Most beginners and experienced cappers, aiming to win regularly and substantially when placing bets, tend to wager on the victory or other positive outcome of the favorite. Only a few bettors manage to win by betting on the success of a team that is not the favorite. To achieve such results, players use a special betting strategy — “Against the Favorite.”
“Against the Favorite” Betting Strategies
In this case, the “underdog” should not be a clear outsider with minimal chances of success, but rather a mid-tier team whose chances are undervalued by the bookmaker.
How to Choose a Sporting Event
To select an event for the “Against the Favorite” strategy, the bettor needs to conduct some analytical work.
This work involves analyzing the teams’ current form and position, whose results will be predicted in the bet. The analysis includes the following factors:
- The number of injuries among key players (especially forwards);
- The motivation level of both sides for the upcoming match;
- The players’ fatigue level and fixture congestion;
- Head-to-head results between the teams.
Example of Bets Using the “Against the Favorite” Strategy
A football expert with a bankroll of $5 decided to place three bets using the “Against the Favorite” system on English tournaments (Premier League and League Cup). He distributed his stakes as follows: $2, $2, and $1.
In the “Brentford” vs “Fulham” match, bookmakers considered the home team as favorites. The bettor wagered on the away team’s victory at odds of 2.75. The match ended 3:0 in favor of Brentford — the bet lost.
In the “Leeds” vs “Manchester City” match (Premier League, Round 4), the bettor wagered on a draw* (Leeds hadn’t lost to Man City at home in their last two meetings) at odds of 6.71. The match ended 1:1 — the bet won, returning $13.42.
In the “Leicester City” vs “West Ham” match (Premier League, Round 4), Leicester were considered favorites. The bettor wagered on a West Ham victory at odds of 4.59. The game ended 0:3 — the bet won, yielding $4.59 in profit.
As a result, the bettor’s net profit amounted to $13.01.
