BTTS meaning and the strategy you need to win
If your betting experience is non-existent or focussed on more traditional markets like the 1X2 match result bets then it’s quite plausible that BTTS doesn’t mean much to you. Here we look at the BTTS meaning and also how you can profit from those bets.
What is the BTTS meaning?
BTTS simply means ‘both teams to score’.
When it comes to the actual bet you place, you’ll have two options ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. You’re essentially saying ‘I bet both teams will score’ or ‘I bet either one or both teams will not score’.
The BTTS market is so straight forward that it’s a hugely popular one with punters and professional bettors alike.
Should you bet for ‘yes’ or ‘no’?
The odds of the BTTS market are generally balanced on a knife edge. When you look at the split of games that end with both teams scoring you can understand why.
Last season in the Premier League 51% of games ended with both sides on the scoresheet. There are things you can do to leverage that probability further in your favour (we’ll look at this later) but regardless of making those adjustments we’d always suggest looking for opportunities where you can bet ‘yes’.
Why is BTTS betting so popular?
We’ve already touched on the simplicity of the bet but beyond that it still has plenty to offer.
For starters, you don’t give one iota who wins the match, which means your bet doesn’t lose until the last seconds of the game – assuming you bet ‘yes’. If you back a team to win and they’re losing 3-0 with five minutes left, your bet is effectively over, likewise if you’ve plumped for a game to be over 2.5 goals and it’s just 1-0 with time ticking away your chances of winning are slim.
That’s not the case with BTTS. If a team is winning 5-0 a deflected consolation can win you the bet regardless of how one sided the 90 minutes might have been. Of course, just because your bet can last to the death it doesn’t mean it will. Your bet will be won the minute the second team score; if you take the Manchester United versus Tottenham Hotspur game earlier this season that means your bet would have been settled – and most likely paid – just four minutes after kick off.
How to pick a winning bet?
Let’s be honest, understanding how to spot a winning bet is why you’re here so we’ll get to it.
We’ve already mentioned the fact that the overall BTTS metric sat at 51% ‘yes’ to 49% ‘no’ for last season making the bet a difficult call; does it have to be though? The answer is no but there are two things that need to be mentioned before we move on; 1) research will be required and 2) this is betting so guarantees of a win can’t be made. What we can say, however, is that applying this approach each time increases your probability of picking a winner.
The strategy
Firstly, you’ll need to establish a league table that ranks teams in order of how their games stack up in a BTTS respect. This should be split by home and away performances. The reason for this is because the numbers vary massively; take Chelsea for example:
In the 2019/20 season, games at Stamford Bridge only saw both teams score 37% of the time; this is well below the league average of 51%. When you look at the away fixtures that shoots up to 79%. What that tells you is that Chelsea could be a decent shout for BTTS when they’re away from home.
That is only step one though. The second part of the process is to match a team with strong away stats to a home team who also boast respectable home numbers. By pairing those things off your chances of winning increase.
The other thing to mention is that we’ve referenced the 2019/20 season in the above. It’s by no means to be ignored but things can change between seasons. As the 2020/21 campaign progresses you need to bring those statistics into your thinking too.
An example
In the week, Arsenal host Southampton. Given the form of both sides this season, it’s a tough one to call but when you look at the below stats you can start to see the appeal of a BTTS bet.
Last season, Arsenal’s home fixtures saw goals for both sides in 13 of their 19 games. This is 68%. This season they’ve met the BTTS criteria in three from five giving them 60%. Southampton meanwhile saw both sides score in 11 of their 19 away games, 58%. This season they sit at 67% with four of their six matches on the road ending with both teams scoring.
With all things considered, it could prove a good opportunity to bank a BTTS win. Of course, there are no guarantees and it could end 0-0 but the method is sound and executed over an extended period should stand you in very good stead.
Are there other variations of the BTTS bets?
Yes, there are a few variations of BTTS all of which make the bets harder to win, however, as you would expect, with lower probability you tend to get higher odds. We’ve briefly outlined the two core markets you see below:
BTTS in both halves
As you now know the BTTS meaning, this market is exactly what it sounds like. You’re still making the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ wager but rather than being over a 90 minute game you need that outcome to occur in both the first and second half. Generally speaking, the odds of a ‘yes’ are pretty substantial.
Full time result and BTTS
Here you have a popular market that sees the both teams to score bet combined with the match result bet. In this market you don’t have the ‘no’ option so you’re literally picking the outcome of a fixture i.e. home win, away win or draw but in order for your bet to be successful you’ll need to get the match result correct and both sides will have to score. If you only get one part of your bet correct then you lose your entire stake.
There you have it, your guide to the BTTS meaning and, more importantly, the strategy that should help you unlock some winning bets.
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