U.K. Football Betting Tips

Football, also known as soccer, is one of the most popular sports in the United Kingdom. Between England's premier league and similar leagues in Ireland and Scotland, football fans have plenty of action to bet on. Those with a penchant for wagering follow the games closely, hoping to gain some information that will give them an edge when they come to make a bet. As with most sports, research is required to make an informed wager.

  1. Follow the Injuries

    • Bettors need to have as much information as possible before making a wager, which makes weekly injury updates an important element of football research. A team dealing with multiple injuries, or with an injury to a key player, will be forced to make adjustments that could alter its effectiveness on the field. Websites like PhysioRoom.com provide updates on player injuries for premier league teams. They give the type of injury the player suffered and his expected return date. Bettors should check in periodically for any changes in status, since injury reports are not set in stone and expected return dates are usually flexible.

    Home Side

    • In most major professional soccer leagues the home team is favorite. In some cases the advantage is enormous. The premier league standings for the 2009 season bear that out. Of the 380 total matches played that season, 193 ended in victory for the home side. The visiting team won just 91 of those matches and the other 96 ended in a draw.

      Most sports books will offer significantly lower odds for the home team even if the two sides are evenly matched. Bettors looking for the surest thing should wager on the home team. They will still make money even with the low return.

    Websites

    • Any bettor would be well served to visit as many betting-related Web sites as possible before making a wager. By searching the term "soccer betting", the bettor will find hundreds of betting sites each with helpful tidbits on a host of English, Irish and Scottish soccer games.

      Most sites expect bettors to pay for the juiciest news and tips but there is enough free information available from each site to piece together a good cross-section of opinions and analysis. From there it's up to the bettor to decide how to disseminate it.