The best football bets and betting odds 2023 – Review of betting offers

The vast array of betting options available to gamers across a wide range of sports and markets is one of the most essential features of online sports betting. However, many questions rage in the minds of gamers, especially newbies. Questions like, “which is the best bet to bank on?”, “What are the top bookmakers for wagering in my location?”, “how do I find these Bookies?”, “what offer can I get from these Bookies?” have lingered on in the minds of customers for a long time.

While Betting Tips Africa will get into the specifics of what makes the best sports for betting a bit later in this article, for now, we’ll be introducing Bookies in your locality that’d give you a platform to enjoy sports betting whilst making more money. 

Breadth And Depth Of Betting Offer

The best betting providers have a particularly broad and deep programme. The breadth of betting offer refers to the number of different sports in the betting offer, while the depth refers to the leagues and specials available for each sport.

The biggest and most crucial area of betting is and remains sports. There are tons of sports out there available for wagering at reputable Bookies. However, as it is with almost everything, these sports are ranked differently in terms of popularity and other relevant areas. Below are some of the most popular sports (breadth) alongside their betting offer (depth) available to gamers worldwide.

Football Betting

Football, with its many passionate fans all over the world, is a major draw for spectators and gamblers alike. The popularity and near unpredictability of the round leather game has caused an increased number of bookmakers willing to take your wagers. 

As a result of this, you can always expect excellent odds on major events in football. Because of its complex and strategic nature, football betting features some of the most intriguing markets in the entire industry. You can also find excellent odds on many different events, in addition to a plethora of promotions. 

  • There are tons of leagues available for betting in football. Among the prominent ones are the English Premier League, Spanish La-Liga, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, French Ligue 1, UEFA Champions League, South African Premier Division, CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup, West African Football Union and so on.
  • Football specials betting are bets which can be placed on special events. These include next manager markets, club markets, player markets and country specials. In this situation, a gamer can choose to stake on a player or manager moving from one club to another within a time frame with Bookies like 1xBet, Betway and so on.

Horse Racing

Horse racing betting, like football, is one of the world’s most popular sports. As a result, the game often features attractive odds with bookmakers around the globe. This is especially true because of the widespread use of BOG promotions, which are only seen in these competitions and offer a tremendous tactical advantage. 

Aside from considerations of strategy, many people will always consider this the ideal sport for betting because they can feel as though they are standing at the starting line thanks to the abundance of live coverage.

  • There are so many horse racing competitions in the world. Some of the most prominent are; Epsom Derby (which is held in Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey, England, UK), Saudi Cup (which is held in King Abdulaziz Racecourse, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), The Everest (which is held in Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia), Kentucky Derby (held in Churchill Downs Racetrack, Louisville, Kentucky, USA), Dubai World Cup (held in Meydan Racecourse, Dubai, United Arab Emirates) and many more.
  • Some special offers on horse racing betting include; money-back specials, Extra places, Best odds guaranteed (BOG) etc.

Basketball

Basketball is one of the most widely gambled-on sports in the world because of the variety of exciting and high-stakes scenarios that can unfold during a single game. While basketball is one of the easier sports on which to place a wager, a novice bettor would do well to brush up on the fundamentals before placing a real bet at any Sportsbook.

  • Some of the best leagues in the world of basketball include; America’s NBA, EuroLeague, Spain’s Liga ACB, Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL), Russia’s VTB United League, Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and many more.
  • Some specials offered by Sportsbooks on basketball include; rebounds, steals and blocks, assists plus rebounds, three-pointers, and so much more.

Tennis

Tennis is widely regarded as the best sport to wager on and also the most thrilling by many gamers. Honestly, not much sports can compete with its intensity and excitement. Betting on each point, set, and game adds even more excitement to these kinds of sporting events. 

Because licensing rights aren’t as rigorous as they are in football and horse racing, you can often see incredible matches live online, and the odds on major events like Wimbledon, Australian Open etc are fantastic. 

