In the modern betting world, you can place a bet on literally anything to happen in a football match. From the number of substitutions, goal-kicks and even throw-ins.
One of the most underrated markets, however, is the corners market. And without many people knowing it, there’s a lot of research that can be done when it comes to betting on corners in order to have a successful run.
There’s also a number of different areas to consider when placing a bet on corners, and I am happy to go through them…
Why bet on corners?
Betting on corners is often ignored in the betting markets. Most football bettors think corner betting is too unpredictable and risky for them to get involved in, considering the corner count as a “just for fun” bet. This belief is based on their assumption that corner numbers are random and their analysis data has no capability of predicting corner outcomes.
However, corner betting can be very profitable in the long run if approached correctly. The corner market offers great opportunities for punters looking to maximize their winnings, especially because of two reasons:
Firstly, corner betting odds consist mostly of figures like totals and averages. Therefore, punters need not worry about analyzing team performances or predicting which team will gain more corners.
Secondly, corner bets make up only a small portion of the total money being placed. As a result, there is less pressure on punters to accurately predict an outcome or acquire ‘correct’ odds; even big money won’t easily be detected by “bet radars”.
One effective strategy you could try is the Over 9.5 Corners bet strategy. For this strategy, you would place your bet if you believe the corner count will be greater than nine and a half at full time – this means both teams combined will have at least 10 corners in total by the end of the match. It sounds simple enough but there are certain factors you should consider before placing such bets as it does involve some level of risk-taking as well as research into statistics and team performances.
If you’re looking for somewhere to bet on corner markets, whether as a single or part of an accumulator or bet builder, then Paddy Power are offering Money Back as Cash on your first bet, up to £30. That means if you sign up, bet £30 on your first bet and it loses, you’ll get your money back.
Types of corner betting
Total corners (Over/Under/Exactly)
Betting on the total number of corners in a particular match is the most basic and easiest market to understand when it comes to corners.
The bookies will pick a particular line pre-match, for example over 8.5 or over 9.5 in total. You can work out if there is any value in these lines by doing your due diligence and research to see just how many corners each side averages per game.
You can even place a bet on the exact number of corners per match or even per half. This is complete guess work and something I would recommend staying away from.
Total Team Corners
Total team corners is an interesting market and one you can use to your advantage in certain scenarios. I summarise the corners taken and corners conceded by each team in my Bet Builder Stats Packs, along with an array of other player and team stats.
For example, Manchester City dominate possession when they play and currently average just under 65% possession per game.
In these types of matches, you may be better off opting for team total corners rather than a match total. The opposition are going to keep men behind the ball, and they aren’t going to reach the final third very often to contribute to the corners total.
Corners Match Bet
This is another of the more simpler markets when it comes to corners. By backing a team in a corners match bet, you are just predicting them to be the side who takes the most corner kicks throughout the match.
More often than not, it will be the favourite/home side who will most likely take the most and that will be reflected in the pre-match odds. You can do your research with this market, and compare how many both sides average per match. This will give you an idea whether or not there’s value.
Corners Handicap
In some matches, there will be zero value in the corners match bet market, for example if you have a match-up of Manchester City at home against a bottom-half Premier League club.
In order to extract some value when it comes to corners, you can go with the handicap area. With Manchester City dominating the ball, having more shots among everything else, they will simply take more corners. With that in mind, you could go for something like Manchester City -5 corner handicap, which would mean they will need to take 6 more corners than their opponents.
Corners Race
The corners race market is an exciting one to take in-play and you can get some very good value with it.
Again, to use Manchester City as an example. If they were trailing by a goal with around 70 minutes on the clock and they had currently taken five corners. Manchester City to win the race to nine corners would be an excellent bet with 20 minutes to go.
They would be piling the pressure on and the opposition would be defending for their lives. It’s all about considering the scenario with this market and very often, you can predict how it will play out.
Betting on corners in football can be a great way to make some extra money if you know what you’re doing. Before placing any corner bets, it’s important to consider the teams playing and their form in the current season.
If one of the teams is from the top or bottom of the league, this should be taken into account when making corner betting decisions. If it’s a cup game, then look at whether one team is from the Premier League and another is from a lower division. In such cases, corner betting could prove more profitable as there is likely to be a larger discrepancy between the two teams’ abilities.
For example, if Manchester United or Tottenham are pitted against a lower-division team in an FA Cup game, then chances are high that there will be more corners than if two lower-ranked teams were playing each other. This is because weaker teams usually focus their efforts on defence rather than attack, whereas bigger teams will always try to win games by attacking more often and taking more shots. As a result, this will often lead them giving away free kicks and throw-ins which can lead to corners.
Likewise, weak teams’ goalkeepers will also have much busier games due to superior attacking play from stronger sides who might field more strikers in order to increase their chances of scoring goals. In contrast, higher ranked sides try to keep possession and reduce corner opportunities through passing rather than kicking the ball out of play for a corner kick or throw-in.
How to bet on Corners
Here are our top takeaway tips on betting on corners, but read on for more detail:
- Look for games between teams of varying skill levels, ideally one attacking team and one defensive team.
