Each way betting is most commonly associated with horse racing, golf and other sports where there are large fields. In football, most punters are betting on things like which side will win, whether it will be a draw, whether there will be under or over 2.5 goals, or perhaps whether or not both teams will score. Anyone with a basic understanding of betting can see that there is no obvious application for each way betting in these markets, or indeed in many other popular football ones.
If you are unsure about each way betting in football, we will explain how it works and the various markets it applies to. We will also consider betting strategy and how you might opt to use these markets. Lastly, we will look at how dead heat rules apply and why you need to be aware of them, along with one or two other things to note.
Each Way Football Betting
As mentioned, each way wagering is usually relevant where there is a big field, with many possible selections. This is also true when it comes to each way football betting, so of course you won’t find it on binary markets, such as over/under, Asian handicaps or BTTS. In addition, each way betting cannot be applied where there is no official ordering of the outcomes. The correct score market offers punters a wide range of choices but if a game finishes 0-0, it is not as if 1-0 to the better side “comes second”.
The list below shows the main football markets where each way betting is used. The each way system remains the same no matter what the market, by which we mean it operates just like any other e/w bet, be that in racing, golf or anything else. As such, an each way bet will require two stakes, one for the win and one for the place, with the place paying at a specified fraction of the full odds for a specific number of places.
Football Markets for Each Way Betting
We will now look in a little more detail at each of these in turn, starting at the end, with first goalscorer betting. This appears to be the odd one out as the other three markets are outright ones, rather than being specific to an individual match. In addition, it also appears to contradict what we said above because surely a player either scores the first goal or they don’t. But fear not, all will be revealed.
First Goalscorer
The first thing to note is that this market is not available at all bookies and, moreover, the number of “places” is not standardised. But what is a place in the context of this market? Well, it will trigger the each way portion of your bet should a player score, but that goal is not the first goal.
Some betting sites may only payout if your player scores the second or third goal (or perhaps the fourth). Others, though, offer unlimited places on these wagers, effectively making the each way bet an anytime goalscorer bet. Those sites that offer unlimited places typically pay these bets at one-third of the standard odds, though this may vary – especially if they only pay for limited places.
When it comes to strategy, the obvious time to use this market is when you think a player will score but aren’t sure if they will necessarily score first. However, we would generally advise against using this market because in such a scenario you would typically be better off placing your own separate singles. One bet on your player to score first but on the nose, and a separate wager on the to score at any time.
Each way betting works well in horse racing because there is usually better value with an each way bet than essentially creating your own. However, our research (which is admittedly limited due to a very small sample size) indicates that the anytime goalscorer odds are usually better than one-third of the first goalscorer price.
Of course, if this is a market you love, you would be advised to check the odds each time you make a bet and see what works out better. However, there is another benefit of placing your bets separately. That is because if you place individual first and anytime bets, you also gain the benefit of being able to adjust your stakes, rather than being compelled to have the same stake on each outcome. Better payouts and more flexibility mean that whilst each way first goalscorer betting might sound good, we advise caution.
Top Goalscorer
Betting on the top goalscorer is a popular outright option, either in a particular league or at a major international tournament. It can, however, also be placed on cup competitions, such as the Champions League or the FA Cup. This market is fairly simple to understand and works much like an each way bet in a horse race.
You place a wager on who the top scorer will be, and half of the stake is on them being the outright top scorer, with half on them placing. When it comes to places, the standard for this market is four, typically paid at a quarter of the odds. For example, you might back Gabriel Jesus to be the top scorer in the 2023/24 Champions League at a price of 30/1. £10 each way would cost you £20 and if he ended up as the tournament’s top scorer you would receive £395 in total back. If he finished second, third or fourth, your £10 bet on the win would lose but the £10 bet on the place would return £65, leaving you nicely in the black.
League Winner
Backing a side to win the league each way is another reasonably popular football iteration of this type of wager. This is a good option when you fancy an outsider for the title but could see them falling just short. It works in almost exactly the same way as the bet above. As with almost all markets away from horse racing, the number of places paid and the fraction of the odds varies depending on the bookie, league and even sometimes the stage of the season.
This is a popular ante post market but each way betting on the league outright remains open well into the season. As standard, you can expect to find each way terms paying a quarter (though sometimes a third) of the odds for a top-two finish. That said, some sites may pay to three or even four places.
Cup/Tournament Winner
Just as you can back a side to win the league each way, so too can you back them to win a cup or tournament, such as the Champions League. This may seem slightly confusing because unlike the league, which has clear placings for first, second, third and so on, cups operate in a knockout format. Whilst some tournaments, such as the World Cup, may operate a third-place play-off, and so essentially have clearly defined first, second, third and fourth places, what about places below that? And, what about cups with no third-place contest?
Each way cup betting swerves this issue very simply by only ever paying for two places. This is the same system you will find when it comes to tournaments in sports such as tennis and snooker. So, an each way bet on the FA Cup, for example, will pay two places, typically at half of the standard odds. By “two places”, we mean, in simple terms, to make the final. Consequently, if your selection wins the FA Cup, both parts of your each way bet win, whilst if they lose in the final then just the place half does. Any other outcome, including making the semis, results in you losing your entire stake.
