Main Football Betting Markets

Match result (1X2) — the basic bet on the outcome of regular time (90 minutes plus stoppage time). 1 — home win, X — draw, 2 — away win. Extra time and penalty shootouts are not included unless specifically stated.

Double chance — insurance against one of the three outcomes: 1X (home team will not lose), 12 (no draw), X2 (away team will not lose). Lower odds, but higher chance of winning.

Handicap — a virtual number of goals is added to or subtracted from one team's result. European handicap can be whole (e.g. -1) or fractional (-1.5). Asian handicap works with quarters (e.g. -0.75) and allows partial refund of the stake for certain scores. Settlement rules vary between bookmakers, so read the rules section on the site.

Totals — bet on the number of goals in the match (over or under a set value). The total can be overall (e.g. over 2.5 in the match), team-specific (over 1.5 for home team) or by half. Fractional values (0.5, 1.5, 2.5) exclude stake refunds.

Both teams to score (BTTS) — bet that both teams will score at least one goal in regular time. The final score does not matter, only the fact that each side scores.

Correct score — bet on the exact result of the match. High odds, but predicting the score is difficult even in matches with a clear favourite.

Corners and cards — statistical markets. You can bet on the number of corners (total, handicap, odd/even), yellow and red cards, first or last corner in the match. The statistics of these events are less predictable than goals and require knowledge of team styles.

Outrights — bets on tournament outcomes (league winner, group stage qualification, top scorer of the season). Results are determined over weeks or months, odds change during the tournament.

How to Read Odds and Calculate Probability

Bookmakers use decimal odds (European format). The odds show how much you will receive for each euro staked if the bet wins. For example, a 10 EUR bet at 2.50 odds will return 10 × 2.50 = 25 EUR (including your stake). Net profit — 25 − 10 = 15 EUR.

From the odds you can calculate the bookmaker's implied probability: probability = 1 / odds × 100%. Odds of 2.00 correspond to 50%, odds of 3.00 — approximately 33.3%, odds of 1.50 — around 66.7%. The bookmaker builds margin into the line — the difference between the true probability and what is reflected in the odds.

To assess the margin, add up the probabilities of all outcomes in one market. For example, a 1X2 line: home win odds 2.10 (47.6%), draw 3.40 (29.4%), away win 3.60 (27.8%). Total — 104.8%. The excess over 100% is the bookmaker's margin, approximately 4.8%. The lower the margin, the better the line for the player.

Pre-match and Live: What's the Difference

Pre-match — bets before the match starts. The line is formed in advance, odds are stable, there is time to study statistics, lineups, news. The bookmaker may close betting a few minutes before kickoff or keep the line open until the match begins.

Live (in-play betting) — the line changes every minute depending on the score, time, dangerous moments, red cards. Odds can drop or rise sharply after a goal or a one-on-one opportunity. Live requires quick reactions and understanding of match dynamics. Broadcast delay or line update lag can affect the bet outcome.

What Affects the Bookmaker's Line

Lineups and injuries. The absence of a key striker or main goalkeeper changes the balance of power. The bookmaker considers team sheets, injury news, suspensions.

Motivation. A team fighting for European qualification or battling relegation plays with different intensity than a mid-table side with no objectives at the end of the season.

Fixture congestion and rotation. If there is an important Champions League match in three days, the coach may field a reserve squad in the league. Three away matches in a week — physical strain that affects results.

Weather and pitch. Heavy rain, snow, wind reduce scoring, especially if one team is used to fast passing football. Poor pitch condition makes ball control difficult.

Head-to-head record and playing style. Some teams consistently play high-scoring matches against each other, others prefer defensive football. The bookmaker considers head-to-head statistics, but past results do not guarantee repetition.

Payout Calculation Example

You bet 20 EUR on an away win at 2.80 odds. If the bet wins, you receive 20 × 2.80 = 56 EUR. Net profit — 56 − 20 = 36 EUR. If the bet loses, you lose 20 EUR.

Accumulator with two events: team A win at 1.70 odds and over 2.5 total in match B at 1.90 odds. Combined accumulator odds — 1.70 × 1.90 = 3.23. A 15 EUR stake will return 15 × 3.23 = 48.45 EUR if both outcomes win. If at least one loses — the entire bet loses.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Accumulators with many events. The more outcomes in an accumulator, the higher the final odds, but one mistake and the entire bet loses. An accumulator with five or six matches looks attractive, but the probability of all events winning drops rapidly. Better to limit it to two or three carefully chosen outcomes.

Chasing losses (Martingale system). After a loss, the player doubles the stake to recover. A losing streak quickly drains the bankroll, and one win only partially covers losses if the odds are below 2.00. Chasing losses is a path to quickly losing control over your budget.

Betting on your favourite team. Emotions prevent objective assessment of chances. A fan overestimates their team's possibilities and ignores objective factors — form, injuries, statistics.

Ignoring margin. Not all bookmakers offer the same odds on the same event. A difference of a few tenths may seem insignificant, but in the long run it affects profitability.

Legality of Betting in Latvia

Online betting is legal in Latvia only with operators holding a VID licence for interactive gambling. The list of licensed operators is published on the VID website — this is the only official verification source. Bookmakers with licences from other countries (Curaçao, Malta, Gibraltar) are not recognized by VID: from the perspective of Latvian law, such platforms have no right to offer services to players from Latvia.

Playing on a platform not licensed in Latvia is an administrative offence, with fines for individuals ranging from 70 to 350 euros. VID maintains a list of blocked domains, providers are obliged to restrict access to them. Latvian banks (Swedbank, SEB, Citadele, Luminor) have the right to decline transactions to gambling sites without a Latvian licence. Disputes with offshore bookmakers are resolved abroad through the regulator of the jurisdiction where the licence was issued; Latvian law does not protect such operators.

Responsible Gaming

Sports betting is available only to persons over 18 years old. Gambling is entertainment, not a way to earn money. Set a budget you are prepared to spend and do not exceed it. Do not bet money needed for living expenses, and do not gamble on credit. If a losing streak triggers the urge to chase losses at any cost — take a break.

Since April 2026, Latvia has operated a VID self-exclusion register: you can apply to the service and ban yourself from participating in gambling for a period from 12 months. All licensed operators are obliged to check the register and block access for players listed in it. If you feel you are losing control, use the register or contact specialists — Latvia has counselling centres and gambling addiction support hotlines.

Author: Jewgienij Ja. · Updated: 22.10.2026