Sports betting is not just about who will win and who will lose a particular event. In fact, the outcome of the overall event is completely irrelevant when wagering on many proposition bets such as the yellow and red cards/total bookings markets.

Wagering on yellow and red cards might not seem like an obvious bet choice to new punters, but it is a very popular market amongst more seasoned bettors. This is because the statistics are easy to research, and rules are straightforward.

This gives the bettor more of a sense that they are making an informed decision based on data rather than just going on gut instinct. Of all the stats-friendly markets, betting on cards is one of the easiest for punters to quickly get up to speed on.

Those looking to become knowledgeable about a particular market can easily find stats or keep their own records of cards issued in their league of choice, or even across multiple leagues. By delving deep into these niche markets, it can sometimes be easier to find high-value bets.

So let’s take a closer look at the choices available in the bookings market.

First Bookings

There are several ways in which you can bet on yellow and red cards. The first, and most simple, way is to bet on which team will receive the first booking in the match.

The odds for each team to be booked first are usually quite close to EVENS in this market, while the odds for no booking at all are typically quite high, often as much as 16/1 such is the rarity of this occurrence. You can find all betting odds explained in our handy guide.

A much harder bet to predict is which player will be booked first, but there are plenty of hot-headed characters out there who attract action in this market.

This bet can also be attractive if there is a big derby game involving a player with a feisty reputation. In such a situation, the next bet types could also come into play.

Team To Have A Player Sent Off

Bettors who feel that a particular game might get a bit heated could be tempted to delve into this market. Just predict if a team will have a player sent off at any point in the encounter.

The price you are offered could be affected by many factors such as the team’s reputation, their previous dismissal record and which team they are facing.

A Specific Player To Be Sent Off

Much like the previous bet but you must name the player who you think is going to see red. Certain players are more likely to get sent off than others and certain games can produce more reds than others.

Identifying the teams, players and head-to-head encounters that are more likely to draw a dismissal is the key to finding value in this market.

Of the players still active in the game, Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos holds the record for the highest number of red cards received with a total of 23 accumulated over a 16 year period.

But remarkably, he has never been sent off while playing for the Spanish national team despite making 149 appearances.

Having said that, Ramos still has a long way to go to match the record of 46 red cards picked up by retired Colombian defensive midfielder Gerardo Bedoya.

The hot-headed former Millonarios and Santa Fe man was once suspended for 15 matches for violent conduct following an incident in the Bogota derby.

Total Booking Points

This market is appealing to regular punters because there is no requirement to predict the exact player or team to which the cards will be issued.

Wagers are simply placed according to the overall number of booking points that will be accumulated in the game.

To bet in this market you need to understand the booking points system. All bookmakers use a points system to allocate values to the cards.

For example, at 888sport, the following point are allocated bookings:

• Yellow card = 10 points
• Red card = 25 points
• Two yellow cards leading to a red = 35 points

This makes it easy for bettors to understand and allows markets to be set at certain benchmarks. Here are a few bets that you may be offered in this market:

• Over 3.5 booking points
• Under 3.5 booking points
• Home team Under 1.5 booking points
• Home team Over 1.5 booking points
• Home team Under 1.5 booking points
• Home team Over 1.5 booking points

So, for the Premier League match between Arsenal and Newcastle in December, 888sport were offering 5/4 for under 3.5 cards and 11/20 for over 3.5 cards.

However, Arsenal were 6/4 to receive over 1.5 points, while Newcastle were 1/2 in the same market, suggesting that visitors were expected to take up more space in the referee's book.

Handicap Cards Betting

Handicap betting on cards works the same as in any other soccer handicap market. The bookmaker will give one side an advantage or head start over the other in order to balance any perceived bias between the two.

A team with a -1 handicap would have to receive one booking point just to draw level with the other team who would start with a +1 handicap. If the first team received two more booking points than the second, the handicap bet would win.

But if they received the same or fewer points, the second team would win. If the first team received one more point, the points would be equal when the handicap is applied resulting in a push result and stakes would be returned.

The push scenario can be avoided with fractional handicaps. So, one team might have a -0.5 handicap and the other a +0.5. In this situation, a push is not possible as one team would always have the edge over the other.

