Soccer Betting in Maryland

All Maryland residents interested in soccer betting should be able to bet on their favorite soccer team, Premier League, Bundesliga, and major leagues around the world for club soccer. Then there are the major tournaments like the UEFA Cup.

Finally, there are international competitions, starting with Copa America in our backyard, to the European Championships and FIFA World Cup – and everything in between.

The best sportsbooks for soccer betting in Maryland will be the usual – DraftKings, BetMGM, PointsBet, FanDuel, and Barstool. Who’s the best? Best soccer betting odds, best deals, reliability? Let’s see.

Factors You Should Consider

Sports betting in Maryland has been legal for a relatively short period. Also, given that sports betting is new to Maryland, we offer general guidelines that can help your mindset going in.

It makes a huge difference as to whether you are a seasoned bettor or a newbie, especially with sports like soccer, which may be difficult to follow avidly in the US as compared to elsewhere.

Set a Goal for your Soccer Betting

You may consider yourself to be the most avid soccer plan on the planet, but when it comes to betting, the chances are that you are not going to keep winning.

Soccer is a bit more difficult since there are options to win, lose or draw. As we discuss below, the third option can make a large difference. Unless you have deep pockets or decades of experience at it, we would suggest you try to enjoy yourself and limit your losses.

A Sensible Strategy

The best strategy for soccer betting in Maryland for the relative newcomers would be simple:

• Keep your overall stakes modest.
• Don’t bet more than 2-3% of your total deposit amount on a single bet. 5% max.
• Don’t get carried away by gut feelings during live bets.

Understand Some of the Intricacies of Soccer Betting Lines

Soccer has different lines, and there are two major styles – European and Asian, which revolve around how the “draw” outcome is treated. We discuss this in more detail below. And don’t miss our dedicated guide on how to bet on the MLS in Maryland.

Research Online Sites

When you choose online sites, read up customer and industry reviews. You can check which of the good features excite you and which of the bad features are deal-breakers. Also, make sure the sportsbook is licensed in Maryland.

Next, go to the site and browse thoroughly to understand the layout, how options are displayed, and the ease of navigation. Most sites will let you do so before you deposit a penny. Finally, call customer service with questions. It’s an early look at a vital asset for good sportsbooks, how well they handle their customers.

Here are some of the common types of soccer bets:

Moneyline Bets

As in other sports, moneyline is the basic type of bet, where you bet on a win or loss. So here’s an example with the Chicago Fire FC playing New York City FC.

If Chicago shows odds of +120 and NYC FC shows odds of -250, that means that NYC is the favorite. You need to bet $250 on NYC to win $100. If, on the other hand, you bet $100 on Chicago, you will make $120. The twist comes with the third outcome – the draw, which is very common in soccer.

There are three options:

1. Bettors who wager on wins or losses will both lose money in a European-style betting line.
2. There could be Asian-style betting when a draw causes the money to get refunded – this is not very common but could be offered as a specific game.
3. The odds could be rejiggered where the draw is specifically factored in. For example, the odds for the game above could be moved to:

• Chicago Fire $250
• Tie $275
• NYC FC +130

In the example above, Chicago are still underdogs, but NYC FC winning is offset by the combined odds of the Fire winning or a tie so all lines are positive.

Double Chance Bets

Double Chance Bets are typically not found in many sports. They represent picking a combo of 2 out of the 3 options (win, lose or tie). For example:

• Chicago Fire Win or Tie (you win as long as NYC FC doesn’t win)
• NYC FC Win or Tie (you win as long as Chicago Fire doesn’t win)
• NYC FC or Chicago Fire Win (any non-tie result wins)

Totals Bet

This is similar to over/under in NBA or NFL betting. If the total goals in a team exceed or fall below a number, you win. For example, if the “Totals” line is 1.5, you would win if there were two or more goals scored and lose if one or fewer goals were scored.

Props Betting

This similar to basketball betting or football bets for made-up games – like the first to score a goal, the number of goals by half, the number of corner kicks taken, etc. These are more of a fun wager without much science or strategy component.

