Correct score betting is in the top three most used formats in football betting, behind an outright match result and the goalscorer markets.
It isn’t unique to football and in fact many other sports experience the same amount of demand. For the smaller games, sometimes it’s one of the only markets on offer at all.
This format is very competitive and that demand ramps up the odds which in turn reduces the bookmaker margins. This then creates a wager with huge potential for a punter, in comparison to other options on the market.
You’re able to put on a correct bet on pretty much any sport that had a point system.
Where you can put this bet on will be discussed at the end of this article, after you’ve learned the key facts and tips on how to choose the right bet to see some nice returns.
What is Correct Score Betting?
As it’s been mentioned above, a correct score bet is one where you successfully predict the final score of a match in order to see a return.
More correct bets are put on guessing the final score than anything else. This means the score at 90 minutes, as extra time is excluded more often than not (even though the end of that is, technically, the final score).
You’re not limited to the final score though, you can guess the score at half time, or maybe in ten-minute denominations if you’re really into thrill-chasing. More on this in a moment.
For the larger games, the competition is very high for the market and there are great prices and solid promotions online. Be mindful that the weirder the bet, the less likely you’ll get a good value on it.
Types of Correct Score Betting
Full Time
The most obvious and therefore competitive is the full-time correct score bet. You will inevitably see the most value here. All bookmakers should (and do) offer this market and for punters, it makes everything really simple. It’s typical that any correct score promo offers will apply to this form.
Half Time, or Half Time & Full Time
This type is climbing up the popularity ranks now that punters are seeking more thrill than just the score at the end of 90 minutes. You can guess the score at half time and even combine it with the score at full time, or put a bet in for the halves independently.
So you could bet that the score at half time will be 1-0 but climb to 2-1 at full time. Your correct score odds are far better if you do this.
Periods & Extra Time
The more established bookmakers like Ladbrokes will allow punters to guess the score during certain intervals, typically in denominations of ten minutes, for example the score after 10 mins, 20 mins etc.
It’s very rare to be able to bet on a score at extra time before the game begins because it’s almost impossible to guess how much time that will be. Luckily, if and when it happens, live in-play betting becomes available and you can have a go there.
Scorecast
You can’t put an accumulator bet on any events from the same event because it becomes a related contingency and things get a little messy there. You can’t put a double bet, say, on the first to score a goal and then a correct score bet on the same game. This is because you need both those bets require a result so what you’re essentially doing is marrying these two bets together and creating an Optimus Prime of a bet (doubling your chances).
The bookie’s answer to this is to offer a market known as a scorecast which lets you choose the correct score and the first (or any time) player to score.
Accumulators
What you are allowed to do is pull together multiple bets to create an accumulator. Accumulators can bring in the big bucks if you get everything right because the odds are higher for correct score bets.
BetVictor is great for these as it offers the best single odds overall.
Can I bet on obscure factors?
Many sites offer special markets when there’s a big game on. They link the correct score with some other kind of result. You can’t rely on a special bet being available because they’re not consistent, but typically Ladbrokes, Coral and SkyBet are pretty good for putting them on.
You can bet on some unusual things like what player will be substituted, which player will be booked or sent off, how the first goal will be scored (shot, free kick, corner, header), first penalty. Loads of really fun things that’ll have you glued to the game.
Common Scores Betting
To predict the correct scores you’re not blamed for thinking that betting on the most common scores we see in football will work in your favour.
One-nil is the most common score seen in football. Proven by analysing data from nearly 20,000 games of English football since the games began.
It differs depending on the venue. For example, a 1-0 victory for the home team is 3% more likely the home team. The overall chance of a 1-0 result is just under 17%.
A 2-1 result is the second most common with the home team having a 3.3% more chance of winning. A 2-1 result is seen 14.5% of the time.
When it comes to a draw, 1-1 is most commonly seen (nearly 12% of the time).
Draw Money Back
The draw money-back option is an exceptional offer that adds regular value to a bet. It’s offered in the form of a refund for a draw and money back if neither team scores at all.
If you actively wanted to bet on a nil-nil outcome, a corrects core market isn’t the optimal way to go about it. More on that in a bit, dear reader.
