What is Half-Time/Full-Time Betting? Strategies for South African Punters

WHAT IS HALF-TIME/FULL-TIME BETTING?

• WHAT IS HALF-TIME/FULL-TIME BETTING?
• HOW DOES HT/FT BETTING WORK?
• COMMON HT/FT BETTING STRATEGIES
• 1. BACKING DOMINANT TEAMS
• 2. CONSIDERING DRAW OPTIONS
• 3. LOOKING AT TEAM TRENDS
• 5. USING IN-PLAY BETTING FOR HT/FT
• UNDERSTANDING THE BENEFITS AND RISKS OF HT/FT BETTING
• BEST SPORTS & LEAGUES FOR HT/FT BETTING
• READY TO START HT/FT BETTING?

WHAT IS HALF-TIME/FULL-TIME BETTING?

Simply, HT/FT betting is predicting the result of a game at half-time and/or full-time. In order to win the bet, both results must be correct meaning that this is a difficult bet to win! However, taking on this complex challenge is rewarded with much higher odds than in other bets such as Win-Draw-Win or Draw-No-Bet.

To best understand the HT/FT bet, it is important to understand that there are 9 potential outcomes for the bet. These are:

1. Home/Home (HH): The home team leads at half-time and wins at full-time.
2. Home/Draw (HD): The home team leads at half-time, but the match ends in a draw.
3. Home/Away (HA): The home team leads at half-time, but the away team wins at full-time.
4. Draw/Home (DH): The match is level at half-time, but the home team wins at full-time.
5. Draw/Draw (DD): The match is level at both half-time and full-time.
6. Draw/Away (DA): The match is level at half-time, but the away team wins at full-time.
7. Away/Home (AH): The away team leads at half-time, but the home team wins at full-time.
8. Away/Draw (AD): The away team leads at half-time, but the match ends in a draw.
9. Away/Away (AA): The away team leads at half-time and wins at full-time.

HOW DOES HT/FT BETTING WORK?

Let’s say you want to place a soccer bet. Kaiser Chiefs are playing Mamelodi Sundowns, and the odds for an HT/FT bet on Kaiser Chiefs to lead at both half-time and full-time (HH) are 3.50. If you bet R100 on this outcome and it wins, your return would be R350 (R100 stake x 3.50 odds).

Remember, as HT/FT betting requires two correct predictions, it carries a higher risk compared to betting on a single outcome, but the payouts are also greater.

COMMON HT/FT BETTING STRATEGIES

As with every bet, there is no guaranteed route to success, nor is there a one-size-fits-all strategy that can be applied to HT/FT betting. However, there are certain strategies you can employ to make  you more confident in your wagers chances of success. Below are some of the most common tactics that punters employ when betting on this market.

1. BACKING DOMINANT TEAMS

Strong teams with a history of early dominance are often worthy of consideration for HT/FT bets. If a team regularly takes control of matches from the start and maintains its lead, betting on HH has the potential to be a smart strategy. For example, Orlando Pirates playing a weaker opponent might be an interesting prospect for a Home/Home bet.

2. CONSIDERING DRAW OPTIONS

In soccer and rugby, some teams tend to start cautiously but grow into the game. If a team is known for being defensive in the first half but more aggressive in the second, backing a Draw/Home (DH) or Draw/Away (DA) outcome could be a strategy worth deliberating.

3. LOOKING AT TEAM TRENDS

As with any sports bet, analysing team form and the history of the fixture is always worthy of your time. In doing so, you can identify the teams which frequently dominate early but struggle to maintain leads. This is characteristic that would make them a risky prospect for a HH bet. Alternatively, you may identify teams that are developing a habit of making comebacks late in home games, making them a candidate for Draw/Home or Away/Home bets.

4. USING IN-PLAY BETTING FOR HT/FT

Live betting on HT/FT markets can provide greater value. For example, if a favourite starts slow but you believe they will win, placing a live bet during the match can offer better odds than pre-match betting.

UNDERSTANDING THE BENEFITS AND RISKS OF HT/FT BETTING

Before placing your first HT/FT bet, it is important that you have an understanding of the clear benefits and drawbacks of placing such a wager. The main benefit is clear – higher returns. Since you are placing a bet on two outcomes rather than one, your odds are going to be higher than in a straightforward Win-Draw-Win bet.

The second benefit is for those of you who enjoy diving into your research before placing a bet. As mentioned previously, researching team form, trends and playing styles can be a useful strategy to base your bet on.

However, bookmakers do not give away high returns for free! HT/FT betting is a difficult bet and that difficulty cannot be ignored. Consider the number of potential outcomes for a moment. In these bets, there are nine potential outcomes, whereas in Win-Draw-Win there only three. While HT/FT is easier to win than a Correct Score Bet or some parlay bets, they do still carry considerable risk.

BEST SPORTS & LEAGUES FOR HT/FT BETTING

Soccer is the sport that is most commonly associated with HT/FT betting. This is due to the ebb and flow of the sport, along with the frequency of the goals, make it well suited to predicting outcomes over two halves. This market is particularly popular in competitions like England’s Premier League, Spain’s La Liga and our very own Premier Division. This is due to the top teams showing remarkable consistency in their performances from start to finish, often across entire seasons.

Let’s take South African football as an example. Here, we are all aware that Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates are dominant teams, that frequently assert their authority early in games and maintain control throughout. This makes HT/FT betting a particularly attractive prospect when they are playing considerably weaker opponents.

While soccer is arguably the most popular sport for this type of bet, HT/FT markets can also be found in other sports, particularly in rugby betting. Competitions like Super Rugby, the Six Nations, and various international test matches can offer this market which might be of interest to any rugby-loving South African!

READY TO START HT/FT BETTING?

Half-Time/Full-Time betting is a difficult market, but one that strikes a balance between risk and reward. Easier to win than a ten-team accumulator, yet tougher to win than a correct score bet, HT/FT is a bet that should be considered carefully before placing a wager. Research is key, bankroll management important and remembering to bet responsibly is, as always, vital!