Article: Alternative Betting Markets to Use at EURO 2020
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By Jonathan Lewis | 4th JUNE 2021
The UEFA EURO 2020 championships are a matter of days away and the excitement is palpable among European football fans. For the first time in the history of the tournament, the event will be staged across multiple European nations. With 32 teams entering at the group stage, this year’s European Championships promise to be the biggest and most fascinating yet.
With that in mind, many football bettors will be actively preparing their wagers on the likely winner of this summer’s finals. If you are someone who prefers betting on football in-play rather than pre-game on outright markets, this article is designed to give you some inspiration to sample betting on alternative markets during EURO 2020. These alternative markets often lack the popularity and liquidity of mainstream markets, but it’s still possible to find value in them if you look hard enough.
Asian Handicap
The Asian Handicap betting markets first originated, unsurprisingly, in the Far East. They remain the most popular way to bet on football across Asia and it’s starting to reach western sports bettors too. The beauty of Asian Handicap markets is that they do away with betting on the draw, allowing you to focus on whether Team A will overcome Team B with a goal handicap added pre-game. According to Mr Green’s guide to sports betting online, there are multiple types of Asian Handicaps available, ranging from a quarter goal handicap to a 1.5 goal handicap. Below are some examples of betting on various Asian Handicap markets:
- Betting on -0.50 – If the team you bet on wins by at least a one-goal margin, your bet wins. If the team you bet on draws or loses, your bet is a loser.
- Betting on 0 – If the team you bet on wins, your bet wins. If the team you bet on loses, your bet is a loser. If the team draws, your bet is voided and your stake is refunded.
- Betting on +0.50 – If the team you bet on wins or draws, your bet is a winner. If the team you bet on loses, it is a loser.
- Betting on +1.25 – If the team you bet on wins or draws, it is a winner. If the team only loses by a single goal, you win half of the original payout. If the team loses by two or more goals, it is a loser.
Both Teams to Score (No)
Many football bettors look to the Both Teams to Score (Yes) market, but when it comes to international football there are opportunities in the (No) market too. That’s because international games are statistically lower scoring than domestic football. Furthermore, this means the disparity between strong and weak national teams can be quite wide, resulting in the inability of weaker nations to score frequently in major championships. Despite this, many bookmakers offer attractive odds – sometimes at evens or better – on Both Teams to Score (No) even when there is a heavy underdog. If you are aware that the underdog lacks the firepower to truly test the favourite’s defence, this is a solid alternative betting angle.
To Win From Behind
The To Win From Behind market is another interesting alternative football betting opportunity. For speculative football bettors looking for a betting angle in the early stages of the game, it may be worth betting on a team to win from behind if the opposition has started the game well and look like taking the lead.
You may have already done research on teams that are well-known as being fast starters. Similarly, if you find teams that typically score most of their goals in the second half, it’s possible to find opportunities to bet on teams to turn games around in their favour at value odds.
Hopefully these alternative football betting markets have given you food for thought when planning your EURO 2020 bets. All three provide a different perspective to straight-up Match Odds markets.
Jonathan Lewis is an MFF sports writer
