Many online sports betting platforms now include a bet builder function, which allows bettors to build custom bets by combining many selections (or ‘legs’) from a single sports event into a single wager. This allows you to personalise your bets to their own predictions and preferences, giving you more freedom and control over your bets.
Bet builder options are most commonly associated with football betting where there are many possible outcomes within a single match. However, you can also create bet builder bets in other sports such as American football (NFL), cricket, basketball, ice hockey and baseball. The available options and sports will vary from bookmaker to bookmaker.
Bet builders are named differently on some sites. For example, William Hill call them #YourOdds, Coral is ‘Build Your Bet’ and Betfred go with ‘Pick Your Punt’.
What’s the difference between a bet builder and an accumulator?
The main difference between a bet builder and an accumulator lies in their treatment of contingencies. A bet builder permits the inclusion of related outcomes within the same event, whereas an accumulator does not. For instance, in a bet builder, you can combine a bet on Manchester City winning with a bet on a specific player, like Erling Haaland getting a goal in the same match.
This combination of related bets is a key feature of bet builders, in contrast to accumulators, which consist of independent bets from separate events.
How does a bet builder work?
Bet builders have been available through bookmakers for several years, yet their appeal continues to rise. Within a single game or match, bettors can select the game’s outcome (e.g., win, lose, or draw), the goal scorers, the number of goals, the number of corners, the number of yellow cards, player shots on target and many other possibilities. The available options will differ based on the betting site and the event. All selections must be successful for the bet to win.
To build your bet add several selections from the bet builder options into your bet builder betting slip. The total odds will be displayed and updated in real time with each added selection. For example:
- Liverpool to win
- Over 2.5 goals in the match
- Mo Salah to score
- Both teams to score
- Over 11 corners in the match
Once you have added all your selections enter your stake and confirm the bet.
Are bet builders a good bet?
Yes. Bet builders are very versatile allowing you to be really specific about what you think will happen in a match and are a great way to boost your odds. These bets can be personalised to such a degree that you can create bets that no one else has made.
For many, the appeal of bet builders lies in the added excitement and engagement they bring to watching sports.
Bet builder betting tips & strategies
Creating successful bet builder bets requires a strategic approach, combining thorough research and careful selection. Here are some tips to consider:
Focus On What You Know
Bet on sports and leagues you are familiar with. Your knowledge of certain teams or players can be a significant advantage.
Do Thorough Research
There are countless options available when creating a bet builder. Rather than haphazardly combining selections, it’s crucial to use form and statistics to guide your decisions on which picks to include. Research the teams or players involved in the match.
Look at recent form, head-to-head records, player injuries, and other relevant statistics. The more informed you are, the better your chances of making a wise selection.
Stay Updated
Keep an eye on any last-minute changes, such as team news, player injuries or weather conditions, which could significantly impact the outcome of your selections. You don’t want to choose players to score or get shots on target who are injured, on the bench or playing out of their usual position.
Consider Interrelated Markets
When building your bet, consider how different selections might affect each other. For example, betting on a player to score and their team to win can be interrelated, as a goal from that player could increase the team’s chances of winning.
Don’t put conflicting selections together, for example, a home team to ‘Win to Nil’ and the away team having 4+ shots on target.
How do I place a bet builder bet?
To place a bet builder on football head to your chosen bookmaker and navigate to the football section and your chosen match and look for the bet builder tab.
Once here you will be presented with all the available options that you can combine. To add a selection just click on the option to add it to your bet slip. With bet365 you can add up to 12 selections into your bet. When you have added all your selections enter your stake on the bet slip and hit confirm.
What are the best sites for bet builders?
In our experience bet365, William Hill and Betfair Sportsbook are some of the best betting sites for bet builder tools and they all offer daily price boosts on them too.
Betting giants bet365 were the pioneers of the first bet builder tool in 2018 and remain one of the very best sportsbooks for bet builders where you can even create them over multiple matches. For example, on a ‘Super Sunday’ with two big games, you have the option to combine various selections from both matches, creating a bigger odds cross-game bet builder.
Bet365 also lets you place bet builders bets in-play which allows you to see how the game is developing first before making your bet choices. You can also cash out bet builders early with bet365. This is useful if you are waiting for a player to score or have a shot who are prone to be substituted off late in games.
Other bookmakers offer excellent bet builder options too. For example, Paddy Power’s bet builder Insurance returns your stake as a free bet up to £10 if just one of at least four selections fails, offering some consolation for a near miss.
Are there any bet builder special offers?
Yes, many of the big bookmakers such as bet365 and Betfair Sportsbook will often offer boosted prices on a specific bet builder bet.
In the case of bet365′s ‘Super Boost’ offers these can be huge increases. For example, Erling Haaland to have just 1+ shot on target may be boosted from 1/4 to Evens although stakes are limited. There are also lots of regular Bet Boosts on high profile matches.
How do I calculate my bet builder bet winnings?
Unlike accumulators, winnings from bet builder selections do not rollover onto the next selection. The odds you get are the total combined odds of every pick in your bet builder bet winning, so it’s a simple case of multiplying the odds by your stake. For example, a bet builder with 9/1 odds and a £10 stake would return £100 if successful.
Final Thought
Remember, no matter how much research you do, there’s always an element of unpredictability in sports betting. Bet builders can enhance the excitement of watching a game, but they should always be approached with caution and responsibility.
Only wager what you can afford to lose. It’s easy to get carried away with the potential high returns of bet builder bets, but responsible gambling is crucial.
