Home » Best Bookmakers for Football

Best Bookmakers for Football

Betting on football is the most popular choice for players and the cornerstone of every serious bookmaker. A Liverpool - Man United derby or a Real Madrid - Bayern Munich UCL knockout accumulate hundreds of millions in wagers from all around the world. Hence, football bookmakers offer 100+ bets and thousands of events in top-flight divisions. From traditional markets like 1X2 and Over/Under to Asian handicaps and Player specials, football bookies nowadays offer unprecedented variety.

Nevertheless, not all sportsbooks are created equal, nor do they deserve your attention. It is only normal to ask, where can I find the best value? At Bookmakers.bet, we have done all the hard work to help you choose the best bookmakers for football by evaluating factors like live betting, cash out and promotions.

Top Football Bookmakers

Every bookmaker offers football betting. Wagers on the Premier League, the Bundesliga and the Champions League are available literally everywhere. There is much more to discover on football bookmakers, though. In our table, you are about to find out the top bookmakers in terms of overall odds and markets. Furthermore, we delve deeper and rate bookies in special bets like cards, corners & Asian markets.

by Odds

How to Find the Best Football Bookies

BMB_Question Mark What matters most in finding the best football bookmakers is the provided services. By that, we mean all the factors that contribute to a great experience. High odds are one of the most important as they directly lead to more winnings. With an abundance of markets and features like cash out and live streaming readily available, a great Live betting product is a prerequisite.

Moreover, when making up your mind on your next football bookie, it comes down to your playing style. Some sportsbooks emphasize conventional markets like outright winners and over/under, while others highlight the Asian handicaps or Player specials. Last but not least, a nice offers package will enhance our bookmaker ratings.

Football Bookies Odds

BMB_Markets Generic If you visit any bookmaker on the homepage, you will come across several numbers on each game. Numbers like 1.50, 3.00, 2/1, and 5/2 are the odds that show the likelihood of a specific outcome. European odds appear in decimal form, while British in fractional. Football bookies' odds are subject to several factors.

First and foremost, the table or league position. Then, the recent form. If one team has a record of multiple consecutive wins against an opponent with a poor run, the former will be the market leader. Injured players, especially if they are starters, will also drive the odds up for the team missing them.

Most football betting sites will provide high odds to favourites like Man City or Barcelona in traditional markets like 1X2. However, insightful players will not limit their research to basic markets and will check more ‘’exotic’’ ones like card & corner bets.

Inplay Football Betting Sites

BMB_Live Betting Live betting accounts for nearly 60% of the total activity; therefore, it is a dominant football betting trend. When it comes to criteria, what is most important here is the available markets. Due to the sport's fast-paced nature, some sportsbooks restrict the available selections limiting players’ choices.

However, the best in-play bookmakers for football will update selections based on the run of play, offering live betting until the last minutes of the game. Another factor to look into is how fast the bookie accepts your bet and what the football betting rules are.

In live wagering, where prices can change at any second, it is paramount to get your bet accepted immediately. Even if the odds are changing at this very moment, top football betting sites will give you the price that was active when you chose it.

Moreover, live streaming gains more popularity, as it offers the opportunity to witness the action as it is unfolding. Nowadays, many football bookies stream in close to high-definition quality from top-tier competitions like the Champions League and the Bundesliga.

Cash-out Football Betting Sites

A direct connection of in-play betting is the Cash-out, which allows you to get an amount of money back before the final bet settlement. This option works really well if the match is going against your prediction or seeing that this is likely to happen shortly.

The way it works is simple: Let’s assume that you placed a £/€10 bet with three selections and potential winnings of £/€80. The matches are in the 55th minute, and all your selections are winning. Your cashout option could be around £/€50.

If you claim it at this point, you bag a guaranteed amount (regardless of what happens next in the games). Now, if you reject it, you might get the full winnings. But if one of your selections goes south, the cashout amount will be much lower or unavailable altogether.

Non-stop availability until the last moments of the match at competitive odds is key. Moreover, when you request it, it should be granted instantly, even if the prices are volatile. We also look at the different forms at hand. Besides full, you can find partial or auto. If you are wondering how does partial cash out work, click here.

Types of Markets Available

There are several ways to bet on your favourite match. These range from traditional ones like 1X2 and over/under to Special Bets and Asian handicaps. This overview provides a basic guideline of the most popular betting types in football bookies. For a full description, check our detailed football betting markets guide.

1
Match result: This is the most straightforward one. You bet on the outcome of the match in 90 minutes. Possible selections are Home win, Draw or Away win (1X2).
2
Over/Under: For such bets, you bet on whether the goals scored in a game will be more or less than a predetermined amount. The most common one is over/under 2.5 goals. However, you can find 1.5, 3.5 or even more goals in relevant markets.
3
Asian handicap: With a handicap bet, you wager on whether the favourite will surpass the handicap or the underdog will defend it. What makes it beneficial is that you have 50% chance of winning instead of the 33% in outright winner bets. Let’s take AH 0.5 as an example in the Real Madrid - Barcelona game. If you bet on Real Madrid at 0.5 on AH, they will have an advantage of 0.5 goals at the beginning of the game. That means that you will win the bet in case of a Real Madrid win or draw. If Barcelona wins, you lose the bet.
4
Special Bets: A rapidly developing trend is the bets on cards & corners. The most popular selections on football betting sites include getting a red card, over/under on yellow cards, and which team will have more corner kicks.
5
Player Specials: Whether a player will score in a game is one of the hottest markets at the moment. Options are not limited in scoring, though, as you can bet on if he will score first, how many shots on target he will have, or if he will be booked.
6
Combo bet: Also known as an accumulator, it contains more than two or more selections in the same betslip. A combo bet is won only if all of the selections are won. Total odds are calculated by multiplying individual odds.

Long-term Football Wagers

At the beginning of each season, bettors are fired up after the busy transfer period. This is where long-term betting comes into play. League winners, Τop-4 finishers, teams to get relegated, and top goalscorers are among the most sought-after markets. More long-term bets include who will be the next manager of a team or which team will join a star player.

The league-winner bet is pretty simple. You bet on which team will win the title at the end of the season. Favourites like PSG and Juventus will have lower odds in the Ligue 1 and Serie A than their opponents.
A top-4 finisher dictates if a team will finish among the best four in the league table in terms of points.
Teams for a relegation battle and top goalscorer are self-explanatory, as well. In the first case, you bet on whether a team will finish below the relegation zone and in the second which player will score the most goals in the season.

National team competitions also gather massive interest from players. The 2018 World Cup in Russia held a record €136 billion turnover in football bookmakers. The final between France-Croatia accumulated €7.2 billion in betting activity. The UEFA Euro championship and the Copa America also account for £/€ billion in gambling volume.

Football Betting Offers

One of the most exciting moments in betting is when you claim a promotion. Whether it’s a free bet or a deposit bonus, the idea that you can win more without risking your own bankroll beats almost everything. Top football bookies regularly reward betting activity for creating a loyal member base. Remember to always keep an eye on the terms and requirements of the bonus.