For example, if the first team (-0.5) gets one more card than the second team (+0.5) they would have a half point advantage and would the bet would. But if they have the same or fewer points, they would lose once the handicap is applied.

Crunching The Numbers

You can look at stats to help you make a decision. For example, with 18 games played this season, all of Brighton and Hove Albion’s away matches had produced 3.5 booking points or less, while 77.8% of West Ham’s away games had produced that number or higher.

It is also worth noting that some match referees tend to give out more yellow cards per game than others, while some hand out fewer yellows but are more likely to show red.

These kind of discrepancies can be used to help you make your final decision. So it is important to check which man in black will be taking charge of a game before placing any bets.  

By looking at all the numbers and also considering other factors such as card-happy referees, derby matches etc. sharp punters can make accurate estimations about the total number of booking points in a game.

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Every bettor in the world, regardless of experience, looks for some kind of edge that they can have over the bookies. Be it from their own back catalogue of sports knowledge, different betting strategies, or through doing some proper research beforehand. We’ll be delving into that latter part here, giving you a form of checklist of areas to research before placing a bet.

Caution In Live Betting

Before delving into the pregame research, it’s important to cover the quick research that should be performed before getting on a live bet. Now and then, when scrolling through the in-play betting section, you’ll see a team that’s both winning and over evens. It’s really important to quickly go to the game page to see if it is really worth betting on.

While live odds are constantly changing, meaning that you may miss out on great odds, you should always do three quick checks: league standing, number of players on the field, time remaining. If they’re all favourable, or just favourable enough, then go ahead and take advantage of those great live odds.

Form Can Be Telling

There are many recordings of form in almost all sports, with each section deserving of your attention. The first is the standard last five form, which will show you the team’s results over the last five games. If they’re in good form and favoured to win the game, then they probably look like a safe option, but the more intricate form records will be more telling.

Home and away form is a huge factor in almost all team sports, and in horse racing, each horse will have raced more at certain venues than others. If second in the league is playing a mid-table club away but haven’t been great away from home in recent times, their odds may not indicate this, but they may still be prone to slipping up on their travels.

Take, for example, Watford vs Manchester United on October 28. Manchester United were 13/25 to win and sat much higher in the league with far more points than Watford, but the Red Devils have lost three of their last four away games, all by one goal, succumbing to the likes of Basel and Huddersfield Town.

Then it’s also important to consider the flip side, which in this case would be Watford, winning two and losing two of their previous four home games, beating Arsenal and West Ham United but losing to Stoke City and Manchester City.

Next is head-to-head historical form. In the ever-changing football landscape, you don’t want to look too far back into the historical head-to-head results between two teams, but the most recent results from the last few seasons can be quite telling.

On December 1, Malaga vs Levante will be battled out in La Liga, with the home and away odds to win the game at 9/10 and 16/5, respectively. Their head-to-head history sees Malaga win the most recent two games, Levante win the two before that, and Malaga win one at the start of 2015. But, if you look at their head-to-head with regards to home and away, Malaga have won four of the last five matchups when at La Rosaleda, thus giving them an edge here.

Form in each competition can also be important as the manager may focus on one over the others, as can history at certain big venues, such as those used for finals. Last season, Jose Mourinho prioritised the Europa League over the Premier League to gain passage to the Champions League, thus making his Manchester United side less favoured in league matches around games in Europe.

Then, to prove venue form, just look at how Tottenham Hotspur continued their historical struggles at Wembley last season.

Away from football to look at the sports which play games with far more frequency – such as the major USA sports leagues of ice hockey, basketball, and baseball – form is even more important as momentum drives the teams through their crowded fixtures lists. Winning streaks and losing streaks become even more important when games are coming in quick succession.

Injuries, Suspension And Managerial Changes

In all sports, injuries and suspensions have a major impact on games. As every player on the field, rink, or court will have an influence on the game and play a role, losing one to injury will change the dynamic of the team. But it’s not just that a team is going to be without a player, it’s who the team are going to replace the player with and the mismatches that the change can create.

So, are there any major injuries or suspensions in the team? If so, how important was that player to scoring or defending, and how apt is their replacement going to be? Take, for example, Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City. The guy is a wizard on the ball both when it comes to creating goals and scoring them.