  •  Amidst a very large collection of tournaments/leagues available worldwide for tennis, some of the most popular ones are listed here; Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open, ATP Tour, WTA Tour etc.
  •  Betting specials like “who will win the set”, total games-match and so on are available on tennis.

Cricket

Cricket is one of the best sports to get lost in if you want to play a sport that will keep you engaged for a long time. It has several variations, from the longer and more strategic to the shorter and more frantic format. The greatest cricket betting sites even give you the option of betting on several variations of the sport. 

The top betting sites out there provide you with all the updates and details you need during long matches, and they also have a fantastic range of well-thought-out and unique cricket markets that will make you think about the game from all kinds of new aspects.  

  •  Indian Premier League (IPL), Pakistan Super League (PSL), Big Bash League (BBL), Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and The Vitality T20 Blast are all some of the most populous cricket leagues available for betting around the world.
  •  Specials like method of 2nd dismissal (2nd innings), 6th over runs scored, and 2nd innings (extra count) are all available on cricket betting.

Rugby

While Rugby may not be played in every country, those that do play it do so with great zeal. From a betting viewpoint, Betting Tips Africa thinks Rugby stands out due to its unusual combination of tactical depth with the game’s speed and physicality

This is due to the fact that the finest rugby betting sites, like 1xBet, offer markets with a higher level of depth for veterans while allowing novices to trust their gut and choose something easier. Because of the great scoring potential, over/under markets are also rich with possibilities.

  •  While the popularity of rugby leagues depends on number of clubs participating and players, some of the most populous leagues are mentioned here; Super League (Wales, England, Canada, France), National Rugby League (Australia, New Zealand), Rugby League World Cup (international-all participating countries), USA Rugby League (United States), Russian Championship (Russia) etc.
  •  Some Rugby special betting offers include; tournament winner, grand final winner etc.

Boxing

Boxing has a little bit difference in its schedule, unlike many other sports, including the aforementioned ones. Most other sports on this list are played frequently and can serve as the basis for a betting schedule. However, boxing is different in that there’s a heavy emphasis on high-stakes bouts. Beyond all of that, betting on boxing is an experience unlike any other and can make bettors a millionaire in an instant.

  •  Some of the most recognised boxing tournaments/bodies include the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Organization (WBO), International Boxing Federation (IBF) etc.
  •  Betting on boxing offers specials like; KO, TKO, Technical Decision, Disqualification and Number of rounds.

The Heart Of Football Betting – The Odds Conundrum

Anyone who wagers responsibly and wishes to be successful at football betting should put in the time to educate themselves on the subject of odds and how they are calculated. How much money you stand to gain if your bet is successful is shown in the odds, which are a reflection of how likely the bookies think your selection is to win. Even though the odds on a bet may seem complicated at first, Betting Tips Africa has put together a comprehensive guide that will enable you to make educated decisions when betting online.

What Are Betting Odds? A Simple Explanation

Bookies create betting odds to reflect what they think the likelihood of an event or events is. In the UK and throughout Europe, these odds are typically displayed as a fraction (such as 2/1) or a decimal (3.0). There is also the American style, commonly known as the moneyline, in which there is a plus or minus sign before a number (like +100). 

In the gambling industry, odds are calculated for every possible outcome, from horse races, boxing and football games to television shows, fashion parades and even elections. A basic rule to remember is that “the higher the odds, the more the profit increases while the probability of winning decreases.”

Probability; The Outcome

The probability of an event is defined as the degree to which it is likely to occur. A high probability on the bookmaker’s end indicates a higher likelihood of occurrence. A low probability suggests that the possibility of the event occurring is slight. British bookmakers typically represent probabilities as fractions, with two numbers separated by a forward slash (e.g. 1/2, 1/4 etc).  

