Register

Pre-Match Football Betting: Markets, Competitions and Strategy

These are markets available before the kick-off to the game. Finland's bettors can stake on pre-match betting markets of different football tournaments on VivatBet. The FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, and even the local Veikkausliiga odds are available. 

Once Finns join VivatBet and fund their account, they can pick a match winner, goal scorer, BTTS, handicap, or any other market before the game starts. It is important to understand what these markets mean and how to maximize their value. The sportsbook operates under a license issued by the Estonian Tax and Customs Board. The available payment methods on the site include Visa, Skrill, Mastercard, and Neteller. Nordea, OP, POP Pankki, OmaSp, and more local banks are also available via Trustly. This page covers everything bettors need to know about football betting in Finland.

How to Bet on Football at VivatBet

To start staking on VivatBet, Finns must be 18 years old, and the following steps will guide qualified users.

  1. The VivatBet website: Go to the official VivatBet site and open the line section to see football and other available options.

  2. Select football: From the list of available sports, choose football. This will reveal the list of available countries. Each country has a dropdown menu of different tournaments and competitions. 

  3. Choose a league: Locate the preferred tournament and click it to open. Choose a specific match to reveal the markets for it. For live football betting, the process is a bit different.

  4. Add market to slip: Click on the football odds for the chosen market to add the option to the bet slip. Feel free to select any of the 1X2, over/under, handicap, BTTS, and other options. 

  5. Submit pre-match wager: Click the slip icon to reveal selected markets. Proceed by entering the stake and confirming it. 

Bets are locked in before kick-off, and odds in pre-match events are stable. The mobile betting app is available for Finns to register and complete all the steps above. 

Football Betting Markets: What to Choose 

VivatBet users will find hundreds of football betting options for a match. It is important to understand what they mean before adding them to the slip. The popular ones are:

  • 1X2 (Match Result): This is a 3-way option to predict the outcome of a match. It can be either the home team (1) or the away team (2) to win. Bettors can also predict a draw (X). 

  • Double Chance: Finns can pick either Team A or B to win or draw (1X or X2). Bettors can also stake on any team winning (12). It consists of two possible outcomes, like backing team B not to lose (X2) at 1.4 odds. 

  • Over/Under (Total Goals): This is to predict whether the total goals in the match will exceed a number or not. For instance, over 2.5 means there will be at least 3 goals in the game. Under 2.5 means the goals will be below 3.

  • Both Teams to Score (BTTS): Predict if both teams will score in the game. Finns can either pick YES or NO. Yes means both sides will score, while No means at least one team will not score. 

  • Handicap: A side is given a virtual goal advantage in the match, such that the virtual advantage is added to the outcome to settle the bet. Handicap −1.5 means the team must win by 2+ goals.

  • Correct Score: It involves predicting the exact score of the match. It has high football odds and risks. 

Football Odds Table

Market

Complexity

Best For

1X2

Low

Starters

Double Chance

Low

Conservative bettors

Over/Under

Medium

Analytical bettors 

Both Teams Score

Medium

Attack-heavy matches

Handicap

Medium

Betting on favorites

Correct Score

High

Experienced bettors

Asian Handicap — The Most Flexible Football Market

Asian handicap betting gives one of the teams an advantage and eliminates the possibility of a draw in the bet’s settlement. When a draw occurs within the handicap line, the player gets their stake back. 

The major difference between European and Asian Handicaps is that the Asian handicap uses half or quarter goals, for instance, -0.5, and +1.25. This eliminates the draws by splitting bets or refunding stakes on exact results, leaving only two outcomes. The following are 4 different types you'll find on VivatBet. 

  • AH 0 (Draw No Bet): There is no goal advantage here; the draw outcome is also removed. For instance, if Finns bet on Arsenal to beat Manchester City with AH 0, they win when Arsenal wins and lose when they lose. In the event of a draw, VivatBet refunds the full stake. 

  • AH −0.5: This option gives the bettor's team a virtual disadvantage of half a goal. The team only needs to win the match for the bet to be settled as a win. Unlike in AH 0, there is no refund option in a draw, and pre-match betting odds are usually high. 

  • AH −1.5: This means the bettor’s chosen team starts the game with a 1.5 virtual goal deficit. Therefore, they have to lead by at least two goals for them to win their wager. There is no refund if the game ends in a draw, and a 1-goal margin is also considered a loss.

