What is Back and Lay Betting in Soccer?

Odds are an essential part of any soccer bettor’s toolkit. They provide a vital beating heart for the sport’s gambling ecosystem, underpinning the whole industry. But what do they actually mean? In this post, we’re going to take a look at one specific way of betting on soccer matches – back and lay betting.

Back and Lay Betting

In back and lay betting, the gambler is effectively acting as both bookmaker and punter. They are making a bet that the outcome of an event will occur, and at the same time offering odds to somebody else that it will not. If you think of a traditional bookmaker, they are doing the opposite – they are offering odds to gamblers that an outcome will occur, while also taking bets that it will not. In basic terms, then, back and lay betting is simply bookmaking in reverse.

The advantage of this style of betting is that it allows you to lock in profits no matter what the final outcome of the match is. Let’s say, for example, that you place a back bet on Team A to win at odds of 2.0. At the same time, you place a lay bet on Team B at odds of 2.5. The total amount staked on both bets is $100. 

If Team A wins the match, then your back bet will win and you will receive $200 back from the bookmaker (your original stake plus winnings). You will also lose your lay bet on Team B, but because the odds were higher you will only lose $250. This means that your total profit from the match would be $50. 

Conversely, if Team B wins instead then your back bet on Team A will lose but because you placed a lay bet as well you will effectively be canceling it out. You will still win your lay bet on Team B though, which will net you a profit of $250. This means that your total profit from the match would again be $50 – regardless of which team won! 

As you can see, then, back and lay betting can be a very effective way of ensuring that you make a profit from soccer matches – even if you don’t necessarily know who’s going to win! 

Conclusion 

So there you have it – a brief overview of back and lay betting in soccer. This type of betting can be an effective way to ensure profits no matter who wins a match, and so it’s definitely worth considering if you’re looking for an edge in your soccer gambling endeavors!