Soccer Betting

The popularity of soccer is definitely on the up in the US. With the improvement of the MLS and rising US stars like Christian Pulisic, soccer is now establishing itself as a major US sport. US soccer fans can now enjoy betting on competitions throughout the world, following the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018. Want to get in on the action? Compare.bet USA has covered the ins and outs of soccer betting, from betting markets to soccer odds, to help you kick things off.

Looking to bet on soccer in New Jersey? We’ve got a line up of the best sports betting sites available to punters in the Garden State. Compare our expert reviews, scores and the bonuses on offer to pick out the bookie that suits you best. All of our featured sportsbooks are legal and regulated in the state of New Jersey. All that’s left for you to do is make your pick, sign up and start betting.

US States with Legal Soccer Betting

The repeal of the PASPA has seen soccer betting become legalized in several US states, though it isn’t yet legal in all parts of America. Here are the states in which legal soccer betting is available:

•    New Jersey
•    Pennsylvania
•    Delaware
•    Rhode Island
•    Mississippi
•    West Virginia
•    Nevada
•    New Mexico

You can legally bet on soccer in each of these states, but the sports betting regulation does vary. While mobile and online sports betting is legal in some states, others only permit soccer betting at land-based sportsbooks. Check out our state guides to learn more about sports betting laws in each state.

Major Soccer Events

Soccer is the world’s most popular sport, not just to play and watch, but to bet on as well. This means there’s a huge number of competitions around the world, all presenting many betting opportunities at soccer betting sites in America. Of course, it’s the biggest tournaments that attract the most bettors, so let’s take a look at the top competitions.

Champions League

The most prestigious club competition in European football, the UEFA Champions League sees Europe’s best clubs face off to be crowned the continent’s champion. The tournament has a league and knockout format and features 32 teams, taking place from September to May each year.

Premier League

The English Premier League is one of the world’s most popular domestic competitions and sees the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City compete to become league champions. Each of the 20 teams plays 38 matches from August to May, and games are played most weekends- aside from when there are international fixtures.

La Liga

Spain’s La Liga is the top domestic league along with the Premier League. Featuring Real Madrid and Barcelona, La Liga is home to many of the world’s best players, including Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Like the Premier League, it follows a 20 team format, wherein each side plays every other team home and away during the course of the season.

MLS

Major League Soccer (MLS) may not quite match the big European leagues, but it’s a rapidly growing competition that’s improving year on year. Featuring big names like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney, there’s plenty of excitement in MLS. The 24 teams are split equally between the Eastern and Western Conferences, with the top 14 sides entering the playoffs to determine the MLS champion.

World Cup

The FIFA World Cup may only come around once every four years, but it’s undoubtedly the biggest soccer competition in the world. Featuring the best international sides from across the planet, the 32-team tournament is played in a league and knock out format, similar to the Champions League. The next tournament is in Qatar in 2022 – plenty of time to build up your soccer betting knowledge.

Picking a winner

As with all sports, you’re best off doing your research before placing a bet on soccer games. Soccer betting odds can give you an idea of the sportsbook’s favourite for a match, but upsets are a regular occurrence, so the more you know, the better.

There’s a whole range of soccer stats that can be helpful when setting your stakes, including recent form, head to head record, and home and away record to name just a few. If you’re placing a player proposition bet, then you’ll want to look at individual player stats such as goals scored or yellow cards picked up, depending on the bet you’re making.

Soccer betting tips can also be helpful, but we wouldn’t recommend simply following a tipster’s predictions you find online. The best way to make well-informed soccer bets is by building up your own knowledge by following the sport, watching matches and keeping an eye on the important stats. Developing your understanding of the game will improve your chances of landing a winning bet and mean you’re better placed to judge the quality of soccer betting tips.

Soccer Betting Markets

Soccer presents one of the widest ranges of online sports betting markets. Let’s take a look at the types of soccer bets you can place at US sportsbooks.

Moneyline

A moneyline wager is simply a bet on the match result. A standard soccer moneyline bet is a wager on team A or team B to win, or a tie. Some soccer betting sites offer “draw no bet” wagers, which means your stake will be returned if the match ends in a tie.

Both teams to score

This is a fairly self-explanatory bet – you need both teams to score within regulation time for your bet to pay out.

Spread betting

A spread bet is where you back a team to win and either maintain an advantage or overcome a disadvantage. For example, if you back a team with -2 spread, they’ll need to win by 3 goals. Spread bets are also referred to as handicaps at some sportsbooks.

Over/under

Here you’re wagering on the number of goals scored in a game to be higher or lower than the number set by the bookies. In soccer, this is usually 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 goals.

Proposition bet

Also known as a prop bet, this is a wager on an event to occur within a match, rather than a bet on the match result itself. For example, you could wager on a particular player to score during a match, or on the number of corners during a game. There’s a wide range of soccer prop bets available at betting sites and these wagers usually have longer odds than straight bets.

Parlay bet

Parlay betting lets you place a single wager on multiple soccer matches – as many as 20 at some US online betting sites. This means you can stack up your betting slip and potentially win larger profits, but keep in mind that every selection needs to win for you to land any returns.

Soccer Betting Odds

If you want to have a shot at betting on soccer, then you need to know about betting odds. Soccer odds do two things: reflect how a sportsbook thinks a sports event will play out and tell you how much you’ll win from your bet.

US soccer betting sites normally use the American odds format, which displays odds as negative and positive numbers. Negative odds indicate the favourite, while positive odds indicate the team that’s less likely to win.

Here’s a real-world example of soccer odds:

Barcelona and Real Madrid are contesting a La Liga match. The odds on Real Madrid to win are +110, so a correct £100 bet would result in a return of £210. These returns include your £100 stake, so you’ve made £110 profit in total.

Barcelona winning is priced at -120, which means the sportsbook believes they will come out on top. Here, a £100 wager would net you £183 – a profit of £83. As Barcelona are the favourites, the payout is less generous.

Check out our betting odds guide to learn more about sports betting odds, including how to calculate profits and compare different odds formats.

Mobile Soccer Betting

So far, Nevada, New Jersey and West Virginia are the only US states to have legalized mobile and online sports betting. In these states, you can bet on soccer anywhere within state lines. You don’t need to be a state resident to bet online or via mobile either, but you do need to be within state boundaries to access sites and apps.

• Nevada – Online betting is only available via mobile apps
• New Jersey – Online betting available via apps and browser sites
• West Virginia – Online betting available via apps and browser sites

Mobile betting apps are available for both iOS and Android devices, while sports betting sites can be accessed via web browsers. You’ll usually have access to the same free bet bonuses and markets regardless of whether you use a mobile app or online sports betting site, so you don’t miss out when your bet on soccer on mobile.

Keep in mind that the online and mobile betting regulations vary in each state- in Nevada, for example, you have to create your account at a land-based sportsbook before you can bet on mobile apps.

Our guide to sports betting apps has got all the need-to-know information on mobile betting apps, including how to find the perfect sports betting app for you.

Online Soccer Betting in New Jersey

Online Soccer Betting in Nevada

Online Soccer Betting in West Virginia

Now you’re all clued in, it’s time to get the ball rolling and try out soccer betting for yourself- hopefully you’ll score some returns! Don’t forget to check back with Compare.bet for the latest sports betting news, as well as reviews of the top US sportsbooks – we’ve got you covered.