Guide to BTTS in Betting

BTTS (Both Teams to Score) is one of the most popular and easiest football betting markets available. It removes the rule that a final score must be set before a bet wins and instead focuses on a simple question: ‘will both sides score?’

Whether you’re building accumulator bets, supporting bet builders, or just want an easy wager that doesn’t rely on a winning scoreline, BTTS is certainly worth your time.

This MatchPlug guide explains how both teams to score works, what factors influence it, betting tips, strategies,  best leagues for BTTS, and a whole lot of other topics related to understanding this market.

While you read, check out a similar article we wrote on Guide to Win Draw Win (1X2).

Table of Contents: 

1. What is a BTTS bet?
2. How BTTS betting works
3. Different types of BTTS explained
4. Best leagues for BTTS
5. When to avoid BTTS
6. What factors influence BTTS?
7. BTTS betting tips
8. Best strategies for finding BTTS value
9. Common mistakes bettors make in BTTS

What is a BTTS Bet? 

A BTTS bet is a bet on whether both clubs in a matchup will score at least one goal. It is a straightforward bet, and you don’t need to predict a winner, final scoreline, or a draw. If both sides score, it is BTTS Yes. If they fail to score, BTTS No.

How BTTS Betting Works

Both teams to score betting is straightforward to understand and wager on. Here is how it works:

1. Pick A reliable BTTS betting site 

Sign up at a reliable football prediction site with both-teams-to-score markets like MatchPlug. 

2. Choose A Game To Bet On

Pick a football match you want to wager on.

3. Place Your Bets

Choose “Yes” for both teams to score or “No” for one team not to score.

4. Wait For Results

If you chose “Yes” and both teams score, you win. If not, your wager loses.

Different Types of BTTS Explained

There are different types of both teams to score. We’ve explained some of them below:

1. BTTS Yes / No

The odds for both teams to score ‘Yes’ usually range from 1.60 to 1.90 for matches between attacking sides with poor defensive records. Backing both teams to score ‘No’ is ideal for matches with a dominant defensive club against a team struggling with goals.

However, don’t bet based on personal bias. Back ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ if you truly find value in either option.

2. BTTS & Over / Under Goals

Both teams to score & Over 2.5 is the most common combo. The teams have to score 3 goals, so a 2-1 win works.

3. BTTS & Under 3.5 

This is a more subtle bet for fixtures where you expect both to score but not for high-scoring matches.

4. BTTS & Home Win

Both teams to score & Home Win may price at 3.50 or higher in a match where the straight home win is 1.70. This bet is ideal when you already know the result but still expect both sides to score.

5. BTTS & Win (Home or Away)

Both teams to score and the home or away side wins. This favors an outcome where both sides score. It rules out a clean sheet victory, so the winner needs to score more goals.

6. BTTS in Both Halves

For this bet to win, both clubs must score in the first half and second half. This means at least four goals across the game. Both halves suit two sides that attack well but defend poorly.

Best Leagues For BTTS

When To Avoid BTTS

Both teams to score is one of the simplest ways to win in football betting, but you shouldn’t back it every time. Here are some of those times:

1. Both Teams Want Clean Sheets

Highly defensive matches where both teams want to keep clean sheets often end goalless.

2. Bad Weather

Heavy weather affects passing accuracy and hampers a team’s attacking quality. Strong winds ruin shooting and crossing. Both conditions quell goal scoring and make backing BTTS No the smarter option.

3. High Stakes Matches

Finals are tougher to bet on for both teams to score, because none of the clubs want to lose first. Dead-rubber fixtures, too, can be unpredictable and lead to low-effort performances.

Furthermore, if top players are resting for a more important match later in the week, their attacking performance reduces.

4. Derby Matches

While some derby matches are high-scoring affairs, most are intense because the fear of losing outweighs the need to attack. 

What Factors Influence BTTS?

There are certain features that can affect the both teams to score market; here are some of them:

1. Home and Away Records

Some clubs defend better at home, but leave their nets open away. Others lose easily at home, but play stronger on the road. Check a team’s home and away record before backing BTTS.

2. Referee Interference

Referees can influence a match’s flow. Officials who let play run typically produce more open matches. Those who blow the whistle at every player contact that breaks attacking momentum. Consider this when placing your wager.

3. Attacking VS Defensive Record 

The perfect BTTS match is between two clubs that create chances and still concede them. A club averaging 1.8 goals per match but keeping a clean sheet in half its matches isn’t ideal for this market.

Look for clubs that score often but defend poorly. High-scoring matches paired with a low clean sheet percentage is what you want.

4. League Trends

The German Bundesliga produces the most goals historically in European leagues, with its BTTS rate around 55-60% in recent seasons. The Premier League is 45-50% but still produces lots of goals. 

Serie A and Ligue 1 alternate between seasons that produce high BTTS rates and others that are more defensive. 

Understanding each season’s BTTS rate helps you spot where the value is.

BTTS Betting Tips

1. Check MatchPlug’s BTTS Page

MatchPlug has a dedicated BTTS Predictions Today page where we publish a BTTS call for every match we cover. We build our predictions in this market from each club’s scoring and conceding track records, home and away splits, expected goals for and against, and whether a heavy favorite is likely to win.

