Betfred
Betfred has become one of the UK’s most popular betting sites since its online launch in 2004, providing greater presence for a company that already had 1,600 high-street betting shops. Betfred is one of the most popular bookmakers for football betting and offers punters numerous options. There are markets on all the top leagues and competitions, including the Premier League, as well as more niche tournaments and leagues from across the globe.
- Great football bet builder available to customise your wager
- Many promotions specific to football
- Great in-play football betting
Bottom line:
Betfred have an excellent range of football markets, a great football bet builder and a fantastic in-play section, putting them comfortably among the UK’s best football betting websites.
Why we like Betfred
Betfred cover a range of leagues with impressive depth. Their excellent football bet builder, #PickYourPunt allows you to customise your bet. There are many options to choose from, but if you can’t find the bet you want you can tweet @Betfred with your bet along with #PickYourPunt. One of Betfred’s strongest features is the In-play betting option that is easy to use, and every punter should consider the site when betting on football.
What Betfred offers you
- Brilliant football promotions: You will also find that most Betfred promotions are focused on football, with unique offerings such as Double Delight and Hat-trick Heaven, both of which are available pre-match and in-play. Place a first goal scorer bet with Betfred on selected football matches, including the Premier League, and if your player scores a second goal, they’ll double your first scorer price, if he gets a hat-trick, they’ll treble the odds. As ever, we recommend that you study the terms and conditions. .
- Cash out and partial cash out feature: You can take full control of your bets with Betfred’s Cash Out and Partial Cash Out features. Secure your winnings on single and multiple bets before your bet has settled by heading to the ‘Cash Out’ tab on the right-hand side of the page.
- Football bet builder markets: Betfred’s Bet Builder is in the form of #PickYourPunt, a feature that combines bet building with bet customisation. Customers can “build” their own bets, combining a range of markets to create their own unique wager. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, tweet Betfred with the hashtag #PickYourPunt to get your bet priced.
- In-play betting: Betfred offer some of their best football promotions, such as double delight and hat-trick heaven as in-play options.
- Betfred Blog: Betfred has a great blog with plenty of football related articles and tips.
Betway
Founded in 2006, Betway are one of the UK’s leading betting companies. They are well regulated and boast an excellent sportsbook, exciting promotions, generous offers and top-level security. They are one of the best football betting sites around, boasting an extensive range of markets and many football related promotions. They are currently high profile within football, providing sponsorship for Premier League side West Ham United.
- Excellent mobile app
- Attractive football promotions
- Huge variety of football markets
Bottom line:
Boosted odds and superb promotions underline Betway’s excellent football betting service.
Why we like Betway
Betway has promotions for both regular and new customers, presented on a website which is clean, easy to navigate and smooth-running. Betway cover a vast array of leagues and competitions around the world, making it one of the best football betting sites in the UK in terms of range. There are also many promotions focused on football.
What Betway offers you
- Great football bet builder: Betway has a Bet Builder, which is usually available with every football event, enabling you to create your own bet. Punters can make multiple selections from the most popular markets (goals, cards, corners, etc.) to make one bet. The sportsbook’s #BetYourWay allows you to make bet requests via Twitter using the aforementioned hashtag. Betway will price up your desired bet, which you should be able to access under the #BetYourWay tab on the selected event.
- Free Bet Club: Opt in to Betway’s Free Bet Club and you can earn £15 in free bets each week if you meet the qualifying criteria.
- Quality football odds: Betway offer punters attractive odds for football. For three matches from the Premier League, the FA Cup and the SPL Betway averaged a 94.5% payout.
- Superb football promotions: When it comes to football promotions, the bookie’s ‘4 to Score’ offer provides Punters with the chance to win up to £50,000 should they correctly predict the first goal scorer in four selected matches. Another attractive football promotion is their ACCA offer for new customers, where they match your bet of £30 if your first Football Acca losses. Be sure to check it out and claim your £30 after the qualifying bet is settled.
BetUK
BetUK is a very prominent UK sportsbook with a wide variety of sports markets. The company was founded in 2012, making it one of the latest UK-licensed online bookmakers. Most of our other picks for the best football betting sites have been established for longer. However, we like the fresh approach and feel of BetUK and in terms of football, it is up there with the best sportsbooks. It gives the chance to bet on football leagues throughout the world, and this, along with a variety of betting options, make it one of the best football betting sites in the UK.