- Bet on the total number of corner kicks to be over or under the amount set by the bookmaker.
- If halftime ends with a score of 0-0 or 1-1, bet that more corner kicks will occur in the second half than in the first.
- If the stronger team is losing in the first half, wager on them having more corner kicks than their opponents in the second half.
- Make bets on corner kicks taken during certain time periods such as 40-45 minutes and 80-90 minutes.
- Avoid betting on “no corner kicks” and even/odd corner kick totals (except for fun).
- Expect corner kick numbers to increase when it’s raining.
Corner betting when the weaker team are playing at home
When the lower-ranked team is playing at home, they tend to be more eager and motivated in their play. This excitement often leads to a flurry of corner kicks during the first ten minutes of the game. Chances are that the weaker team will get a corner kick within fifteen minutes, however corner opportunities for them diminish as the game progresses.
On the other hand, stronger teams may wait for their opponents to tire out before launching their own attacks. As such, corner chances become more likely as time goes on due to increased pressure from these teams as they strive to score goals. Therefore, it can be beneficial for bettors to pay attention to corner kick opportunities during both halves of a match, particularly when one team is significantly higher-ranked than its opponent.
Corner betting when the stronger team are playing at home
When the more dominant team plays at home, they tend to start off on the front foot, which increases the chances of corner opportunities and goals being scored.
If you are placing bets on corner markets for this type of match, it would be wise to consider backing the home side to win corner bets to take advantage of their attacking nature.
However, corner markets can be unpredictable, so it is essential to keep an eye on any factors that may affect corner opportunities, such as weather conditions or individual defensive strategies. Additionally, paying attention to the corner patterns established by certain teams is crucial. If they consistently take corners aggressively, they may be more likely to score from them.
Assessing the style of play in each team
If two football teams adopt an attacking style of play, they are likely to generate more corner opportunities compared to two defensive teams playing against each other. However, when a defensive team plays against an attacking team, you can expect even more corners. This is because defensive teams tend to concede corners as they focus on defending against their opponents’ attacks. They also tend to use corners to launch counter-attacks, which can lead to more corner opportunities. Therefore, a match between a defensive and an attacking team is likely to result in a higher number of corners.
The weather can influence the number of corners in a match
If a football match is played in heavy rain or strong winds, there may be an increase in the number of corners compared to matches played on a hot and sunny day. The wet playing surface can cause the ball to move more quickly and players may have less control in the rain, resulting in the ball going out of play more frequently. Additionally, goalkeepers may find it more difficult to save the ball as it slips out of their hands, and defenders may be forced to kick the ball out into the corner, leading to more corner opportunities.
Corner Betting FAQ
How do you place a corner bet?
Placing a corner bet is a straightforward process, and it’s similar to placing any other type of bet. Firstly, you need to select a reputable bookmaker that offers corner betting markets. Once you have chosen a bookmaker, navigate to the football section and search for the game you want to bet on. Click on the game, and you should see several betting markets, including corner markets.
Next, you need to decide on the type of corner bet you want to place. You can choose to bet on the total number of corners, the number of corners taken by a specific team, or even the number of corners in a particular half of the match.
Once you have chosen the type of corner bet you want to place, enter the amount you wish to stake and confirm the bet. After the confirmation, the bet will be placed, and you will be able to see it in your betting history.
What Types of Corner Bets are there?
Betting on corners involves predicting the number of corners that will be taken during a football match. There are several types of corner bets, and the most common ones include betting on the total number of corners in a game, the number of corners taken by a particular team, or the number of corners in a specific half of the game.
To bet on corners, you need to understand the corner betting markets and the odds offered by bookmakers. Bookmakers usually set a line for the number of corners in a game, and you can either bet on the number of corners being over or under that line. For example, if the bookmaker sets the line at over 8.5 corners, you can bet that there will be nine or more corners in the match, or you can bet that there will be eight or fewer corners.
What does over 4.5 corners mean?
When a bookmaker sets a corner line at over 4.5 corners, it means that you can bet on there being five or more corners in the match. If you place a bet on over 4.5 corners and there are five or more corners during the game, your bet will be win.
What does over 2.5 corners mean?
If a bookmaker sets the corner line at over 2.5 corners, it means that you can bet on there being three or more corners in the match. If you place a bet on over 2.5 corners and there are three or more corners during the game, you will in your bet.
What does under 10.5 corners mean?
When a bookmaker sets a corner line at under 10.5 corners, it means that you can bet on there being ten or fewer corners in the match. If you place a bet on corners under 10.5 and there are ten or fewer corners during the game, your bet will be successful.
How do corner handicaps work?
Corner handicaps are a popular corner betting market, and they work similarly to traditional handicap bets. The bookmaker sets a line for the number of corners, and then a handicap is added to one of the teams. The handicap can be a positive or negative number and determines how many corners a team must win or lose by for the bet to be successful.
For example, if a bookmaker sets a corner line at over 10.5 corners, and the handicap for the home team is -2.5 corners, the home team would need to win at least three more corners than their opponents for the bet to be successful.
