How to Bet on Soccer in Arizona
Soccer continues to explode in popularity across the US. Major League Soccer, the top North American pro league, has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few decades. Fans are also getting more exposure to top international competitions like the English Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, and Bundesliga. They like what they’re seeing.
The action on the field is fun and entertaining on its own, but there’s another reason for the spike in interest. Soccer is a huge attraction at sportsbooks, and the volume only continues to grow each time the doors are opened in newly legal states.
Soccer shares a lot in common with other sports from a betting perspective, but there are also some variances that are unique to the game. We’ll break it all down for you in our complete guide to betting on Soccer in Arizona.
Betting on the Premier League/MLS in Arizona
The English Premier League is the most popular soccer organization in the world, and it’s the king of soccer wagering, as well. The league gets plenty of coverage in the US, and Americans have ways of watching many of its matches. The EPL consists of 20 teams, and like many soccer organizations, it utilizes a promotion and relegation system. The three worst performing teams each season drop to the English Football League, and the top two teams in the EFL advance to the EPL. The third team is added after matches involving the third, fourth, fifth and sixth placed clubs. The EPL season typically operates from August through May, with each team playing 38 matches, one home and away against every team in the league. See our live feed of English Premier League odds for more.
Major League Soccer is the highest soccer level in the United States and Canada. It involves 27 teams with 24 in the US and three in Canada. The number of teams could expand soon, as well. Every team plays 34 games in a regular season that typically starts in either late February or early March and finishes in mid-October. Then, 14 teams compete in the MLS Cup playoffs in late fall to determine the champion. MLS does not have a promotion or relegation system with its clubs. Our MLS betting odds page has more information on placing bets on MLS games.
Best sportsbooks for betting on soccer in AZ
Why bet on soccer?
Soccer is an exciting sport to wager on, especially with the volume of wagers that you can place due to the number of games happening throughout any day of the week across the globe. With the number of games oddsmakers have to account for, there is potential for bettors to identify spots the sportsbooks may have overlooked. You can bet while the match is taking place, so even more wagers are available, as you no longer have to get your bets in prior to the start of the match.
Soccer offers a decent number of bets, so you can try different wagering styles and identify what works best over time. This could include picking the outright winner, the total goals in a game or various prop bets.
How do US sportsbook odds compare to the UK?
There are three major ways to read sportsbook odds, all of which you may see while betting on soccer. The three options are fractional, decimal and American odds. Fractional odds are popular among British bettors. Decimal odds are the primary option in other parts of Europe and the rest of the world. And American odds are most popular in the US. The odds are essentially the same; they are just different ways of calculating and conveying the same information.
For an example of fractional odds, let’s say Manchester United is receiving 5/1 odds to win the EPL. To calculate a potential payout, you would divide the numerator by the denominator and multiply that by whatever you decide to wager. If you placed a $100 bet on Manchester United at 5/1, you would stand to make a $500 profit on a correct bet, plus your original wager amount back for a total of $600.
In decimal odds, let’s say Los Angeles FC has 6.00 odds to win the MLS Cup. The decimal number represents how much you stand to get for every dollar you bet correctly, including getting the original dollar back. So if you wanted to place a $100 bet on Los Angeles FC, you’d multiply 100 by 6.00 to get $600 back on a successful wager, $500 of which would be profit.
Finally, American odds, also known as moneyline odds, depend on whether the odds number is positive or negative, with all numbers related to $100. Let’s say Manchester City is a -140 favorite against Chelsea, which is getting +130 odds as the underdog. The minus sign means Manchester City is the favorite. With -140 odds, you’d need to bet $140 to return a $100 profit. Meanwhile for underdog Chelsea, +130 odds means a $100 wager would net a $130 profit.
Each of the odds can take some getting used to, and it largely depends on where you are in the world. For instance, Unibet is a popular sportsbook in Europe that also now offer odds in the American format at its US sportsbook.
With the competition among legal US sportsbooks, they all should be offering solid lines because, if not, bettors will realize that and maybe even abandon the platform. If you want, you can even sign up at multiple sportsbooks. Then, when you see a bet you like, you can shop around for the book with the best odds for you.
Other international soccer leagues to bet on
Plenty of professional soccer leagues outside of the English Premier League and Major League Soccer will offer a variety of bets. Other significant soccer leagues include Series A, La Liga, and Bundesliga
Serie A is Italy’s top soccer league, with 20 teams competing. Every team plays each other team twice, once at home and once on the road, so each club plays 38 games from August to May each season. At the end of each season, the three worst teams drop down to Serie B, while the top three teams from Serie B move up to Serie A.
La Liga is Spain’s top league and also uses the double round robin format with all 20 teams playing 38 games from August to May. The three lowest placed teams drop to the Segunda Division with the top two teams from the Segunda Division moving up in addition to another club after a series of playoffs involving the third, fourth, fifth and sixth teams.
