Soccer moneyline secrets you can use to beat the odds and boost your profits

If you've heard the phrase "the house always wins", that's the ugly truth about sports betting, from a bettor's standpoint at least. Sportsbooks are designed in a way that makes it almost impossible for bettors to beat the moneyline odds. But this hasn't stopped the sharps (professional bettors) from finding ways to try to do so. There are several moneyline strategies, but we've focused on those that can actually make a difference and are practical enough for beginners.

Unspoken tip: Understand how the moneyline works

A moneyline bet is a bet on who will win a match. Let's consider a matchup between two Teams, X and Y, where X is the stronger (favourite) team and Y the weaker (underdog) one. The moneyline odds for this game can look something like this:
 

• Team X: -150
• Team Y: +210
   

The favourite gets an odds value with a negative coefficient, which is basically how much you need to wager to win a $100 profit. The underdog gets an odds value with a positive coefficient telling you how much you can win on a $100 bet.

The thing you should really know about moneylines is that although they often reflect who's the favourite to win and who the underdog is, the oddsmakers who come up with these prices are primarily trying to help the sportsbook reduce the possibility of a loss. They often adjust odds based on where public action is going. So if lots of people are betting on Team X because they believe they're the stronger team, the sportsbook will shorten those odds and make the opponent's prices more attractive in an attempt to even out the action on both sides.

That's why some moneyline odds can be really short. It's not just because the teams are heavy favourites. It's also because lots of players are betting on them. If, for some reason, say, a last-minute injury report, more people start betting on the underdog, the odds will begin shifting in that direction.

Tip 1: Shop different books

There usually isn't a massive discrepancy in odds offered on the same game at different sportsbooks. However, even the smallest difference matters. All you need is to look for bookies with longer odds on the game you've decided to bet on. Longer odds translate to bigger profits if your bet is successful. Check out moneyline picks from SportyTrader if you're looking for an expert guide for betting on upcoming soccer games. SportyTrader often shops for the best prices ahead of time.

Tip 2: Parlay heavy favourites

We normally wouldn't recommend parlays (a combination of multiple selections in a single bet) because of how high-risk they are. But some moneyline odds can be incredibly short, -500 or higher. Placing a single bet on such a heavy favourite doesn't offer any value. Instead, when you combine two or three such heavy favourites, you have some reasonable odds on your hands.

Tip 3: The underdog strategy

This is a fairly simple one. Since underdogs have longer odds, you can take a risk and wager on a potential upset. The tricky thing here is knowing which underdog has better value than what the odds suggest. If you back the right underdog, you could win a considerable amount. This strategy is nowhere near foolproof, but upsets happen once in a while, so it's not far-fetched.

Tip 4: Bet at the right time

Moneyline odds regularly shift and adjust from the time the odds are first posted (starting price) right up until the match is about to begin. And generally, as the matchday draws nearer, the odds shorten on the favourites. So if you want to back a favourite team you think is almost guaranteed to win, then do so early on. Team X may have -150 odds on Tuesday, but by Friday, it's shortened to -200. If you take the Tuesday odds and win, you'd have beaten the new shorter odds that were given on Friday.

Moneyline bets are the simplest, most beginner-friendly bets at the sportsbook. But they are also often the least profitable because of how short the odds can get. Nd the bookies do this on purpose. We can't guarantee you'll beat the moneyline odds, but the pointers above should ensure you have the best shot at doing so.