IN MY last two Masterclasses I've looked at spread betting as an alternative to fixed-odds betting with the bookies. I've previously explained how to spread bet on the number of goals scored in a game and how to profit on the margin of victory in a match, this week I'd like to introduce you to another facet of football spread betting; Shirt Numbers.
Shirt Number betting is a different way to capitalise on your betting know-how and football knowledge. In short, it allows you to bet on the SUM of the shirt numbers of the players who score in a match. It's a good alternative to betting on the number of goals in a game, especially if you're in-the-know with team news, suspensions and injuries.
Take an example of Liverpool v Spurs, where Spreadex have set the Shirt Spread at 27-30. That means they predict that the SUM of the shirt numbers worn by the goalscorers in the match will be between 27 and 30. If you think they've got that wrong you can either ‘buy' higher than 30, or ‘sell' lower than '27'.
Let's look at some scenarios and how you could win or lose on this kind of bet.
Buying higher than 30
Firstly, let's say you think the total shirt numbers will be more than 30 so you ‘buy' higher than 30 at £10;
Scenario A – Liverpool 2 (Sturridge, Lallana) Spurs 2 (Kane, Alli)
The outcome of the match is irrelevant as it's the number of goals and who scores them that's important. In this scenario Sturridge (shirt number 15), Lallana (20) Kane (10) and Alli (20) all score. This means the total shirt numbers is 55 (15+20+10+20).
You would win £250. That's (55-30) x £10.
Scenario B – Liverpool 1 (Coutinho) Spurs 1 (Kane)
In this scenario Coutinho (shirt number 10) and Kane (10) both score. This means the total shirt numbers is 20 (10+10).
You would lose £100. That's (30-20) x £10.
Selling lower than 27
Alternatively you may think that the total shirt numbers will be lower than 27. In this instance you decide to ‘sell' at 27 at £10.
Scenario A – Liverpool 1 (Milner) Spurs (0)
In this scenario only Liverpool's number 7, James Milner scores which means the total shirt numbers is just 7.
You would win £200. That's (27-7) x £10.
Scenario B – Liverpool 2 (Sturridge 2) Spurs 1 (Kane)
In this scenario Sturridge scores 2 for Liverpool so his shirt number (15) is doubled. Kane (10) scores for Spurs meaning the total shirt numbers is 40 (15+15+10).
You would lose £130. That's (40-27) x £10.
So as you can see, the rewards can be great on this bet if there are lots of goals and if high shirt numbers score, but losses can also stack up if the goals don't come so be cautious.
Some tips on how to make the most of this type of bet
- Do your homework on which clubs have regular first team players with high squad numbers
- Make sure you know who is playing in the match before betting
- Do some paper bets first, or look at the total shirt numbers of previous matches involving your teams
- Go with small bets to start with to get a feel for this type of bet
Spreadex offer shirt numbers spreads on many matches and if you sign-up today you can claim up to £200 as a welcome bonus. Click the button below to get started.