Bundesliga operates in Germany with 18 total teams. The season runs from August to May, and each team plays everybody else twice during the season for a 34-game slate. The worst two teams drop down to the 2. Bundesliga, while the worst two teams in the 2. Bundesliga advance to the Bundesliga. Then, the 16th place team in Bundesliga and third place team in the 2. Bundesliga compete, and the winner advancing and the loser going to the lower league.
How to bet on the World Cup/Euros
The FIFA World Cup is an exciting time for soccer fans every four years, with separate events for men’s and women’s teams. The US Women’s National Soccer Team has won two consecutive World Cup finals. The men’s team failed to qualify for the World Cup last time out, and it is a significant longshot to win the next one. For qualifying and throughout the World Cup, there will be a significant number of wagering options. There will likely be tons of bets from the United States because this will be the first World Cup with legal sports betting outside of Nevada.
Every four years, the UEFA European Football Championship occurs in the even numbered years in between World Cups, and it determines the continental champion of Europe. Plenty of Arizona sportsbooks will feature odds in this event.
Soccer bets explained
When you click on the Soccer link at online sportsbooks, you’ll see all of the upcoming contests sorted by start time. You can also filter things down to see only the specific league you’re interested in. The listing for games features the odds for the main pregame bet type.
| Home | Tie | Away | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southampton vs. Manchester United | +450 | +300 | -165 |
The above bet is known as a three-way moneyline due to the trio of possible choices that you can make: a win for the home team, a draw, or a win for the away side. Since ties aren’t uncommon in Soccer, the standard moneyline bet is bumped up with an additional choice to account for that possibility.
While this wager type is incredibly popular for Soccer betting, there are plenty of other options to explore. If you click through on the game listing, you’ll see the odds for a whole host of other betting opportunities.
Spread: A spread is used in Soccer, but it’s more in line with the low numbers you’ll see in MLB or NHL as compared to the larger spreads in NFL or NBA. Here is what a spread bet will look like at BetMGM Arizona.
- Aston Villa -0.5 (-115)
- Newcastle +0.5 (-105)
Totals: This is an Over/Under bet on the total combined goals scored in the game. Since Soccer is generally low-scoring, the listed totals reflect that. Here is what a totals bet will look like at Caesars Sportsbook Arizona.
- Over 2.5 (-110)
- Under 2.5 (-110)
Double Chance: For this wager, you can cover two of the three possible choices on the standard three-way moneyline with one bet. Here are a few double chance examples.
- Arsenal or Draw -105
- Chelsea or Draw -500
- Arsenal or Chelsea -360
Tie No Bet: If you want to take the draw off the board, this is the bet to focus on. For games that wind up tied, it’ll be treated as a push. Here is what a tie no bet looks like at DraftKings Arizona.
- Brighton -148
- Everton +126
Beyond the additional game wagers, there will also be a solid selection of prop-style bets. You’ll see options surrounding the individual teams and players, such as a side or player to score a goal, as well as several that have to do with game circumstances.
- Correct Score: Place a bet on what the actual final score will be from the listed options.
- Both Teams To Score: A wager on whether or not both teams will score a goal in the game.
- Result And Both To Score: Bet on both teams to score while also deciding on the actual result of the game.
- Halftime Result: Betting on what the scoreboard will say at the half – one side with the lead or a tie.
There are also lots of props surrounding goals, penalties, assists, and the individual halves of the game. As you dig through the menu of options, you’ll find that Soccer betting is filled with choices to consider.
2 soccer betting tips for beginners
Now that you’ve learned about the basics of soccer betting, let’s put that to use and get you ready for placing wagers. Here are three key soccer betting tip and strategies for beginner soccer bettors:
- Choose a league: Especially when starting out, it makes a lot of sense to focus on one league that interests you the most and put all your attention there. Identifying your niche is important in sports betting, and specializing in one league may help narrow your focus, giving you a better shot at making a profit.
- Track your bets: If you place bets and track how they do, after a while you may see a trend pointing to a wager or wagers you are better at than others. If you identify betting on totals is your strength more than moneyline wagers, it may make sense to place more totals wagers.
Live betting on soccer
There’s almost always a Soccer game going on somewhere in the world, and the top sportsbooks provide odds for plenty of different leagues. Beyond the pregame bets, you can keep on wagering once the matches get underway.
Live betting refers to wagers that you can place in real time as the action plays out. The top sportsbooks have dedicated sections for these markets, which are also known as in-play or in-game.
Apps are a great companion as you enjoy games on the tube or wherever you are. You’ll see real time updates of what’s happening, and a fast-moving selection of odds and offerings. Examples of what you might come across include:
- Updated odds for all of the top pregame bets
- New team, game, and player prop opportunities
- Bet on the individual halves of the game as they play out
Live betting can take your enjoyment of Soccer to a whole new level. There are bettors who treat it as a complement to their single-game betting strategy, and others who use it separately. No matter how you get involved, just remember to bet with your head and never over it.
How to find soccer bets at a sportsbook
This will depend on your sportsbook of choice, but many will have both physical locations and an online presence. Through sportsbook apps, you should be able to find a list of sports to bet on after you sign up at the sportsbook. When you click on soccer, a variety of wagering options will appear from leagues around the world.