As the top tier of non-league football in the UK, the National League is an exciting tournament worth betting on. There are many things to consider when betting on this league. For instance, there are 24 clubs making up the National League, of which, all bar three are professional. This gives you a lot to get started with as well. Let’s have a look at what else you should know.
League setup and organisation
One of the key things to take away here is that the league has a relegation and promotions system just like any other English football league. Importantly, teams can make it up to the EFL League Two if they do well at the end of the season.
Within the National League, there are also two divisions the North and the South with 24 teams across the divisions. The teams play each team in their own division twice so that they get a home game and an away game each. Points are earned for draws (1) and wins (3), which then go toward determining who wins and gets promoted or who is relegated at the end of the season. The winner of the league automatically gets promoted, but the teams placing second to seventh have a playoff to determine which is the second team to go up to the next league. If there is a tie at the top of the table, then the winner is determined on goal difference. Understanding this is essential to determining who and what you bet on.
Types of National League bets
As with any league in football, most betting sites have an array of betting options for the National League. It’s possible to place bets on simply who will win or lose in a game. Bets for the total points scored can be placed as well. Or, totals guessing more specific scores of over/under can also be placed, which can be a little trickier, but is often worth the payoff at the end. Final score predictions are equally fun, though whether the team is home or away should factor heavily in any prediction such as this.
National League bets also extend to futures and betting on who will win, get promoted or relegated. As the top two teams in the League can be promoted and the bottom four relegated, placing bets on these outcomes can really make watching the games even more exciting.
Where to place your bets
There are many online sports betting sites that cater to those looking to bet on the National League. However, when choosing where to play, players should consider various factors which can make the experience better for them.
For instance, looking at the odds should always be the first port of call. This means taking a look at the odds available and making sure these are competitive, offering more lucrative odds than those from competitor sites. Always check what more than one sportsbook is offering before settling on where to play.
You should also make sure there is a large betting market in place for the National League at the betting site you’re at. Not all bookies will give you options like futures or totals. If these are the bets that interest you, check that they are available.
While often overlooked, checking to see the type of payments you can make is essential. When betting, you want to find betting sites that accept Astropay, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay and debit cards just to ensure you’ve got secure, speedy payments. Using these options means instant deposits which is great if you’re leaving your bet until the last minute. Don’t leave bets too late though otherwise you run the risk of missing out if your internet is slow or other technical issues occur.
When should you bet?
Matches in the National League do have a short turnaround time. But, these games are always available 72 hours before kick-off occurs. This means that you can get prepared long in advance. However, if you want help from punters in determining who to place a bet on, then tipsters are usually much slower. Typically, tipster information doesn’t appear online until a few hours before the start of the game.
Because of this, you will need to weigh up the benefits of betting early and getting better odds, versus the chance of a more accurate prediction or bet, but the chance of worse odds. However, you shouldn’t put all your faith into a tipster either.
Keeping updated regarding the form of each team, whether they are playing at home, if there are any injuries, the weather and what type of game they like to play (attacking or defensive) can all heavily impact the type of bet you place.
It’s essential you check all this out as it can make the difference between being successful in your bet and missing out.
