One of the longest-standing betting markets in football is the half time/full time betting market. It has been around for years, and alongside correct score betting, it was one of the first alternative markets offered by bookmakers, regularly featuring on football coupons across the country.
While this market isn’t as popular as it once was, due to the introduction of many new betting options, it still offers excellent value and is worth considering when placing your football bets. Markets like both teams to score and over/under goals have overshadowed the half time/full time market, leaving some great prices available for punters.
You can use the half time/full time market in different ways to enhance your selections. For instance, you can back a team to be winning at both half time and full time, which often increases the odds significantly. You can also use it to enhance the odds on a draw or perm together long-shot outcomes where one team leads at half time, but the other team wins by full time. The flexibility of this market makes it a valuable tool for football bettors, even though it’s less frequently used today.
Backing Favourites HT/FT
In my opinion, the best use of the half time/full time market is to enhance the price of a strong favourite by backing them to be leading at both half time and full time. The bet is trickier to land, but if you’re confident that a favourite will win by a few goals, it’s likely they will be ahead at half time too.
Backing a short-priced favourite at 1/3 to win the game would typically offer odds of around even money if you back them to lead at both half time and full time. That’s a significant difference in price, and while it requires another element to be correct, I believe it’s often worth the extra risk for the enhanced return.
By backing the team at even money, you can either back fewer teams for the same return or perm the bets together, allowing you to win even if not all the selections land.
Backing Draws HT/FT
Another way to use the half time/full time market is when you’re predicting a draw. This approach works particularly well for games that seem likely to be low-scoring and tightly contested. I usually look for matches where I expect a 0-0 result, as a scoreless draw would automatically mean a draw at both half time and full time.
The standard price for a draw in 90 minutes is typically between 2/1 and 3/1. However, using the half time/full time market, the odds can increase significantly, often between 4/1 and 6/1, depending on the match. For example, you could place a patent bet on three games to finish as draws at both half time and full time. A £1 patent would cost you £7 (seven bets), but if just one selection wins, you’ll recover most of your stake, and more than one winner will yield a solid profit. If all three selections come through, the return would be substantial.
Backing HT/FT Long Shots
The final way to use this market is for a fun, small-stake bet aimed at big returns. This isn’t recommended for serious betting, but for entertainment. Here, you perm together long-shot outcomes, where one team leads at half time, but the other wins at full time. The odds for this kind of bet are huge, ranging from 25/1 to 50/1.
For example, you could back two games where one team leads at half time, and the other team wins by full time. If you perm both outcomes together, it covers multiple scenarios, giving you a chance of landing a big win with a small stake.
Here’s how you could structure the bet:
- Match 1: Team A winning HT – Team B winning FT
- Match 1: Team B winning HT – Team A winning FT
- Match 2: Team A winning HT – Team B winning FT
- Match 2: Team B winning HT – Team A winning FT
This would be a permed bet with eight possible outcomes, so the total bet would cost eight times your stake. A small bet of 20p per outcome would cost £1.60. If one of these bets comes through, the return could be between £150 and £200, and if both games hit, the payout could soar to £450-£600. It’s a fun, low-risk, high-reward bet, ideal for watching live games on TV when you don’t have a strong preference for the outcome.
The half time/full time market may not be as popular as it once was, but it still offers excellent value for punters who know how to use it. Backing a favourite to lead at both half time and full time enhances the odds of your selection and can be a great way to boost your returns. Similarly, this market is ideal for backing draws, especially in games that seem likely to end goalless or tight. Perming a few of these bets together at the end of the season when teams have little to play for can result in a solid payout.
Finally, if you’re looking for a fun bet with the potential for a big payday, backing HT/FT long shots can deliver impressive returns with a small stake. The half time/full time market might be overshadowed by newer options, but it still provides excellent opportunities for creative and strategic betting. If you haven’t explored this market yet, give it a try next time you place your football bets—you might just find a new favorite way to bet.
