Match Specials Tips: All You Need To Know

Such is the pull of football betting these days, that bookies all over the planet are offering specials on major fixtures.  We all want to play different bets and we all have our eyes on different markets to make a profit, which is why more and more match specials are added every season.

They’re well worth taking advantage of as they’re usually pretty realistic wagers to place. So if you’re considering a punt on the weekend’s fixtures, you won’t go far wrong browsing each bookmaker’s specials for a real payday.

What Are Match Special Bets? 

Match special bets are a series of one of bets specific to that particular fixture. They will usually be a combination of different markets involving match result, goalscorer, number of throw ins/corners and many more.

You’ll usually find them at the very top of the bets being offered for fixtures as they can be desirable in the odds they offer. You’ll always pick up some fantastic odds on these as they are ultimately difficult to win to to the series of things which must happen in order for the bet to pay out.

Example:

Match specials will generally vary from bookmaker to bookmaker, but let’s say Arsenal are taking on Manchester City, you’ll generally find the match specials look a little something like this:

Each team to have 2 or more corners in each half - 29/10

Man City to score in both halves & Man City over 1.5 corners each half - 3/1

1st goal scored to be a header - 16/5

BTTS & 3+ corners for each team & 2+ cards for each team - 9/2

Where Can I Play Match Special Bets? 

Almost every major bookmaker these days will offer match specials across most leagues including Premier League and Championship betting, Spanish football, Italian Serie A and, in particularly, the Champions League.

The likes of Paddy Power and William Hill offer plenty of match specials on most bigger fixtures, while Bet365 also have a good market for it.

This can generally come in a variety of forms, the example above is the most accessible way to enjoy match specials, while many will include enhanced odds offers to entice you in and play with them.

Not only that, many bookmakers will also offer request a bet markets in which you can create your own match specials by simply tweeting or getting in touch with the bookmaker.

What Are Request A Bets? 

Request a bet markets have established themselves over the last few years with the rise of social media and you’ll find the likes of Ladbrokes, Coral and Betfred all offer them these days.

Their premise is simple, if you can’t find the market you’re looking for, simply tweet the relevant bookmaker asking for the odds of a certain wager, and they’ll get back to you with some odds and a link for you to click in order to make the bet.

It’s an amazing feature in which you can almost bet any market on any game, although you do have to get in early as the oddsmakers can be very busy, particularly on big match days.

Can I Play Match Specials In Other Sports? 

Of course, match specials are far from just related to football and you’ll see them across almost every major sport from darts to athletics and major US sports such as NFL and MLB.

Naturally, these will come in many different forms. While football, hockey and NFL will focus on goals or touchdowns, the likes of darts and snooker will deal in frames, scores or games.

No matter what the score, match specials are always worth looking into as they can seriously enhance your odds from just the standard match result market.

Below you’ll find a list of sports in which you can typically play a match special bet:

Football

Horse Racing

Rugby League

Rugby Union

Cricket

Ice Hockey

Hockey

NBA

NHL

NFL

When To Play A Match Special 

It’s always difficult to know when to play a bookmaker’s match special as ultimately they vary from week to week, taking in different aspects of the betting market.

They key is all about the research. If you can study each market, it’ll make it easier to know which special to choose. For example, there’s no point taking a match special including a high volume of booking points, if both sides have had good disciplinary records throughout the season.

It’s essentially all down to your shot selection. Study the form as you would with any other bet you make and you’ll be able to dictate what has higher chances than the other. Think about which type of players score in these types of game, how the game normally plays out - is it a cagey affair or free flowing? - and what a win means to either team.

From there you will be able to make a more educated decision on each match special offered by bookmakers.

Match Special Offers 

You can take match special offers even further and combine them with a bookmaker bonus. Bookies will offer great deals for both new customers and existing ones alike, from weekly match bonuses to enhanced odds and no deposit free bets.

The latter is always a good one for new customers as you ultimately won’t have to pay a penny to have a practice in this market. At Bet & Skill we bring you all the best offers from bookmakers, so you can make the most of any market you wish to play.

Head over to our Promo & Bonus page for all the latest betting promotions and get started on the Match Special market today!