bet Club’. This unlocks a weekly £5 free bet.
- Reload Deposit Match Bonuses: In this case, a sportsbook may offer to match a subsequent deposit by 50% up to the value of £50. This will be contingent on you depositing and wagering a minimum amount during a qualifying period.
Both bonus types may require you to opt-in with a bespoke promo code, which should be made available in the offer’s T&Cs. Also, offers may be subject to wagering requirements, which dictate how much you’ll have to subsequently wager within a specific time frame to withdraw any winnings.
To leverage reload bonuses successfully, it’s crucial that wager within your means at all times. Similarly, look to minimise all qualifying losses, which should never exceed the total value of your free bet or bonus.
Matched Betting Cashback Offers
While matched betting cashback offers are relatively rare, they tend to offer value to high rollers when they do appear.
With Betarno, for example, you can recoup 10% of your monthly losses up to £500, simply by depositing £10 and using the promo code EPLC. This particular bonus applies to Premier League football matches, while it can help to minimise qualifying losses as part of your matched betting strategy.
However, to realise the full value of this promotion, you’d need to wager a significant amount during the qualifying period while simultaneously managing your bankroll responsibly.
Pros and Cons of Matched Betting
As with any type of sports wagering strategy, there are distinct pros and cons associated with matched betting. Here’s a concise summary:
Pros
- Use free bet offers and promotions to guarantee a profit.
- Minimise qualifying losses and maximise matched betting profits.
- Matched betting calculators let you quickly determine optimal stake amounts.
- Scale your profits through frequent matched betting.
- In the UK, all matched betting profits are completely tax-free.
Cons
- Qualifying bets often incur a loss.
- You may lose money if you fail to leverage free bet offers successfully.
- Navigating betting exchanges can be complex and unfamiliar at first.
Matched Betting Opportunities
As the pros listed above reveal, there are numerous opportunities associated with matched betting. For example, this enables you to cover all three potential outcomes when wagering on EPL games, despite the fact that you only have to place two bets.
By also utilising one or more free bets and wagering at the recommended lay odds, you can guarantee at least a nominal profit through matched betting. With successful execution, there’s an opportunity to earn recurring profits and maximise returns over an extended period of time.
How Much Can You Earn?
OK, we hear you ask, but exactly how much can you earn through matched betting? Unfortunately, there’s no fixed number or rate of return, as much will depend on your match selection and the number of matched bets that you place.
In our previous example, we were able to showcase a profit of either £19.25 or £19.26 when backing and laying Wolves to win at Fulham. This is quite a sizable profit from a single matched bet, while it’s based on competitive back and lay odds of 5.50 and 5.60 respectively.
This particular example was also based on placing a free bet stake of £25. So, profits will diminish incrementally in line with your back bet value and the available odds, but you can use a bet calculator to operate with clarity.
Factors that Impact Profit
As you can see, there are several factors that impact profitability when engaging matched betting. These include:
- Free Bet Value: The value of your free bet will impact your lay stake and potential returns.
- Odds: There’s a demonstrable synergy between back and lay odds. The price you bet at will determine your total profit and liability (on a betting exchange).
- Your Diligence: Ultimately, the onus is on you as a bettor to secure optimal and guaranteed profits. So, use betting calculators to determine stake amounts and leverage free bet offers smartly.
Tips for Success in Matched Betting
If you’re serious about matched betting and want to be successful over an extended period of time, there are a number of rules and tips that you should follow. Here’s a summary to keep in mind!
Start with Small Stakes
When you start out, we’d recommend deploying small back and lay bet stakes where possible. This helps you to minimise your losses and exposure to risk, at a time when you’re refining your strategy and getting to grips with betting exchanges.
Stay Organised
Organisation is also key when engaging in matched betting. It’s certainly important to manage your individual sportsbook accounts and bankroll carefully, while using trusted calculators and sites to execute your bets.
Track Offers & Earnings
On a similar note, you should track the earnings derived from matched betting over time. Keep a record of the offers utilised as part of your strategy too, as this can inform the free bets and structures that you select in the future.
Use Multiple Bookmakers
Last, but not least, we’d recommend that you use multiple sportsbooks when engaging in matched betting. This enables you to leverage multiple welcome offers, which carry a higher value than reload and cashback bonuses.
Frequently Asked Questions on Matched Betting
What is matched betting?
Matched betting is the process of covering all potential outcomes in a particular event or football match. The ultimate goal is to use matched betting calculators and free bets to guarantee nominal profits.
How does matched betting work?
Matched betting works by placing qualifying wagers to unlock free bet offers. You can then place a back wager using your free bet, before laying this through a dedicated exchange. By also identifying the best odds and calculating optimal stake amounts, you can maximise your potential returns.
How much can you make from matched betting?
Various factors impact how much you can make through matched betting. These include your back bet stake and odds, alongside your ability to minimise qualifying losses. Over time, your profit will also be dictated by how frequently you place matched bets.
Is matched betting legal?
Yes, matched betting is completely legal in the UK. It’s also permitted by UK betting sites, so long as you don’t use different accounts with the same sportsbook to place back and lay bets.
Is matched betting a good idea?
So long as you leverage free bet offers and calculators to execute your back and lay bets, matched betting offers an excellent opportunity to wager profitably. However, it’s only a good idea if you understand the process and follow the steps laid out in this guide!
What is the best matched betting strategy?
The best matched betting strategy is to utilise one or more free bets. This makes it possible to achieve a profit regardless of the result in a particular match, while you can also maximise this by minimising any qualifying losses.
Why Matched Betting is a Great Strategy for Football Fans
So, there you have it: our comprehensive guide to matched betting! This is definitely worth exploring as a risk-free way of profiting from football betting, so long as you make strategic use of free bet offers and calculate your stakes carefully!