Punters overtake competition with profitable half-time bets

Discover how half-time bets are a good option for cautious punters seeking more value from the betting market

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First-half betting

First-half betting requires the punter to place a bet on the half-time score line and/or half-time result before the referee blows their whistle after 45 minutes (including time added on for injuries). This popular bookmaker wager is usually placed before kick-off or used as an in-play betting option.


Half-time betting on the first half is more concerned about the 45 minute score line and therefore, half-time result, so the second half becomes irrelevant to the bet. This is different to standard full time bets, as now you don’t have to be concerned about comebacks or a team throwing the game (i.e. effectively throwing in the towel) after taking an almost unassailable lead.

First half betting provide many benefits

We’ve all experienced the problem of a favourite, which looks almost certain to win the match and we have to resort to hope and pray the result goes our way after the losing team stages an unbelievable comeback.


This often means we have to take as much money as we can get from a cash out or we’re biting our fingernails until the final whistle blows!


Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about the above scenario when placing half-time bets, as you can quickly and efficiently move on to the next fixture.

Second half betting

Half-time betting focussed on the second half, means the score in the first half of the game doesn’t affect the outcome of your bet. Even the final score will not affect your chances of winning.


The key point of consideration is that the betting action will happen in the second half of the match and the scores within the first half may be irrelevant but it can affect the likelihood of you winning your bet.


Sometimes it’s best to wait for the outcome of the first half before placing your second half bet, but odds can quickly deteriorate and move away from you, if you have not conducted enough research to ensure you have a viable betting option.


Is it realistic to assume an underdog will overcome a large first half deficit (i.e. goal disadvantage) during the second 45 minutes?


On top of that; bookmakers have about 15 minutes to set their second half odds and they also need to do this over and over again for the next scheduled games. There is some opportunity to take advantage of price discrepancies, but this is becoming more difficult.

What can affect successful half-time football betting?

In the old days, punters assumed bookmakers were at a disadvantage when taking  second half bets, as bookmakers did not have enough time to perform their analysis between the end of the first-half and the start of the second-half.


Modern betting and the increasing amount of machine learning and artificial intelligence included within the bookmaker, betting exchanges and your average trader means this is less and less likely to be the case.


Almost everyone has access to a range of real-time and historical tools, which can help them to make better betting decisions and bookmakers will be no different.

First half and second half betting

This is a combination of first-half betting and second-half betting. You simply have to combine the two betting options before placing your wager.


Will the outcome of the first-half affect the outcome of the second-half? How will you place your bets based on the action before the match and/or using the in-play betting options?

How can you make sensible half-time bets?

So how can you, the average punter, make the right half-time bets?

An easy half-time betting advice for soccer betting newbies

Think very carefully about your next half-time wager and why you think the result will go the way you’re suggesting with your betting money. Do you have any solid research to back up your bets or are you placing your bets on a hunch with potentially flawed logic?

What about half-time betting outside of football

Let’s look at a couple of half-time betting samples that will help you get an idea how these bets work. The first one will be one from the NBA and the second one is from the NFL.


NBA Halftime Betting Sample

Let’s go over a sample NBA halftime bet. Let’s say the Denver Nuggets are playing the Golden State Warriors. During the first half of the game the Golden State Warriors scored 48 points and the Lakers scored 50.


You then bet that the Golden State Warriors will win by 2.5 points (at least). At the end of the second half the final score is 98 for Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets with 97.


You win the wager.


Why?


That is because in the second half of the game the Golden State Warriors made 50 points and the Denver Nuggets made 47 points. Golden State Warriors won by more than 2.5 points, which was the wager you made.


Note that the final score of the entire game doesn’t count when it comes to half-time betting. What matters is the score that was made during the second half.


NFL Half-Time Betting Sample

Let’s say for example the New England Patriots played against the Miami Dolphins. After the first half the Patriots lead with a score of 10 to 7. Now let’s say that you select Patriots -7.


That means you are betting that the Patriots will win by 7 points. However, the game ended in a tie at 14 to 14. That means the Patriots did not even make 7 points during the 2nd half.


That eventually means that the half-time bet was a losing bet.


However, if you instead bet Dolphins +7, the wager would have won. That is because during the 2nd half of the game the Dolphins were able to reach 14 points essentially doubling their original score from the first half (i.e. they scored at least 7 points after halftime).

What do you need to remember about half-time betting?

* Focus on one game at a time

* Pay attention to the numbers

You don’t have the luxury of a staff that can whip out the research in five minutes. That means you can’t watch one game and predict the possible outcome in another. You only have time to focus on one game at a time.


You should observe the manager and you should have studied his managerial style—unless of course you are already familiar with the team and you have been following them for some time.


You will also have to observe the players and see if they have any fitness issues. Do they have some key players who are suffering from injuries or any fitness issues? The first half performance of the entire team will also come into play.

You should also check the team’s strength in depth

How are their substitutions? Bookmakers adjust the odds against a team if they lose a high profile player because of an injury in the first half of the game. In reality, it may not actually affect the outcome, but bookmakers generally adjust the odds as they’re also taking the public’s perception into account.


Bookmakers sometimes do that automatically, but the more knowledgeable betting exchange traders may adjust their trades to tempt other users to make bad decisions.


What you should be doing is checking out who the backup is. If the backup is capable of performing just as well as the injured player who was taken out of the game then this substitution will not impact on the probable outcome of the game.


Another factor that you should look into is the upcoming fixtures. This may be an area overlooked by some bettors and may not always be priced into half-time betting odds, particularly second-half betting odds.


If a team has made a sizable or significant lead in the first half, you might want to check who that team will be playing next. This might dictate how they will play the next half.


If the next team they will face will prove to be a tough game, then the manager might tell his players to take it easy since they already have a good lead.


Managers will want their players to conserve their energy for the next game, and some managers or head coaches will drop their starters to let them rest.


Finally you should also do some statistical research. Sometimes the research will be put out there for the current game. Figure out which teams averaged more in the second half.


Remember that most teams perform better in the first half and they tend to fade after halftime.


You should also check out which teams perform better at home and on the road. This will be a bit of homework but it is essential if you want to make the right half-time bet.

Good luck!


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