Betting Strategy Tips
Never fool yourself into thinking that because you have a strategy, you have an automatic win. A good strategy will offer you some direction and tips, but they’re never going to offer you a 100% correct path to success. All betting tips do is offer you the best route they can.
Here are some of those betting tips:
Don’t predict a nil-nil outcome
Obviously the odds for a 0-0 outcome will be almost identical to no goalscorer. So bet on the latter. Own goals are rarely to never counted in a no goalscorer bet, whereas they are for a correct score bet. So if your match ends with a 1-0 result you won’t be paid on a correct score bet of 0-0, but you will on a no goalscorer bet. The more you know.
1-0 is a smart, educated choice
Why? Two compelling reasons why. As mentioned above, it’s the most common score when you consider both home and away team chances. Second, in the not-uncommon event of a win from an underdog, this is most likely to be the score. It’s seen often enough in football betting and has great odds.
Keep your bet alive by opting for 1-1 or 2-1
See, when you put on a correct score bet, the excitement can die very quickly and you’re left watching the rest of the match in a sulk. If you predict 2-0 and the opposition sweep in and score early on, your bet is toast.
You’re able to stay in the game for longer and have fun by predicting a score that requires both teams to score. Whichever side scores first keep you in the game. This is great if you don’t have a particular loyalty to either team and serves to enhance your enjoyment of the game.
Consider a BTTS (both teams to score) bet.
Put on two reverse bets
If you’re really not sure who will clinch the win, bet on both teams. The stipulation here is only to do this when you’re confident it’ll be a low-scoring game. Bet on 1-0 (home), 1-1 and also no goalscorer.
If the odds are right, you’ll end up walking away with a little more than your overall stake, but do the maths first. It’s a guaranteed win, but not a life-changing amount.
Do your homework
Don’t just bet blindly. Pay attention to the above betting tips but also get online and look up some information. A team that doesn’t score a lot and concedes often will have higher correct scores and the opposite for better teams. For example, you’ll see better odds of Stoke winning a match 5-0 than Liverpool and we all know why. It’ll tell you the correct place to put your money,
Look up the history, their form, number of goals scored, number conceded. Check out which players are on the squad. If the main goal scorer of a team’s whole season is on the bench for your match, then think about how this is going to affect the number of goals in your chosen game.
It’s a way of getting you fully immersed into the match, for sure. You want to secure your returns so listen to these tips and use your knowledge to carefully and realistically predict the correct number of goals.
If you check out the bookies listed at the end of this article you will notice the odds differ for the same scoreline, which is inevitable. The odds depend on two things, and you can do some homework on them to make sure you know how the odds will be weighted and how likely you are to bet a winner.
Who is playing against who?
The odds will be affected by how evenly matched the teams are. If they are closely matched, you’ll typically see a draw scoreline or short odds for a win of only one goal.
Record of goals scored
It’s not just about how evenly matched they are, it’s also good to look at the goal scoring history of both sides to know if they’re likely to score at all.
If one team is famously impossible to penetrate for a goal during a home match, the scoreline of them winning to nil from opposition will have shorter odds. If they find it hard to score, the reverse will have short odds; that being where they lose to a nil total on their side.
Ditto if either team has form in conceding goals.
Terms and Conditions
Check if extra time is or isn’t included because, as mentioned, it usually isn’t. Assume you’re betting on the result at the 90th minute. A bookmaker might tack on ET for the big boy games like the World Cup, but rarely outside of it.
If your match is abandoned, your bet will be both void and therefore refunded. If your correct score bet said 1-0 and the match gets abandoned at 3-1, you’d still get a refund. What you don’t get a refund for is if you explicitly bet on the first half and the game goes on to be abandoned in the second half.
Be wary of own goals because the rules differ. An own goal doesn’t count in a goalscorer bet, but it does count toward a correct score bet. So if you really feel in your bones that the score will be 0-0, bet on this using a no goalscorer bet.
Correct Score Betting Sites
- Bet365
- BetVictor
- BetFred
- William Hill
Summary
Hopefully, you’ll take the betting tips on board, as this isn’t a simple bet, as it may seem on the surface. Do some online research before putting any money down and equip yourself with as much knowledge as you can to predict the correct scores.
Find the correct score market with the best correct score odds to suit the information you have about both teams and your educated prediction of the score.