- Best Odds for EPL
- Best Odds for UCL
- Great odds on football
- Huge variety of football markets
- Football bet builder available to customise your wager
Bottom line:
BetUK gives the chance to bet on football leagues throughout the world and regularly offers good quality odds.
Why we like BetUK
The betting market selection at BetUK is huge, especially in football. There can be a hundred selections per event, putting it comfortably among the best football betting sites in terms of variety. This includes a huge range of leagues across the globe, as well as betting on individual players (cards, goals, assists etch), both pre-match and in-play. BetUK offer some of the best football odds around, giving punters great value.
What BetUK offers you
- Man City Profit Boost Promo: BetUK have a partnership with Manchester City and through this offer a promotion which can boost your winnings. Simply place a bet of £20+ on any Man City game. If it comes in, the bookie will increase your winnings by 10% up to £200!
- Great odds: BetUK consistently offer good and attractive odds in football. We looked at the odds offered for the match result of three fixtures, from the FA Cup, The Premier League and the SPL. BetUK had an average payout of 94.6%.
- Football bet builder: There is an easy-to-use bet builder, consistent with the other best football betting sites, allowing you to combine different markets within a match.
- Acca Club: BetUK has an Acca club which can score you free bets and profit boosts
- Cash out feature: BetUK has a cash out feature available on football bets, which enables you to take control if and leave with your winnings when things are going well. Alternatively, you can cut your losses if a bet looks like losing.
Unibet
Unibet has become a hugely respected bookie in recent years. They are clearly among the best football betting sites in the UK.
Bottom line
Unibet have a great range of markets for a great range of football leagues, provide plenty of information for research and offer competitive odds.
Why we like Unibet
Unibet offer loads of betting options, including player props. They consistently have good quality prices and they provide a wealth of statistics to help you make your picks.
- Great range and depth of markets: Unibet offer plenty of betting options for football punters including match events and more player prop options than many of their competitors.
- Quality Odds: Unibet’s football odds are competitive. We looked at three matches across different leagues and their payout margin averaged at 93.2%.
- Bet Builder: Unibet have a comprehensive bet builder to enable you to combine wagers.
- Pre-match statistics: View the head-to-head record, previous XI and team form on the match page
Check out the best betting sites in the UK with Betting.com.
How our experts choose the best sites to bet on Football
Bettors have many factors to weigh up when looking for a football betting site. The bookie must prove themselves to be reputable, trustworthy and properly regulated. The quality of odds offered are of great importance along with the design and feel of the website, promotions, in-play betting, live streaming and the quality and accessibility of customer service. To be ranked among the best football betting sites in the UK, bookmakers must rate highly in all of these areas.
Chris Sampson: I am looking for football betting sites in the UK to offer good quality odds, a large range of leagues covered, plenty of markets and betting options and promotions available throughout the year. Websites should be responsive and easy to use on both the desktop and the app. The company must be trustworthy and deposits and withdrawals must be straightforward and prompt.
Compare the best Football betting sites
Football is undoubtedly one of the most popular sports to bet on in Britain. Therefore it is an area which all of the leading bookmakers focus on, leaving punters with many options regarding promotions and offers.
Selecting the best football online betting site is about looking at the whole service that each bookie provides for the sport. It will also come down to personal preference of punters and areas which the individuals prioritise. We’ve compared the top football betting sites:
| Site Name | Betting.com Rating | Best For | Full Review |
| Bet365 | 4.8/5 | Excellent in-play betting and live streaming for football. | Review |
| Betfred | 4.7/5 | Great football bet builder | Review |
| Betway | 4.7/5 | Superb football promotions | Review |
| BetUK | 4.6/5 | Great value odds on football | Review |
| Unibet | 4.6/5 | Great stats and info | Review |
How to choose the best site for you
Identifying the best football online betting sites isn’t an easy task with so many options out there. You can only get a real idea of what works for you by trying sites out and extensively researching their promotions.
When looking at football online betting sites, these seven points are important to keep in mind:
- Safety comes first: To keep your cash and data safe, you should always play on licensed and secure betting sites. Check out licensing information on the bookmaker’s web page.
- Compare welcome offers: Not all welcome offers are the same. Each punter has different betting habits and will value different things when signing up to a new bookie, so make sure you find a site with a welcome offer which suits you. If you are mainly looking to bet on football some sportsbooks will have football specific welcome offers.