Alternative Markets
As with many markets where each way betting is possible in other sports, there are alternative bets you can place. For example with each way first goalscorer betting, as said, not a market we believe generally offers much value, you can just opt for the anytime scorer option instead. With regards to cups, most offer a market “To make the final”, and likewise with league outrights you can back a side to finish in the top four or top six, and sometimes the top two, three or five.
What you believe is the best bet will depend on the odds, terms of the each way betting and just how confident you are that a side might win. For example, if you believe a team may overachieve in the league but you really can’t see them going all the way and claiming the title, a bet on the top four may be the best choice.
That said, football is unpredictable and although Arsenal look unlikely to win the 2022/23 Premier League title, they were 50/1 at the start of the season. That means anyone who backed them each way should land a very tidy win and has also had an incredible journey with their bet, along with plenty of excitement.
Rules to Be Aware of
When it comes to rules around football each way betting, things are quite straightforward. The main thing of note is to check the each way terms. How many places are included and what fraction of the odds will you get? Unlike in horseracing, where each way terms are standardised by the Tattersalls Rules of Racing, with football, bookies can offer whatever terms they choose. Aside from that, though, there are a couple of issues which it is well worth being aware of.
Dead Heat Rules
Dead heat rules apply in almost every sport and come into play when, for the purposes of a bet, two horses, teams, players (or whatever) cannot be separated. The simplest example of this comes in a horse race. Modern timing and photo technology means that dead heats are rarer than they used to be but even so, every now and again two (or even more rarely, more) horses finish at exactly the same time (as best we can determine with current technology).
Dead heat rules are applied in the same way no matter which betting site you make your wager with. So, this is not an issue about checking the specific terms at the site where you had your bet, but rather simply being aware of the rule itself.
Dead heat rules cannot (barring highly unusual circumstances where teams might share a cup) apply to each way bets on who will win a cup, because some form of tiebreaker (extra time and penalties) is used. Likewise with the win portion of bets on the league, where sides equal on points are separated by goal difference, goals scored and so on, right down to a play-off game if absolutely necessary.
In theory, dead heat rules could apply to the place part of such a bet though. This would be the case in the highly improbable scenario that teams tied for a place even after the application of every available tiebreaker. Whilst a play-off game has been touted as an additional tiebreaker should the title itself depend on it, this would not be the case to determine who finished second.
The fact that Barry from South Wales has had a £50 each way bet on Liverpool end they have ended level on points with Arsenal, as well as level on goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head points and head-to-head away goals scored, is not, sadly, a reason to sanction a play-off decider. As such, Liverpool and Arsenal would finish joint-second and dead heat rules would be applied to Barry’s wager.
The market where dead heat rules are more likely to kick in, however, is top goalscorer betting, in any type of competition. It is not uncommon for players to finish joint-top on an equal number of goals and in this situation dead heat rules will apply. This may be the case for the top scorers in a league or cup or it may not. We will explain more about that below.
However, if your selection for each way top scorer finishes joint-second then dead heat rules will almost certainly apply. If we go back to 2007/08, for example, Cristiano Ronaldo topped the Premier League scorers list with 31 goals. Fernando Torres and Emmanuel Adebayor were tied next with 24. Let’s say you backed Torres at 16/1 at a bookie that offered half the odds for a top-two placing (a quarter for the first four is more common but, as said, it can vary).
Dead heat rules divide the stake by the number of places involved in the tie. In this case, the win part of the bet is lost. However, when it comes to the each way portion of the wager, there is one winning place (second), shared between two players. So, a £10 each way bet at 16/1 and half the odds would return £45. The win bet of £10 is lost, whilst half of the each way stake is also treated as a loser. That leaves £5 at half of 16/1 – in other words, £5 at 8/1, to return £45.
Top Goalscorer or Golden Ball or Golden Boot
When making any bet, it is vital to know what you are betting on and also to understand the market. In many competitions things will be simple as the only market will be top goalscorer. Even here, however, there are things to check:
- Do Dead Heat Rules Apply? – In most leagues and cups, this will be the case and no tiebreakers will be used. This means that if three players both top the charts with 22 goals (as happened in the PL in 2018/19), only one-third of your main stake would be classed as a winner.
- What Tiebreakers? – If dead heat rules are not being used, what are the tiebreakers? This might be assists, minutes played or perhaps away goals.
- What Goals Count? – Do goals in preliminary and qualifying rounds count? What about play-off games?
However, in some competitions, chiefly the major international tournaments, there is an official Golden Boot award. Bookies may offer odds on this market, whilst they may offer odds on the top goalscorer instead and many will offer both. The Golden Boot will have official criteria and a result, as determined by FIFA, UEFA, or whatever organising body is involved. This means that dead heat rules will not apply, although such markets may also not offer each way betting.
In contrast, a bookie may offer top goalscorer odds for the same tournament, where dead heat rules do apply. Famously at the 2010 World Cup, four players all finished top of the charts with five goals. Thomas Muller landed the Golden Boot as he edged the other three due to assists. Punters who backed one of the other three for the top scorer would have received a dead heat rules-based payout. In contrast, a wager on David Villa, Wesley Sneijder or Diego Forlan for the Golden Boot, would have been a losing bet.
We are straying somewhat from the relevance of each way betting and football but one last consideration is that there is also a Golden Ball. This is awarded at the World Cup and possibly other tournaments too and is granted to the best player. This is not specifically based on goals but simply on who is officially recognised as the tournament’s best performer. It is important not to place a bet on this market when you intended to back the top scorer or Golden Boot.