We publish both sides of the market, covering matchups where both teams should score, and the defensive fixtures where BTTS No is the stronger wager.

2. Analyze Head-to-Head Data

Research how often a match between two clubs has ended in a both-teams-to-score situation. If it is in 7 out of the last 10 meetings, that is worth noting.

Build BTTS Accumulator Bets Smartly

Accumulator bets accompanying both teams to score matches are often compelling because each odds are short enough to feel safe. But selecting 5 to 6 BTTS Yes means every match must produce a goal from both clubs.

Best Strategies for Finding BTTS Value

These are some proven strategies for finding value in the both teams to score betting market.

1. Evaluate Recent Form

The last 5-10 games a team plays provide enough data to reveal patterns in their scoring and losses, and are recent enough to reflect their current form. Also look at the quality of the teams they’ve faced. Scoring against teams with tough defenses matters more than racking up goals against struggling teams.

To make your evaluation more well-rounded, find clubs whose offense and defense lean in a way that supports BTTS. A side that scores over two goals while conceding more than one in the last 10 fixtures is an ideal candidate for this market.

2. Analyze Individual Match Performance

How a team performs in individual matches matters more than its reputation. Two attack-focused clubs playing each other creates room for BTTS no matter how the match ends. Tactical conflicts determine how a game flows. 

High possession teams against high-pressing clubs produce turnovers and transitions that create chances for both teams to score.

3. Probability Modeling

There are three steps to pulling this off:

1. Estimate each club’s scoring probability:

Club A scores in 50% of recent fixtures.

Club B scores in 60% of recent fixtures

2. Calculate their combined BTTS probability

Multiply individual probabilities: 0.50 x 0.60 = 30%.

3. Compare to implied odds

Bookmaker odds: 3.00 (33.3% implied probability)

Your estimate: 30%

Value exists (your estimate > implied probability)

Probability models spot value betting opportunities easily. You can improve it further by adding home/away splits, recent team form, and defensive-quality adjustments.

4. The BTTS No Approach

While most bettors lean towards ‘BTTS Yes’, ‘BTTS No’ offers true value when public opinion outweighs a potentially attacking match.

Some BTTS scenarios include:

• Defensive-minded clubs facing weak attacking clubs
• Poor weather conditions
• Cup finals or high-stakes knockout fixtures
• When both clubs want clean sheets or defensive priorities

The idea is to spot when public opinion misreads a match’s likely outcome. A strong defensive club facing relegation hosting a free-scoring but defensively poor mid-table club may favor a BTTS No bet more than the market agrees, especially if the hosts want to avoid a loss more than they want goals.

5. Seasonal Timing

There are several football seasonal patterns that affect both teams’ scoring rates:

1. August – September

August to September is early season; teams are still finding their footing, and defensive organization is weaker than attacking coordination. Experimenting with tactics causes unpredictability. BTTS rates feel higher during this period.

2. October – March

Around mid-season, tactics are formed, patterns become clear, and forms stabilize. Regular BTTS gain here. This is also the best time to use strategic statistical approaches.

3. April – May

Towards the end of the season, team motivations change. More dead-rubber fixtures appear, and relegation battles swing between desperate attacking and scared defending. 

When betting, align with seasonal patterns. Early season favors back-to-back both-teams-to-score approaches. Mid-season becomes ideal for systematic value hunting. The end of the season demands meticulous case-by-case evaluation.

Common Mistakes Bettors Make in BTTS

These are some common mistakes that can affect the success of your both teams to score bet.

1. Overlooking Defensive Statistics

The most common both teams to score mistake is focusing solely on attacking strength while ignoring defensive prowess. Two high-scoring clubs playing doesn’t guarantee BTTS if one has excellent defense.

2. Overestimating Attacking Reputations

Strong attacking and scoring history doesn’t guarantee current performance. Form changes, and so do systems; injuries affect team output. A top striker who hasn’t scored in a while may still be valuable for a BTTS bet despite struggling.

Checking recent form is how you close that gap. A club averaging 2 goals per game but scoring 0.5 over the last 5 games faces regression. Contrarily, a struggling club with improving xG (Expected Goals) may score more soon. 

3. Ignoring Team News

Always confirm the lineup at least one hour before kickoff, because lineup announcements significantly affect both teams’ scoring probability. Top player absences affect scoring and conceding probability. In addition, bookies slowly adjust to lineup news, creating a brief window for smart bettors to cop value.

4. Chasing Streaks Without Context

Streaks don’t forecast future outcomes. The idea is to investigate why a streak occurred and if the factors influencing it persist. When relying on streaks, treat them as context, not prediction tools. Analyze each match independently based on recent circumstances, and watch for when that context suddenly changes.

5. Wagering On Every Match 

BTTS isn’t always the ideal market for a match. Some games suit over/under bets, Asian handicaps, or result betting better. Betting on every match to suit both teams to score guarantees long-term losses. Be selective.

Conclusion

When betting BTTS, don’t get carried away by how simple this bet is. Do thorough research on whether the match favors BTTS before betting.