Bet Builders are a tremendously popular way to bet on football which allow bettors to combine multiple selections from the same match into one bet.
Before placing Bet Builders on the World Cup matches, read this guide to discover the smart ways to select legs which work well together to improve the chances of a successful wager.
Bets which have an obvious logic to them and feature outcomes that are all likely to occur in the same type of match make far more sense than just throwing together random picks that may even clash with each other.
The best World Cup Bet Builders come from considering the likely shape of the match, the style of play of each team, habits and strengths of each player and bearing in mind which side is likely to be on top in the match.
What Is a World Cup Bet Builder?
A bet builder is a selection of player performances or match outcomes that are combined together in a single bet that can produce some rewarding payouts.
Popular legs to include are those on the match result, number of goals, anytime goalscorer, player shots or shots on target, yellow cards, fouls and so on.
You may also want to include legs on whether both teams score or not, goalkeeper saves and corners, depending on which bets appeal most for that match.
So a simple Bet Builder on an England World Cup match could be England to win, over 2.5 goals in the match and Harry Kane to score a goal.
Adding more legs to the bet would bring a bigger return but also decrease the chance of the bet winning.
Remember, like any simple accumulator, every leg must win to be successful, so in our example, If England win 2-0 and Kane scores, the bet would not win as there were not over 2.5 goals in the match.
Match Result + Goals Markets
The most basic Bet Builders can be a simple mix of a match result bet combined with a total goals play, such as England to win and over 1.5 match goals, England to win and under 3.5 goals, Draw and under 2.5 goals, Scotland to win and both teams to score or Scotland or draw double chance and under 3.5 goals.
Which combination you choose will depend on your reading of the game. For example, if you are confident in the favourites winning and think their opponents will simply set out to avoid a heavy loss then backing that team to win and under 4.5 goals could pay off.
If you expect the underdogs to try but fail to go toe-to-toe with them, backing the favourites to win and both teams to score may be a better option, or if you expect a cagey contest between two defensive teams then Draw and under 2.5 goals may be the way to make a profit from a boring match.
Player Shots and Goalscorer Bet Builders
Many bettors enjoy adding player performance bets, or player props, to their Bet Builders, to give you an interest in the individual efforts of a given player.
Popular combinations include a team to win and a named player to score a goal, a team to win and a player to have 1+ or 2+ shots on target, a player to score or assist and over 2.5 goals in the match and so on.
Being smart about your selection can really pay off if you think in advance of the likely starting line-ups – will a powerful striker be up against a team who struggle to defend crosses for example – while being aware of which players are likely to take free kicks and penalties can also pay off.
Awareness of team news, such as which players are coming back from injury and may be likely candidates to be substituted early, is also useful.
Cards and Fouls Bet Builders
Predicting which players will fall foul of the referee is another way to approach Bet Builders. There are lines for players to pick up cards and either commit or suffer fouls and these can also be tackled in logical ways.
For example, combine the team you expect to lose with a bet on that side to pick up most cards. They will be more likely to collect bookings if they are frustrated, and they will make more desperate challenges if they are losing, so it all works hand in hand.
Another way to make a logical combination is for an outclassed full-back to be carded and the opposing winger he may well struggle to mark to have 1+ shots on target or to assist a goal.
Cards tend to be produced in more fiercely contested matches, so two sensible options are over match cards and under 2.5 goals for a match-up where neither side is likely to want to give an inch, or conversely a low card total and over 3.5 goals in a one-sided contest where the underdogs may accept their fate without getting annoyed about it.
Bear in mind the mentality and discipline level of teams in their previous matches.
Corners Bet Builders
Corners are another popular leg to include in Bet Builders. The key here is to remember that corners accumulate from attacking play, but that the winning team will not necessarily do the most attacking in a match.
If a team gets into an early lead, for example, the losing side may rack up a high number of corners as they spend the rest of the game trying to get back into it.
The type of teams who may be worth combining with high corners totals are favourites who are facing limited opponents, teams chasing qualification who will have every incentive to keep going until the final whistle, and of course, more expansive ball-playing sides who like to get the ball wide.
There is no shortage of teams who look to sit deep and play only on the counter-attack in modern football and those sides are sometimes worth backing to win in a game when their opponents have either most corners or a high corners tally.
In-play bets on teams applying late pressure to secure a clutch of late flag-kicks can also pay off.
Full list of world cup bookies and bookie offers here