Soccer Prop Betting Guide – How to Bet Soccer Props & Specials

How to Bet on Soccer Props

One of the most popular sports around the world is soccer. When you have a sport as popular as soccer, you are bound to get some exotic options when it comes to betting. Soccer offers a variety of prop bets (also known as specials), and it will be beneficial if you understand the full details of some of the more popular options before diving in. 

Types of Soccer Prop Bets or Specials

If you understand soccer and how it is played, you will understand many of the prop options available. The list for soccer prop bets is plentiful; these bets move away from the traditional game winner, spread and game total bets (seen with virtually every sport). 

Soccer prop bets include options such as number of corners in each half or full game, number of goals in each half, goal scorers, even if an own goal is scored! The options go on and on.

Most Popular Soccer Prop Bets

Given the popularity of soccer, there are several leagues, games, teams and players to bet on. For example, you see below that there are currently 76 different leagues to bet on through Draftkings. That many leagues and a few games a day for each give you more than enough soccer to bet on. 

Looking at the prop bets, we can explore and define some of the commonly played picks, along with a few of my personal favorites. A very important thing to keep in mind when betting soccer props: Unless stated otherwise, the result of soccer prop bets refer to REGULAR + STOPPAGE TIME ONLY. Extra time and/or penalty kicks do not count toward prop bets.

• Both Teams to Score (BTTS) [Yes/No]: Self-explanatory. If both teams score, you win your bet
  • You can bet both teams to score in either half or full game
• Total Corners [Over/Under]: Number of corners that are taken in the game
  • You can bet total corners for each half, full game, and either team
• Double chance [Winner/tie Outcome]: Receive two chances in one bet to predict the outcome of the game. Bet on a team to win or draw, or either team to win outright to win your bet
  • You can bet double chance for either half or full game
• Half Time / Full Time [Winner/tie Outcome]: Which team will have a lead at half (or will it go to half tied) and which team will have a lead at the end of the game (or will the game end in a tie)
• Correct Score [Game Score Prediction]: Picking the correct exact score at the end of the game
  • You can bet correct score for either half or full game
• Team to Win to Nil [Either Team]: Selecting which team will win the game in a shutout, meaning the other team will not score a goal and lose
• Anytime Goalscorer [Any Individual Player]: if a player will score a goal at any point during the game 
  • You can bet on a player to score in either half or full game

Soccer Prop Betting Tips & Strategies

One of the biggest tips to give when looking into soccer props is not to get carried away. There are prop bets for almost every play or action in soccer, which can add up quickly. You do not want to find yourself drowning in multiple prop bets that are correlated (for example, that rely on a lot of offense for a single soccer game). Try to take the small profits when you can – if there are prop bets that you are very confident about, play them; but remember, be consistent. If you really like a team to score multiple goals every game, do not get discouraged if they are shutout in the game you bet them to score two+ goals (it always feels like a team goes cold when you bet on them, doesn’t it?). 

A second strategy is to make sure you understand the terms and outcomes of prop bets. There are so many different plays, it can get confusing to keep track of what every single bet means. Make sure you clarify the full details of the bet with whatever sportsbook you are using (i.e. does this bet include any extra time?). It is the worst feeling in the world when you check your betslip to see that your mistake in understanding a bet is the reason you lost.

Should I Bet on Soccer Props? 

Just like any other bet, if you have a good feeling for a specific prop bet, and you have done the research, go ahead and lock that baby in! Try to not get too excited and buy into the hype of all the prop bets, however; they are designed to pull in average gamblers. Due to their variability, these can shrink your bankroll fairly quickly. There are a few types of prop bets that can follow trends, so make sure to focus on those first when deciding what to bet on. The ones with a little more stability could be both fun and beneficial to your bankroll.

A lot of these bets are designed to have some fun, so try to keep that in mind when you are browsing through the options. I personally would not recommend betting the house on most of the available prop bets, but oftentimes they are high valued plays, so throwing a few bucks here or there can be a fun way to play and possibly get some fun wins. Once you begin understanding the basics, you can really start having fun with prop bets and find unique outcomes to tail throughout games. Soccer is a year-round sport, so there will always be markets for soccer prop bets. 

Which Sportsbooks Offer Soccer Prop Bets

Almost every major book offers soccer prop bets. Many are now starting to offer same game parlays for the larger leagues around the world (English Premier League, La Liga, Champions League etc.) As always, make sure you are doing your research across different books to ensure you are getting the best odds you can on the soccer prop bets. Some books may offer more prop bets, while others may have better odds. In Virginia, here are the books I use to place soccer prop bets:

• Draftkings
• Fanduel
• Caesars Sportsbook
• BetMGM
• Bet Rivers Sportsbook