Half-Time/Full-Time betting is a popular football betting market, but beginners often misunderstand it.
Instead of predicting the final result, we’re betting on who’s ahead at half-time and who wins the match.
In this guide, I’ll explain how HT/FT betting works, using a simple example…
What is Half-Time/Full-Time Betting?
This is a football betting market where you are supposed to predict the result at both half-time and full-time.
Rather than picking the team you think will win the match or have lots of shots on target, we’re making two separate predictions as part of one bet.
Consider this; at both half-time and full-time, there are three possible outcomes.
They are:
- Home win
- Draw
- Away win
This creates nine possible betting combinations, such as Home/Home, Draw/Home, or Away/Draw. Now, for your bet to win, both predictions must be correct.
If you correctly predict the half-time result but get the full-time result wrong, or vice versa, your bet will lose because you’re predicting two results instead of one. Half-Time/Full-Time bets are generally more difficult to land than a standard Match Odds bet because of this.
However, the upside is that they offer higher odds, making them a popular option for people seeking a bigger payday.
It sounds more complicated than it is, so let’s look at a simple example to see exactly how a Half-Time/Full-Time bet works next…
How Does it Work? (Example)
Let’s say you’ve backed England/England in the Half-Time/Full-Time market on Betfair’s betting exchange…
At half-time, the score is England 1-0 Norway, with Bellingham scoring. Since England are leading at HT, you’ve correctly predicted the first part of your bet.
The match finishes England 2-1 Norway. England is still winning at full-time, so you’ve also correctly predicted the second part of your bet too.
Because both predictions are correct, your England/England Half-Time/Full-Time bet is a winner.
However, the most important thing to remember is that England/England doesn’t mean England has to win both halves. It means they must be leading at half-time and still be winning when the final whistle blows. With games that go two-nil up it’s an easy win.
Now that you know how a Half-Time/Full-Time bet works, let’s look at what makes it different to other football markets.
Why is HT/FT Betting Different?
Unlike the standard Match Odds market, where you’re only predicting the full-time result, Half-Time/Full-Time betting requires you to correctly predict both results. This makes it more challenging, but it also means the odds are often higher.
It’s also important not to confuse Half-Time/Full-Time betting with Win Both Halves betting. While the two markets sound similar, they work differently. With a Half-Time/Full-Time bet, your chosen team simply needs to be leading at half-time and still winning at full-time. They don’t need to win the second half, as they do in the Win Both Halves market.
Understanding the difference is particularly important if you’re matched betting. Accidentally backing one market and laying the other can leave you with an unexpected result, as they’re settled using different rules.
Once you understand how the market works, Half-Time/Full-Time betting is an easy football betting option to consider.
