Both Teams To Score In First Half/Second Half/Both Halves
One team scores a goal in the first half, much to the joy of its supporters. The players run to their adoring fans to celebrate going in front, screaming and shouting in unintelligible spurts. For a moment, that goal is the only thing that matters in the whole world. When the opposition equalises on the cusp of halftime, what were releases of happiness quickly turn to expletives. Football is a fickle game.
Depending on the teams involved, there may be multiple goals scored in both halves (by both teams) or none at all. Everything rides on whether the attackers can outsmart defenders and force them into a mistake. In fixtures where this is possible, bets on per-half BTTS (Both Teams To Score) markets are potentially profitable.
The markets we’re focussing on here are the following:
- Both Teams To Score in the First Half
- Both Teams To Score in the Second Half
- Both Teams To Score in Both Halves
Despite similarities between all three bet types, there are some notable differences. Bettors must be diligent when picking one market over the other to maximise profits. Before jumping into a bet on any of the aforementioned betting options, let’s run through what each market means.
- Both Teams To Score In First Half: The two teams must score at least once in the first forty-five minutes (including additional time).
- Both Teams To Score In Second Half: Each side is required to add to the scoreline once or more during the second half of the game (after half-time) for your bet to win.
- Both Teams To Score in Both Halves: Goals must be scored by each team in the first and second half of the match.
Official descriptions of these markets from UK bookmakers SkyBet and William Hill can be found below.
Both Teams To Score In First Half/Second Half Betting Strategy
In these two markets, you should look for matches involving teams that often come out of the blocks like a house on fire. Goals scored early in both halves are key, as it puts one team on the back foot and in need of a goal, whereas the other side either attempts to defend what they’ve got or bag more goals.
If a goal is scored within the first 15 minutes of a half, the chances of another goal before the halves end greatly increase. This is because there is significantly more time for the opposing outfit to bounce back from the early concession. Hence, we recommend examining the recent form of both teams, as well as the match history between the pair, before placing a wager on either market.
For instance, if Team A usually scores an early goal and Team B are good at striking back in the first half, a bet on Both Teams To Score in the First Half is a solid choice. Similarly, if Team B often bag a goal at the start of the second half of matches and Team A are capable of levelling the score before the game ends, you can find Both Teams To Score in the Second Half to be a profitable market.
We recommend using stats sites like FootyStats.org to see which teams are good in certain halves.
Teams that boast impressive winning percentages in either the first or second halves are good bets to score (as they have to score goals to win a half).
Chelsea did not lose a single first half in the Premier League during 2021-22, winning 15 times and drawing 23. Despite not losing any first half, The Blues’ record of 15 first-half wins is actually the worst of the top-five performing teams in the opening forty-five minutes of games. That means Thomas Tuchel’s men were either pegged back, scored equalising goals in the first half, or were held to 0-0’s.
As long as the latter did not occur, bettors would have made money on teams like Chelsea by betting on Both Teams To Score in the First Half due to good prices and Chelsea’s deceivingly good record at half-time.
Here’s an example of how this market looks at William Hill in a match between Leeds and Chelsea.
Both Teams To Score in Both Halves Betting Strategy Guide
This market is a little bit unique as it requires both sides to score one goal in both halves of the football match. Unlike the two markets we’ve already discussed, this market is more nuanced and necessitates additional occurrences to win. Moreover, as there are further intricacies to take into account compared to Both Teams To Score in the First/Second Half, the number of things to be taken into account is grander in scale.
Here are a few things to keep an eye out for when looking to bet on this market:
- Rivalries/Feisty Matches
- Poor Defenses
- Injuries
- Teams Leaking Goals
- Red Cards
The perfect storm for this type of bet is when you find a fixture packed with some or all of these features. An example of a team that would be good for a bet on this market is Liverpool at the start of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign. After two games The Reds struggled with injuries, leaked goals against weaker opponents, appeared very disjointed at the back and their new star signing, Darwin Nunez, received a red card in just his second competitive outing. With big games on the horizon against more difficult opposition than they’ve already faced, value may be found in bets on Jurgen Klopp’s side in the Both Teams To Score in Both Halves market.
So, what you’re generally on the hunt for here are intense games between sides that don’t like one another and defences that struggle to contain attackers. A disappointing disciplinary record and injuries are a bonus, with a history of unexpected and random goals also a plus. There are many such games sprinkled across the season, with historical matches that would have won on this market being:
- Manchester United 3 – 2 Norwich City 16/4/2022
- Manchester United 3 – 2 Arsenal 2/12/2021
- West Ham 3 – 2 Liverpool 7/11/2021
- West Ham 2 – 3 Tottenham Hotspur 23/9/2017
- Liverpool 4 – 3 Manchester City 14/1/2018
Every game had at least one of our listed characteristics, with big rivalries, unfortunate unexpected goals, injury-laden squads and poor defensive work. For upcoming games, be sure to look for similar storylines.
This is how Both Teams To Score in Both Halves looks when viewing the market on William Hill:
