Futsal Review

Introduction to Futsal Betting

Betting on futsal is popular on Europe-facing websites, and UK bookmakers now cover the sport. It is a version of football played indoors, and the name comes from fútbol de salón in Spanish. The pitch is much smaller than a conventional football pitch, and the surface is akin to that found in gyms. Each team has four outfield players and one goalkeeper, but rolling substitutes are allowed. The playing time is two halves of 20 minutes, but the clock often stops during this time. Futsal has the same scoring system as football, so the sport is simple for betting. Each fixture produces a high average of goals, and there are often fluctuations in the scoring which encourages betting.

Betting Events

The major betting events mirror the most popular competition for betting in 11-a-side football. The main domestic leagues are in Italy and Spain in Europe and Brazil and Argentina in South America. Betting on English futsal has not developed as there is no strong domestic league in the UK. The best European club sides contest the futsal UEFA Cup which is the equivalent of the Champions League in football. There is a World Cup and European Championships every four years and matches are shown live on television around Europe. The game is currently not an Olympics sport, but that could change in the future as the global audience grows.

Betting Types

Futsal is a match betting sport which has the three outcomes of a win for either team or the draw. Therefore, the sport is suited to pre-match, in-play and ante-post betting. Several bookmakers now have a customised betting product which is suited to futsal. Customers can create a multiple bet from outcomes during a futsal match. These events can be related in which case bookmakers reduce the odds accordingly. The number of goals and changes in the scoring make it a good sport for live betting.

Futsal Markets

In line with conventional football, the most bet on market is the match winner. Odds are expressed as a three-way and the score after 40 minutes counts for this bet. Customers can also bet on the total number of goals and Under/Over a specific number of goals. Handicap betting including Asian handicap betting works for futsal when there is a clear favourite and underdog. Bookmakers also offer more exotic markets including the correct score and first scorer. There is ante-post outright winner betting for the main domestic leagues, Champions League and international tournaments.