A toss of a coin, in which there are only two possible outcomes (heads or tails), can be used to illustrate “Probability” in its most elementary form. The odds of receiving heads are 1 in 2, which is equivalent to a 50% chance is represented by the odds of 1/1. Bettors can calculate the degree of likelihood that a result will occur based on the betting odds.

How To Calculate Probability From Betting Odds 

Now that you know how odds are presented, you may use them to calculate the likelihood of an outcome. It is easiest to illustrate how to derive a percentage probability from odds by replacing the two numbers there with letters. To illustrate, the notation 2/1 is changed to A/B. For those who want to do the math, the formula is probability (in per cent) = B/(A+B). For example, the probability of 4/1 is 1/(4 + 1) = 0.20, or 20%.

How Odds Translate To Winnings

This is probably the most important aspect of odds; how does it reflect in winnings? Your potential payout is clearly displayed by the odds. If the odds are 2.20 and your stake is $10, your potential return is $10 × 2.20 (odds) = $22.00

For a combination wager, the odds of each individual wager are compounded. If you placed a combination wager on two games, each with 2.20 odds, your total odds would be 2.20 × 2.20, which equals 4.84. If you staked $10 on this odd, your potential payout would be $10 × 4.84 = $48.4.

What Are Good Odds-Levels

No doubt that good odds are the ones that win you money. As stated above, percentage is very important when determining good odds. As such, you need to calculate which odd has the highest probability. Bets placed on good odds are regarded as wagers with positive value.


Deeper Info to Betting Odds, Strategies and Betting Types:


Live Betting

When a wager is placed on a sporting event while it is still in progress, this is known as “live betting” or “in-play” betting. For example, you may decide to bet on the outcome of a football, cricket or basketball game after it has already started. This can be done at any point during the course of the game. Rather than relying on pre-event research, live betting enables you to adjust your wager or make a brand-new one as the game progresses, putting you squarely in the middle of the action.

Demystifying Live Betting; How Does It Work?

Live Betting has been a tough nut to crack for a lot of bettors in Africa and worldwide. While live betting is simple to manoeuvre, it requires good knowledge of how it works to make gamers more money. To put it simply, the odds on a match or event will already be determined by the time you place your bets at an online sportsbook like Mozzartbet, Betking, Msport, Odibets, Sportpesa, Bet9ja or any other one you’re utilising. The actual odds will change multiple times once the event has begun. 

Let’s assume you’re staking on a game of football between Chelsea and Arsenal at the Stamford Bridge Stadium. If Chelsea were an odds-on favourite before kick-off and they suffer an injury to a key player or Arsenal takes the lead after a couple of minutes, the odds will change to reflect this. 

Chelsea may still be favourites to win, but they now have less chance of doing so. This will raise their odds. Therefore, a person wishing to bet on Chelsea in-game will get better odds than they would have if they’d placed the bet before the game started.

In a football game, odds do not change only because of goals, just like one event does not only change the odds in other sports. There is always a chance that a given outcome of a sporting event could be altered by a given action, which in turn would affect the odds on offer for wagers. 

The odds are determined by each sportsbook independently using an algorithm that is regularly updated by the sportsbooks’ computers. The chances are then adjusted to reflect the current state of the event and previous results of similar events.

At the occurrence of a major or game-changing event (like an injury or sending off), the sportsbook will often halt wagering for a short period of time while the computer calculates the adjusted odds. After that, the betting will carry on as usual. Several times during the course of an event, this will occur, thus providing you with odds that accurately represent the current state of the event.

Most Important Live Betting Markets

The market range available in live betting is vast. Markets like “who will score the next goal”, “who will get the next set-piece”, “which team will score the next goal”, and will it be a headed goal” are all great options. It’s unlikely that anything that happens during a sporting game won’t be up for wagering. Being successful with some of these options requires a good dose of luck. However, success in gambling requires more than just a bit of luck; a well-thought-out betting plan is also essential.

