Football is one of the most popular sports on which to bet around the world. It is a sport which is played in many countries and leagues are tournaments are contested throughout the year.
You can find a football match on which to bet at any time of day using online betting sites and they are very in depth when it comes to the choice of matches, leagues and tournaments. So much so, it is easy to become overwhelmed when it comes to which league to bet on.
- How many football leagues are there on which to bet?
- Which are the best football leagues to be on?
- Does the time of year change which leagues are on offer?
You are spoilt for choice when it comes to betting on football and there are literally hundreds of football leagues to choose from when looking to place a bet.
The best leagues to bet on are not necessarily always the most popular and you may find some obscure leagues are better for betting than the English Premier League or UEFA Champions League.
However, you must keep in mind when betting on football leagues that they will not be available all year. Take the English Premier League for example, this is played between late August and early May. So, if this is your league of choice and you want to continue betting on football, you will need to find a different league between May and August.
Thankfully, there are so many football leagues around the world, you will easily find a different one on which to bet. The question is, which are the best football leagues to bet on at betting sites?
1. English Premier League
The English Premier League is the biggest and most popular football league in the world, therefore many people choose it for betting purposes. There is a wealth of information available online to help you make informed choices and a huge choice of betting markets, the most you will find on any football league in the world. You will also find several bookmaker offers surrounding Premier League games to take advantage of every weekend.
2. English Championship
The English Championship is the second tier of English football and consists of 24 teams, meaning there are 552 matches on which to bet every season. In addition, there is also the excitement of the playoffs at the end of the season. There are several rounds of Championship matches in mid-week and this makes it a good league to bet on when there are no Premier League games. However, the English Championship can be more difficult to predict than the Premier League, so keep that in mind.
3. Spanish La Liga
The Spanish La Liga is only second to the Premier League in terms of popularity around the world and with stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo it is easy to see why it attracts a lot of attention. With Real Madrid, Barcelona and to some degree Atletico Madrid being the only realistic hopes for the title, the Spanish La Liga can involve a lot of handicap betting when these teams are in action. Generally, it is not as competitive as the Premier League but is still a great league to bet on at betting sites thanks to the huge number of markets available.
4. Italian Serie A
The Italian Serie A features some of the most famous clubs in world football such as Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Roma and Napoli. The league may not attract the same attention it did in the past when the clubs were at the top of European football but there is still good value to be found in betting on Serie A. While Serie A has often been considered a defensive league, more goals have been scored recently and it can be very exciting for betting, especially the goals markets when teams like Napoli are in action.
5. French Ligue 1
The French Ligue 1 matches both the Italian Serie A, Spanish La Liga and English Premier League in having 20 teams and 380 league matches per season on which to bet. This league has grown in popularity in recent years, mainly thanks to the spending power of Paris Saint-Germain and the stars attracted to the club such as Neymar. Like many of the top European leagues, there is plenty of statistical information available to help you make successful bets on the French Ligue 1.
6. German Bundesliga
Unlike the European leagues highlighted above, the German Bundesliga consists of only 18 teams and this makes the season shorter. In comparison to the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga and French Ligue 1, there are 306 matches on which to bet during the campaign, which is 74 less than the other major European leagues. Receiving top coverage from online bookmakers, you will find every football betting market available on the German Bundesliga and all the information you require to make informed betting choices.
7. UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League is regarded as the pinnacle of European club football. It features all the top clubs from the leagues listed above plus others form smaller leagues who have qualified by succeeding in their domestic division. While some of the early matches in the groups can be one-sided, with value not always easy to find, once the group stages have been completed the knockout rounds begin and this is very exciting. With the top clubs in Europe meeting each other, the betting opportunities and excitement is fantastic.
8. UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League is one of the most popular leagues for betting anywhere in the world and only the Champions League and Premier League attract more punters. This may be surprising given the bad reputation it can receive, especially in comparison to the Champions League. However, with 48 teams in the group stages of the competition there are plenty of matches on which to bet. Some of these matches offer better value than those found in the Champions League and you will find the usual wide choice of markets as you would for any major football match and league. The Europa League is one of the best football leagues to bet on at betting sites.
9. Scottish Premiership
The Scottish Premiership is one of the smallest leagues in European football with only 12 teams competing and 198 matches played throughout the season plus 20 playoff games. Celtic’s dominance means they will start every match they play, regardless of the opposition or if they are home or away, as favourites to win. However, there is good value to be found elsewhere in the league and if you study the statistics, you can make a good profit betting against Celtic at the right time, such as between Champions League games.
10. Dutch Eredivisie
The Dutch Eredivisie matches the Bundesliga in terms of the number of teams participating in the league and there are 306 league games on which to bet every season plus 5 playoff matches. Ajax and PSV Eindhoven were big names on the European football scene and even though the former reached the final of the Europa League last season, they are not the force they once were. That doesn’t mean you should not bet on the Dutch Eredivisie, far from it in fact as there is some great value to be found. The betting markets may not be as in-depth as the English Premier League but you will find plenty to keep you entertained.
11. Brazilian Serie A
While the Brazilian national team is revered throughout the world, their domestic league does not receive the same coverage, especially in Europe. The season runs through one calendar year, not in the same way as the major European leagues and the league consists of 20 teams, with each team playing each other home and away once. You will find all the usual betting markets available for the Brazilian Serie A but you will need to be thorough in your research to find good value, as coverage of the league in Europe is poor.
