Football betting comes with a huge range of markets that bettors can enjoy and also give you the odds and the level of return that you are looking for. The both halves market certainly falls into that category.
A win both halves bet is one of the most common bet types, offered by multiple bookmakers and betting exchanges. Although it sounds obvious what this bet entails from the name, it is very easy to get them confused with half -time/full-time bets, which sound the same but are an entirely different market.
Win both halves is a popular football betting strategy that is becoming increasingly popular among punters, but it is still a relatively new concept so some may be unsure on how it all works. We will explain how win both halves wagers work, the pros and cons and how the differ from half time and full time bets.
How do Win Both Halves Bets Work?
Win both halves bets are available for a number of sports, but are most closely associated with football betting. For your bet to win, your team simply needs to outscore their opponents in the first half. They will then also need to win the second half. If you are a football fan, you will have likely hear people in the game say “go out and win the second half”. Now you can bet on that.
This market is essentially looking at the first and second half as separate entities rather than the full 90 minutes. Your team must be in the lead at half time, then the score basically resets and no goals are carried over. The team you choose must then go out and repeat the trick and win the second half with the score back to 0-0 (in the bet). If your team wins both halves, you win the bet.
For example, you may bet on a Premier League game and think Arsenal will win both halves against Nottingham Forest. If Arsenal go into half time 1-0 up and then win the game 3-0 you win the bet as the Gunners will have won both halves.
To win Both Halves Betting Example
Let’s say you are betting on this Nations League game between Croatia and Portugal. You back Portugal to win both halves and you will be successful if the following happened:
Portugal are a goal up at half time and then go onto win the game 3-1. This means they won the first half 1-0 and the second half 2-1 so you win your bet. However, if the game finished 1-0 with the goal Portugal scored in the first 45, you would lose as while they won the game, they didn’t add to their tally in the second half so in the eyes of the halves market it ended 0-0. The final score is irrelevant here.
So, the premise of a win both halves wager is that your team must score more times than their opposition in both halves to win.
How to Find Both Halves Bets
Win both halves bets aren’t as popular yet as just picking a winning team with basic match odds or a half result, so you won’t see them available on every betting site. However, where they are available they are simple to find. You might need to navigate to ‘more tabs’ on some bookies or click the specials on others to find them, though.
Here is a screenshot below from bet365 and their win both halves options.
To get to this screen, I clicked on the Leicester v Chelsea game, then hit the specials tab which brings up these options. Of course you will see some high odds with the underdogs, Leicester in this case, which can boost your bankroll. Simply click the team you think will win both halves and away you go.
What is the Difference Between Win Both Halves Bets & HT/FT?
There are some markets that can seem similar to the win both halves market, but the one that causes the most confusion is the half-time full time betting option. This market is a bet on who you think will be leading the game at the break and at the end of the 90 minutes, but the big difference is the scoreline carries over.
For example, if Manchester United were to score a goal in the first half and go into half time leading, and then protect that lead and win the game 1-0, your bet would win as United were winning at half time and full time.
There isn’t a half time reset on the scoreline, and you can even bet on one team to be winning at half time and the other to be winning at full time. The beauty of halves betting is that things like injury time play a part, as the pressure increases if you are defending a lead and this plays into bettor’s thinking.
Half time/full time bets also have nine different possible bets, whereas with win both halves bets you can only bet on the competing teams to win both halves. It is a very popular betting market as players understand how things can change in a football match between two halves.
Win Both Halves Tips
We all want to score a big betting win, so which team do you pick to increase your chances of winning on win both halves bets? Let’s look at some factors to consider.
Time of Goals
Have a look at the timings of the goals from the teams you are looking to bet on. Teams that dominate the ball and grind other sides down, such as Manchester City, get a lot of late goals as the pressure eventually tells. On the flip side, there are teams that grow into the game and might play conservatively in the opening 45 before coming on strong late. Although this would be good for a team win bet it wouldn’t for a win both halves bet as they start slowly.
Look out for teams who are on the front foot from the start. You don’t want teams known for making great comebacks as you want them to be winning at half time.
Goal Scoring Record
Of course, you need one of the two teams to score for your bet to win, so look out for teams that are known to be up there in the scoring charts. You need the team you are betting on to have notched at least two goals, one in each half. However, if they concede, they will need to add a third.
We all like goals in football matches and it is the same with win both halves bets. If they are known to have a stingy defence and usually win games by the odd goal, it is not a wise option for this market. Bet on the teams with the start strikers who can score at will.
Opposition
You need to carefully choose which team you are betting on, and the same applies to their opposition for any single game. If your team is going up against another attacking team, bare in mind your selection might need to score a fair few goals for the bet to win. With that being the case, look out for an attacking side going against a team struggling for goals. An established Premier League club against a newly promoted side, for example. Yes, the odds might be less, but everything build up and a win is a win.
Home/Away Games
It has always been the way in football that, for the most part, teams perform better at home. An away team might set their stall out to be difficult to break down and thus it could be a tight, cagey game. Look closely at the home and away form of the team you are betting on and take that into consideration before placing your bet.
Injuries & Player Stats
If you want to bet on Man City but Haaland is missing, or Liverpool but Salah is out, that could change things. This is why I would recommend waiting for the starting lineups to be announced before placing your win both halves bet. Again, doing some research and keeping up to date with the latest team news in the build up to the game will also be beneficial.
There are now dedicated websites that look purely into player stats. For example, there could be ‘super subs’ who could come on and score so that should play a role in your bet as it could mean late goals when they get onto the pitch.
Pros & Cons of Win Both Halves Bets
Pros
- Can get higher odds than the match result market, leading to higher payouts.
- Available across a wide range of sports, particularly popular for football betting.
- Due to the higher odds, you can bet on strong favourites.
Cons
- Higher risk than just betting on the result.
- The high odds also reflect the reduced possibility of the bet winning.
Best Bookmakers for Win Both Halves Betting
There are multiple bookmakers that offer lots of options of half football betting. If you want to get started with betting on the first or second half of football games, you can choose from any of the bookies below:
