How To Bet on Premier League?

As far as national soccer leagues go, the Premier League is easily the most famous. According to Nielsen Research’s most recent data, 3.2 billion people watched the Premier League matches during the 2018/19 season. It is also a major commercial success outside the UK: the 2019/20 season generated $1.58 billion in overseas TV income, according to Sportsmail. For comparison, the other four major European leagues (Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A) combined for $1.36 billion. Naturally, that massive popularity also translates into Premier League betting.

 

During the 2021/22 season, nine of the 20 Premier League teams (Brentford, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Leeds, Newcastle, Southampton, Watford, West Ham, and Wolves) had a sportsbook as their primary sponsor. All but one team (Norwich) had an official betting partner as well. According to GlobalData, Premier League betting sponsorship deals generated $480 million in revenue.

 

But what about bettors? On average, $3.05 million are wagered on every Premier League match. And with 380 matches over a season, the total would be $1.16 billion. If you want to join in and get started with Premier League betting, then we are more than happy to offer a helping hand. Here is everything you need to know about how to bet on the Premier League.

 

Premier League History

 

In 2021/22, the Premier League generated $6.2 billion in revenue. La Liga came in a distant second with $3.5 billion, followed by the Bundesliga ($3.1 billion), Serie A ($2.3 billion,) and Ligue 1 ($1.7 billion.) Three decades ago, British teams faced a very different situation.

 

Back then, British soccer was dealing with all sorts of problems, ranging from hooligans to a considerable drop in stadium attendance, outdated training facilities, and significantly smaller revenue compared to the other major European leagues. 

 

Taking matters into their own hands, the clubs decided to split with the English Football League (EFL). The English First Division teams signed the Founder Members Agreement, establishing its commercial independence. In 1992, all 22 teams resigned from the English First Division and created the Premier League, which operated instead as a limited company.

 

From a sporting perspective, the newly created Premier League was still part of the EFL ladder: the bottom teams would still get relegated to the EFL Championship (the second division,) while the top teams from the Championship would get promoted to the Premier League.

 

Premier League Betting Explained

 

But what about Premier League betting? Of course, teaching the ins and out of how to bet on the Premier League is our number one goal here. For starters, let’s take a look at the Premier League format.

 

• 20 teams face off in a double round-robin system (home and away).
• Standard soccer points: 3 for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss.
• The bottom 3 teams are relegated to the EFL Championship.
• Top 4 teams qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
• Fifth to seventh places qualify for the UEFA Europa League.

 

As you can see, there is quite a lot at stake. Teams that aren’t competing directly for the title still have a shot at qualifying for continental competitions. The fight for survival is also crucial, as relegation to the EFL Championship means a massive drop in income, and that can deal a big blow to the smaller clubs.

 

For betting, it means that every single match has significant implications, which always creates room for an upset. 

 

The Premier League has a variety of betting markets available as well:

 

• • Moneyline: the most common one, betting on the outcome of a match (home team win, away team win, or draw).

• Over/Under: whether the combined number of goals scored by both teams goes over or under the sportsbook line.

• Handicap: each team is given a handicap, a negative one for the favorite and a positive number for the underdog. In order to win this bet, the underdog has to lose by a margin smaller than its handicap, win, or draw. The favorite, meanwhile, must win by a margin bigger than its handicap.

• Future bets: wagering on a future event, such as the champion, which teams will finish in the top 4, top 6, top half and bottom half, which teams will get relegated, who will bet the leading goalscorer, which head coach will be the first to get fired.

• Prop bets: not necessarily related to the game outcome. Who will score a goal, who will get carded, both teams to score goals, clean sheets, and match stats such as corners, free kicks, shots on goal, shots on target or yellow cards.

• Parlay bet: a bet with multiple legs, multiplying their betting odds. In order to win the bet, all legs must win, as a single losing leg will bust the entire bet. You can combine different betting markets into a single parlay bet.

 

Premier League Betting Tips: How To Place a Bet?

 

• Always keep in mind what is at stake. Each team has its own objective, whether it is securing the championship, qualifying for a continental competition or escaping relegation. An underdog battling against relegation can produce an upset against a team that isn’t fighting for anything late in the season.
• Just like in any other sport, remember to check for key injuries before each match. Additionally, don’t forget that a team can play in multiple tournaments, which usually leads to head coaches resting their key players at certain points in the season, particularly during long-travel legs. This can also open the door for upsets.
• Try to have a general idea about each team’s playing style, their trends, and key stats. Moneyline isn’t the only betting market available. Check the Premier League betting odds for props as well, which usually offer some sneaky good opportunities.  

 

Premier League Betting Examples: How To Place a Bet?

 

• For the 2022/23 season, reigning champions Manchester City were the early favorites for a repeat. Pep Guardiola’s side was listed at -150 opening odds. Bournemouth (-200), Fulham, and Nottingham Forest (both at +125) were the favorites for relegation. Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland was the favorite to finish as the top goalscorer at +275.
• On matchday, you can place multiple single bets or combine them into a parlay for a high-risk, high-reward approach. For example: betting on Mo Salah to score a goal, Manchester City to win, and both Manchester United and Arsenal to score at least once in their respective matches.
• Upsets happen more often in soccer compared to other sports. In the 2021/22 season, one of the biggest shocks came when Brentford beat Chelsea 4-1 at Stamford Bridge. While these results are almost impossible to predict, you can take a shot at the underdog more often.

 

Pros and Cons of Premier League Betting

 

Pros:

 

• Betting adds some extra excitement to the matches, particularly those with little at stake. This way, you can enjoy all matches from a different perspective, even when your team isn’t on the field.
• The Premier League offers a variety of betting markets from which to choose, besides the moneyline. With so many options available, and plenty of matches every week, you won’t be lacking in chances to win.

 

 Cons:

 

• Soccer usually has very long odds. With fewer statistics to bet on and the potential for a draw as well, it makes winning bets slightly more difficult compared to other sports, such as football and basketball.
• With multiple tournaments happening at the same time, teams tend to shuffle their lineups quite often. Keeping up with the news can get tricky.

 

Conclusions

 

The Premier League is the top national soccer competition in the world, and as such offers a wide variety of betting opportunities. Premier League betting odds are often good, with plenty of potential for upsets over the course of the year. However, remember that many clubs, and the top teams in particular, usually play in other tournaments as well, which often leads to changes in the lineups.

FAQs: How To Bet on Premier League?