Half-Time Full-Time Betting Explained: How to Place HT/FT Bets

Half-time full-time bets require the punter to combine the result at the halfway point of a match with the full-time outcome. In this strategy guide, we explain how this market works using some examples.

We also provide expert tips, so that you can add HT/FT bets to your arsenal when trying to beat the bookies.

What a Half-Time Full-Time Bet Looks Like

So, how does a half-time full-time bet work in practice? Let's examine a couple of examples from fixtures in the 2023/24 Premier League season to get a handle on it:

Winning Example: Chelsea v Aston Villa - Draw/Aston Villa (10/1)

• The punter predicted that the half-time result would be a draw and the full-time result would be an Aston Villa win ( Draw/Aston Villa). 
• They placed the bet at odds of 10/1. 
• The score at half-time was 0-0, before Aston Villa took the lead in the second half and won 1-0.
• At 10/1, the odds were significantly better than the price of 3/1 offered for Villa to win on the 1x2 betting market.

Losing Example: Arsenal v Tottenham - Arsenal/Arsenal (2/1)

• In this example, the bettor fancied the home side strongly despite Spurs' strong form heading into the game. 
• For this bet to come in, Arsenal had to lead the game at half-time and hold on to that lead to win the game (Arsenal/Arsenal). 
• Son Heung-min’s 42nd-minute equaliser meant the bet was lost by the break.
• At 2/1, the HT/FT market had a much greater potential profit than the outright market, where Arsenal were 4/6 to simply win the game.

Half-Time Full-Time Bet Types

In total, there are nine different combinations you can place on the HT/FT market. These are:

• Home/Home
• Home/Draw
• Home/Away
• Draw/Home
• Draw/Draw
• Draw/Away
• Away/Home
• Away/Draw
• Away/Away

Half-Time Full-Time Betting Strategy

We've tried and tested a range of half-time full-time betting strategies at the best betting apps. Through experience, we've found that some of the most effective tactics are:

Boost Bankers

HT/FT bets are really useful for enhancing the odds when backing heavy favourites. For example, If Manchester United are evens to win their next Premier League match, a football betting site might have them priced at 2/1 or 5/2 to hold the lead at half-time and full-time.

Back Turnarounds

If you can correctly predict one team to lead at half-time and the other to lead at full-time, you'll always get long odds. Prices for bets like this tend to be 20/1 or bigger. Research historic results and keep an eye out for fixtures where a weak team that tends to start strongly is up against a heavy favourite with a history of late comebacks.

Look Out For Bore Draws

When two gun-shy sides clash, a low-scoring game is likely. The odds for a draw are usually around 2/1 or 9/4, whereas you'll get 20/1 on the draw/draw HT/FT bet. Keep an eye on goal statistics and look out for games between low-scoring draw specialists.

Football Markets to Combine With HT/FT

Half-time full-time bets can be combined with other markets in accumulators and bet builders. Here's a quick look at some of the best options to combine with your HT/FT wagers:

Both Teams To Score (BTTS)

Adding both teams to score to your HT/FT bet will boost the odds significantly.

If you expect a team like Man City to dominate a match from the outset and keep a clean sheet, back no on the both teams to score market and select City/City on the half-time full-time market.

Total Goals

Adding over or under 2.5 goals can be a savvy move. For example, you could combine over 2.5 goals with draw/draw in an evenly-matched game between two attack-minded sides. You could even go for over 3.5 goals if you are confident of a high-scoring affair. 

The first North London derby of the 2023/24 season, which ended 2-2, saw four goals scored with the sides all-square at the break and at full-time. 

Correct Score

This one will take real skill and some luck to predict correctly, but the odds will reflect this difficulty. 

Going back to our earlier example, if you thought that Chelsea vs Aston Villa (0-1) was going to be a tight, cagey affair, but fancied Villa to win, you might have combined Draw/Villa on the HT/FT market with 0-1 as the correct score. You'd be looking at a price of at least 25/1 with this combination.

How 'To Win Both Halves' Differs From HT/FT

You might come across another market when betting on football called 'to win both halves'. For this bet to come up, a team must actually win each half, instead of just holding on to an early lead in the second half. 

If a team leads 1-0 at half-time and the game finishes 1-0, you won't win this type of bet. If the team you've backed leads 1-0 at half-time and the game finishes 2-0, you get your bet up.

Half-Time/Full-Time Betting in Other Sports

Half-time full-time bets are not just confined to football. This is a popular option for many sports, including American football and basketball, where the HT/FT market is instead referred to as the Double Result.