  • Quarter handicaps (−0.25, −0.75): This splits bettors’ stake into 2. With -0.25 Asian Handicap betting, the stakes are shared between 0 and -0.5 handicaps equally. Any winning margin for the backed team results in 100% bet win; a loss results in 100% loss. However, a draw returns half of the money (50% staked on 0 handicap). 

As for the –0.75 handicap, half of their bet is on –0.5 handicap and the rest on –1.0 AH. A 1-goal win margin returns half a win (–0.5 AH) and half a refund (–1.0 AH). A 2-goal or higher win margin gives a full win, while a draw or loss settles both halves as a loss.

Asian Handicap Betting Table

Handicap

Match Score

Bet Result

What Happens

AH 0

1:1 (Draw)

Refund

Stake returned in full

AH −0.5

0:0 (Draw)

Loss

The team did not win

AH −0.5

1:0 (Win)

Win

Team won outright

AH −1.5

1:0 (Win)

Loss

Winning margin below 2

AH −1.5

2:0 (Win)

Win

Winning margin 2+

AH −0.25

Draw

Partial Refund

Half stake returned

Leagues and Competitions: What to Bet On

Joining VivatBet gives Finns access to leagues and competitions from over 60 nations, including Finland’s Veikkausliiga. International, continental, and local competitions are also covered. The popular examples are: 

  • UEFA Champions League: The UEFA Champions League is the tournament where the top teams in various European leagues clash for UEFA glory. From the league phase to the knockout stages, bettors will have thousands of markets to bet on. 

  • English Premier League: Finns can stake on EPL teams, and VivatBet provides statistics that help with tips and picks. Special markets like shots on target, cards, corners, assists, and others are available for EPL lovers. 

  • La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1: Other top 5 leagues in Europe are also covered in this sportsbook. Bettors can stake on full markets throughout every game week of the season. 

  • FIFA World Cup: This is a top sports betting event, and bettors can back a team to win the tournament, their group, or a match. Statistical markets like top scorer, assist leader, shots, and more are also available. 

  • Veikkausliiga: Locals can also get football odds for all Veikkausliiga league matches every week. 

  • Lower divisions, such as EFL and regional competitions, are also available. You'll find great pre-match options with high odds on VivatBet. 

Pre-Match Football Betting Strategy

To make data and research-backed decisions on VivatBet, Finns need working football betting tips like: 

  • Research the teams: Examine the team’s recent form before staking. Check for special statistics and team news before choosing a pre-match market. Even for ice hockey betting, this is a very important step for all bettors. 

  • Squad availability: Check for the squad members' availability. Injuries or suspensions of key players can affect the odds and the match outcome. 

  • Home and away form matters: Home sides have incredible form on their grounds. Check statistics showing individual team performances at home and away before making the final decision. 

  • Avoid connected markets: Staking on correlated options means an outcome can affect many markets, leading to multiple lost bets. 

  • Money management: Have a working balance to know what to spend at a time. Finns can also claim promotions like welcome bonus, reload offers, referral rewards, and others to boost their gambling budget. 

  • Compare market value: Always compare the value and odds of different markets in a game. 

Responsible Gambling

It is important to ensure responsible gaming in football betting because the daily availability of matches means there will always be markets available. This can result in impulsive betting or individuals trying to chase losses without proper research. This also extends to the platform's online casino Finland users. Players under 18 years are not allowed to join VivatBet. VivatBet offers some tools to help Finns maintain healthy gambling habits. Tools like deposit limits and self-exclusion are also available in the account settings.

Sports Bet

main
live
line
Slots
Line

Frequently asked questions about football at VivatBet

What is pre-match football betting?

These are wagers placed before a match starts. The odds here cannot change once bettors successfully submit the bet.

How do I bet on football at VivatBet?

Log in to the VivatBet account and choose football for the line section. Choose the odds assigned to the market, and add more markets if needed. Set stake and submit the betslip. Read on for football betting tips to improve winning chances.

What is the Asian Handicap?

Asian handicap gives a team a virtual advantage and removes the possibility of a draw. A player’s stake is refunded if the game outcome is a draw on the handicap line.

How does "Both Teams to Score" work?

Bettors can bet on yes or no. A yes bet wins if both teams score at least one goal, while a no bet wins if at least one team doesn't score. 

What happens to my bet if a match is canceled?

When a match is canceled, it becomes void, and VivatBet refunds the amount staked. The site interface will also indicate the canceled match.

What is the minimum age to bet at VivatBet?

Users must be 18 years old to use this platform. This is in accordance with Finnish gambling legislation.