This translates to Betting Tips Africa making a list of some of the most important live betting markets to help gamers make more informed decisions. Some of these markets are listed below;

Player to Be Carded

Punters wanting to take advantage of decent odds in the last minutes of play flock to this in-play market. Instead of betting on a player to score a goal at any point in the game, you wager on whether or not that player will receive a caution or red card from the referee in the “Player to Be Carded” market. If you’re going to gamble on the cards market, Betting Tips Africa thinks it’s probably a good idea to learn as much as possible about the officiating style of the referee in charge of that match.

Tip: Works well when a team is defending a one-goal lead.

Winning Margin

As with other football betting markets, this one can inject some welcome variety into your picks. With the Winning Margin market, you’re taking a guess at how many goals one side will win by against another; “one goal” is the most common prediction. It is advisable to check out the attacking thrust of both teams during the game before venturing into this market. 

Tip: Works very well when defensive coaches are in charge of one or both teams

To Win From Behind

The term “To Win From Behind” refers to the fact that the team you’re staking on has to come back from a deficit of any size (1-0, 2-0, 3-1) to claim victory. Even while this market is challenging and needs some investigation on your part, the potential rewards are substantial.

Tip: Works well when a good team is prone to lapses in concentration, especially at the start of games

First Goal Scorer

Very similar to Anytime Goal Scorer but with a more challenging twist, thus tending to have higher odds. If you’ve staked on your chosen goalscorer as the First Goal Scorer, they’ll need to break the tie in the game (i.e. they have to be the first person to score in the game) rather than having the full 90 minutes to find the back of the net as with Anytime Goalscorer.

Tip: Works well when a clinical striker is already getting good chances during the game.

To Score in Both Halves

To win a bet on a team scoring in both halves, that team must score at least once in each half. In this market, the final score and goals scored by the opposition are ignored.

Tip: Works well when a team is known for starting halves flying out of the blocks.

Betting Promotions and Betting Features

Odds Boost

When a sportsbook increases the odds on a certain wager, they are said to have “boosted” those odds. To put it another way, the odds you obtain will be better than they would have been otherwise. In many instances, sportsbooks will display the wager’s original odds before the increase. This is done to show a clearer picture of the magnitude of the increment that occurred.

Keep in mind that an odds boost does not improve your probability of winning, but rather it raises your payout if you do win. Increasing the odds is one way sportsbooks try to lure in more customers. A bettor may receive a positive expected value from an odds enhancement, but the sportsbook’s ultimate goal is to have the bettor become a repeat customer. Odds boost is quite common at Sportsbooks like 1xBet, Betway, Betking, Msport and many more.

Usually, a sportsbook’s “Promotion” section is where you’ll find odds boosts. There, you may find a list of all the odds boost promotions currently offered by the sportsbook. You can place a wager on an odds boost in the same way you would place any other bet. There is no need to apply any additional promotions after the stake has been added to the bet slip, as the odds have already been boosted automatically. To locate the games for which a sportsbook provides an improved odds boost bonus, you will need to visit each game.

Cashout/Auto-Cashout

Cashout

To “cash out” is to be able to withdraw your wager prior to the conclusion of the event. Based on how the game is going, your bookie may offer you a payout that is larger or lower than what you were expecting. 

For example, if you bet on Manchester United to win against Liverpool and they take the lead with five minutes left in the game by a score of 1-0, you might choose to collect your winnings at that moment rather than risking a Liverpool comeback win or draw. However, if your bet of $10 was placed on an event with odds of 2.0, your return is supposed to be around $20, but the bookie may choose to return $15 in total if the result remains the same. While the return is certainly lower, it is guaranteed.   

Football accumulators are another possible usage for cash out by players. The odds on an event are constantly adjusted based on the bookmaker’s analysis of how the action is developing, and the payout offer is adjusted based on the current odds. When a goal is scored in a football game, or a major turning point occurs in other sports, cashing-out options are temporarily unavailable as bookmakers reevaluate the odds and payouts for cashing out bets.

