Betting on a team to win either half of a game is a fantastically versatile addition to your betting options — if you know how it works and where to find it! Consider this page your compass towards the finest win either half markets. Dive in!

For this kind of bet to be successful, the team you’ve selected needs to win either half of a game. So, let’s say you place an away team to win either half bet on an MLS game between Orlando City and Cincinnati. Cincinnati finish that first half 1-0 up, and you’ve already won at that point.

Even if Orlando City end up winning the game 2-1 at full time, your wager is still successful because Cincinnati only needs to win one half. Similarly, if you had backed Orlando City, your bet would also be successful as they won the second half.

Also fundamental is that each half is considered independent. So, imagine that that scoreboard goes back to 0-0 in the second half. A winning score in this half alone is enough to net your returns. For instance, if Cincinnati only scored one goal in the second half, then they would have won that half 1-0 even though the overall score is 1-1.

An example of a losing bet would be if you backed Cincinnati and there was no goal in the second half, because they lost the first half and drew in the second.

While ‘to win either half' is most commonly associated with soccer, it can actually be offered on a broad variety of team sports. Rugby and Lacrosse for instance, are played in halves.

Here are some of the key reasons you should consider betting to win either half.

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    More ways to win: More markets mean more chances for you to discover odds that fit in perfectly with your predictions.

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    Exploiting specific strengths: If you’re confident in a team’s ability to start or finish strong but they are inconsistent, being able to bet on them to win either half can provide a better chance of backing a winner.

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    Great for multiples/accas: This is a market that plays well with others. You can match your ‘win either half predictions' with corners markets, both teams to score, under/over goals, and many more for a logically consistent multiples bet.

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    You can win early: If your team wins in the first half, you can relax — whatever happens in the second half can’t impact your winnings.

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    Usually no draw market: Betting to win either half typically does not come with a draw market, which means a greater share of the odds.

‘To win either half' odds showcase how the broad market variety offered by the finest US sportsbooks can enhance your betting experience. However, like all markets, it has a few disadvantages to take into consideration.

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    Not available on some American sports: Most of the popular sports in the United States don’t happen in halves. While it’s often possible (by counting all quarters instead, for instance) not all bookmakers offer this option.

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    Odds quality isn’t guaranteed: Not all bookies are equal, and some provide poor quality odds on ‘to win either half' markets. That’s why it’s important to stick to only the finest legal options. Our recommendations are a great place to start looking.

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    Few dedicated promotions: There are fewer specific promos on ‘to win either half' markets than others. For example, popular full-time result markets will often have specific bet boosts, which is less likely here.

While there are tons of specific advantages for this form of betting, the reasons to bet on ‘to win either half' market boils down to two key reasons.

Firstly, that you believe your ‘win either half' predictions have a good chance of being successful and come with decent returns. The other is that you think that betting on a team to win either half will improve your interest and enjoyment of that game.

In every legal US betting state, there are several fantastic operators providing great odds on ‘to win either half' markets. The following three are those we think provide the most competitive and satisfying collections of this type of market.

DraftKings — A Wonderful Selection of ‘Win Either Half' Markets

screenshot of draftkings to win either half betting
(Source: DraftKings)

At DraftKings, the ‘to win either half' markets can be found under the “halves” label on the market toolbar found on the upper part of your screen when you select an event.

Such odds are common on DraftKings on both American and international sports. They consistently offer them alongside quarters betting on the likes of the NFL and the NBA, typically with very competitive odds. There’s also a great selection of other halftime betting markets, such as spread betting and wagering on team totals.

And of course, predicting a team to win either half can also be part of one of DraftKings’s creative fantasy betting contests.

FanDuel – Fantastic for Live & Pre-Game Either Half Betting

screenshot of fanduel to win either half betting
(Source: FanDuel)

The offer at FanDuel is very similar to that of DraftKings. Odds are competitive and halves markets are available on a huge variety of events. Markets can be found by selecting “Half” on the upper markets toolbar. Do note that ‘to win either half' is often at the bottom of the page, so keep scrolling if you don’t see it.

An area where FanDuel might have the edge on DraftKings are in live betting depth, with ‘to win either half' live odds being consistently excellent.

BetMGM –Brilliant International ‘To Win Either Half' Markets

screenshot of betmgm to win either half betting
(Source: BetMGM)

At BetMGM ‘win either half' odds are available via the “Halftime or Fulltime” markets, which is the same thing but goes by a different name. An important distinction too is that BetMGM are one of the few operators that offer a “draw” option for this market.

