TOTAL BONUSES:

{{currentCountry.code}}

Change your location

{{ c.title }}

Second Half Betting

Second half betting is a widespread practice among bettors for two reasons: First, it is quite easy to apply, you don’t need to be a veteran to understand how second half bets work.

Second, when done right, it offers higher winning chances than a standard outcome bet or a halftime fulltime bet, for example.

If you are new to this bet type and wonder how does 2nd half betting work, keep reading.

Best Bookmakers for Second Half Betting in 21 February 2024 – Updated List

Rank
Bookmaker
Bonus
Safe & Trusted
Rating
Get Started
1
Exclusive 10% Rakeback
Yes
Rating 9.99 out of 10
2
100% up to €500
Yes
Rating 9.97 out of 10
3
Exclusive: 130% up to €143
Use Promocode: GAMBLINGJUDGE
Yes
Rating 9.95 out of 10
4
Exclusive: 100% up to €130
Use Promocode: GJBET
Yes
Rating 9.93 out of 10
5
Exclusive: 100% up to €130
Use Promocode: JUDGE
Yes
Rating 9.92 out of 10
6
100% up to €122
Yes
Rating 9.91 out of 10
7
100% up to €100
Yes
Rating 9.89 out of 10
8
N/A
Yes
Rating 9.88 out of 10
9
100% up to €100
Yes
Rating 9.87 out of 10
10
BET €10 GET €30
Yes
Rating 9.85 out of 10

How is second half betting different from first half betting?

Like any new type of bet, the quickest way to get up to speed is to learn what betting terms mean. Second half betting is no different. If you want to win and have 2nd half bets explained to you, we are here to help. To win the second half bet, you simply need to predict which side will score the most goals (points) in the second half of a match.

Naturally, this can be applied to many types of sports betting options, from lower league to Premier League football, rugby, hockey, and even basketball, to a degree. In short, anything with periods that can be broken down into two halves can potentially be a second-half bet.

As you will be aware, there are both first and second half betting options open to you. With first-half betting, you are betting on which site effectively scores the most and “wins” the half. However, to win with second-half bets, the meaning is different.

Here, you do not have to predict the “winner” of the match. The 2nd half winner meaning purely rests on the side that scores the most goals in the second half alone. For instance, if you engage in football betting on the second half result, it does not matter what the score is at half-time. Only points or goals in the second half count.

That is at least a basic 2nd half result betting covered, basically. If you want to see a better example or learn how 2nd half betting with live stakes is explained, carry on reading…

Second half betting - How it works

So, what does the second half betting mean? The second half betting meaning is that you are placing a bet for an outcome that will happen in the second half of a football (known as the easiest sport to bet on) or basketball game. In theory, it can be used in any sports event with at least two half-rounds, but in practice, bookmakers offer 2nd half betting mostly for these two sports.

2nd half in betting is a variant of live betting, which means you get to watch the first half before placing a bet for the second. In other words, you get an idea about the flow of the sports match and can make better predictions about what will happen during the second half.

The most common second half soccer betting practice is to bet on the number of goals – which means betting on which team will score the most goals in the second half. Note that second half betting football is not the only option you have, you can place a bet on basketball matches in big leagues such as the NBA too.

And the goal/point numbers are not the only thing you can bet on: In theory, you can place a bet for any outcome that can happen during the second half, such as betting on the number of corner kicks (check our corner betting guide on “each team over 1 corner in each half” betting, as well as the corner betting tips), betting on penalties, betting on the free kicks, and more.

The most important things to know about 2nd half betting are:

  • The match starts at a 0-0 score, no matter what the outcome of the first half is. Any goals scored during the first half are not considered in the second half. This is the same for other types of bets like to win both halves or BTTS both halves.
  • You are betting on the outcome of the second half only, not the outcome of the match itself. If the team you favor scores more goals in the second half but loses the match, you still win. The same is true for a to win either half bet.

This is the simplest example to explain how does the second half betting work – for detailed examples, keep reading, and learn more about this type of bet and also from some similar situation like first half baseball betting.

Second half betting - An example

This is quite a simple example but it will give you an idea about the 2nd half betting meaning. Here is a more detailed one:

  • There is a basketball match between the Lakers and the Knights, and the Lakers are the clear winner of the first half.
  • Before the second half starts, you have three options: Bet on the Lakers, bet on the Knights, or bet on a draw. Simply put, you are betting on who will score the most points during the second half, no matter what the outcome of the first half (or the match) is. Or, you are betting on a draw, which is less likely to happen.
  • Each option will offer different odds: The Lakers are more likely to win the second half since they were the winner of the first one, so it will get shorter odds. The Knights will get longer odds and a draw will give the highest odds.
  • It is up to you to pick which option offers the highest chance of success. Note that you are not betting on exact numbers, just the general outcome. Maybe you have noticed a problem with one of the Lakers players, despite them being the first-half winner? Or maybe, you expect that the Knights will change a player and increase their chances of success? You have watched the first half, so it is up to you to analyze the situation and pick the best bet. These are the basic second half betting rules or over 0.5 goals.

Second half betting strategies

The first step to using second half betting strategies is to learn the different types of bets you have available. You can always read our gambling guide on how to win big on football betting, learn about up and down bets, action reverse bets, if bets, and handicap betting later.

You will have three types of main bets open to you; they include:

Moneyline Bets: Betting during the second half does not come much simpler than Moneyline bets. Betting on second half money lines merely involves wagering on which team scores the most points when betting on the second half of a game. Keep in mind that half-line options are available for first-half bets, too.

