How to Bet on FIFA: Best Strategies for FIFA eSports Betting

The popularity of betting on FIFA has been rapidly growing since the official recognition of esports and the inclusion of FIFA as an esport in the All-Nigerian Sports Register.

FIFA is a computer game simulator miming traditional football competitions and features real players' names, football club names, leagues, and tournaments.

The game's developer and esports federations regularly organise large-scale FIFA tournaments with prize pools reaching hundreds of thousands of US dollars.

Bookmakers offer customers two types of FIFA events:

• Esports: Competitions between two real players online. Esports athletes choose a football club and a virtual tournament, develop their playing style, and demonstrate their skills and mastery.
• Successful betting on esports requires understanding the game mechanics, tournament regulations, and tracking team and esports player statistics.
• Virtual football: Matches that simulate artificial intelligence. The algorithm is based on statistics from real football tournaments, analysis of the capabilities of real athletes, the programmed characteristics of the teams, and probability theory.
• When betting on virtual football, players use mathematical models and strategies. Analysing the statistics of previous virtual matches is meaningless as the simulation algorithm is unknown.

The results of virtual games, esports matches, and live streams can be found on bookmakers' websites. Esports competitions in FIFA are available for viewing on the Twitch.tv platform, where most bookmakers and tournament organisers have dedicated channels.

When betting on FIFA, it is essential to consider the following aspects specific to esports (cyber football):

• The skill of the esports player is more important than the chosen football club.
• The match duration is 2 halves of 6 minutes each. The gameplay time corresponds to a traditional football match, but the timer runs faster.
• The odds are usually higher than those for traditional football events.
• The games tend to be high-scoring.
• Only prestigious esports tournaments are available in the sportsbook lineup.
• FIFA's betting markets are more limited than traditional football, with fewer options for statistical bets.

Some factors essential for predictions in traditional football may hold different significance in FIFA betting.

The FIFA betting line in bookmakers includes markets:

• Outcome: The result of the match, half, or other game segment. The bettor chooses from 3 options: victory of the first/second team or a draw.
• Total: The productivity of the match/half or one of the opponents, the number of goals scored in the "over/under" format.
• Handicap: The gap in the score and the result of the game, considering the given advantage or lag.
• Double chance: This bet covers two out of three possible outcomes (win and draw, lose and draw, or win and lose).
• Additional markets: "Both will score", "Even-Odd", "Who will score the next goal".
• Combo bets: "Victory + both will score" or "Draw + total".

The line for FIFA in bookmakers includes the following markets:

1. Match Result: Bettors choose from three options - the first team's victory, the second team's victory, or a draw.
2. Total Goals: Betting on the total number of goals scored in the match or a specific half, with options of "over" or "under" a certain threshold.
3. Handicap: Adjusting the score and determining the game's outcome based on a given advantage or disadvantage for one of the teams.
4. Double Chance: Betting on two out of three possible outcomes - the victory of either team or a draw.
5. Additional markets: "Both Teams to Score," "Odd/Even Goals," "Next Goal Scorer," and others.
6. Combo bets: Combining outcomes such as "Win + Both Teams to Score" or "Draw + Total Goals."
7. These markets provide various options for bettors to choose from when placing bets on FIFA matches.

Many betting strategies for FIFA are best applied in live betting. The unique characteristics of cyber football matches, such as their short format and dynamic nature, make live betting particularly suitable.

These strategies are based on observing the match in real time and identifying opportune moments to place bets. By closely following the game and analysing its progress, bettors can make more informed decisions and capitalise on advantageous betting opportunities. Live betting allows for greater flexibility and responsiveness, as odds and match dynamics can change rapidly during the game.

The Vert Strategy

Based on the high-scoring nature of FIFA 18, Denis Vert's strategy combines well-known strategies for total goals betting and involves four possible scenarios. The bettor places a wager on "Over" at a specific moment of the match, considering the number of goals scored. This strategy assumes that the match will continue to be high-scoring, leading to more goals being scored.

According to statistics, a scoreless draw in FIFA is extremely rare. If the opponents start the match with many goals, fans expect an active game continuation.