- Analyse their football prices: All bettors want the best odds. It is worth comparing football sportsbooks to see which have the most competitive prices. Check out who offers the best value on specific leagues and competitions, and compare bookmaker’s odds over three matches to evaluate their consistency.
- Consider payment and banking options: Ensuring you can deposit and withdraw money safely and quickly is vital. It is worth seeing which bookies offer certain payment methods and comparing the fees involved and timescale for receiving your winnings.
- Your bookie should be established and trusted : The best football betting sites will retain customers through the quality of their odds and markets, their integrity and their levels of customer care. You must feel secure when placing your bets.
- Betting on the move: Mobile apps are now a major part of the gambling industry. Being able to scroll through odds, live stream and contact customer service through your phone or tablet is vital to football fans placing bets when travelling to and from matches.
- Try signing up: Registration with a new bookmaker should be a quick, smooth and straightforward process. The only way to get a feel of a betting site is to sign up yourself and look at what they can offer. Most trusted bookies require you to provide documentation to verify your account as part of their Know Your Customer (KYC) scheme.
Betting on Football explained
Football is currently the most popular sport to bet on in the UK. Bookmakers have responded to this, with the best football betting sites offering world-wide markets in popular and obscure leagues alike. As well as betting on outright winners and results, betting on statistics and player props is becoming a popular option for football bettors.
Odds
The best football betting sites in the UK will display odds for many different markets. Firstly you will find odds for the outright winner of leagues and cups. These will change on an almost daily basis due to results, form, and, in cup competitions, the draw. Each match will display odds for the result (home win, away win, draw). Again these will move as things change (injuries, suspensions etc.) in the build up to the game. Generally if you add up the percentage probability of each of the three possible outcomes you can determine whether the odds are good value. Naturally the three percentages should make 100, however, that would leave the bookie without profit. What is a fair margin varies from sport to sport, however in football 110 and under is considered fair, while the bookies who offer the best football odds usually average around 105 (95% payout). Within each match you can find other markets to bet on such as exact score, goal scorers, number of corners or cards, result at half time etc. The best football sportsbooks will offer competitive odds.
Picks
Just like selecting your preferred bookie, there is a lot to consider when making football picks. Recent form, injuries, suspensions, upcoming fixtures and style of play/characteristics of the teams are all important factors in football betting.
Types of Football bets
Football bettors have never had more options available. Punters can, for example, bet on outright winners, match results, player props and match stats. Accas and multiples are very popular. Bettors pick a number of games to predict the result from, with, for example, odds given for selecting four out of four correct results. There will be a good selection of these types of bets at top football bookmakers.
Futures Bet
This is a bet on an event which is often some way down the line. Punters often bet on outright winners (the winner of a competition, for example Premier League, Champions League). Variations of this can include betting on which teams will finish in the top four of the Premier League, or which teams will be relegated from the Championship. Bets such as this can be made on individual players too, for example top goal scorer in the SPL. The best football bookies will all offer a good range of these types of bets.
Moneyline Bets
For an individual match punters bet on which team will win, or whether the game will end as a draw. An extension of this is betting on a specific result (Manchester City to win 2-1) or betting on both teams to score (Newcastle United to win, both teams to score).
Over/Under (Total) bets
Betting the over/under in a match simply means you are wagering on how many goals will be scored overall, NOT how many one team will score, nor who will win. So for example you might bet that Arsenal v Spurs will have under 3.5 goals, or you may wager that Real Madrid v Sevilla will have over 3.5 goals in total.
Double Chance
As it sounds, double chance betting involves predicting two of the three possible outcomes in a soccer match. In any game you will have three double chance options: Team 1 win + draw (e.g. Nottingham Forest and draw). Team 2 win + draw (e.g. Newcastle United FC and draw). Team 1 or Team 2 win (e.g. Nottingham Forest or Newcastle United win).
Multiple-Game Bets
Parlay: A parlay involves more than one wager combined together for greater odds. You can place a same game Premier League parlay — multiple events from one matchup — or alternatively, events across multiple games. Comprising three doubles and a treble, a Trixie is three selections and four bets. At least two of the selections must land to guarantee a payout.
As stated earlier accumulators, where punters try to match a number of results, are hugely popular in football betting. Accumulators combine multiple selections into one bet and are among the most popular forms of betting on football. This is because they offer the potential reward of big returns for small stakes as the winnings from each selection are placed on the next one.