Point Spread Bets: Second half spread betting is trickier. When betting on second-half point spreads, you are wagering with a handicap line in place that your team must cover. Second half point spread betting must see your team score whatever is indicated in the second half spread.

Totals (Over/Under): When betting on the second half with over or under bets, you are wagering that the team will score more or less than the line set by the sportsbook. Half lines are possible and are indicated by terms such as over 0.5 goals. Under 1.5 goals and over 1.5 goals are common options here as are under 4.5 goal bets offered for the entire game for early bets.

You can engage in betting on second half parlays, but this is a lot trickier to predict, so we would recommend sticking to the three options above.

At the same time, it is worth considering the following strategies:

  • Only bet on what you know. Watching the match live is an advantage, as this will help you understand 2nd half betting with live odds, as you have seen how the first half panned out. For instance, a favourite may have odds that indicate that they are likely to score, but if you watched the first half and they failed to perform (they are dismal), you could be seeing misleading odds.
  • Be sure that if you see late goal insurance offers, use Football, in particular, is a sport where late goals are commonplace. You would not want your stake ruined over a late strike. These types of bonuses give you a lifeline.
  • Being an armchair analyst and pundit is advised. If a manager or coach makes a substitution, this can mix things up for the better. However, if you think you know better (and sometimes we do), you could see value in the odds that nobody else does. If it smells like an opportunity, it may just be one.
  • Think long term when betting on sports. Do not throw in all your cash on a single second-half bet. Sports betting is all about making a profit in the long term. Think about upcoming matches and other opportunities to score profit, rather than blowing your wad on a single second-half stake. By all means, have a crack at it, but be cautious.

Second half sports betting tips and basic tactics

There are lots of 2nd half betting strategies, and we have covered some of them above, but we believe these second-half betting tips are also useful, and they include:

  • Once a favorite, always a favorite: If a team is considered favorite before the beginning of a match but loses the first half, it can make a strong comeback during the second half. The NCAA statistics, for example, show that favorite teams almost always score more points during the second half. Since you are not interested in who wins the match (only the second half is important) betting on the favorite team even after it loses the first half is still a good idea.
  • Wait for fair odds: You should wait for the pre-match odds to become fairer before the second half starts. The general second-half betting strategy is to wait at least for a 0.80 points increase but it is up to you to decide which odds are fair. For example, if the pre-match odds are 1.50 but increase to 2.20 before the second half, they become more tempting.
  • Do your research and analyze the game: You should do your research about the team before the match starts and keep tracking the game during the first half. Being observant is the key here: If a star player is not performing well, this means he may get switched out for the second half. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each team will allow you to make more accurate predictions.

FAQs: Your questions about second half betting answered

Before you shoot off to start betting, take a quick look at our FAQ guide. We think you know the answer to any  “what does 2nd half winner mean?” and “how do second half bets work” questions, and you should know by now what football second half betting rules mean and entail. However, if you still have questions, we are here to help.

That depends. In conventional matches, injury time, added time or overtime is normally included in 2nd half football betting options. This is, after all, a part of the final score. However, extra time (found in knockout games) is not normally a part of soccer betting, nor any sports betting options with 2nd half stakes.

Straight betting is arguably the simplest way to go, but you can make good money with half spread, or half total bets, too. Some bookmakers allow you to request a bet, so that you can customise some aspects of your stake. Check our guide on how to place a bet online to learn more.

As detailed above, second half betting is a stake where sports bettors are wagering on who will score the most goals or points in the second half of a fixture, not the overall result of both halves.

The plus sign (+) is used in both spread betting and totals (over/under). It typically indicates which of the two teams is the underdog. Similarly, the plus sign can also mean that a team must score MORE than so many points.

Find the best bookmaker to start placing those second half bets

Use multiple bookmakers to compare second-half betting odds and pick the best one available. Like any other bet type, bookies offer different 2nd half betting odds, and choosing the fairest one will give you a certain advantage. If you are struggling with this, keep following our website.

We tell you which bookmakers are the best when it comes to odds. When done right, second-half betting can give you a significant advantage, especially if you are observant enough. Now, pick a bookmaker from among our suggested sites to start placing those second-half bets.

Other Tutorials and Strategies

Lay the Draw | Complete Lay the Draw Strategy Guide with Tips & Examples (2024)

Lay the Draw | Complete Lay the Draw Strategy Guide with Tips & Examples (2024)

If you are planning on making a living on Betfair, you should know a couple of advanced betting strategies, such as lay the draw. When used correctly, this system almost guarantees a profit, no matter what the actual match result is. This makes it one of the best sports betting strategies you can use and [...]

Read more
Complete tennis betting strategy system and guide (2024)

Complete tennis betting strategy system and guide (2024)

Betting on outright victories is not the best way to bet on tennis in the long run, so players have to use tennis handicap betting to boost the odds, therefore increase their profits. Our Asian handicap betting strategy guide can help you apply the Asian handicap in tennis betting. Tennis set betting strategy has also [...]

Read more
How to register with a great bookie!

How to register with a great bookie!

After you have gone to Betworld and seen their sportsbook, tried out some of the top casino game titles for play money, and read about some of the great bonuses and promotions that you can take advantage of, you will probably want to open your own Betworld account. It’s a very simple process that will [...]

Read more
Football Betting Systems and Strategies – The Ultimate Guide

Football Betting Systems and Strategies – The Ultimate Guide

Most punters choose to take it one step at a time and see how things go, constantly adjusting their betting patterns, depending on the outcome of the previous bet. While a “no lose football betting system” does not exist, this empirical approach has its merits and is a fine choice for casual players, but there [...]

Read more