The odds for Over 5.5 goals are usually favourable for the player.

The fourth scenario is the only case where the strategy's author recommends attempting to recover using the "Dogon" strategy - doubling the bet amount, repeating the bet until a win is achieved, and then reducing the coupon amount to the initial value.

Goals in Both Halves Strategy

Players often employ a strategy for betting on matches in the Russian Premier League (RPL) in FIFA, where approximately 70% of goals are scored in the second half of the game.

To place their bets, they wait for approximately 20 minutes of gameplay and if the score is still 0-0, they bet that both teams will score at least one goal in each half.

Statistics show that the longer the score remains 0-0, the higher the chances of the bet being successful.

Both Teams to Score (BTS)

The strategy is justified for the UEFA Europa League tournaments in the 17th version of FIFA.

Bookmakers offer a high coefficient for the "No" outcome in the "Both Teams to Score" market, which, if successful in even 50% of the bets, can bring significant profits in the long run.

Professionals advise flat betting and wagering at most 5% of the bankroll.

Falling Favorite Strategy

The "Falling Favorite" strategy is used in live betting when there is a clear favourite and underdog. The favourable moment for placing a bet occurs when the following conditions are met:

1. The favourite concede a goal in the match's first 25-30 minutes.
2. The odds for the favourite's victory have increased from below 1.50 to 2.00 or higher.
3. The favourite has a solid motivation to win.
4. Cases where the underdog takes the lead while the strong team underestimates the opponent, are not uncommon. Usually, after conceding a goal, the favourite regain the initiative and acts more actively.

It is advisable to wait half an hour from the start of the game, as the favourite may need more time to recover from the deficit.

Over 2.5 and Over 0.5 Strategy

The betting strategies for Over 0.5 and Over 2.5 goals are based on the assumption that participants in FIFA tend to score a high number of goals.

For Over 0.5 goals, bets are placed in the middle of the first half during live betting when bookmakers offer odds ranging from 1.70 to 2.00.

For Over 2.5 goals, bets can be placed in pre-match and live betting after studying the statistics beforehand. Many fans combine this strategy with the principle of a 2-3-step "doubling down" approach.

Double Chance in Live Betting

Bets on the "Double Chance" in favour of the trailing team are placed under the following conditions:

• The opponents are approximately equal in strength.
• There are a significant number of dangerous scoring opportunities.
• The score difference is only 1 goal.
• The odds for the "Double Chance" in favour of the trailing team are higher than 2.00.

The fan bets on the outcome, including the opponent's victory by a smaller margin or a draw.

Most legal bookmakers in Nigeria accept bets on cyber football. From a multitude of competitions of different levels, bookmakers choose the most prestigious tournaments to include in the line:

• FIFAe World Cup;
• FIFAe Club World Cup;
• FIFAe Nations Cup;
• eChampions League;
• Matches of the top divisions in national leagues.

Fans study news about players, league tables, and weather forecasts to make successful bets on traditional football. However, for bets on FIFA cyber matches, information about player substitutions, injuries, sponsor changes, or coaches is optional. The focus should primarily be on the player's experience and the predefined parameters of the game characters set by the program.

An excellent way to understand the principles and mechanics of FIFA is to learn the sports simulator yourself. Professionals advise the following:

• Track the achievements of participants in various rankings.
• Pay attention to tournament motivation, especially for players in the top 100.
• Consider the version of FIFA when choosing a strategy, as developers change the rules, club rosters, and character attributes.
• Remember that participants with approximately equal skills play at each tournament stage.
• Watch as many cyber matches as possible online and in recordings.

Information about esports players' ratings, FIFA tournament schedules, and statistics can be found on websites such as www.fifa.gg and other thematic internet resources.

The popularity of cyber football and the number of bets on FIFA are growing yearly. This sports discipline is characterised by its dynamism and unpredictability. Due to the difficulty of predicting outcomes, the odds for FIFA cyber matches are higher than those for traditional football.

Experienced customers of bookmakers start placing bets on FIFA using a demo account, which allows them to bet without any real financial risk. This enables them to gain experience and test their strategies before placing real money bets.