The obvious risk is that all the bets have to win for the bettor to receive a payout. However, some bookmakers, offer accumulator insurance so if one of your selections (minimum five selections) lets you down you will receive your stake back as a free bet.
Handicap betting
Handicap betting helps punters get better odds if a game appears to be one-sided.
Props markets
Prop markets are becoming more common, and they allow customers to bet on anything that may unfold during a game. This can include the number of passes, tackles and shots by individual players as well as the amount of free kicks, goal kicks or throw-ins in a fixture.
Common prop bets include:
Correct score
First team to score
Which team will score last
Anytime goal scorer
Player to score 2+/hat-trick
First player to be shown a card
Number of shots a player will have
Depending on the bookie, there may be options to include props in a mixed parlay. Many bookmakers have football bet builders and the option to tweet your customised bets to the bookie to get odds quoted.
Prop markets become more limited with smaller games and less popular leagues.
In-play betting
Lots of football bettors enjoy the excitement of live betting as the match flows. Bettors can follow the action then use their judgement to place bets as the game unfolds. Live-streaming has made this more popular. Bookmakers offer several markets, such as the next goal scorer, which team will win the next corner or throw-in, or who will be the next player to be shown a yellow card.
Football Specials
There are also many “specials” markets, including those for managers and transfers in which you can place bets on bosses to leave their jobs or be sacked and players to join other clubs
Football betting strategies
It is important to do some background research before making your wager. Look into form, injuries, styles of play and upcoming fixtures. Also look into what a team’s priorities are for the season. For example a Premier League team struggling against relegation is unlikely to field it’s strongest team against a team from the Championship or League One in the FA Cup. Therefore an upset might be more likely and you just might get attractive odds. Try to apply your knowledge and understanding of the game to your selections. Look at the types of bets your prefer, accas, prop markets, moneyline etc. and develop your own strategy for betting on football. Above all, gamble responsibly, make it fun, and understand that one of the reasons we love football is it’s unpredictable nature.
Popular Football events to bet on
Football bettors have never had more choice in terms of leagues and competitions to bet on. Second tier games in Romania are available with some bookies, along with the upper tiers of non-league football in the English game. However, it is the Premier League, the Championship, the UEFA Champions League, the Scottish Premiership, major European leagues and international tournaments which are the most popular among punters. Here are some of the most popular leagues and tournaments for those who like to bet on football.
- Premier League: Founded in 1992-93, the English top-flight has become the world’s most popular domestic league, which is reflected by the significant number of punters who bet on it weekly.
- UEFA Champions League: UEFA’s premier club competition commands a huge amount of interest and spectators. It is considered to be the most prestigious competition in club football and, naturally, it attracts plenty of sports bettors.
- English Cup Competitions: The FA Cup, the most famous cup competition in the world has a tradition of producing upsets and holds huge interest among punters. The EFL cup, considered a major trophy, is also popular.
- The Championship: England’s highly competitive second tier attracts a large amount of punters. Bets are regularly made as part of accas and the competitive nature of the league means that many watch the action with interest and enjoy having a punt. The play-off system ensures that even those in midtable have something to play for, therefore something worth betting on, deep into the season.
- League One and League Two: England’s third and fourth tiers also attract punters. Both of these divisions have promotion play offs and offer plenty of betting options
- Scottish Premiership: Scottish football is a popular market with UK bettors. The huge fan bases of Celtic and Rangers ensure that the interest in these markets extends far beyond Scotland.
- La Liga: Traditionally dominated by Real Madrid and Barcelona, Spain’s top division has been home to some of the world’s best players. It has long provided interest for UK bettors, and the emergence of Atletico Madrid as challengers to the big two, and the success of other Spanish clubs, such as Sevilla, in European competitions has further increased the league’s popularity among punters.
- Serie A: The world’s leading league until the 1990s, Italy’s top competition is still a favourite among students of football and gamblers alike.
- Bundesliga: The fast-paced football in Germany’s top-flight boasts the highest average crowds of any league and it attracts many UK-based bettors.
- Europa League and Europa Conference League: The second and third tier European club competitions have provided plenty of interest for English clubs and UK bettors.
- International tournaments: The World Cup, European Championship, Africa Cup of Nations, Copa America and others provide global interest and offer many options for football bettors.