At 41/20 to score anytime against Southampton on November 29, he’s a key part of the team and would be sorely missed if he couldn’t play. However, City are stacked with creative players that can change position or come into the starting XI, with the likes of Bernardo Silva, Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane, and David Silva all in their ranks.

Also, if a player is coming back from a recent injury, possibly sooner than expected, it might be a wise to consider them as not being 100 percent. Being out of action for a couple of months can result in a player needing time to get back into the swing of things, or even those nursing niggling injuries can play below par if they’re not fully fit again.

Managerial changes are always tricky to gauge. Sometimes when a team has been in a slump, as soon as their manager gets sacked, the team suddenly begins to play well – possibly to impress their next boss. Then, when a new manager comes in, it can sometimes take a few games for the team to adjust to the new systems put in place.

It’s always good to be aware of how a new manager likes their team to play and is sometimes just worth leaving teams with new managers off of your bet slip for a week or two so that you can see how they perform.

Surrounding Fixtures

This is quite a similar point to one made in the Form section, but if a team are on the cusp of progressing to the next stage or being annihilated in other competitions, such as the Champions League – which Paris Saint-Germain are currently the 13/4 favourites to win – the manager may rotate their team to give them a better chance of winning in the other competition.

So, it’s always a good idea to check the fixtures list and the team’s standing and upcoming opponent in other competitions.

Players Do The Work

Be it for betting on goal scorers or the winner of the game, the form of key players is important, as well as their history against certain clubs. Take, for example, Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku.

The big Belgian went on a seven-goal scoring spree in as many games to kick off this Premier League season but then went ice cold and on a four-game goalless streak. But, perhaps predictably, he returned to scoring against Newcastle United, who were his joint-seventh favourite team to score against historically with five goals in eight matchups.

Much like teams having preferred opponents, players do as well. Knowing which clubs certain players, particularly goal scorers, like to prey upon can be very helpful when betting. Lukaku has 11/4 odds to score last in the game against Watford -  as he has done with half of his league goals through 12 games this season –  who he has two goals in four games against historically.

Keep Informed

One of the best tools that a bettor can use is their own knowledge of the game. Watching games in the league, or even just the weekly or nightly highlight shows and flicking through sports news will keep you in-tune with the recent occurrences in the sport which gives you an edge.

Then, if you start to get a gut feeling – which will just be the culmination of your knowledge – about a certain outcome, do some research to shore up your thinking, and then place the bet. Afterall, you’ll be able to see the trends that odds calculators can’t; once again giving you an edge. 

All eyes will be on Wembley Stadium this weekend as Manchester City face Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final.

This competition, otherwise known as the League Cup, has been shunted to one side by England’s top clubs in years gone by but two of the Premier League’s biggest sides will compete in the 2017/18 showpiece.

Pep Guardiola’s men, reeling from the shock FA Cup defeat to Wigan Athletic on Monday night, will be determined to clinch their first piece of silverware and 888sport are opening with City as red-hot favourites at 1/2.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are valued at 19/4 to emerge victorious in 90 minutes whilst the draw is available at 17/5. One thing is for sure; an open and expansive contest looks likely at the home of English football.

Man City Will Want To Send Out A Statement

City have scored two or more goals in four of their previous five fixtures against Arsenal and another high scoring fixture could be on the cards. Currently priced at 11/25 to notch over 1.5 goals during the fixture, Guardiola’s men should create plenty of chances in attack.

Sergio Aguero can bounce back in the best possible way after a troubling week following the defeat to Wigan. The Argentina striker has scored 29 goals in 39 appearances for City so far this season and is a 3/1 chance to open the scoring at Wembley.

Plenty of punters will be expecting City to respond to the doubters in the best possible way here – and that is by putting Arsenal to the sword. The 11/10 for Pep’s side to score in both halves is a decent price considering their offensive prowess, especially if Gabriel Jesus is fit enough to return.

Can Arsenal Score? They Always Score...

