When betting on English football, always do your best to ensure you get the best odds to provide long-term value. No matter who you’re backing in the Premier League, Championship, League One or League Two, small differences in price can become significant during harsh times. With the UK betting market now saturated, a number of bookies and exchanges are offering very competitive prices on English football.
Whether you are just starting out in the betting world or have been enjoying it for years, learning how odds work, why and how some operators will price football more competitively on a regular basis. All this could help you and other betting enthusiasts.
What does “best odds” mean in football betting?
Football odds are estimates made by the bookmaker of the likely outcome of an event plus margin. Bookmakers who have low margins will offer odds that are closer to the true probability resulting in better odds for the punter.
Various factors cause fluctuation of the odds;
One of the things we analyse are the liabilities and risk management strategies. This is closely followed by when the bet is placed – either early markets or close to kick-off. English football is always one of the most popular sports ever and engages millions of fans all the time.
UK bookmakers with competitive English football odds
Bet365
Many believe that Bet365 is one of the strongest fixed-odds bookmakers for English football. Coverage across all domestic leagues, ranging from the Premier League to the lower echelons of the EFL, is extensive.
According to sports betting sites review by CheekyPunter, Bet365 offers odds which are highly competitive due to high liquidity on Premier League games shown on television. There are many markets available to bet on match results, goals, players, accumulators and more.
It is ideal for comprehensive coverage of English leagues, consistently competitive fixed odds, and depth of football markets.
Betfair Exchange
Betfair Exchange uses a peer-to-peer betting system, enabling users to make bets with one another instead of placing a bet against the bookmaker. The chances of winning are better than a bookmaker because of a heavier structure that results in lower chances.
Betfair’s Exchange has the strongest prices on big English football leagues, like the Premier League, Championship and others. Even though a fee is charged on winning, it can still be higher overall.
Betfair is ideal for the best raw odds on popular matches, backing and laying teams, and experienced or value-focused bettors
Smarkets
Smarkets is a betting exchange which aims for transparency and low commissions. It is well-known for its sharp pricing on English football, especially match odds and outright markets.
The liquidity may be less than Betfair on smaller leagues, but Smarkets will often price up tightly on Premier League and Championship matches, making it a solid choice for low-margin betting.
Smarkets is suited for low-commission betting, match result and outright markets, and value-driven football bettors
Unibet
Unibet regularly offers competitive odds on English football, especially on match results, goals market and popular Premier League matches. Their price fixing of major matches is aggressive, particularly nearer the kick-off.
Although not always leading the market for every outcome, the odds at Unibet are certainly up there with the best of the fixed-odds bookmakers, often providing enhanced value on selected matches.
Unibet is best for Premier League betting, match odds and goals markets, and consistent pricing on popular matches
Paddy Power
Paddy Power has a strong reputation in the UK betting scene and can at times provide exceptional odds on major English football games.
Although its prices are not always the best across all leagues and markets, it can be very competitive on selected Premier League matches. The odds leadership at Paddy Power is highly variable, meaning that it is likely most worthwhile checking but not necessarily relying on.
Paddy Power is best for selected Premier League fixtures and early prices on headline matches
Why no bookmaker always has the best odds
Even the most competitive bookmakers move in and out of odds leadership. One bookie might offer the best price on a home win while another leads on the draw or away win. Odds offered on betting exchanges are usually better overall but you may find the liquidity lacking on smaller leagues.
Consequently, skilled bettors seldom use the same bookmaker. One of the best ways to maximise value from a betting metric is comparing odds across different operators.
Conclusion
Betfair Exchange and Smarkets often have the best overall odds for any English football match due to their lower margins. For conventional fixed-odds betting, Bet365 and Unibet (independent UK bookmakers) remain two of the strongest UK bookmakers.
In short, you should not select one bookmaker but constantly get odds from multiple bookmakers for the best price on every English football bet.
