Half Time/Full Time Betting Market Explained – Complete Guide

Written By: Conor Rafter
Last Updated: October 17, 2022

Half Time/Full Time Betting Market Explained 

According to SkyBet’s description of the Half Time/Full Time betting market, the bet type is described as:

Sky Bet’s description of the Half Time/Full Time

“You’re betting on: the result of the match at half time and full time.”

Half Time Full Time Betting Market Explained - Skybet's description

This reads much like Ladbrokes’ take on the market, with the sports betting operator explaining that Half Time/Full Time bets “are settled based on the result of the match at half time and full time (including injury time)”.

Half Time Full Time Betting Market Explained - Ladbroke's take

In a nutshell – the Half Time/Full Time betting market is a bet on the result at half-time and full-time. Both aspects of the bet must be correctly predicted for the bet to win.

Depending on the bookie, you may or may not have the ability to pick the exact scoreline. Some operators, like Bet365, allow for this type of Half Time/Full-Time wager. The risk with this is that if you’re off by even a single goal in either the half-time or full-time section of the bet, you’ll lose. Get the outcome of the first half correct, as well as the overall result, and you’ll earn winnings.

Half Time/Full Time Betting Terminology

Both sides of this particular bet go hand in hand with one another. In football, there are two halves of 45 minutes, with a 15-minute break in between. This break is known as ‘Half Time’ and marks the halfway point in the match. In addition to the 90 minutes in total, most games also have an added bit of play at the end, known as ‘injury time’. This is usually no longer than four to five minutes, and it gives teams an opportunity to make up for the time lost during treatment for injured players and substitutions, among other occurrences that resulted in game-time being lost.

When the 90-odd minutes have elapsed, the referee blows the ‘Full Time’ whistle. The game concludes and the result is determined.

With this in mind, you can put two and two together. The ‘Half Time’ part of the Half Time/Full Time market refers to the scoreline at the end of the first 45 minutes. ‘Full Time’, as you’d expect, is the final score at the end of the game. 

Another term to be aware of is ‘Draw’. This is when the two teams cannot beat each other in either or both halves, resulting in a stalemate. In the Half Time/Full Time betting market, you’ll see this listed as ‘Draw/Team A’ or ‘Draw/Draw’, etc. If this sounds confusing, do not worry – we’ll cover the Half Time/Full Time combinations later.

It’s worth noting that some sportsbooks use letters and numbers to differentiate the home team, away team and the draw. Here’s a quick breakdown of how it works:

  • X – Refers to a draw.
  • 1 – Refers to the home team winning.
  • 2 – Refers to the away team winning.

How The Half Time/Full Time Bet Works

As was explained by SkyBet and Ladbrokes in their respective descriptions of the market, ‘Half Time/Full Time’ betting works by letting you predict the winner of the first half and the match as a whole. The bet is settled at the referee’s full time whistle.

Halftime/Fulltime Betting Market Explained

A similar betting market is the “To Win Either Half” betting market, where you back a team to win either the first half or the second half.

The easy part is getting to understand how the bet works. The hard part is knowing how and when to use the market correctly.

To bet on this market, you need to have a solid understanding of:

  • The teams you’re betting on
  • The Head to Head history between both sides
  • How odds work

Football is unpredictable at the best of times. Unless you have a blank cheque for your bankroll, be diligent when choosing your Half Time/Full Time selections.

So, in essence:

  • You must pick the winner of the first half.
  • You must pick the winner of the match as a whole (not just the second half!).
  • Both results must go your way to win the bet.

Below are some examples of this market in action.

France vs Denmark – Half Time/Full Time Example at SkyBet

  • In two of the previous three meetings between these sides, France has led at half time and won the match.
  • SkyBet has France to win at Half Time and Full Time at 2.50 (6/4).
  • A £15 bet on France in this market would see you win £37.50.
  • For instance, if France wins the first half 1-0 and the game ends 2-1 in their favour, your bet wins.
Half Time Full Time Betting Market Explained - France v Denmark

Armenia vs Ireland – Half Time/Full Time Example at Ladbrokes

  • Ireland have won the last two times these teams met (2010 & 2011).
  • Ireland have not led into half time in any of their last four games.
  • Armenia have won one game in five prior to this matchup.
  • Ladbrokes has Draw/Ireland at 4.20 (16/5).
  • A successful £10 bet on this selection would result in returns worth £42.
  • E.G. The game is 0-0 at half time, Ireland win 1-0 at full time.
Half Time Full Time Betting Market - Armenia v Rep Ireland

Belgium vs Netherlands – Half Time/Full Time Example at Bet365

  • The last two games between Belgium and the Netherlands have ended 1-1.
  • Bet365 has Belgium to win 1-0 at Half Time and Full Time at 17.00 (16/1).
  • If this were to happen, a £10 bet would win £170.
Half Time Full Time Betting Market - Belgium v Netherlands

Half Time/Full Time Betting Combinations Explained

As discussed earlier, some bookies use numbers and letters to describe the options in the Half Time/Full Time market. This can be confusing – particularly for beginners – so we’ve provided a rundown of the meaning behind each possible letter/number combination.

  • X/1 – First half is a Draw. The Home Team wins the match by scoring in the second half.
  • X/2 – First half is a Draw. The Away Team wins the match through second-half goals.
  • X/X – First half ends as a Draw. The second half is also a Draw.
  • 1/1 – Home Team wins the first half. Home Team wins the match.
  • 1/2 – Home Team wins the first half. Away Team wins the match.
  • 1/X – Home Team wins the first half. Game ends in a Draw.
  • 2/1 – Away Team wins the first half. Home Team wins the match.
  • 2/2 – Away Team wins the first half and the match.
  • 2/X – Away Team wins the first half. Match result is a Draw.

What Does X/1 Mean In Bet9JA?

In Bet9ja, when betting on the 1st half-result/full-time result market, the number “1” refers to the home team, the number “2” refers to the away team and the letter “X” refers to a draw.

So X/1 would mean the match is a draw at half-time and then the home team wins the match.

What about other half-time/full-time combinations in Bet9ja?

For the other betting combinations, such as 2/x or 2/2, look at the list above where we have explained all the possible outcomes.

Conor Rafter
Conor Rafter

I’m a freelance writer who loves all things sports & betting related. Having worked in this field since 2018, I’ve experienced a wide range of intriguing bookmakers and online casinos. With this expertise, I strive to create helpful, honest articles. My primary goal is quite simple: to guide and inform readers using facts and analysis.

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