Football Markets Explained: 1X2, Over/Under and Both Teams to Score

Match result (1X2)

The match result market has three outcomes: a home win (often written '1'), a draw ('X') and an away win ('2'). Exactly one of them happens, so their probabilities always add up to 100%.

In almost all cases this market is settled on the result after normal time: 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Goals scored in extra time and penalty shoot-outs do not count. A cup match that is 1-1 after 90 minutes is settled as a draw, even if one team wins in extra time.

Over/Under goals

Over/Under markets ask whether the total number of goals scored by both teams will be above or below a line. With a line of 2.5, three or more goals is 'over' and two or fewer is 'under'. With a line of 1.5, two or more goals is 'over'.

Because the lines end in .5, there is no possibility of landing exactly on the line, so every completed match is either over or under. These markets are also normally settled on normal time only.

Both teams to score (BTTS)

Both teams to score is a yes-or-no market. 'Yes' wins when each team scores at least one goal; 'No' wins when at least one team fails to score. A 0-0 draw and a 3-0 win are both 'No'. A 1-1 draw and a 3-2 win are both 'Yes'.

Void, postponed and abandoned matches

When a match is cancelled or abandoned, predictions on it are usually treated as void: neither won nor lost. GoalPredicts records these as void and keeps them in the public results record.

Postponed matches, suspended matches and results awarded by a competition rather than played out can be settled differently by different operators. GoalPredicts never settles these automatically. An editor reviews each one and records the reason.

Why the market matters as much as the match

The same match can look very different across markets. A game between two attacking sides might be hard to call on the result but have a high estimated probability of over 2.5 goals. Reading the market correctly is the first step to understanding any prediction.