Trading Football; Risk Less, Win More - The Safest and Most Profitable Football Trading Strategies for Betfair.

Football trading has become increasingly popular in recent years with many people using online betting exchanges like Betfair to make profits from trading football matches.

However, with so many different strategies and techniques available, it can be difficult to know where to start.

In this post we will explore some of the best trading strategies for trading football matches on Betfair and how you can use them to increase your chances of success.

Whether you’re a seasoned trader or a beginner, we’ll guide you through the essential steps to take to maximise your profits.

What is a Football Trading Strategy?

A football trading strategy is, essentially, a plan to make profit.

Even if you're a complete beginner, you'll already understand that you can't simply log in to Betfair and expect to magically make money... you need some sort of strategy!

As the old saying goes... failing to plan is planning to fail.

For example, the Correct Score market on Betfair has 19 possible outcomes. It's difficult enough picking out home wins, away wins and draws without adding the additional conundrum of predicting the exact score.

You may be sure that Man City are going to beat Liverpool on Saturday, but will they win 1-0? 2-1? 3-0? Even 4-3?!

With an effective trading strategy, you will have a plan. It might be that Man City v Liverpool doesn't turn out to be a good opportunity for trading, but your strategy will lead you towards the football matches that are most likely to be profitable.

A strategy such as Assured Soccer Profits (ASP) makes the Correct Score market much lower risk and allows you to grow your bank safely. As far as low-risk football trading strategies go, ASP is right at the top of everyone's list of favourites.

Lay the Draw

Over the years, lay the draw (LTD) has been one of the most popular football trading strategies for beginners.

The aim of this strategy is to lay the draw either at the start of the game or in-play. In other words, place a lay bet on an exchange such as Betfair that the final result will not be a draw.

However, a football trader is not too worried about the final result because he or she will be aiming to exit the trade before the 90 minutes is up. This is the difference between football betting and football trading.

The idea of lay the draw is that the odds on the draw will lengthen after the goal goes in, providing an opportunity to back it at higher odds and lock in a profit.

Like all trading, of course, this isn't a licence to print money and it doesn't always work out that way! There are a number of pitfalls that can get in the way of a profit, such as the underdogs scoring too early.

These days, a lot of beginners are choosing to start with the Assured Soccer Profits system instead because, with a bit of practice, it's even lower risk than lay the draw... and it doesn't really matter which team scores!

Back to Lay

Another popular football trading strategy is the 'back to lay' method, which is opposite to a system such as lay the draw. In this case, a trader is looking to back a certain outcome and then lay it at a lower price in-play.

For example, you may decide to back Man City to win at home to Liverpool. Should Man City take the lead, their price to win the match will move lower and that will allow you to lock in a profit.

Once you've traded your position, it won't matter what happens next... your profit will be in the bank!

Of course, if there are no goals or if Liverpool take the lead and go on to win the match then your trade will lose. In order for this sort of strategy to work, you need to be able to predict in-play outcomes consistently.

Not all back to lay strategies require a goal though.

If you were to back the draw in the match between Man City and Liverpool, once it kicks off you'll notice that the draw price gradually falls. This is because as time runs out the draw becomes the more likely full-time result.

The falling price as the clock ticks down is known as 'time decay' and it allows you to trade out for a profit with - quite literally - nothing happening in the match!

The downside to this is that the aim of football is to score goals and win games. However, even if one of the teams scores you may get lucky and see an equaliser go in so that you can still make your profit.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of back to lay opportunities. The key is being able to make the right calls and that's where a proven football trading strategy comes in.

Correct Score Trading

We looked briefly at correct score trading earlier on.

Traditionally, most correct score traders have been picking out a group of target scores and trying to hit one of them. This is known as a 'scattergun' approach. For example, a trader might back 2-0, 2-1 and 3-0 when a strong home favourite is playing.

It may seem simple enough, but go and try to predict a few correct scores next Saturday... it isn't easy!

What we have done with Assured Soccer Profits (ASP) is turn traditional correct score trading on its head. Rather than hitting a target score now and again, with ASP you are going to enjoy trading for a profit almost every time.

Assured Soccer Profits is a fantastic system which was originally launched in 2011 and is still making money.

Trading Goal Markets

We now move onto probably what is the most popular football trading strategy, trading the Over/Under 2.5 Goals. Unlike the Correct Score market, this is one of the simplest markets to understand.

If you were to place a bet on Over 2.5 Goals, you win if there are 3 or more goals scored in the match, but if there were 2 or less goals scored you would lose your bet.

As you have learnt though, by having a football trading strategy, you can secure a profit irrespective of the outcome of the match and this strategy is no different!

Football matches are played every day all around the world. It means that there are plenty of opportunities for you to trade the Over/Under Goals markets on Betfair.

With many traders involved in this market the 'liquidity' is always high i.e., the amount of money available to trade is plentiful, meaning that it is easy to get your bets matched quickly at the prices you want.

