The Both teams to score betting market involves correctly identifying the full time score of a football match. It's a risky market because there are so many factors in one football match that can vastly alter even the best indicators, and things like own goals, penalties and mistakes can happen. Saying that, using the Both teams to score market does offer much higher odds than more traditional markets.
The aim is to identify the exact number of goals scored in a game by each team. Bookmakers usually accept scores right up to 7-6, but even then you may have the option to bet on 'other'. When a Both teams to score is list as 1-0 it refers to the home team being the side that win 1-0 as they are always listed first (on the left). A Both teams to score prediction of 0-1 would mean betting on the away side to win 1-0.
Pros of using the Both Teams To Score bet type
- Your bet can win incredibly early, making this a popular market for weekend accumulators. If it's 1-1 after 25 minutes, the bet has already won.
- The bet is always live, right until the last minute. Back BTTS “yes”, and even if the score is 6-0, a late consolation goal will see you win.
Cons of Both Teams To Score
- For BTTS “no”, people can often be uncomfortable waiting until the final whistle for the bet to win, a late goal could easily scupper their bet.
- Although it's possible to get worthwhile betting odds, there's little to suggest they'll have value often, bookmakers typically make a good margin on this market.
What is the Both teams to score bet type?
The both teams to score market is an easy to grasp and self-explanatory one. When using this market you are betting on both teams to score or not, as the case maybe be. The betting market gives you the option of backing yes, which means you do need both teams to score a goal, or no, which means you need just one of them to fail to score.
It's worth noting that the both teams to score market is limited to 90 minutes of play. If a game goes to extra time in the cup, this is not included in your pre-match bet. You will have the option of backing both sides to score (or not) in the 30 minutes of extra time, but this will require you to place a new bet.
One of the nice things about the both teams to score market is the simplicity of it. Judging it can be as quick and easy or as complicated and time consuming as you wish. The statistics behind the market are easy to find and easy enough to translate into an outcome when using this betting market. With a market like this it is much easier to cast your net far and wide, assessing a lot of games and dealing with a high volume of bets (all with a reasonable chance of success) which is of benefit to a professional bettor in particular.
How to identify a good 'BTTS' bet
You'll commonly see the both teams to score betting market abbreviated to the letters BTTS. BTTS: Yes and BTTS: No are a quicker way of writing the markets. There are different ways to identify a suitable use of the both teams to score betting market and as with most betting markets, there is no right or wrong way, just what works for you. Below is a few ways of applying the market and the method behind them.
- Situational: Regardless of what the stats say, some games are more likely to unfold in a way that is more likely to lead to an open game with chances for both sides. Regardless of the betting odds, think cup games, make or break playoff games, vying for championship qualification, etc. If a team is going in to a game in desperate mood, this can sometimes be enough motivation to ensure they find the back of the net, even where poorer teams are concerned.
- Team Styles: Regardless of what the betting odds say or the statistics suggest, two poor defensive teams don't necessarily spell goals. Poor defensive teams that make their living on set pieces, for example, aren't likely to know how to exploit poor defence themselves, and so an understanding of each teams style of play is always an advantage. Even if the betting odds suggest one team will score plenty and the other may struggle, that struggling team may be a good counter attacking side who may just know exactly how to pinch a goal under pressure.
- Statistical: Whilst there are other ways of developing expectancies of a game, stats are hard to ignore. You generally want at least one side used to keeping clean sheets if you're placing a both teams to score: no football bet, and it helps if both teams scoring is a common occurrence if you are placing a both teams to score: yes bet. A further breakdown of goals scored away or home by each side and even trends such as how midweek games differ to weekend games are useful to know.
- Models: Models are usually a more extensive way of using statistics to your advantage and this may be the choice of a professional bettor. A model is something that has been created based on number to help identify the outcome of games, although the importance put on each factor included is down to the individual's preference. Goal expectancy is a popular one that takes the amount of chances created and taken to produce an expected score for each game.
Who uses the Both teams to score betting market?
Both teams to score betting is exclusive to the world of football betting. If you shop around for opinions online there is a pretty interesting divide amongst professional bettors. Casual punters are quite happy to use the both teams to score betting market and it's a pretty common inclusion in football accumulators.
Combining both teams to score with any other market is pretty much written off due to the lack of value and higher margins, but both teams to score receives mixed reviews. Some punters made comments as strong as referring to these betting markets as a gimmick, whilst others were focused on the fact they'd been more successful since adding this type of betting into their regime.
Research has certainly sparked a debate through conflicting opinions. Both teams to score is such a straightforward betting market that it would seem a stretch to call it a novelty market or a gimmick as some have, but perhaps a closer look would reveal a lack of value in the betting odds, or an untrue reflection of probability.
It can't be denied that the old adage it only takes a second to score a goal is quite true. Identifying a winner in the both teams to score market can be an easier task than identifying winners in the match or asian handicap market, although it would take closer inspection to identifying if there is value to be found.
Got the hang of the different bet types? See how successful tipsters make their mark by exploring our betting strategy guides.