It is possible for bookmakers to remove the cash-out option at any time during the event. To ensure you get your chance, you should keep tabs on the cash-out and event schedule.

Auto Cashout

Auto Cashout is a new innovative feature offered by various bookmakers like SportyBet, 1xBet and many more. After a wager is placed successfully, an automatic cashout regulation can be set. At that time, the user can decide whether the threshold for each bet should be higher or lower than the current Cashout Offer. 

In the event that the Cashout Offer approaches or exceeds the predetermined threshold, the system will automatically pay out the amount, adding the proceeds to your account balance in full or in part, as determined by the gamer. If you decide you no longer want the Auto Cashout rule in place before it is activated, you can deactivate it at any time. If consumers manually withdraw funds, the Auto Cashout will be removed. 

Special Sports Betting Offers

Aviators

Players of all skill levels will find Aviator to be an exciting and rewarding experience, making it a top pick among online casino games. Many online Sportsbooks/Casinos provide it because of its widespread appeal, which can make it difficult to choose a partner Bookie. 

Aviator is a multiplayer game, as its name implies. In the game, a tiny aeroplane takes centre stage as the game’s main character. During play, the plane either disappears entirely from the screen when it takes off or explodes into the sky when it is hit, depending on the visual settings of the game.

It’s clear that Aviator isn’t a typical slot machine, as there are no spinning reels, active pay lines, or coloured symbols present. Taking flight in an aviator plane results in positive growth in the multiplier. One can expect it to increase from 1x to almost infinity. More money can be won if the plane stays in the air for a longer period of time. In the end, it comes down to making money while the jet is still on the screen. If it is no more on the screen, your stake is gone.

Virtual Sports

Virtual games, also known as simulation games, have been around for decades. Virtual sports are computer-generated games players engage in, and the outcomes are always determined by complex computer algorithms. The action of these games is typically depicted on a screen and is based on actual sports. Some examples are soccer and horse racing. 

In 1961, IBM developer John Burgeson invented the first virtual sport: a baseball simulation game. The outcome of the game between the two teams was determined by a combination of random chance, statistical analysis of the players on each team and a play-by-play description.

Technology has come a long way since then, and now we can participate in cutting-edge virtual sports that employ mind-bogglingly intricate algorithms. In addition, thanks to motion capture technology, the 3D images and animations in these games are incredibly lifelike.

Esports 

Esports, which stands for “electronic sports,” is a type of competition that uses video games. Esports, also known as competitive video gaming, are almost always held in the form of organised, multiplayer video game tournaments. These tournaments are typically played between professional players, either individually or in teams.

Esports is quickly becoming one of the most competitive sports around, along with exciting events and exciting leagues. Before putting bets on esports matches, just like when you bet on sports, you need to check out all of the different betting markets and evaluate the odds for each match. Take notice that you are able to place in-play bets at any esports betting website. In addition, they offer live streaming services to help with the esports betting process.

Toto Betting

Toto was initially a form of lottery played in Singapore. Players were able to keep up with the latest results of the Toto draws, which were typically held on Mondays and Tuesdays. In the 1960s, when it was introduced as the first legitimate lottery in the country, it quickly gained a large following. Since that time, Toto has expanded to many different parts of the world and has found a home at a variety of online betting sites.

In modern times, Toto has evolved into something much more than just another lottery format. You can participate in this type of wagering at any of the several online sportsbooks currently available in Africa, like 1xBet. 

Toto wagers can be placed on a wide range of sports, including soccer, ice hockey, basketball, e-sports, and more. A toto pool is a betting pool where users can place bets on sporting events and earn rewards. Bets can be a home win, away win or draw. Note that Toto only permits a single stake on each sporting event, which is different from most other betting systems.

Other Betting Site Categories:

What is a minimum quota?

What are live bets?

Do I have secure profits with odds boosts?

What alternative do I have to an odds boost?