In-Play Football Betting Strategy

In-play betting on football has become hugely popular in recent years, with punters enjoying the chance to bet on live games at the best betting sites - as they are taking place.

You no longer need to get a bet on pre-match, before the referee whistles for kick-off, as the in-play betting explosion has provided the armchair punter an opportunity to wait for the action to start before getting involved.

As a football match takes place over a 90-minute period, it’s a sport that lends itself incredibly well to in-play betting. The markets may suspend from time to time, which means you can’t bet immediately, but this is for rare moments in the game like a penalty kick, a possible VAR review or a red card scenario.

Sports like American football, basketball and tennis, with several mini-breaks in play, are also perfectly set up for in-play betting, as there is slightly more time to consider wagers while there is a time-out or a natural break in action.

Football is fast-paced and watched all over the world - and football betting sites now have multiple in-play betting markets.

There are thousands of competitions to bet on, with the Champions League, World Cup, European Championship and Premier League betting always proving a hit with punters worldwide.

How Do I Bet In-Play On Football?

In-play betting works in the same way as betting using a pre-match football betting market. The only difference is that the odds are live and therefore refreshed on a frequent basis, so you might find that the 7/2 that you want to back has suddenly changed to 3/1 or 4/1. Always be aware of the potential for prices to change!

If you are betting with one of the in-play betting sites we recommend, the ‘in-play’ section will be very prominent on the betting site's homepage and will show you the live football betting markets that are available at any moment.

For competitions like the Champions League, you can guarantee that live betting odds will be available. It is then a case of choosing the in-play betting market that makes the most appeal.

1X2 betting is always available in-play. Alternatively, online bookmakers offer popular live markets such as Next Team to Score, Next Goalscorer and Half-Time Score.

Read More: Use World Cup free bets when betting in-play on the tournament

Why Should I Bet In-Play on Football?

Several bookmakers now report that live betting accounts for the majority of turnover. In-play football betting is especially popular for big games that are shown live on TV, such as Sunday afternoon or Monday night games.

The biggest attraction of football in-play betting is the capacity for assessment.

You’re able to check odds with concrete knowledge on your side. Since you can view how a team is playing and how the match is shaping up, you’re better-informed when you place an in-play bet than you could be when making a bet before the game.

Some betting sites with live streaming even broadcast football matches online direct to your device, while also providing live statistics that can help you make a judgement on how much value the odds represent.

It can be a rollercoaster experience, but in-play football betting allows bettors to react to the momentum of the game and have more control over the decisions they make.

Next Goalscorer, for example, is a hugely popular market but in a 2-2 draw it will open, be settled and open again each time a goal is scored. This allows you to effectively take a chance at backing the player who scores next four times in one game.

As the game draws closer to a conclusion, these markets can get very volatile. Five minutes is not a lot of time for another goal to be scored - even if you are Harry Kane or Mo Salah - and the odds will reflect this.

Cash out will also be available from cash out betting sites and that means you can back your judgement, or doubt it, and still close out for a profit if the odds are in your favour, without the market being settled.

When is the Best Time to Bet In-Play on Football?

There is no right or wrong time to place an in-play football bet. In-play football strategies vary and it is all about identifying value opportunities as they come along.

The key element of winning against the house is identifying a price that is ultimately too big.

That said, half-time gives you a 15-minute window to reflect on what you have seen in the first 45 minutes. That's ample time to make a considered decision based on the match action so far.

Big prices can be available when betting in-plau on football. As football fans well know, this sport is unpredictable and games can sometimes turn full-circle, so don’t let a big price put you off, but do be sure to know exactly what is happening in that game before getting involved.

The score is the first part but has the main striker or goalkeeper been sent off? Has there been a bad injury? Did your fancied team miss a penalty? There is no substitute for watching the game if you are betting in-play, whatever you might think of a price on the screen in front of you.

Less is often more when it comes to the volume of in-play bets placed, so be selective, considering that there is a bookmaker margin factored into every football betting market.

Read More: Get Premier League free bets from top football bookies

In-Play Football Strategies to Consider

We always advise punters to only bet what they can afford to lose. Enjoying a football match should only be enhanced with a bet on the game and shouldn't become more important than the entertainment of watching high-level sport.

If you strike several in-play bets on a football match, it’s unlikely that you’re going to win with all of those wagers. That is because football is a fast-paced and highly variable game where the bottom teams can beat the best teams, and that's why it is so loved around the world.

When it comes to determining the outcome at the full-time whistle, just remember that if every match was played on paper, nobody would watch.

Read More: Get Champions League free bets from top football bookies

An in-play betting strategy to consider is to watch the opening exchanges of a football match before making the decision to place a bet. If you bet immediately after kick-off, then you might as well snap up the pre-match odds, which traditionally offer slightly better value before the game goes in-play.

A watching brief of 15-20 minutes should be very worthwhile, making mental notes of what’s happening in the game.

Pay attention to stats to help figure out which team is most dominant, the players that are looking the most likely to score, and your overall in-play football betting strategy for the match as a whole.

Watch the changing odds to understand how online betting traders react to different events on the pitch.