Nobody really likes low-scoring football matches. Some viewers claim to enjoy slow, tactical battles between teams and managers with neither side capable of breaking the other down. For most fans of the sport, unless there are multiple opportunities to score and the game itself is hard-fought there’s often little to enjoy.
You can change that. ‘Under 1.5 Goals’ provides football supporters and bettors with the chance to earn profit from low-scoring, boring, tedious and downright obnoxious football. Where, in the past, you hated tuning in to see the likes of Burnley take on someone such as Stoke City, you now hear the chimes of a cashier each time you think of the fixture. Betting on goals is hugely popular, and a variety of football betting markets focus just on goals.
That’s because Under 1.5 Goals bets reward punters that take a leap of faith. Not only are you potentially sacrificing your enjoyment of goals, but you’re also taking a risk.
Under 1.5 Goals Meaning
Under 1.5 goals is a football betting market. You are betting on there being less than two goals in the match. Bets on this market will win if the match finishes with zero or one goal. If two or more goals are scored, the bet will lose.
The most common scoreline in football is, at the time of writing (according to FootyStats.org) 1-1. That’s two full goals, one more than you can afford – the maximum number of goals that can be scored in a match for your bet on Under 1.5 Goals to earn returns is one.
Here’s a description of Under 1.5 Goals by William Hill.
William Hill Definition Of Under 1.5 Goals
Predict whether the total number of goals scored in a match will be under the number specified.
The “number specified” in this instance is 1.5. As it’s not possible to score half a goal in football and only whole goals are allowed (1, 2, 3, etc), the threshold at which your bet loses is two. As such, bets will win as long as there are fewer than two goals on the board.
The opposite of this market is the over 1.5 goals betting market. The next unders market is the under 0.5 goals market, which is the equivalent of a 0-0 correct score bet. Going up a level, we have the under 2.5 goals betting market.
Example Under 1.5 Goals Winning Scorelines
- 0-0
- 1-0
Strategy & 3 Tips For Under 1.5 Goals Bets
The ‘.5’ decimal in Under 1.5 Goals bets prevents any possibility of a ‘push’ (refund/return of stake). This is because football statistics are not counted in halves or decimal points, so sportsbooks round up to the nearest whole number in markets where a decimal point is included.
Now that the fundamental mechanism of the market is out of the way, we can get started with our betting strategy. Utilising a strategy, whether it be step by step or a simple idea, will greatly improve the odds of coming away with a profit. Many bettors ignore strategies when it comes to football betting – resulting in unnecessary and avoidable losses every day of the week.
Developing a strategy for ‘Under 1.5 Goals’ is relatively easy. The market is incredibly simple, accessible and boasts good odds. As the sole requirement to win is that there are below two goals within a 90-minute timeframe, you need not concern yourself with any other pieces of data (corners, bookings, etc).
1. Take Advantage Of Big Games
The bigger the occasion, the more likely players are to freeze. It’s happened countless times throughout football’s history. Two imposing outfits keen to impress under the bright lights of worldwide viewership, cheered on by thousands of supporters. Yet, when the lights come on and the whistle blows for kick-off, otherwise confident players seize up and recede into their shells.
It’s the reason behind so many finals ending with a whimper. Football is one of the sports where the saying “it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey” rings truer than ever. Often, the road to the final is more entertaining than the final itself.
Don’t just take our word for it. Let’s examine the last three Champions League Finals.
- 2021/22: Liverpool 0 – 1 Real Madrid
- 2020/21: Manchester City 0 – 1 Chelsea
- 2019/20: PSG 0 – 1 Bayern Munich
Three of the last five FA Cup Finals have ended with under two goals. The same goes for three of the last four League Cup Finals. It’s a pattern that’s repeated time and again across different competitions, particularly in recent history. In each of the finals mentioned, you’d have won money on a bet on ‘Under 1.5 Goals’. This is less about analysing particular statistics and more about acknowledging that statistics racked up from matches earlier in the tournament matter much less when it comes to finals.
2. Bet On Low Scoring Leagues
Given its popularity, you may feel inclined to bet solely on Premier League games. However, England’s top-flight is far from the best option when using the ‘Under 1.5 Goals’ market. Instead of crushing your bankroll by investing in bets that are unlikely to take place on teams you’re familiar with, why not branch out and expand your horizons?
