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5 Tips for Creating a Build-a-Bet

The popularity and success of the iGaming industry has led to a more expansive range of online casino games and sports betting possibilities. Far from the days when sportsbooks were limited to a few sports, modern online sports betting has become a huge industry for avid sports fans to enjoy in a multitude of fun ways.

With more choice and flexibility available to punters, one trend that has caught on like wildfire has been the build-a-bet concept. Essentially combining creativity with lateral thinking, it allows savvy punters to create their own type of bet, thereby giving them more control over their experience and chances to win.

How it Works

The build-a-bet concept is a simple one that can be utilized by players to customize a sports bet using a wide variety of factors. Its applicability and popularity has made it very popular in the UK, especially among European football (soccer) enthusiasts. The number of bookies in the UK has continued to show enormous growth, with new ones being registered all the time.

Due to its popularity, most of the sites on a top bookies list for 2024 offer "build-a-bets", sometimes known as "Bet Builders", which is a common option used for soccer bets. The way they work is by allowing players to combine different betting outcomes into one bet.

In the context of soccer, far from a simple bet where one just bets on which team will win a game, online bets allow the flexibility of choosing a variety of metrics to bet on. These include things like which team will score first, the margin of victory, whether a specific player will score, or which half the goals will come in.

In a Practical Sense

A Bet Builder allows a punter to combine more than one betting angle, and sometimes as many as 10, into a single bet. Let's look at that idea in the context of a single bet.

Say, for example, a player chooses to bet on a soccer match between Liverpool FC and Manchester United FC. The punter may choose to build-a-bet with the following choices:

1. Liverpool will win the match by two goals;
2. The match will have more than 2.5 goals;
3. Mohamed Salah will score the first goal;
4. There will be three yellow cards shown in the game;
5. There will be seven corners taken in the game.

The more options you bet on, the higher the odds become in your favor since there's a lower choice of every prediction coming true. While this may seem skewed, savvy fans who follow their favorite sport religiously will be clued up about a variety of factors like injuries, weather patterns, and the current form of certain players and the team.

That actually means, depending on how cleverly a bet is built, the punter has a better chance of winning. Here are some handy tips when it comes to build-a-bet.

1. Staying Abreast of News

Clever build-a-bet punting requires a good knowledge of the sport and teams you're betting on. The chances of putting together a winning bet in this form of betting is relative to the person's knowledge of the sport, current and recent events in it, and as many surrounding factors as possible.

However, the same is true of trying to bet on gut instinct, randomly, or without a good knowledge of the sport. While that kind of betting may be more conducive to playing the lotto, the point of build-a-bet is that you do have some control over the predicted outcome. For example, if Liverpool and Manchester United were actually playing this week, anyone who follows the English Premier League religiously will know it's a bad bet to make.

While it's true that the odds would certainly favor Liverpool right now for a win, to score three goals, and have more corners, one prediction in the game is enough to derail all the others. If a bettor merely knows that Mohamed Salah is Liverpool's key player and most likely to score for them, it would be a good bet in general.

However, if you'd been following the current news, you'd know that Mohamed Salah picked up an injury while playing for Egypt in the AFCON tournament, and is expected to be sidelined for at least four weeks.

General Tips

While the main tip for a build-a-bet is to make sure you follow the sport and do your homework, there are other general tips that can help you make more informed choices

2. Terms and Conditions

Always read the terms and conditions as this can affect the rules of how to build-a-bet on a particular site.

3. Weigh Up Your Chances

Weigh up the chances relative to the payout. There's no point going for 10 different predictions all the time. Regardless if the payout may be higher, the chances of them all occurring may be virtually impossible so stick to the most likely ones.

4. Stick to Realistic Predictions

Emotion shouldn't enter the equation. For example, if you're a Manchester United fan, while it would be a great thought and you'd get fantastic odds, based on current and recent form, betting that United will beat Liverpool 10 - 0 is never the kind of prediction likely to come true.

5. Cash Out When You Can

Some sites allow you to lock in the outcomes before the match and cash out before it ends. Check the terms and conditions and if it's allowed, keep it in mind as there may come a time when all your predictions line up and you'd need to cash out before something changes and ruins it.