Betting on Bandy: A Comprehensive Guide to Correctly Place Bets and Main Strategies

Bandy or Field hockey is a winter sport whose popularity increases yearly.

Originating in England in the 19th century, bandy has seen most of its development in countries with long winter seasons - Sweden, Russia, Finland, Norway, and Kazakhstan.

Many enthusiasts describe bandy as something midway between football (soccer) and hockey, as bandy has inherited traits from both sports.

Official Nigerian bookmakers accept bets on bandy. The sport still needs to be sufficiently popular among betting enthusiasts, and hence, sportsbooks may offer inflated odds on bandy matches.

Teams of 11 players each play bandy - 10 field players and 1 goalkeeper. Matches occur on an ice field, identical to a football field.

Participants move around the ice on skates and use sticks. The game aims to score as many goals as possible into the opponent's net.

The duration of a bandy match is 2 halves of 45 minutes each. In adverse weather conditions, upon the referee's decision, the teams may play 3 periods of 30 minutes each.

Possible outcomes of a bandy match include a win for the first team, a draw, or a win for the second team. If the competition stage does not allow for draws, participants play up to 2 overtimes of 15 minutes each. The overtime is played until the first goal is scored.

Bandy has adopted many rules from football (soccer) – corner kicks, penalty and free kicks, offsides, and restrictions on the goalkeeper handling the ball outside the penalty area.

Features

For those placing bets on bandy, it's essential to understand the unique aspects of the sport:

• High-scoring games – teams score at least 6-8 goals in most matches.
• Unlimited substitutions are allowed in bandy, and players can be switched at any time except during corner kicks.
• Weather conditions can influence game outcomes. For example, extreme cold could reduce player performance.
• Sportsbooks often provide limited betting markets for bandy, typically only offering bets on main markets.

The bandy season starts in November and ends in March, with minimal competitions outside of these months.

Popular Nigerian bookmakers offer sports betting on bandy. The available bets typically include:

• 1X2 - a win for the first team, a draw, or a win for the second team.
• Double chance - first team wins or draws, no draw, or second team wins or draws.
• Total - betting on the number of goals scored over or under a selected number.
• Individual total - betting on the number of goals a team scores over or under a specified value.
• Handicap - betting on a participant's win, considering an advantage or a deficit.
• Halves - betting on the result, the winner with a handicap, total goals in half.
• Correct score - betting on the exact result of the match.

Some sportsbooks also allow long-term bets on competition outcomes, such as the championship winner, the tournament stage where a team will exit the championship, or the competition's top scorer.

When betting on bandy, it's essential to conduct a detailed analysis involving the collection of team statistics and analytics, considering the sport's specific features, and finding favourable odds.

Features

Unlike ice hockey, bandy is more deliberate and less dynamic, without harsh physical battles. Teams concoct complex game strategies to strike at the opponent's goal. Surprises in bandy are not frequent; favourites win in most matches.

Due to the sport's relative obscurity, few bookmakers have analysts specialised in bandy, so it's possible to encounter value bets in bandy matches. Betting sites offer different odds for the sport. Bettors should compare odds across several bookmakers to find the best values.

Analytics

Basic information about teams – including their ranking, performance, statistics, and squad details – can be found on sports statistics services. One of the most popular thematic resources with detailed information on matches, teams, and leagues is the FlashScore website. 

Experienced bettors preparing for national championships use official information sources and media. For example, if a fan bets on the Swedish Elitserien, they could look at analyses and forecasts on Swedish sports media sites. The official competition website is available at https://elitserien.se/.

Pre-Match Betting on Bandy

To make winning pre-match bets on bandy, players conduct a detailed sports analysis, considering the following:

• the ranking and level of opponents,
• the performance of participants – the number of goals scored and conceded,
• the results of recent and head-to-head confrontations,
• the motivation of the sides, team composition, player form,
• the tournament significance of the match.

Additionally, it's important to consider weather conditions, read news about the teams, and consider expert forecasts.

Live Betting on Bandy

When betting live, it's crucial to watch the online broadcast, consider the bookmakers' odds on the match before the event begins, and consider the current situation on the ice to determine the most likely course of events.

The number of betting strategies for bandy is limited. Many players find the most effective strategies to be betting on away favourites, betting over on the total when the main goalkeeper is absent, and betting on the underdog to win in the second half.

Betting on Away Favorites in Bandy

Bookmakers tend to overestimate home underdogs and offer inflated odds for away favourites. Statistically, strong teams win most of the matches, even when playing away.

Betting on Over Total in Bandy

If a team's primary goalkeeper is absent, and a reserve goaltender of a lower level takes his place, you can bet on the match total to be over. Players determine the optimal total over value independently, considering the level of risk and the desired winning odds.

Betting on the Underdog to Win in the Second Half

Typically, favourites determine the game's outcome in the first half and play the match's second half with less intensity. Following this strategy, you could bet on the underdog to win in the match's second half.

A player places a 500 NGN bet on the hosts' victory in the Swedish Elitserien match "Västerås" – "Sandvikens" with odds of 1.77. Before the selected encounter, "Västerås" won 3 games, and "Sandvikens" claimed one victory in the last 3 matches.

"Västerås" plays excellently at home, suffering only 1 home defeat in the season. "Sandvikens" shows less impressive results away, alternating between winning and losing matches. Swedish media are confident that the hosts are the favourites to win in the selected confrontation.

Ultimately, "Västerås" won against "Sandvikens" with a score of 5:3, and the bet on P1 brought a profit: 500 * 1.77 = 885 NGN.

Advantages

• Simple sports analytics
• Possibility to find valuable odds in the bookmaker's offices
• Seasonality - availability of tournaments in the winter

Disadvantages

• Sparse betting options
• Limited amount of analytics