12. Colombian Categoria Primera A
This is the top division in Colombian football and while it does not receive any coverage across Europe, it is regarded by many as being the third best league in South American and inside the top 20 leagues in the world. The season is played between February and December, meaning there are betting opportunities when the major European leagues are resting. The season is contested over different stages, with a round-robin format first, followed by knockout stage to find the overall winner. The Colombian Categoria Primera A is exciting but can also be unpredictable.
13. Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is the top tier of football, or soccer as it is known, in America. Much like the Colombian Categoria Primera A, MLS is contested during the calendar year providing the opportunity to bet on football during the summer months. With top foreign players such as Andrea Pirlo, Steven Gerrard, Kaka and David Villa all playing in recent MLS campaigns, the profile of the league is rising. The competition is split into two conferences and six teams from each conference take part in the playoffs to decide the winner. Many teams can beat each other on any given day in MLS, so be careful when placing best and pay close attention to team news and the amount of travelling a team has completed.
14. Mexican Liga MX
The Mexican Liga MX is a very popular league in North American and enjoys larger attendances than other leagues in the continent. Each season is split into two championships, the Torneo Apertura and the Torneo Clausura, which are both contested by the same 18 teams. Mexican Liga MX is played between May and August and a list of champions shows each championship tends to be wide open, with plenty of betting opportunities.
15. Portuguese Primeira Liga
The Portuguese Primeira Liga is one of the top leagues in Europe but has the lowest number of teams in the division, with only 18 competing for the title. However, three clubs are very dominant in Portugal and they are Benfica, Porto and Sporting Lisbon. Only once since 1945/46 has a club outside of these three teams one the Portuguese championship. Outside of these three teams, predicting the Portuguese Primeira Liga can be difficult.
16. Swedish Allsvenskan
This is the top professional league in Sweden and one of the smallest in mainland Europe in terms of the number of teams and matches played. There are 16 clubs in the league, which play each other twice home and away, resulting in 240 matches in total. The Swedish Allsvenskan runs from late March/early April to the beginning of November, making it great for betting during the summer months. This is the highest ranked league in Scandanavia.
17. Norwegian Eliteserien
Formerly known as the Norwegian Tippeligaen, the Eliteserien is the top football league in Norway and like the Swedish Allsvenskan is contested between April and November, as the winter months are too harsh to play football. There are 16 teams in the league, which play each other twice. Rosenborg have dominated the Norwegian Eliteserien in recent years and attempting to find patterns for betting on other teams is not always easy but when done correctly, can yield good returns.
18. Greek Super League
The Greek Super League may not be considered one of the major European leagues but there are some big clubs and huge rivalries, which generate some terrific matches to watch. From the 2017/18 season onwards, the playoff system will not be in use and the title and European places will be decided on league position only. There are 16 teams in the league, playing 30 matches each and the season runs from August to May, much like the top European leagues. Olympiakos have dominated in Greece recently but the 2017/18 season could be very exciting for betting, with several teams looking to challenge for the title.
19. Japan J League 1
The Japan J League 1 is a popular football league in Asia and has continued to enjoy good development in recent years, with players including Lukas Podolski joining Japanese teams. The league is played between February and December each year but betting can be tough as news about the league can be difficult to find. Team news and statistics is important when betting and these are not always easy to locate for the Japan J League.
20. English League One
The English League One is the third tier of professional football in England and consists of 24 teams, playing 552 matches across the season. There are also playoff games which feature the four teams who finish between third and sixth in the table, which can be very exciting. Much like the English Championship, this league can be hard to predict and games come thick and fast, with plenty of mid-week action to enjoy.
21. English League Two
This is the fourth tier of English football and can prove to be a thrilling experience as the top teams make their way up, looking towards the Premier League and the bottom teams face relegation out of the Football League. If the Championship and League One are unpredictable then League Two can be a nightmare, with so many teams and matches taking place and little time for rest in-between. Almost every team could make a surge up the table and compete for promotion or suffer a bad run of results and be sucked towards the bottom. However, for those in the know and with good research, there can be some great value to be had here.
22. German Bundesliga II
The German Bundesliga II is a very popular league and games attract big crowds despite this being the second tier of German football. Only the English Championship enjoys bigger viewing figures for a second division in Europe and betting on the German Bundesliga II is popular, not only in Germany but around the continent. The league can be difficult to predict but there is plenty of information available to help make informed decision and hopefully make some nice profit.
23. Australian A League
The Australian top-flight was once played during the European summer months but this has changed and the A League is now contested between October and May. There are only 10 teams in the league, one of which is from New Zealand. Having played each team home and away, the top six clubs qualify the finals series, which is a knockout event to decide the overall champions of the A League. With some many different teams winning the title in recent years, the Australian A League is not always easy to predict but with all the information at hand, you can find good value throughout the season.
24. Turkey Super Lig
The Turkish Super Lig is the top division in Turkey and contains some big teams such as Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas. The league is made up of 18 teams with games played between August and May to slot in with the traditional UEFA and FIFA calendar. If you a gambler who likes to bet on the over 2.5 goals scored market, the Turkish Super Lig is for you as this is one of the top leagues when it comes to the number of matches which finish with over 2.5 goals scored.
25. Scottish Championship
This is the second tier of Scottish football and features 10 teams who play each other four teams during the season. This can lead to interesting betting, with teams enjoying good success over some teams but struggling against others and betting patterns emerging for later in the campaign. The Scottish Championship, like the Turkish Super Lig also enjoys plenty of goals and have proven to be a good league for the over 2.5 goals market.
You have a great choice of football leagues on which to bet around the world but we believe these to be the 25 best football leagues to bet on at betting sites. Always remember to do as much research as possible, whatever league you are betting on and only bet when you find value.
Most of all, enjoying your betting on the best football leagues and gamble responsibly.
