What is a Single Bet? - Betting Types Explained

What is a Single Bet?

Single bets are simple: one selection on one event, and if it wins, so does the bet.

Football bettors can place single bets on dozens of markets, most notably, full-time. A full-time bet tasks bettors with determining which team will be victorious in a single fixture.

When exploring sports gambling for the first time, single wagers are the easiest bets to start with.

Other football-based single markets include correct score, half-time, and corners. Bettors can also place player-prop single wagers, such as first goalscorer, player shots on target, and player to be carded.

There are countless ways to win single markets.

Savvy bettors utilise a combination of research, strategy, and experience to secure returns on the simple selection.

Our guide explains single bets, demonstrates when they’re used, and offers insights on how successful bettors consistently win them.

Understand Single Bets with Real Examples

A top-tier Champions League fixture between Bayern Munich and Arsenal might be challenging to predict. Yet, if backing a full-time winner is too risky, there are numerous additional singles markets to wager on the star-studded European affair.

Bukayo Saka to be the first goalscorer, Harry Kane to be booked, or Luis Diaz to register over 2.5 shots on target are all examples of possible single bets that could be placed on the European tie.

While only one correct selection is required to win the bet, returns can be substantial.

Saka – arguably Arsenal’s most potent attacker – might be valued at 7.50 to be the tie’s first goalscorer. 

If the Englishman registers before any other player, bettors who staked £1 on Saka would be entitled to returns of £7.50 – a healthy return for a winger who’d be among the favourites to find the back of the net.

Full-time markets are generally less lucrative, even for underdogs. There are 22, plus subs, potential outcomes for a game’s first goal scorer, whereas a match can only be won, drawn, or lost.

Despite facing a tricky tie at the Allianz Arena, Arsenal might be valued at 3.20 to win a single full-time bet against Bayern Munich.

Some bettors might view the lower returns available on the full-time bet and believe it’s less worthwhile than backing Saka to score first.

Different Types of Single Bet Explained

Singles bets can be placed pre-game or in-game. Unlike pre-game wagers, in-game bets are made while matches are ongoing.

The wager type can be lucrative for analytical bettors who notice a trend or momentum shift during a match. In-game odds are adjusted depending on the context of a match.

If Arsenal conceded an early goal against Bayern, their odds of winning the match might be pushed out to 5.25.

However, this wouldn’t be the only way of using a singles market to bet on the Gunners in-game. With Arsenal likely to attack Bayern’s goal in search of an equaliser, a punt on Saka to score the next goal could prove fruitful.

Likewise, wagering that Arsenal will register over 3.5 shots on target in the second half could be a logical single bet. The Bavarian side is likely to sit back slightly on their 1-goal lead, inviting pressure from Arsenal.

Other in-game single betting options include total corners, player bookings, minute markets (such as a goal in the next 10 minutes), or whether both teams will score before the final whistle. 

Single Betting Strategies

Winning a single bet requires correctly predicting fewer outcomes than a double, treble, or accumulator bet – but strategy, research, and thought still maximise chances of winning.

Bettors who deploy a proven strategy, bet on markets and teams they’re familiar with, and analyse odds are more likely to regularly secure returns.

Among the most efficient strategies for winning single football bets is researching form guides. On paper, the team sitting at the top of the table might appear a straightforward choice to beat mid-table opposition.

Yet, if they’ve dropped points in 3 of their last 5 fixtures, are without a couple of key players, and are playing at a tricky away ground, a win may be less of a foregone conclusion.

Analysing the difficulty of an away ground is effortless. Users must analyse the results there this season and historically to look for underlying trends.

While clubs like Newcastle United, Everton, and Aston Villa have rarely challenged the top four during the Premier League era, each club has caused the division’s elite clubs problems when they’ve travelled to their grounds.

So, if Liverpool, Arsenal, or Manchester City are out of form and face a tricky away match, betting on their underdog opponent could be a more valuable strategy. 

What is a Single Bet FAQs

What is a single bet in football?

One wager on one event with one possible outcome.

Can singles be placed during a match?

Yes, they can be placed pre-game or in-play.

How do bettors improve their chances with singles?

By researching form, injuries, and venue trends.