AFL Betting: How to Bet on Footy
Every winter, the majority of the Australian sporting world turns its collective eye to the AFL. Running from March until the end of September, there are over 200 games played throughout the course of every season, including 198 in the regular season and nine more in the much-anticipated finals series. With over 70 million viewers tuning into games each year – around 4 million of which tune into the Grand Final alone – it’s little surprise that the league also garners plenty of attention from punters. There are an array of different ways to punt on every game of the year, and in this guide we’ll talk you through how to bet on footy, including the different AFL bet types available and where you can place a bet.
How to Bet on AFL
Placing a bet on the AFL is a straightforward process once you know how to do it. To start, simply head to the TopSport homepage and log in to your account. From there, you’ll want to locate the ‘Aussie Rules’ page, which you can find in the list of sports on the left-hand side of your page. Once you do this, you’ll be greeted with every game on which there are available markets.
In the off-season, there won’t be markets on individual games available, but you will be able to place early bets on outcomes which will be decided later in the season, such as the Premiership winner as well as certain individual player awards. During the season, your options will open right up. You’ll be able to see odds for all games in the upcoming round, and by clicking into an individual game you can scroll through the hundreds of different markets available on each match.
AFL Bet Types
As we mentioned, there are many different ways that you can bet on the AFL. There are, of course, the common bet types which are available with virtually every sport; things such as head-to-head, line bets and totals. Outside of that, there are plenty of less common AFL betting markets such as player props. Let’s dive in and take a look at the various options you have for betting on AFL.
AFL Head-to-Head Betting
Head-to-head betting is one of the most popular bet types in not just AFL, but many sports, both team and individual alike. AFL head-to-head betting is straightforward; each team is given odds based on their likelihood of winning as determined by the bookmaker, with the team perceived as less likely to win returning more money for your dollar if you correctly select them. There’s also the prospect of a draw which can be bet on, though that is uncommon in AFL and the odds are suitably long as a result.
AFL Line Betting
Line betting is another very popular way to bet on footy, though exactly how it works might be unclear to those unfamiliar with punting. It is, however, relatively simple once you understand it. With line betting, one team is given a handicap, and the odds of each team are then equal once that handicap is incorporated.
For example, the favourite might be predicted to be a roughly three-goal winner. In this instance, their line might read -18.5, while the other team will be +18.5. At the end of the game, if the favourite wins by 19 points or more, they win the line bet, while if they lose or only win by 18 points or less, the underdog team wins the line bet.
This means that if you think the game may be a tighter affair than predicted and that the underdog may lose more marginally than predicted, or win or draw, or if you think the favourite will win comfortably but there isn’t a lot of value in their head-to-head odds, then line betting can be a good choice for punters.
AFL Margin Betting
Margin betting is another way to get a little more value for money if you have a specific idea of how much you think one team might win by. The most common margin bets involve odds for each team winning by either 1-39 points or by 40 points or more, with these more specific parameters subsequently resulting in better odds. There are also often markets available for a team to win by either more or less than both 15 and 24 points.
AFL Totals
Totals are an interesting AFL betting option which doesn’t involve predicting which team will win. Instead, you simply need to determine how many total points will be scored throughout the course of the game. Bookmakers will provide a specific over/under total with roughly equal odds for both outcomes based on how many points they think will be scored in the game. There are also often odds on more specific points totals which offer more substantial odds – for example, you might pick between 160 and 169, which is hard to pick but provides a little more value.
AFL Quarter/Half Markets
Betting on quarter/half markets enables you to bet not just on the final result, but on what will happen during certain intervals of a game. There are a number of different ways that you can do this. You can find head-to-head or line bets for individual quarters, or alternatively you can bet on which team will be leading at the end of each quarter or half. For example, if you think that the favourite will lead from start to finish, you can bet on them to be leading at the end of each quarter for a little more value than you would find in their individual head-to-head odds.
AFL First Goalscorer
First goalscorer is a popular AFL bet type, particularly for those who want to bet on something for which the outcome will be determined relatively quickly. As the name suggests, the market is relatively straightforward; you simply select which player you think will kick the first goal. The shortest odds for this market – typically players who start deep in the forward line, as you may have guessed – are generally around $7 or $8, while there are plenty of value options well in excess of $15 or $20.
AFL Most Goals
This is another bet type based around goalscoring, but one which keeps the excitement going throughout the entire game. This market simply entails selecting which player you think will kick the most goals in a game. Relatively often this market ends in a draw, with multiple players kicking the same number of goals. In that case, your winnings, should you select one of the equal winners, will be divided by how many players kick the most goals. For example, if three players kick three goals, then your total winnings will be divided by three. If four players kick that number, your winnings will be divided by four.
AFL Most Disposals
This is a similar market to most goals, but relates to disposals rather than goals. Disposals simply refer to kicks and handballs, so this is one in which the midfielders are typically relatively comfortable favourites. The same logic applies in the case of a draw as in most goals, however given the number of disposals accumulated by players is significantly more than the number of goals, it’s a lot less common to see draws in this market.
AFL Betting FAQs
Where can I place a bet on the AFL?
There are a number of places where you can place a bet on the AFL. At TopSport, we provide a wide range of different markets on every single AFL match throughout the course of the season. To access our markets, simply head to the TopSport homepage, locate the ‘Aussie Rules’ section on the list of sports on the left-hand side of your screen, and scroll our extensive selection of footy markets.
What types of bets can I place on the AFL?
Unsurprisingly given the popularity of the league, there is no shortage of AFL markets to bet on. Whether you’re looking for standard markets like head-to-head and totals, or something a little less common like player props, TopSport offers them, and with good odds to boot. Other bet types available include:
– Line bets
– Quarter/half markets
– Big win/little win
– First goalscorer
Can I bet on AFL future outcomes?
Yes, you can. Aside from the 200+ games of AFL footy played throughout the season on which you can bet, you can also bet on a number of different outcomes which will be decided in the long-term. For example, you can bet on who will win the Premiership, who will finish in the top eight, and which team will win the Wooden Spoon, while you can also bet on individual awards such as the Brownlow Medal, Rising Star and Coleman Medal.
Ready to place a bet on the AFL? Explore hundreds of AFL betting markets at TopSport!
