FIFA World Cup Betting Tips – Your Complete Guide to Qatar 2022

It’s hard to believe it has already been four years since the 2018 World Cup spectacle, but here we are again, and this time the action and excitement are taking place in Qatar!

Qatar has pulled out all the stops with a showstopping opening ceremony and magnificent stadiums that host up to 80,000 football fans. The tournament is expected to be watched by more than 5 billion fans around the globe!

How the World Cup Works

Here are the basics if you are new to European football. Each match is a contest between two teams of 11 players, including the goalkeeper, with up to 15 substitutes on the bench.

The ball can be controlled using any part of your body except your arms or hands. A goal is scored when any player on the field gets the ball past the goal line. The object of the game is to score the most goals before the final whistle blows.

During the tournament's final stages, matches ending in a draw will be decided by first extra time and then a penalty shootout.

These various set pieces and gameplay scenarios open the door for some exciting sports bets, including which team will get the most yellow cards, who will get red-carded first, and which player will have the most fake injuries.

Beginners Guide to Football Betting Odds

If you are new to football betting, here is a quick look at how the odds are represented and what they mean. These odds are a visual indicator of what you can expect to get back based on how much you wager.

This ratio is displayed in one of three ways:

• Fractional odds (2/1): This shows you how much you can win (the number on the left) versus the amount you bet (the number on the right). 
• Decimal odds (3.00): This shows how you can win for every €1 you stake.
• American odds (+200): Favourite team’s odds are shown as “-“ and are based on how much you need to wager to win €100. Underdog’s odds are shown as “+” and represent how much you can win for every €100 staked.

Regardless of which option you prefer, the above examples all mean the same thing. If you bet €100 on your favourite football team and they won, you would profit €200.

• Fractional 2/1 = €200 won on a €100 bet
• Decimal 3.00 = received €300 back when staking €100, for a profit of €200.
• American +200 = an increase of (+)€200 on a bet of €100

The only odds reference that flips the “money back” way of viewing wagers versus returns is when you’re using American odds to bet on a highly favoured team. To win €200 on a top-tier team with odds of -200, you would need to wager €200.

Top 10 World Cup Soccer Bets

With an understanding of how soccer is played and how to read the odds for various betting options, your next decision is what type of bet you want to make.

Here are ten popular soccer betting markets and what they mean:

1. Predict the World Cup Winner: This is a straight bet where you pick the team you think will win the World Cup at the odds at the time. The current top pick is Brazil at 3/1 odds.
2. Predict Group Winners: This bet sees you predicting one or more of the winners in the eight World Cup groups.
3. Predict Stage Winners: Selecting which teams will win various stages is a fantastic choice for building an accumulator bet.
4. Build a Soccer Acca: These are tickets where you build several bets into one slip. They offer better payouts than straight bets but rely on you predicting several outcomes correctly to see any returns.
5. Guess the Correct Score: Predict the precise number of goals scored during any match or across several matches.
6. Place a 1x2 Wager: These are very popular team-based sports bets as the "1" refers to backing a home team, the "X" is a bet on a draw, and the "2" refers to supporting an away win.
7. Cash Out Bets Rule: This new betting option is unique to online and mobile bookies. Choosing this option allows you "cash out" your wager when your prediction is true, even if the match is not yet done. This guarantees a win but will come with reduced returns.
8. Double Chance Option: These wagers allow you to back two different outcomes in the same match to hedge your bets.
9. If It’s a Draw No Bet: In a three-way market bet (win, lose or draw), punters can only wager on wins and losses as draws trigger a refund of the bet.
10. In-Play Bets: These bets are placed after the kick-off has taken place. Keep in mind odds can vary wildly depending on the action on the pitch at the moment you place the bet.

Be sure to understand these key types of bets, as often, bookmakers will rename them or skin them to appear unique to their site. Bet365 made headlines for paying back more than £6 million in 24 hours thanks to their Bore bet. They offered to refund bets on “boring matches” that ended in a 0-0 draw. This was a clever way to promote their ‘Draw No Bet’ option.

Tips and Tricks for Safer Betting

Whenever there is real money betting taking place, it is always prudent to keep the following best practices in mind:

It is a good idea to:

• Research each team before placing a wager.
• Taking advantage of boosted odds and promotions.
• Always bet at a licensed and trusted bookmaker.

Steer clear of:

• Chasing your losses.
• Betting with money you can’t afford to lose.
• Taking out loans to back a bet.

All that is left is to put on your team's colours, paint your face, and enjoy the world's greatest football tournament! Good luck to you and your team, and may the odds ever be in your favour!