English Premier League Betting News

Since its incorporation in 1992, the English Premier League has been one of the most widely bet sports leagues on the planet. Because it’s one of the most popular leagues in the world, EPL betting has a wide presence at the majority of sportsbooks.

Here you’ll find an odds tutorial, betting breakdowns and the news you need to make educated soccer picks.

What’s the Difference Between English Football and Soccer?

The difference is … not much. Americans and their northern neighbors, Canada, call the game soccer. Europeans, South Americans and pretty much the rest of the world call it football. When you check out an EPL betting site, you’ll probably see the sport listed by league, making it easier to place your bets.

EPL Football League General Info

Unlike the big North American professional sports, each team within the EPL operates as a private entity instead of a franchise. The season runs from August to May with all 20 clubs playing 38 matches, 19 at home, 19 away. The teams themselves are located within the United Kingdom.

This football league is like the NFL in the sense that certain teams tend to dominate. A top team will remain on top for years because of a monetary investment in player development and coaching. The 2000s saw the emergence of super clubs – kind of like the New England Patriots or New York Yankees. Keep this in mind when betting because Premier League matches can be so uneven that it’s important to do your research before taking a side. Don’t worry, our soccer experts will help with that.

*not competing in the 2019-20 Premier League season

Scoring and Competition

Clubs are awarded three points per win and one point for every draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points. Should clubs be tied for points, goal difference and goals scored are used to determine where they sit in the standings. If teams are still occupying the same ranking, a playoff game at a neutral venue is used as the deciding factor.

Relegation and Promotion

At the end of the regular season, the three lowest-ranked teams in the EPL are moved to the EFL Championship, the second-tier league. The two top teams from the EFL are, in turn, promoted to the Premier League. The next four teams in line from the EFL compete in playoffs to determine which will take the third spot in the EPL.

Understanding Premier League Betting Odds

At Odds Shark, we use American odds (-500). However, you can use Fractional (1/5) or Decimal style (1.20) if you prefer. Your region will usually dictate the odds type you use. In the U.K., odds are usually displayed as fractions, whereas in the United States and Canada, you’ll commonly see American style.

The majority of soccer sportsbooks display their betting odds like this:

Tottenham -150

Bournemouth +280

In this case, the Spurs are the favorite. This is shown by the minus sign (-). The Cherries are the underdog, which you can tell by the plus sign (+).

How to Place Bets on the English Premier League

Online betting comes down to skill, general soccer knowledge and a basic proficiency of how each wagering type works. Betting offers are generally the same across all soccer sportsbooks. We’ll break down each one to give you a better idea of how to bet.

You’ll find the following options at your betting site of choice:

Moneyline: Picking a Team to win Straight Up

This bet requires you to pick a team to win outright or if the match will end in a tie. Moneylines are sometimes known as three-way bets because you have three options to choose from. Soccer is one of the only sports that can end in a tie. Draws occur about 27 percent of the time during the course of the regular season.

Moneyline odds would look like this:

Newcastle United -180

Crystal Palace F.C. +475

Draw +330

Let’s say you think the Magpies are favored for a reason and bet $120. You’d get a payout of $186.67 – your original money is returned along with your winnings of $66.67. Our Odds Calculator can show you what you’d win based on the odds offered and amount bet.

Point Spread: Choosing a Club to Cover

Spread betting for soccer involves the underdog getting an advantage of a few goals before the match begins while the fave is given a disadvantage. Odds would look something like so:

Man City -1.5

Burnley F.C. +1.5

To cover, Man City would need to win by two or more goals. In Burnley’s case, the club would need to win the match or not lose by more than one.

Totals: Combined Score Betting

Sometimes referred to as OVER/UNDER betting, to make this wager you would need to decide if the joint score from both clubs will be more or less than the oddsmaker’s set number. You’ll see the odds represented like this:

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Sheffield United

2.5 OVER

2.5 UNDER

If you think the pooled score will be three or more goals, you would bet the OVER. On the other hand, if you believe it will be two goals or less, you would take the UNDER.

Often the betting line will not feature a decimal (.5). If the totals are set with an even number and the combined score reaches that number exactly, it’s called a PUSH. Your bet is refunded because neither the OVER nor the UNDER hit.

Props: Entertainment Betting at its Finest

Any wager that is based on the occurrence or non-occurrence of specific team or player milestones is a prop bet. These happenings or non-happenings may not necessarily correlate to the direct results of a certain game, but are considered more fun than other bets you can make since they’re on things like:

• First team to score

• How many goals will be scored in the second half of the match?

• The number of yellow cards a club receives

• Will Player X score within the first 10 minutes of the game?

• Will Player Y headbutt an opponent?

Futures Bets: Taking Early Odds on the Championship

Futures are bets made on events that will take place weeks or even months from the day you place your bet. Instead of betting on a single match right before it happens, you can make a futures wager on a club’s chances of winning the entire EPL and the Champions League.

Odds to win the Premier League

Liverpool -400

Manchester City +260

Leicester City +700

Chelsea +1050

Odds to win the UEFA Champions League Final

Barcelona -350

Liverpool +600

Tottenham +800

Borussia Dortmund +850

Real Madrid +900

Arsenal +1200

A team may be favored to take the EPL but a dog to take the UEFA crown. If you look at the Reds, they’re at minus money (-400) to win the Premier League but at plus money (+600) in international play because they have to face squads from outside the United Kingdom.

Asian Handicap: Getting Rid of Most of the Risk

For bettors looking for something more advanced, enter the Asian handicap. This is a bet that originated in Indonesia and you can get lines of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0.

Now, you’re probably wondering how a club can score a quarter, a half or three-quarters of a goal. They obviously cannot, so what this does is eliminate the chance of a PUSH or draw. Think of it as your bet being divided by outcome: 25 percent goes to covering the chance of a win, 25 percent goes to covering the chance of a loss and the rest takes care of the draw or PUSH factor. So, if a team wins, you get 25 percent of that wager.

This bet is not for the faint of heart since it involves a little math on your part. But, it is considered less of a risk than a traditional point spread since a loss would result in only a percentage of your money being taken away by the sportsbook.

Live Betting: Wagering while the Match is Taking Place

One of the wonderful things about online sports betting is that you can do it even while the match is being played. In-play betting allows you to wager on a game while it’s going on. Live lines disappear as quickly as they appear so if you see action you like, take it.

Whether you’re looking to try EPL betting for the first time, or you’re a seasoned pro looking for unmatched betting analysis, you’ll find everything you need to (hopefully) win big on your soccer bets.