Punters are inundated with sports betting options. Long gone are the days when bettors were only limited to pre-match selections. In-play live betting markets give people a lot more to think about when it comes to making their selections.
Online bookmaker sites will offer a big range of both pre-match and in-play Premier league betting odds. So, whatever the type of bet that is taking your fancy, you are going to have options.
But what are the differences between using pre-match and live betting, and should you choose one over the other?
Pre-Match vs In-Play
There is no right or wrong answer to the question of which is better. That’s because the betting experience will differ from punter to punter. It’s a very personal experience, studying the statistics that you want, looking at the markets that call out to you the most and forming the best types that fit your plans. That having been said there are some key differences that you will want to size up.
The Time Factor
A great aspect of pre-match betting is that you can take your time over it. You don’t end up getting panicked into placing emotional bets. For example, you know well in advance the matches from the next round of Premier League football betting action.
So you can study the current form from the most recent results, look at the table, dive through the smaller stats and plan well ahead. All that you can do calmly with a clear head. Live betting is a different story because more often than not, you are reacting on the fly and it’s easy to get pulled along by emotions.
It could very well be that a high-profile football match just isn’t panning out the way you expected it to. Maybe the underdog has taken a half-time lead and your pre-match bet on the favourite is in jeopardy.
But with in-play betting, you could weigh up the new options. It could be backing the underdog to go on to win, or backing the favourite to come back and snatch a point, or even just To Win 2nd Half. In-play betting can be intensive, as it is just waiting for those right moments to get the best value and the best bets. You have to be ready to go.
But even with it, you can do a little planning.
The Strategy Angle
Both forms of betting get ranked equally well for strategy. It’s very simple to come up with betting strategies based on pre-match picks. You can calmly scan the football coupon for the options that fit into your plan like Home Wins at no worse than 10/11 odds-on.
There are modern approaches to strategy for in-play betting as well. Some of the popular football betting strategies in-play include waiting for 20 minutes to pass by with no goals, before backing Over 1.5 or Over 2.5 goals, knowing that the cagey opening is likely to end.
Another popular format of in-play betting strategy is to leave things as late as possible. Is the game heading to a 0-0 draw with less than ten minutes to go? You could back a team to come up with a winner or push Over 0.5 which usually offers no pre-match value whatsoever.
The Cash Out tool is massively helpful in this situation as well. When the situation arises you can use it to pull out a bet to lock in some profit, or to mitigate the full hit of a loss.
Game Information
Pre-match betting gives you the chance to take your time in pouring over the statistics. That can go a long way to helping you make stronger bets. But one thing that it cannot do is tell you what things are like in the current moment.
When you are looking at pre-match football odds, things like starting line-up news, injuries or a sudden manager sacking aren’t in the mix. So naturally, the closer that you get to the big kick-off, the more informed you are going to be.
If you are leaving it that late to bet, then perhaps it is worth skipping the pre-match and waiting to see how the first 10-15 minutes of the game plays out. But it’s not all ripe and rosy. If the match favourite opens the scoring in the match then the outright odds become very unfavourable very quickly.
A Bit of Both
The ideal answer is to play things by ear and to use a blend of both types of betting. There are pros and cons to each. A dual-scenario is where you play a match outright bet on a selection and then hunker down ready for some in-play betting on that same match.
Depending on the odds and the current situation of the game, you can look for in-play opportunities. You can essentially read live situations to hedge bets against pre-match options that have been made.
Punters know what is best for them, what suits them for their betting. Both forms of betting are well-worth exploring, however, and for finding a balance between them.
