Guide to Betting on Football

Updated: February 20, 2025 at 10:56 am GMT+0

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The most popular betting sport in the world, football is in the hearts of many punters. But with so much going off, new ways to bet, new bet types to use and in play markets, you can never be too well informed.

Here we guide you through betting on football, all you need to know, from beginner starting points to advanced tactics, all designed to make you a more informed punter.

The topic of football betting is incredibly diverse, but we’ve tried to cover all angles, bringing something for everyone.

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Craig Jones

Craig Jones has been working in the sports betting and gambling industry for more than 20 years. With a wealth of in-depth knowledge, Craig has written for Free Bets for almost a decade, providing our readers with expert opinions and transparent reviews.

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In This Article

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#	Outcome The outcome of the race you would like to discover your potential return for.	Odds The odds the bookmaker is offering.	Place Odds The fraction of the odds you will win as part of the each way bet. This will be noted by your bookmaker.	Rule 4 The amount that will be deducted from your winnings should a horse withdraw from the race. This will be noted by your bookmaker.
1	Outcome	Odds Numerator Odds Denominator Odds in decimal format Odds in American format	Place Odds	Place Odds
2	Outcome	Odds Numerator Odds Denominator Odds in decimal format Odds in American format	Place Odds	Place Odds

#	Outcome The outcome of the race you would like to discover your potential return for.	Odds The odds the bookmaker is offering.	Place Odds The fraction of the odds you will win as part of the each way bet. This will be noted by your bookmaker.	Rule 4 The amount that will be deducted from your winnings should a horse withdraw from the race. This will be noted by your bookmaker.
1	Outcome	Odds Numerator Odds Denominator Odds in decimal format Odds in American format	Place Odds	Place Odds
2	Outcome	Odds Numerator Odds Denominator Odds in decimal format Odds in American format	Place Odds	Place Odds
3	Outcome	Odds Numerator Odds Denominator Odds in decimal format Odds in American format	Place Odds	Place Odds

#	Outcome The outcome of the race you would like to discover your potential return for.	Odds The odds the bookmaker is offering.	Place Odds The fraction of the odds you will win as part of the each way bet. This will be noted by your bookmaker.	Rule 4 The amount that will be deducted from your winnings should a horse withdraw from the race. This will be noted by your bookmaker.
1	Outcome	Odds Numerator Odds Denominator Odds in decimal format Odds in American format	Place Odds	Place Odds
2	Outcome	Odds Numerator Odds Denominator Odds in decimal format Odds in American format	Place Odds	Place Odds
3	Outcome	Odds Numerator Odds Denominator Odds in decimal format Odds in American format	Place Odds	Place Odds
4	Outcome	Odds Numerator Odds Denominator Odds in decimal format Odds in American format	Place Odds	Place Odds

#	Outcome The outcome of the race you would like to discover your potential return for.	Odds The odds the bookmaker is offering.	Place Odds The fraction of the odds you will win as part of the each way bet. This will be noted by your bookmaker.	Rule 4 The amount that will be deducted from your winnings should a horse withdraw from the race. This will be noted by your bookmaker.
1	Outcome	Odds Numerator Odds Denominator Odds in decimal format Odds in American format	Place Odds	Place Odds
2	Outcome	Odds Numerator Odds Denominator Odds in decimal format Odds in American format	Place Odds	Place Odds
3	Outcome	Odds Numerator Odds Denominator Odds in decimal format Odds in American format	Place Odds	Place Odds
4	Outcome	Odds Numerator Odds Denominator Odds in decimal format Odds in American format	Place Odds	Place Odds