Parlay Bets

Parlay betting in soccer refers to combining outcomes of several games to get a much higher winning percentage. However, if you place bets on multiple games, you must hit all of your bets in order to collect.

Points Spread Soccer Betting Lines

As in other sports, point spread bets involve both picking the winner (or loser) and covering the bet. They are not always offered in soccer, except in cases where there is a heavy favorite.

The sportsbooks do not want to offer a straight moneyline bet, so if you are to win, you would need to both pick the winner and cover the spread. As an example, if NYC FC were to show a -250 +1.5 line, you would win $100 against a $250 wager only if the NYC FC win by a margin of at least 2 goals.

In-play, in-match, or live betting are all terms used to describe bets placed while the match is in progress. The number of games and special offers multiply. There will be evolving moneyline, total, and points spread betting lines, but there are sure to be a bunch of props bets available:

• Who scores the next goal?
• Who’s ahead at halftime?
• By how much?
• Who’ll get the next corner?

It is great fun, and you can make money with bets in-game even if you lose your pre-match wager, so it gives you more chances to win. Also, draws are less of a concern with the props bets. Having said this, it’s easy to get carried away by your feelings at the moment and make the wrong bet on updated odds.

With a basic strategy and understanding of soccer betting, you are ready to pick between sportsbooks and maybe place a bet on an soccer game in MD . What should you look for?

Reputation

Besides licensing, check for negative press and reviews from clients, industry publications, and legal news.

Check for the Different Types of Games They Offer

We have discussed the wealth of games that can be offered and how they can be tweaked. Check which ones your sportsbook offers. Also, check when the soccer betting lines are put out. If they are not out early in the week, that’s not acceptable.

Live or in-play betting is another feature you should look for, along with special offers you may get while live soccer betting in MD. The sites should have great UIs, multi-platform access, and fast banking to make live betting viable.

Site Design and Technology

Great sportsbooks, like the ones we recommend, should be accessible from desktops, tablets, or mobile apps. Their interfaces need to be well designed (easy to navigate) and fast on the processing and banking side.

Many a wager has been ruined due to slow, clunky websites – choose online betting sites that will allow you to enjoy your soccer betting.

Efficient Banking

There are a few aspects to good banking:

• How quickly can you deposit and withdraw?
• Is it easy to transact – wire transfers, ACH, credit cards, Bitcoin, PayPal, etc.?
• Are there any minimum limits below which you cannot withdraw?

Find out before you deposit money into your account.

Customer Service

All good sportsbooks strive to provide superior customer service, certainly the ones we recommend. Find out as much as you can, it can be the difference between enjoyment and utter frustration.

All good sportsbooks offer promotions and bonuses. Check them out.

Matched Bonuses / Deposit Bonuses

After your initial deposit, good sportsbooks will offer a matching bonus up to a certain level.

Bonus Bets

Most sportsbooks will offer bonus money to bet with, up to different levels and possibly with conditions on minimum bets and how you collect your winnings (do you get your wager back or just the winnings?)

Insurance Bonus Bets

Compare how online betting sites offer insurance bonus bets. These offers create a refund for those betting on soccer in MD. The things to be checked out could include:

• The amount of the refund
• Any conditions
• How is the refund processed? Cash, bonus bets, etc.

Special Offers

As we described, soccer has some unusual bets anyway, but look out for special offers on occasions such as live betting.

Each of the five sportsbooks we recommend for soccer betting in MD offers in-game betting, promos, and mobile apps.

DraftKings

One of the best sports markets in Maryland, DraftKings features fast, user-friendly interfaces, many types of soccer bets, and customer service.

FanDuel

Also known for its array of betting options, good service, and great promos.

PointsBet

PointsBet has earned plaudits for super-fast banking interfaces and great customer service.

BetMGM

BetMGM lives up to its branding in terms of providing a great experience for bettors.

BarStool Sportsbook

Even though its been live for only a year, BarStool has made a name for itself due to unique promotions and sports personality-driven events. It is catching up in the in-game betting area.