Peter has been writing for the gambling industry since 2013, and joined the SportsCasting team in July 2024. Outside of work Peter is a runner, gig rower, guitarist and musician (releasing two albums under the name 'ShiroToKuro'). Peter is also a lover of manga, anime and Japanese cinema and can even read and speak Japanese at the conversational level.
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Ian Bruce became interested in betting in 1987, when he landed a winning Yankee on his first attempt. That stroke of luck (and he admits that's exactly what it was) sparked an interest in understanding the strategies behind successful wagers. Over the years, he has become one of the UK's most prolific writers on betting and gaming, and is best known for his systematic approach to winning. Ian's career in the industry now spans over three decades. His favorite betting method is Dutching because, in his words, "It's the one I win with more often than not."
All posts by Ian BruceSo, what is BTTS in betting? BTTS stands for ‘both teams to score’ and is a bet (usually) on football for both sides to score at least one goal in a match (BTTS Yes) or for either or both sides to keep a clean sheet (BTTS No). This page will fully outline the BTTS meaning in betting, and how you can effectively add it to your betting repertoire.
How BTTS Betting Works
BTTS is a simple Yes/No bet that you can place at all of the UK’s best betting sites. You bet on both teams to score during a football match, or for at least one side to keep a clean sheet. For the first example, if both teams score during the match, your bet wins. For the second example, if the game ends up as a no-score draw or one side fails to score, then your bet wins.
BTTS is almost wholly associated with football, as clean sheets in football are relatively common. In most other sports, a clean sheet is much less common. However, you may be able to get odds on a BTTS basis on other sports, such as ice hockey or baseball. With some team sports (cricket, American football, Aussie rules), it is extremely uncommon for one side not to score, so betting sites do not offer BTTS betting.
In football, as with all bets, the bet only covers the usual ninety minutes and time added on for stoppages and VAR delays. In knockout ties, extra time does not count towards your BTTS betting wager, and penalties certainly do not count.
BTTS Betting Example
Here is how to place a BTTS bet:
These are the odds for the EPL game in which Chelsea are hosting Manchester City. You can see the both teams to score betting odds of 10/21 for Yes, and 6/4 for No. We feel that both teams will score, so we click on the odds for ‘Yes’ to transfer the bet to our betting slip.
This is the bet on our betting slip. We have set our stake to £5, which will return £7.38 if our both teams to score bet is correct. We click on ‘place bet’ to place our bet, and then get hoping that Erling Haaland, Nicolas Jackson and co. can do the goalscoring business!
Popular BTTS Betting Markets
There are plenty of ways you can place both teams to score bets, and we are now going to guide you through a few of the more popular ones.
Both Teams to ScoreBoth Teams to Score and WinBoth Teams to Score in Both HalvesBoth Teams to Score 2+ GoalsBTTS AccasThe simplest both teams to score bet – betting on both teams to score (BTTS Yes) or for at least one side to fail to score (BTTS No).
This is a combination bet. As well as betting on both teams to score (or not), you are selecting which side will win, too. If you are betting on BTTS No and a winner, check out the odds for ‘to win to nil’ as it’s the same bet, and the odds might be better.
With this bet you are effectively splitting the game in two – the first half and the second half – and placing a BTTS betting wager on each. You don’t have to select BTTS Yes for both halves, and you can combine (for example) a BTTS Yes bet for the first half with a BTTS No bet for the second half.
In this wager, you are not only betting on BTTS Yes, but you are also betting on both teams to score a minimum of two goals, so the game must finish at least 2-2. You may see this bet offered as ‘both teams to score over 1.5 goals’, and other goal totals (> 2.5, 3+, and so on) may also be available.
You can chain several BTTS bets together to form a BTTS acca. The winnings from the first bet become the stake of the second bet, and so on down the chain. All your BTTS bets have to win or your BTTS acca will lose.
You can combine BTTS Yes bets with BTTS No bets for your acca. You can also include non-BTTS Yes/No bets within your acca too.