Arsene Wenger took the risk of selecting a strong team for their Europa League first leg with Ostersunds FK on Thursday evening but that decision paid off as the Gunners ran riot in a 3-0 away victory. I'm expecting plenty of changes for the return leg this week…

And that will give a few of Arsenal’s key men the chance to rest up ahead of Sunday’s short trip to Wembley. The Gunners, notoriously strong at the home of English football, have an excellent scoring record against City – bagging at least one goal in each of their previous 11 competitive fixtures.

With that in mind, punters should consider the 4/9 for a goal in both halves. Both teams are blessed with powerful offensive units and neutrals are expecting an exciting fixture. The 3/5 on offer for both teams to score in 90 minutes is also worth a look and the 10/1 for Arsenal and City to score in BOTH halves is perhaps long enough to warrant a small wager.

Prediction

I’m struggling to see past City here. Pep’s side had an off day on Monday night – there’s no doubt about it. Whilst some clubs would ponder on that result too much, City will turn their attention to this fixture almost instantly.

Guardiola is hungry to take City to the next level and winning trophies is the best way to do that.

via GIPHY

Wenger will need to come up with a near-perfect game plan to halt this City side in its tracks – Arsenal did it in last year’s FA Cup semi final but expecting another Gunners win here may be foolish.

The 19/10 for City to win and both teams to score is a price well worth taking ahead of Sunday’s contest. 

TOP TIP: Manchester City to win and both teams to score @ 19/10

CORRECT SCORE: Manchester City 3-1 Arsenal @ 10/1

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Sundays following a week of European football are often the ones that genuinely deserve the ‘Super’ tag. This weekend is no different.

We have the Carabao Cup final late on Sunday afternoon to go with two Premier League matches before it, featuring three of the league’s top five teams. Oh, and a fair few superstars in action - check out our thoughts below...

Crystal Palace vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Tottenham can go into the top four with a draw. Crystal Palace could be in the bottom three again by the time this match kicks off. The Eagles have taken just a pair of points from their last four matches in the league, and are right in the midst of this immensely tight relegation dogfight.

Solid home form will give Roy Hodgson a smidgen of optimism. Only one defeat in 10 at Selhurst Park is something. The trouble is, the former England manager has next to no options. He could have 10 first team absentees, including the talismanic Wilfried Zaha.

Mauricio Pochettino has no injury concerns. Spurs are unbeaten in nine, beating Arsenal and Manchester United and drawing with Liverpool in their last three league matches. This is not the team you want to be facing with a depleted squad, especially when Zaha could have been such a threat on the counter.

Spurs’ away form has not been great though. The north London club have drawn their last five competitive away matches, but that does include the 2-2s at Anfield and Juventus Stadium.

Palace have been a little unfortunate of late, but the continuing poor form of Christian Benteke is a real concern. Alexander Sorloth needs to produce this weekend even with minimal service or the hosts could be relying on a penalty once again.

I think a rested Spurs will win this one pretty comfortably.

TIP: Tottenham to be winning at half-time and full-time @ 23/20

Manchester United vs CHELSEA

The lead-up to this match will be about the barbs fired by Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho. Remarkably, though, this is not just about two middle-aged men having a childish spat, but there’s an important football match due to take place at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

In theory, Chelsea can overtake Manchester United this weekend. It would take a significant goal difference swing, however, so moving level on points is more likely.

This is a vital period for both clubs, with United seemingly on the wane and Chelsea recovering from their early-2018 blip. Conte’s side were superb against Barcelona in midweek, while Manchester United were typically uninspiring away at Sevilla.

The rumoured difficulties between Mourinho and Paul Pogba continue to loom over the club and it will be interesting to see if the Frenchman did enough off the bench on Wednesday to earn a start.

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United have a very strong home record this term, winning 10 of 13 and conceding just five. Despite that, Mourinho may well return to a back three to matchup with the visitors, and I expect Conte to name one of Alvaro Morata or Olivier Giroud from the start after leaving the centre-forward pair on the bench in midweek.

This is a meeting of two teams going in different directions right now. Just a couple of weeks ago, Conte was the man under the cosh and Chelsea’s season on the verge of crumbling, but at the moment I’d be surprised to see the Blues lose this one.

TIP: Chelsea to win or draw @ 4/6

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*