Betting Markets
With domestic leagues and major international tournaments all over the world, netball is a far bigger deal than many casual sports fans might give it credit for. That means there are plenty of opportunities to bet at the UK’s top bookmakers. Here are some common netball betting markets you can expect to find.
Match/Tournament Winner
For many, this is the obvious first stop on any UK betting site. Who will win the match? If you’re feeling particularly lucky, you can go further and wager on who might win the overall tournament.
Handicap Betting
When two competing teams are mismatched in terms of their skill and dominance, the bookmaker may try to even things up a bit by applying a handicap. With this market, you can bet on a favourite to overcome a points deficit (e.g. -3.5) or for the underdog to win with a head start (e.g. +3.5).
Total Quarter/Half Score
A netball game lasts an hour, and is split into 15-minute quarters. Some UK bookies may let you guess how many points will be amassed in a certain quarter or half. Will the tally be over or under a certain number?
First Team to Score
This market is exactly what it sounds like: you’ll bet on which team will be the first to score in the game. Researching the playing styles of the teams can give you a clue on which way to bet here.
First Player to Score
Player props are always popular because they keep things interesting in the world of sports betting. With this particular market, you’ll be betting on which individual player you think will successfully shoot the ball through the goal ring first.
In-Play Betting
Live betting, also known as in-play betting, is an exhilarating way to bet that’s offered by many of the UK’s top bookies. You’ll have to keep your wits about you and think fast to get in on the live betting action, as odds may abruptly shift in line with the twists and turns of the match. This can work very much in your favour. Certain odds—say, on the favourite team to win—can get longer if momentum turns against that team, potentially giving you a heftier return if you bet on them at this point in the match.
Cash Out
Cashing out means settling a bet while it’s still ‘open’ — in other words, before the outcome is clear. Why would you do this? Well, it’s a way of cutting your losses if you think a selection is destined to lose. Say a team is surging ahead of the team you bet on to win: you can cash out and get a smaller return based on the odds as they stand. Or, you might decide to cash out if your team is only just edging ahead, and you’re worried the momentum may suddenly shift against you. In either case, it guarantees some kind of return, and gives you greater control over your bets.
Accumulators
Accumulator bets, more commonly known as accas, let you maximise potential profits by putting different bets on the same slip. The odds then get multiplied to give you a bigger payout if all of the selections win. Acca betting can make it more appealing to bet on short odds—such as hotly-tipped teams to win—as it has the potential to give you fatter winnings on lower-risk bets.
Remember, though: one failed selection will make the whole acca bet lose. Fortunately, acca insurance is available, letting you have your original stake back in free bet form if your accumulator ends up losing by one selection.
Bonuses
Welcome bonuses provide a great way to experiment with betting on niche sports like netball without risking your own money. Just remember to check the terms and conditions so you’re aware of wagering and minimum odds requirements before agreeing. Here are a few popular types you can find at the top betting sites.
Matched Deposit Bonuses
Incredibly widespread, these bonuses can be recognised by slogans like ‘100% up to £100’. What this means is that if you sign up and deposit money, the bookmaker will exactly match your deposit up to a maximum amount of £100. So, if you deposit £20, they’ll give you £20 to bet with.
Free Bets
What could sound sweeter to a punter than the words “free bets”? Of course, there’s a catch here. UK betting sites offering free bets will generally expect you to make a bet at qualifying odds first. So, by betting a minimum of £10 at the right minimum odds, you may be gifted a tenner in free bets.
Promotions
Welcome bonuses are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how UK bookies keep their customers sweet. You can also look forward to ongoing promos, such as the ones below.
Money Back Offers
These highly appealing promotions allow you to have your wager refunded in the form of free bets if the bet turns out to be a loser. Just bear in mind that there’s likely to be a limit on this, so if you placed a big wager you’ll only get some of it back.
Enhanced Odds
Betting on favourite netball teams to win or collect a big haul of points won’t usually come with particularly inviting odds. But, for big sporting events, bookies can artificially enhance those odds, making it temporarily more lucrative to put money down on lower risk outcomes.
Payment Methods
The top-rated UK bookies will do whatever they can to make the payment process as seamless and convenient as possible. That’s why there’ll be an array of options available, such as:
- Visa and Mastercard debit cards
- PayPal
- Neteller
- Skrill
- Paysafecard
- Bank transfer
Mobile Betting
Mobile betting is a hugely convenient way to have a flutter on netball or any other sport. Whether you’re killing time on the train, relaxing in the garden or reclining on the sofa, you can access the bookmaker’s website on your phone or tablet’s browser and make bets exactly as you would on a computer. Many top bookies have their own native apps, which you can download to your phone for easy access to markets in just a few taps. These apps will also keep you updated on promotions with push notifications, so you’ll never have a fear of missing out.
Betting Tips for Netball
If there’s one tip to beat all others, it’s this: research. Netball doesn’t have the same kind of mainstream, wall-to-wall coverage as sports like football, rugby and cricket, so you’ll have to do a deep dive into online records to check the recent form of various teams. Form is far more important than rankings when assessing a team’s chances of success in upcoming fixtures. Have they been performing well in recent tournaments? Have there been any injuries that may give the advantage to their opponents? You’ll also want to consider individual players’ form—important if putting money on player-specific prop bets—and tour schedules. If a certain team has been playing a lot lately, they may be more fatigued than a seemingly ‘lesser’ team which hasn’t been running itself ragged on the courts.
The Major Netball Tournaments
One of the most famous and prestigious leagues—and one which offers plenty of chances to bet—is the Netball Superleague. This features teams from the UK, with each annual season seeing the likes of Team Bath and Celtic Dragons do battle. The Grand Final is always an eagerly anticipated event for netball fans.
In terms of international competitions, there are a number of biggies to potentially bet on. These include:
- The Netball World Cup (every four years, various locations)
- The Netball Quad Series (annual, various locations)
- The Commonwealth Games (every four years, various locations)
Ready to Bet on Netball?
If reading about netball betting has got you curious for a punt, you’re in luck. Just have a browse of our carefully vetted UK betting sites, weigh up the various bonuses on offer, and sign up to your best fit!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is – provided you’re careful to only bet with sites that are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. These are the only sites our team of industry experts will ever recommend, so you’ll always be safe in the knowledge that your banking details are secure and the bookies abide by fair play standards.
Research can always help you make wiser, more informed wagers. And betting tips should be considered as simply another form of research, rather than some magical divining rod pointing to guaranteed success. Remember that there are no sure things in gambling.
Every site ranked and reviewed on Compare.bet is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), meaning you can be confident that you’ll be signing up sites that are regularly vetted for fairness, are held to strict ethical standards, and provide encryption for all of your transactions. Never place a bet with an unlicensed site — if you’re ever unsure, you can check the UKGC’s public register to make sure the site you’ve landed on is licensed.
While bookies tend to offer similar odds for particular outcomes, shopping around on the day you’re looking to make a bet can be a lucrative strategy. Not only are you likely to find slightly more favourable odds by scoping out the competition, but boosted and enhanced odds may be available at select sites on match day—or even as a reward for loyal customers—so it’s worth comparing odds between your favourite bookies before settling on a bet.
