How to bet on soccer: Expert tips and recommendations 

The Bafana Bafana are yet to experience the sort of international success that the mighty Springboks and to a lesser extent, the Proteas, have savoured at the biggest international competitions over the years. Well, bar that famous AFCON win on home soil in 1996, of course! 

And speaking of the Bafana Bafana, did you know that we here at 10Bet SA are the proud official betting partner of the men’s national side? You do now! 

But there’s far more to football and football betting than just the fortunes of the national side and 10bet SA is the new home of soccer betting for the South African football betting fan. 

Running from late summer to mid-May every year are Europe’s top leagues including the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1 and all the other ones featuring the world’s best players showcasing their skills at football’s best, biggest and most iconic venues. 

And here on domestic soil, the DStv Premiership is also very much alive and well with the question on everyone’s lips being: can anyone stop the Mamelodi Sundowns, winners of each of the last six editions in a row, from tasting glory once again in 2023-24?  We’ll have to wait and see. 

Add in the likes of the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, the upcoming 2024 Euros and of course the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and you can see how you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to betting on all the major football competitions from around the world. In total, we have betting on domestic leagues from close to 50 different countries, and in many cases, there’s football betting on three or four leagues from that country. 

And here at 10bet SA ‘spoilt’ is very much the key word. When it comes to betting on the Premier League and Champions League, arguably the two most popular domestic club competitions in the world, we always guarantee that we’ll offer the top odds of any South African-based sportsbook when it comes to betting on the favourite on the 1×2 market.  A real case of spoiling our customers! 

Our most popular football betting markets 

Winner market 

No prizes for guessing that the winner of the match, or the draw, is what our South African customers most want to bet on. After all, when all is said and done, this is what football matches are all about: who walks away with the spoils. 

The experienced punter will know better than the beginner that plenty of crucial factors need to be analysed when considering a bet on the match-winner market, which here we refer to as the 1×2 market. 

There are head-to-head records, the recent form of both sides, team news including players missing through injury and suspension, the energy or fatigue levels of both sides, and the venue at which the match will be played. Then there’s the importance of momentum (teams who have won lots of matches recently tend to be high on confidence) and motivation (how important the game is for a particular team in the context of the season). 

Consider as many of these factors as possible, weigh up the most important ones, and place your bet when you’re happy with your decision. 

Over/Under 2.5 goals 

If all of that sounds too much like hard work, then the over/under 2.5 goals market might be the one for you, instead!

The main reason it’s easier to play is that there are only two runners in the market, rather than three. 

You either think the match will go over 2.5 goals (three or more) or stay under 2.5 goals (two or fewer). Why over/under 2.5 goals (specifically)? Because in most leagues across the world the average number of goals per game is very close to 2.5 so in many cases, the odds on both runners are very close to 2.0, making it almost a coin toss. 

But it doesn’t have to be. Thorough research on how many goals certain teams tend to score and concede, their respective formations and how good the strikers and defenders playing in that particular match are, make up some of the most important factors to consider. 

Customers here at 10bet SA can also bet on the over/under 1.5, 3.5 and 4.5 goals markets, but the over/under 2.5 goals market is by far the most popular of the goal-related ones.  

Other popular football betting markets   

The correct score market is another firm favourite because you can secure huge odds on certain scorelines when betting pre-match. For example, betting on a 3-1 scoreline could often see you paid put at odds of 20.0 or more; so you only need to get a few of those right a year to be in profit. 

The same could be said for first goalscorer and anytime goalscorer bets where the somewhat more unlikely players can be backed at big odds, as well. 

Away from these you can bet on the number of cards and corners, what time goals in the match will be scored or just about anything else: in total there are close to 100 different pre-match betting markets, with most of those also available in Live Betting. 

Data and tips at your fingertips  

For every match, we provide useful data such as standings, squads, head-to-head records and recent results to help you make the best betting decisions. 

And as the 10bet South Africa blog grows over time, we’ll also have insightful match previews and top betting tips from our experts.