Now the removal of this market is beneficial if you want to back a team, but it’s great to have the option if betting on a draw in either half works with your ‘win either half' predictions.

Unlike our other two recommendations, BetMGM generally only offer ‘to win either half' markets on games like soccer, rugby, or lacrosse. However, they really do excel in their halves coverage of these sports.

screenshot of fanduel to win either half betting odds
(Source: FanDuel)

The odds for ‘win either half' betting work exactly the same as any other type of betting market. They simply exist to represent an implied probability and your potential returns.

On American betting sites, American odds are most common. These are indicated by positive or negative numbers. The plus symbol indicates how much profit you’d make on a $100 bet.

So, in the above example, a successful $100 wager on Lyon to win either half at +180 would net you $180. A minus symbol indicates how much you’d need to bet to win $100. So, if you were to back PSG at -330, you’d need to bet $330 to make $100.

It’s also possible for ‘to win either half' odds to be presented in decimal or fractional form, and they all indicate the same thing. For instance, +180 would be 2.80 in decimal odds and 9/5 in fractional odds.

If unsure, you can use our odds calculator to quickly discover what your odds look like in different formats and their implied probability. The simplest way of knowing your returns even if you don’t understand betting odds is to select the market, put in your stake on the bet slip, and see what the bookmaker offers you.

On a basic level, your betting strategy here is to make accurate ‘win either half' predictions. That said, this is a deep market for tactical wagering, with different optimal approaches depending on the game and the kind of team you’re backing.

Here are some tips and strategies based on the following:

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    Attacking teams: This is a very successful market for attacking teams as they tend to take more risks, and if they’re good, the chances of them paying off in one half are usually strong. That said, your research should be based on how successful their aggression is, as an attack is only good if its successful, and such play can also lead to defensive weaknesses.

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    Defensive units: Put simply, you need to consider whether you think the patience of a defensive team is likely to pay off. Remember, in this market you only need to win by a single point in a single half, so a quality defensive team can provide great results here. If you’re talking about two defensive teams, a bet for a draw might be the wisest choice. In that case, you’ll want to check out BetMGM.

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    Several winners: If you’re looking to bet on a series of games, especially as part of an accumulator, ‘to win either half' is a fantastic strategy to increase your chances while maintaining interest in each game.

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    Home-and-away matches: The success of teams can be greatly impacted by whether they’re playing home or away. To take this into account, check out their previous results for both and consider them against the upcoming event you’re interested in. If a team is less consistent away, for instance, ‘to win either half' is a great way of taking this risk into account.

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    Games over two legs: There are several ways this market is especially beneficial on games over two legs. For starters, you can essentially use it to back a winner on both games with an increased chance of success.

And if you wait for the second leg, you can use the first game to gage your chances and react accordingly. It could be that a weaker performance means you’ll benefit from the versatility of the ‘to win either half' market compared to standard moneyline bets.

screenshot of betmgm to win either half betting
(Source: BetMGM)

The way you place a ‘to win either half bet' is really simple. Here’s a step-by-step guide based on the above example.

  1. Register with the site if you haven’t already got an account. Choose a payment method and deposit funds.

  2. Go to “Soccer” on the upper toolbar.

  3. Click on the event you are interested in from the advertised games.

  4. Select “Halftime” from the toolbar just below the main game information.

  5. Scroll down and click on the “Halftime or Fulltime” drop list.

  6. Select the market you are interested in. If the team you have chosen wins either half of the game, your bet will be succesful, and returns will be automatically credited to your account for withdrawal.

The ‘to win either half' market provides another betting opportunity and is amazing for accas. Whether or not it works for you on a particular event, it being an option is always a positive.

This is a type of betting markets where your wager is successful if the team you have chosen wins either half of a sporting event. It’s most common on soccer markets. On some operators, you may also bet on a draw to be the result of either half.

The home team is the team playing at their home ground. In the case of a game between Manchester United and Newcastle United played at Old Trafford, for example, Manchester United would be the home team. They’d have to win one half of that game for your bet to be successful.

The away team is the team playing at the ground of their opposition. Using the same example as above, this would mean you were backing Newcastle United to win one half of that game.

There are plenty of sportsbooks in the United States which offer this market. In our opinion, though, the very finest available to US players are DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM.

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WRITTEN BY Ben Gibson View all posts by Ben Gibson

Ben has been writing professionally for over a decade. His articles are a great outlet for his inexhaustible supply of sporting facts and enthusiasm. He resides in Yorkshire, where his work is powered by the ever-present sound of a kettle.

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