A league table can seem confusing when you’re new to the game. There are so many stats; how can you tell which ones you need to pay attention to when you’re placing a bet? How important are the league standings and each team’s goal difference when choosing what to wager on? Through this article, you’ll learn what you need to know to make smarter betting decisions.
Where can you go to make these bets?
Finding a good site can be tough when you’re just starting out. There are so many options out there, promising the moon, so how can you tell which ones are lying and which ones are not?
Well, if you’re genuinely interested in wagering on some games, then seek out the expert and reputable sites. Football betting, is perhaps the most popular sport to bet on in the UK and so the best betting sites offer a huge variety of stake options with continuously updated and accurate odds. For first timers, modern sites come with an easy-to-understand user interface so players can bet on a variety of markets without needing a manual to figure it out.
What does goal difference mean?
Before we get into how it affects your betting game, let’s cover the basics. Goal difference is simple: it’s the difference between goals scored and goals conceded over a season. For instance, if a team has scored 10 goals across the tournament, and has had 4 goals scored against them, their goal difference would be +6.
Why does it matter? It’s used in the case of a tiebreaker. If two teams have the same number of points in a tournament, goal difference then decides who sits higher in the league table.
A good indicator
Goal difference can be a great way to spot longer-term trends. If a team lower in the table has a positive goal difference, they might be building momentum and ready to climb. On the flip side, if a team sits high in the standings but has a negative goal difference, that’s a red flag, and they could be due for a slide.
You must look at other statistics as well. While this can be a great indicator, it is in no way an air-tight guarantee of winning a bet. Football is very unpredictable, and one scrappy goal or a red card can flip everything on its head.
Context behind league standings
It’s tempting to look at a league’s standings and assume
you know what’s going to happen, but it is not that simple. It is important to look at the context behind a team’s position and how their tactics have brought them there.
For example, take Leicester’s 2016 Premier League win. They didn’t brute-force their way up the table with an excellent goal difference record; their title win came through careful, tactical counterattacks that exploited the other sides’ weaknesses.
It is also important to understand that football can be a game of chance. Better players, managers, and tactics increase a team’s odds of performing well; but when it comes to match day, the underdog team may get a lucky goal and walk away with those three points. League position matters, but it’s not the final word on how good a team actually is.
Other factors to consider when making bets
There are many other factors to consider before you dive into making your first bet. Betting on football can be as simple or as deep as you want it to be.
Start with player stats: how they have performed recently? Just back from injury? If so, it may take them a few games to warm back up. Are they getting a lot of pitch time? If not, it may be best to avoid betting on them.
Then there are the outside variables most people ignore. What does the weather look like? If there is a heavy downpour, is this the stadium inside? If not, how will rain affect performances?
If a team is playing outside their home country, will they be used to the climate? How can playing far away from home affect someone’s play style? How can different fan interactions affect play? I know that’s a lot. But if you want to bet smart, you’ve got to factor it in.
