The general audience is no doubt familiar with football betting and how it works. However, we wanted to devote some time to explain the basics. Nevertheless, there are still those that need a little kick by getting to know the basics.

When you get to know the basics, we suggest you continue to learn how bonuses work. UK online bookies offer lots of free bets and UK free spins bonuses via websites like http://www.casinoshorts.com/. But, don’t claim them if you don’t understand how to use them and what’s behind them.

First, let’s start with the important preparation points. These are the factors you have to know before placing the bet:

• Team Form
  Always look at the recent form of the team that you want to bet on. Check whether the team plays better at home or away ground.
• Head-2-Head
  The history between the two clubs can have great importance. If the teams are fierce rivals, home and away form may mean nothing.
• Team News
  Try not to miss important team news such as key player injuries, suspension, moral drop, manager change etc.
• Motivation
  Sometimes the teams are more motivated at the end of the season when they need points.

These are only several important factors to consider prior to placing a bet. Now, let’s get to the actual types of bets, popular of bets and what bets you shouldn’t make.

1×2
The single most popular and common bet without a doubt. It’s when you bet on the home team to win (1), the away team to win (2), or to draw (x).

Accumulator
The second most popular bet is the accumulator. It’s when you bet on multiple games, but all of them go on a single bet slip. This way the payout is much bigger. There have been cases where lucky bettors in the UK have won up to a £500,000 from a single accumulator bet slip. For this you will have to make more than 15 selections.

Double Chance
This is when you bet on two possible outcomes for a single game. For example, 1x, 2x etc. This way you bet that the game will end either with a home win or a draw… you get the picture. However, avoid these bets because the odds are significantly lower.

Correct Score
One of the hardest predictions to make. But, if you are able to guess the correct score of a game, and have wagered a good amount of money, be prepared to celebrate with a nice reward.

Both Teams to Score
This is another top bet, and it’s often times combined with various promotions. Betting that both teams will score will bring you good money. The odds for these bets are decent enough for good payouts.

Handicap
Handicaps are not your typical bets for beginners. They require much more expertise and insight. With a handicap bet an advantage is given to one team (one goal extra). This handicap is applied to the final result.

For example, a typical handicap game would be Man Utd. Vs West Brom. In such a case one goal is deducted from the score, which means Man Utd. will have to win by 2 goals or more in order to make up for the handicap.

These are the most basic types of bets that beginners use. As you get deeper into football betting you will begin to use other more complicated bets too. Practice makes perfect!

Remember that you bet at your own risk. Please bet sensibly.