Why Place a Both Teams to Score Bet?
Now that the BTTS meaning in betting has been explained to you, you may be wondering why you should place a both teams to score bet. Here are a few reasons.
Teams Score More Often Than They Win
It’s easier to predict that a team will score than they will win. For example, in the 2023-24 EPL season, champions Manchester City scored in 35 out of 38 games but only won 28 of them. Runners-up Arsenal scored in 34 games and won 28. Even basement club Sheffield United scored in 23 games despite only winning three of them. Therefore, teams are more likely to score than win, making BTTS Yes an attractive bet.
Form is a Key Predictor
Form is an odd but relevant factor in football. Both players and teams go on scoring and non-scoring streaks. A good example happened in the 2023-24 League One season when Cheltenham Town failed to score in their first ten (eleven, if you include the Carabao Cup) games of the season. Arsenal once scored in 55 successive EPL games. As for players, Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi scored in seven successive EPL games and then scored five in his next nineteen. You can monitor the form of players and teams to hone your BTTS bets.
You Can Bet on Leagues You Know Nothing About
With most bets, you do need some level of knowledge about the leagues you are betting on at football betting sites, but with BTTS Yes/No you don’t. The BTTS bet is purely about numbers and probabilities and looking for the right matches. Two high-scoring teams with leaky defences in the Saudi Pro League coming up against each other? Then bet BTTS Yes. A team in Bundesliga 2 that rarely scores away visiting the league’s tightest defence? Then it’s BTTS No. If you’re a number-crunching bettor, then this bet could really be for you.
BTTS Betting Tips
Want some BTTS win tips? Then we are here to provide them!
It’s All in the Numbers
If you are the type of bettor who prefers to work on data and spotting trends, then BTTS Yes/No could be the bet for you. You can monitor global fixture lists to see what is happening with high-scoring or low-scoring teams, and place your bets accordingly.Watch for Player Injuries and Transfers
Teams may score goals but it’s the players who put the ball in the net. If a top goal-getter such as Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Serhou Guirassy (Stuttgart), Erling Haaland (Manchester City) or Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid) is going to be absent, their sides may be less of a goal threat. Also, look for defensive players being absent for a team with tight rear-guards.Cash Out if the Weaker Side Scores First
You’ve put money on a BTTS No bet for Arsenal at home to Ipswich Town, and miracle of miracles, the Tractor Boys have gone ahead after five minutes. What are the chances of Ipswich keeping a clean sheet? Probably none, so you may as well cash out your bet while it’s still a winning one rather than lose your entire stake.Related content: Best cash out betting sites
Alternatives to BTTS Betting
If you like the idea of the BTTS meaning in betting but you are not sure if it’s the bet for you, then here are some alternative bets you might like to consider.
Under/Over 2.5 GoalsBet Against a Clean SheetTo Win to NilBoth Score No DrawIf you think a game is going to be relatively high scoring but you are on the fence about one side’s chances of scoring, then consider under/over 2.5 goals. This is the total number of goals in a match. Under 2.5 goals is 0, 1 or 2 goals, while over 2.5 goals is 3 or more. Other bets, such as over 1.5 goals, are available.
Some rare sites may not offer the BTTS bet. In that case, you may be able to bet against either side securing a clean sheet. This is the same as the BTTS Yes bet.
With this bet, you are betting on one side to win, and to win by scoring at least once and keeping a clean sheet. It is the same as ‘BTTS No and Win’.
This bet may be hard to find, but you can always construct it yourself. With both score no draw you are betting that both sides will score, but that the game will not end in a draw. If the bet is not offered at the sports betting side you prefer to use, combine a BTTS Yes bet with a double chance home/away bet.
Conclusion
No longer will you be asking what is BTTS in betting, as the BTTS meaning in betting has been fully explained to you here! You are also now armed with BTTS betting tips, so you know how to get the most from any both teams to score bet. All the best with your BTTS in betting wagers, and may both teams score (or not!).
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