For example, according to statistics gathered by WinDrawWin.com, the best leagues to bet on for 0-0s at the start of the 2022/23 campaign include the following:
- Italy Serie A
- France Ligue 2
- Spain Segunda Division
- Brazil Serie B
Similarly, the divisions listed below are the best for games where you can expect a 1-0 scoreline:
- England League Two
- Wales Cymru Premier
- Germany 3. Liga
- Ghana Premier League
- Denmark Superliga
Not only are most of these leagues located miles from the UK, but they’re in the lower tiers of their respective footballing pyramids. Therefore, you should carry out some analysis to differentiate the good teams from the bad, the high-scorers and low-scorers, as well as which teams perform better away and at home. With all this data at hand, you should be capable of making an informed, winning bet on the Under 1.5 Goals market.
3. Examine Recent Results
In league matches, a team’s form can matter more than talent alone. Take Liverpool at the start of 2022/23’s Premier League season as an example; the Reds were Champions League Finalists the season before, had won a domestic cup double and lost out on the Premier League title by a solitary point.
Yet, upon the curtain-raising fixtures in 2022/23, Jurgen Klopp’s side failed to win any of the opening three matches. Although each of their outings saw over 1.5 goals, their form was a far cry from what many onlookers had become accustomed to seeing. Such poor form can lead to value being found in bets on bigger clubs.
West Ham and Chelsea also struggled to get off the mark, sitting bottom and 12th in the league standings respectively. Of the Hammer’s first three matches, you’d have won on a bet on ‘Under 1.5 Goals’ once, while the same is true for Chelsea. The London Stadium side did not add to the scoreline in any of these games, Chelsea hit the net just three times. In these results, there is plenty of value to be found in ‘Under 1.5 Goals’. Keep an eye out for teams with similar runs of form in your research.
Best Bookies For Under 1.5 Goals Betting
As we always say, it’s virtually impossible to define the ‘perfect’ bookmaker. Some bettors like bookies that offer a wide selection of bets despite poor odds, whereas other punters prefer to indulge in sportsbooks with a variety of bonuses but very few selections to choose from. There are multiple ways to judge a bookie – the important thing is that you feel comfortable betting with yours.
In terms of the best bookmaker for Under 1.5 Goals selections, we can recommend the following sites:
- SkyBet
- Paddy Power
- Betfair
- Bet365
Each of the above offers a vast array of unique odds for almost every match day. You can create accumulators on Under 1.5 Goals with all four bookies to increase your potential winnings, or stick to singles, doubles or trebles for smaller punts. Accessibility and personalization of bets are key to everything these popular bookies offer.
Here’s how the Under 1.5 Goals market looks at each of the four sports betting sites we recommend.
SkyBet – Long List & Betslip
Paddy Power – Viborg vs West Ham (Europa League)
Betfair – Long List & Match Odds (Sportsbook)
Bet365 – “Alternative Total Goals”
Under 1.5 Goals Betting Terminology
If you’re new to the world of online sports betting, this market is a perfect starting point. It’s not too difficult, not too easy, and pays out quite nicely on winning punts. Before throwing everything you’ve got at a wager in excitement, it’s important to precisely understand what it is you’re betting on. To do this, read our breakdown of each term in the market title.
First, ‘Under’. It’s the opening line of the market’s name and tells us one of the most crucial pieces of information concerning our bet; that the statistic we are betting on must be below a specified threshold. We’re not yet aware of which statistic we’re betting on at this point.
Following ‘Under’ is ‘1.5’. This is equally as important as the previous word, as it lets us know how many of a certain statistic may take place for the wager to win or lose. In this case, the word ‘Under’ preceding ‘1.5’ means that whatever the statistic we’re betting on, it must not occur more than 1.5 times. Effectively, this sets a maximum limit of two occurrences.
The final word in this phrase is ‘Goals’. While the two words that come before ‘Goals’ described what can, will and should happen, as well as the maximum number of occasions in which it can take place, this one defines the exact statistic we’re betting on. ‘Goals’ are the ultimate aim in football, with both competing teams striving to score as many as possible within a 90-minute game.
Goals are scored when the ball crosses the opposition goalkeeper’s goal-line. A point is credited to the attacking team, and the side with the highest number of goals takes the win. In this betting market, you are hoping for no more than a single goal. Your bet wins if the match achieves this feat.
So, now we know that when we bet on ‘Under 1.5 Goals’, we’re betting on the following:
- That there will be fewer than two goals scored in a football match.
- If the above is true, the bet wins.
