The mainlines in soccer are the most popular ways to bet it. There is no sport in the world that is more popular when it comes to betting than soccer. From across Europe to North America and Asia, soccer is undoubtedly the most widely loved sport in the world. That's why it's no surprise that it attracts billions of dollars in sports betting wagers every single year.
If you've never gotten into the action, here is a look at the different ways to bet on soccer.
3-Way Moneyline
The moneyline in soccer is similar to in other sports except for the fact that unlike football, basketball or hockey, the player can also bet on a draw. In most competitions, draws can be the final outcome of the game so there are three potential outcomes. Soccer bets are based on the results after 90 minutes with overtime and shootouts not counting towards the wagers. This is relevant in major tournaments like the World Cup where a winner must be determined in order for them to advance to the next stage.
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In these games, the outcome is still determined at the end of regulation time with the overtime and shootout not counting towards the wager. Games that are tied after 90 minutes are called a draw.
For example, if Italy was to play England, the line might be Italy -140, England +200, Draw +250. The teams could go to extra time but the bet would be settled after regulation. If you wanted to bet the outright winner, that would be the two-way line.
2-Way Moneyline
The majority of sportsbooks also offer the 2-way moneyline, which is also known as “Draw, No Bet”. This type of bet means the wager is based on the outcome of the game. If the result is a draw, the bet is cancelled entirely. The only two possible outcomes are a win for either team. The odds are tweaked a bit based on which team is the favorite because of the fact that the wager can’t be lost on a Draw. Using the same example, Italy might be listed at -250 to win while England would be +270 to win.
Totals
The best betting sites also take bets on the totals of games. That's similar to what they do with the majority of the other sports. A line is set for each game and the player can choose whether they want to bet the Over or the Under. According to the example we have already used, the total for the game might be 2.5. You might see something like Over-2.5 (+115) and Under-2.5 (-115). If the two teams combine for 3 goals or more, the game goes Over. If they combine for two goals or fewer than it is an Under.
Goal Lines
Similar to the two-way moneyline, the goal lines gives bettors multiple ways to win a bet on multiple outcomes of the game. The goal lines are similar to puck lines in hockey and point spreads in football or basketball. They create somewhat of a spread for the actual games. In a tighter matchup, a team could be favored to win by 0.5 goals.
In the case of a bigger disparity between the teams, the line could be as much as 1.5 or 2.5 goals. For example, if Spain was to play Canada, perhaps the line for that game would be Spain -2.5 goals (+120). The fact that Spain would have to win by three goals moves it to plus-money. The bettor would also be able to take Canada at +2.5 (-160). That means they would be considered a winner if they lost by two goals or fewer but at a greater cost in terms of juice.