You could back Over 2.5 Goals at kick-off or wait for the game to start and enter at a higher price. As soon as a goal is scored, the price will fall because it's now more likely that the overs will come in.

You then have a choice; either lock in your profit or wait for a second goal to be scored. If that were to happen, the price would then fall further allowing you to secure a higher profit. Of course, if there were no further goals you would lose your stake.

Alternatively, you could lay Over 2.5 Goals at kick-off. This means that you do not think that there will be 3 or more goals scored, or that there will be no goals early in the match. 

As the clock ticks by, the price will increase as the likelihood of there being goals decreases. This is known as 'time decay'. and it allows you to trade out of your position and lock in your profit.

The key to making consistent profits is being able to make the right calls and that is where having a proven football trading strategy comes in.

In-Play Trading

In-play trading on Betfair is exciting and profitable, plus it gives you more control than with pre-match betting.

However, traders need to be disciplined and have a clear strategy in place. It's very easy to be tempted into lots of trades on a Saturday afternoon and quickly rack up a loss.

When you're trading with electronic figures on a screen and not actual money, you can easily get lost in the moment!

It's important to remember that not every trade will be successful. Losses are an inevitable part of the trading process but a low risk in-play system like Assured Soccer Profits will help you keep your losses to a minimum and help you grow your bank safely.

Tips for successful in-play trading on Betfair:

1. Do your research: Before the game starts, it is vital to do your research and gather as much information as possible. This includes checking team news, analysing previous performances and understanding the key statistics for the teams involved.
2. Identify trading opportunities: During a game, there will be many opportunities to make profitable trade, these can include backing a team when they are on the attack, laying a team when they are defending poorly, or trading the over/under markets based on the flow of the game.
3. Be Patient: In-play trading on Betfair requires patience and discipline. It is important to wait for the right opportunities to arise and not make impulsive decisions.
4. Keep a cool head: Emotions can run high during a football match, and it is important to keep a cool head and stick to your strategy. Avoid making decisions based on emotions rather than logic.
5. Monitor the game closely: To be successful at in-play trading on Betfair, you need to closely monitor the match and the changing odds. Use a reliable data source to keep up to date with the latest developments.
6. Use stop-losses: having an exit plan is an essential tool for managing your risk when in-play trading. This allows you to exit a trade if it moves against you, helping to minimise losses.
7. Practice, Practice, Practice: Like any skill in-play trading takes practice to master. Start by using small stakes and gradually increase them as you become more confident and experienced.

Overall, in-play trading football matches on Betfair is a lot of fun!

By staying up-to-date with the latest market trends, using a clear trading strategy, and maintaining a disciplined mindset, you can take advantage of price fluctuations and make money while enjoying the excitement of live football.

Trading Mindset

When it comes to trading football matches on Betfair, having the right mindset is just as important as having a good strategy. It will help you stay focused, disciplined, and resilient, even in the face of unexpected losses or market fluctuations.

Here are some key elements of a successful trading mindset:

Discipline:
One of the most important aspects of a successful trading mindset is discipline. This means having a clear plan or strategy in place and sticking to it, even when emotions or market fluctuations might tempt you to deviate from it. Discipline can also mean setting limits on your trades, such as a maximum loss or a target profit, and sticking to those limits regardless of what happens in the game.

Patience:
Another key element of a successful trading mindset is patience. In football trading, it can be easy to get caught up in the excitement of a live match and make impulsive trades based on short-term fluctuations in the market. However, successful traders know that patience is often key to making profitable trades. This means waiting for the right opportunities to present themselves and not rushing into trades just for the sake of having a bet!

Resilience:
Trading football matches on Betfair can be a rollercoaster of emotions, with wins and losses often happening in quick succession. As a result, it's important to cultivate resilience as part of your trading mindset. This means being able to bounce back from losses and not letting them affect your overall confidence or strategy. It also means staying level-headed and not getting carried away by short-term successes.

Flexibility:
While having a clear plan or strategy is important, it's also important to be flexible and adaptable when trading football matches on Betfair. This means being open to adjusting your strategy if the market presents new opportunities or if your initial plan isn't working as expected. Successful traders know that the market is always changing, and being able to adjust to those changes can be the key to long-term success.

Continuous learning:
Finally, a successful trading mindset also involves a commitment to continuous learning and improvement. This means staying up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in football trading, as well as seeking out new strategies or techniques that might improve your trading performance. Successful traders never stop learning, and they are always looking for ways to improve their skills and stay ahead of the competition.

Conclusion

In conclusion, whilst there are many different football trading strategies available, it is important to find the ones that work best for you. Experiment with different strategies and find the ones that suit your style of trading.

Trading football matches on Betfair requires not only a good strategy but also the right mindset. By cultivating discipline, patience, resilience, flexibility, and a commitment to continuous learning, you will develop the kind of trading mindset that will help you succeed in the fast-paced and exciting world of football trading.

Finally, it is important to remember that football trading on Betfair should be seen as a long term investment. While there will be ups and downs along the way, if you stick to your strategy and remain disciplined, you can achieve success in the long run.