Outright betting is tailored for patient punters, offering a departure from the transient excitement of game-by-game betting. Here, you're in for the long haul, predicting the outcome of an entire competition or league and remaining invested the entire season. There’s plenty to digest, and through this comprehensive guide, we'll share all there is to know about this strategic form of wagering.

Also known as futures betting, outright betting involves wagering on the overall outcome of a competition, league, or event as opposed to an individual match.

This form of betting offers a myriad of options, often extending beyond merely predicting the outright winner. For instance, you can bet on the UEFA Champions League’s top scorer, as well as the nationality of the competition’s winner. The odds associated with outright betting tend to be notably substantial, particularly when it comes to ante post betting.

Still, bookmakers will offer outright markets throughout the duration of the competition, whether it lasts a couple of days (a golf major) or a few months (the Premier League season).

Example of an Outright Bet

Say you are keen to explore English Premier League outright betting and try to predict this year’s champion. Under the football competitions, select ‘EPL' and click on ‘Outrights'. There, you’ll see the Premier League Winner market, with all teams and odds listed. Click on the corresponding odds for the team you want to back and place your outright bet.

TeamOdds*Bookmaker
Manchester City7/10bet365
Arsenal4/1Unibet
Liverpool5/1Unibet
Tottenham50/1Unibet
*odds are subject to change

Manchester City’s current superiority is shown by their odds to win the division. Bookmakers do harbour hopes of a three-way title race with Arsenal and Liverpool’s odds shortening in recent weeks. Tottenham, once an intriguing proposition, now seem unlikely to win the Premier League, and that’s reflected by their current odds.

Pros:
  • Cash-out — You can cash out your outrights early and get a portion of the winnings if things are not looking well for your bet.
  • Odds value — Given the long-term nature of the bet and the variables involved, the odds for outright bets are often quite large, especially if you’re backing an underdog.
  • Time to study stats — Odds for outrights are posted early on, so you have enough time to analyse stats and do proper research.
Cons:
  • Takes time to settle — Football outright bets and all other outrights take a long time to settle.
  • Limited markets — The number of outright markets is limited compared to pre-match and in-play betting.
  • Single market over a long time — Boredom could creep in as there’s focus on a single betting market for a long period.

Football outright betting is the most common form of wagering on future outcomes. Let's take a look at some essential football outright betting tips:

1. Always think long-term

Consider the team’s stats, especially for those that play in multiple competitions. Try to predict the games where the favourites might shred some points, which is when the odds at bookies are certainly going to increase. That’s when you can place an outright if you still want to back the team. Remember that the season is long and that you have to be patient and analyse the situation carefully.

2. Study the stats

I’d always recommend utilising statistics when placing an outright bet, no matter what sport or event. If it’s an in-season football bet, data will always be available for you to assess form guides. xG metrics, for example, can help gauge the sustainability of a team’s performance.

3. Back an underdog

Especially if you’re placing a single bet, I'd suggest checking out the alternative options with bigger odds. With many outright markets, bookies will allow you to place an each-way bet, which means there’s undoubtedly value to be had in backing an underdog.

4. Strike when the time is right

By strike, I mean either cash out at the optimal time or place your bet when you think a team/player’s odds might be at their very best. Track the odds movement, factor in the current form of the team and the upcoming fixtures to get an idea of the best time to place another outright — or cash out the existing one before things go south.

While almost all bookies will offer outright betting markets of some sort, some stand out among the crowd. Here is our pick of the best three:

Unibet Outright Betting

unibet outright betting screenshot
(Source: Unibet)

Unibet offer some of the best odds for Premier League outright betting, as well as various outright markets on the English top-flight — outright winner, relegation, leading assister, and top goalscorer. For example, you can back Aston Villa and Tottenham to win the Premier League at 50/1, whereas BetVictor boasts 40/1 odds for the same markets.

However, I was even more impressed by their futures coverage for American sports. For instance, the bookie offers outright season markets for every NBA team, markets for the end of the season awards, and also allows you to bet on every division winner.

bet365 Outright Betting

bet365 outright betting screenshot
(Source: bet365)

bet365 possesses the most extensive list of football outright markets, including the Number of Promoted Teams to Be Relegated, To Finish Bottom, Most Assists, and Team Outright Wins.

There’s an array of outright markets outside of the most common; you can bet on awards such as the Golden Glove, which player will notch the most assists in the season, and the PFA Player of the Year.

Few bookies can match the depth of outright markets offered by bet365. You have the opportunity to place bets on the outright winner for every league offered on their platform — a range that extends down to leagues as specific as the Southern Premier League South in England.

bet365 doesn’t just stand out with their football coverage either. This bookmaker’s outright betting markets across their sportsbook is super impressive, offering a total of 30 outright betting markets for the NFL alone.

BetVictor Outright Betting

betvictor outright betting screenshot
(Source: BetVictor)

BetVictor certainly compares to bet365 in regard to the extent of their outrights coverage. This bookie places a great emphasis on English leagues while also offering a plethora of markets for European competitions, such as the Champions League.

Nationality of Winner is one of several less common outright markets offered by BetVictor, while geographical markets such as Top Midlands Club are provided as part of their Premier League outrights coverage.

This bookmaker supplies futures markets for the vast majority of sports that make up their sportsbook. You can bet on 2024 tennis and golf majors, for example. Like its competitors, BetVictor also offers division, conference, and championship markets for the current NFL and NBA seasons.

bet365 premier league outright betting screenshot
(Source: bet365 – odds correct as at 6/11/2023, 16:23)
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    Relegation Markets: This popular outright betting market involves backing teams to get relegated from their current division. For example, bet365 currently price Sheffield United at 1/6 to get relegated from the Premier League this season.

  • List Icon

    Top Goalscorer: You’re betting on who you think will end the season as the leading goalscorer. The best bookmakers will offer this outright market for a long list of leagues and allow you to place each-way bets, which means you will earn money if your player ends the season towards the top of the scoring charts. You can back Son Heung-min to win the Premier League Golden Boot at 11/1 with Unibet, for instance.

  • List Icon

    Player of the Year: Very few bookies will offer Player of the Year markets on football leagues outside of the Premier League, but you can also bet on equivalent markets for American sports such as the NFL and NBA MVPs. Bookmakers will offer odds for the PFA Player of the Year — an award handed to the best player in the Premier League that season. Erling Haaland is bet365’s favourite to win back-to-back PFA awards in 2023/24 at 6/4.

Outright betting is all about smart choices and patience. With the help of this article, we hope you are now equipped with the knowledge to explore and take advantage of the many betting opportunities available, many of which are found in our comprehensive guide to the most common betting terms and markets. So, go ahead and put your skills to the test!

Outright is when you bet on the outcome of an entire competition, league or event, not just an individual match.

There are always multiple variables at play when placing an outright bet. For certain events, form is critical; while for others, like football, injuries are always worth keeping up to date with. It’s worth noting the bookmakers that provide the best odds, too.

We’ve listed bet365, Unibet, and BetVictor as the best bookmakers for outright betting.

You will win an outright bet if the wager you place actually occurs. For example, if you back Manchester City to win the 2023/24 Premier League and they finish top of the table, your outright bet will win.

Not all the time, but there will often be opportunities to cash out your outright bet.

Author Avatar
WRITTEN BY James Cormack View all posts by James Cormack

Big sports fan specialising in football. Experienced the lows of Vlad Chiriches and Tim Sherwood as a Spurs fan along with the more recent ‘success’ under Pochettino. My following of the New England Patriots since 2012 somewhat makes up for the lack of silverware produced by Spurs in my lifetime.

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