In-Play Betting Strategy For 2024

In-play betting has become a sensation in the past couple of years. Punters all around the world are having a blast betting on live sports. Sports like football blend well with in-play betting, given that it lasts for 90 minutes. Punters can sit back and enjoy the game as they plan for their next move/bet.

How do I Bet In-Play?

In-play betting is like pre-match football betting. However, the difference is that in in-play betting, the odds are refreshed regularly during the game. You might find that a game starts at 3.50, changes to 3.00 and ends at 4.00. As such, you should be aware of the potential of the odds to change.

Betting on in-play is easy. You simply click on the ‘In-play’ tab on the betting site. This presents you with a host of sporting choices along with the available live markets.

For football, the most popular leagues include Italy’s Serie A, the Champions League, and English Premier League. With these leagues, you are guaranteed of in-play betting. So, all you need to do is choose a bet that you feel will give a handsome reward.

Editor’s Pick – Top 3 In-Play Online Betting Sites

Why Should I Use In-play Betting?

The top betting sites in the industry state that their in-play betting accounts rake in more than 50% of their turnover. This is more so for the popular football matches that are live on TV on Monday night and Sunday afternoon.

One of the major reasons why many people are attracted to football in-play betting is that it affords players the time to conduct assessments. While the match proceeds, they can check the odds and make a decision based on the knowledge they have.

Let’s face it; it’s easier to judge and predict a game’s outcome once you’ve seen how they handle themselves in the game. Having a team’s performance history is great, but the present moment is even better.

Many betting sites, including Bet365 offer live streams of the games along with updated statistics to help punters in making an informed decision.

In-play betting can provide a rollercoaster, but on the other hand, it offers instant gratification given that the wins are instant. And if players make the right moves, they can win a couple of times during a game.

When is The Best Time to Bet In-Play?

The good news is that there’s no wrong or right time to place an in-play bet. When the opportunity presents itself, grab it. The trick to winning against the betting site is to identify the prices that you feel are too big in comparison to your judgment of the situation.

It pays off to be fearless and not scamper away at the sight of a huge price tag. While less is more in regards to in-play betting volumes, be brave and take chances once in a while.

How Can I Make Winnings With In-Play Bets?

Bankroll management

This cannot be stressed enough. The size of the bet you place should be equal to the size of the betting bankroll. You should only bet with cash that you can afford to lose. Because of this, experts advice punters to wager small percentages of their bankrolls.

And even when the bet seems to be of high value, you should protect the bankroll at all costs. It’s best you grow slowly or risk losing every dime you have.

Proper bankroll management allows you to focus on making quality decisions and increasing your stake slowly with every win.

Pre-match analysis

This is all about looking for value. During analysis, you should maintain a level head. Don’t let your bias for any team cloud your judgment. Researching on a team and the fixtures keeps you ready for any opportunity that presents itself during the game. And with all the knowledge amassed, you’ll judge whether it’s logical or not.

When researching on a team’s fixture, consider;

  • The current form
  • Attacking and defensive stats
  • Suspensions and fitness
  • The incentive to win

Betting market strategies

On this you should consider;

  • Match results – you might find teams that your research shows will win, but currently losing having lower odds. You might also find the opposite being true – a small team that’s winning and has an incentive to continue doing so have great odds.
  • Under/over – often, the ‘under’market has better odds than ‘over’ market. This is because most punters bet on ‘over’ markets for psychological reasons.
  • Corners – the current score influences the number of corners in a game as does the game type (whether it’s a cup or a league). However, it’s upon you to determine whether the team is likely to throw many men forward and pick more corners. Formations are also key in this.
  • Cards

Remember, live stats never show the bigger picture. Because of this, you should do thorough research before the game.

Cashing out

If you placed a bet on the over/under, match result or correct market, you would be better off laying off your bet on the betting site than cashing it out.

Cashing out often has a significant betting site margin, which means they weren’t offering a fair price in the first place.

Post-match review

Once a bet is made, and regardless of whether you lose or win, you should check to see if you made the right decisions. Was there real value in the bet, or was it sheer luck? The post bet analysis will help you improve your analysis skills and put you in a better position for the next in-play betting session.

In-Play Football Betting Strategies

In-Play Football Betting Strategy – Laying the Draw

This strategy is used by punters who are new to football trading. It is easy to follow and hence beginner-friendly. Previously, punters would use the strategy before matches. They would place a draw before the game starts, wait for a draw, and then hedge their outcomes hoping to get a profit. However, times have changed, and this strategy has proven to be less profitable. As a result, its popularity has reduced.

But there is another option that punters can use with the same strategy. The strategy involves delaying entry into the football trade. As you dilly dally, search for games that have drawn as they come back for the second half and then lay the draw with an in-play bet. This strategy has lower risks since the odds are lower and take a higher profit if there’s a goal scored.

If you don’t want to, you don’t have to trade out of the bet placed. Many punters (even the experienced ones) lay a draw bet as players come back for the second half and then move on to place other bets. They use this strategy as a clear cut betting method.

The best times to lay a draw is when;

The favourite team has to win – probably because they are in second place in their league and a win would skyrocket them to the top of the league. Or perhaps it’s a cup tournament, and they don’t want to go into extra time.

The underdog has a point to prove – if the underdog is not making efforts to counter, then you should back up the favorite since, after all, they are the only team trying to score.

Laying the Correct Score Strategy

The other good strategy you can use with betting sites is laying the correct score. In this strategy, you’ll be looking to place a bet predicting that there will be another goal(s) in a match. For this strategy, pre-match betting offers higher-odds. But even then, in-play bets have great opportunities, albeit at lower odds.

When to use this strategy

Below are the perfect conditions to lay a correct score play

When the favourite team is trailing by a goal – when the home team favorite is down a goal and time is running out, the gaming intensity and urgency increases. Additionally, their home crowd will cheer them on to make a comeback.

The goal difference is one – a single goal difference makes a huge psychological difference in the payers’ mentality. A single goal feels achievable even when a few minutes are left on the clock.

The tempo of the game – consider whether the referee is allowing the game to flow without constant interruptions. Also, determine if the leading team is sitting back, defending, or looking for a counter.

The Way to Bet In-Play? Watch the Match Closely

This is where your knowledge of the game is called into play as you decide on the best bet to place for high chances of getting a reward. A player getting a red card in a game affects how well a team plays. This is because they are more vulnerable to attacks with one opposing team member being unmarked. In this case, your decision to back the team turned out to be not the winning one.

With such changes, you’ll notice the in-play betting odds change. But rather than waiting it out and hoping your team will rise to the challenge and draw at least, you should cash out early. On the other hand, you could opt to place a bet on the opposing team with the one-man advantage. But this is only if there’s enough time left and you think the team has enough firepower to score.

With so many things bound to change in a game, the best advice we can offer is that you watch the games. Also, assessment is key with in-play bets. The body language of the team and the atmosphere in the stadium will hint to you how the game is bound to end.