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BTTS Betting Explained: A Pro's Guide to Markets & Strategy

Both teams to score, often referred to as BTTS, has become my personal favourite betting market for a number of reasons. On most football betting sites, you very rarely see BTTS prices shorter than 0.6, regardless of the teams involved, and I’ve even taken BTTS at prices as high as 13/10 in the Premier League. That balance between simplicity and value is hard to ignore, especially when you start thinking more about how matches actually play out rather than how they’re expected to end. Once I stopped treating BTTS as a “safe” option and started respecting it as a market in its own right, I even began building multiples made up solely of BTTS selections.

Lucie Turner

Sports Betting Writer

Last updated: 2026-02-11

Fact checked by:

Chad Nagel

Sports & Betting Editor

9 minutes read

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Table of Contents

What Is BTTS Betting?

BTTS (Both Teams To Score) betting is exactly what it sounds like. You’re betting on whether both teams will score at least one goal during the match. It doesn’t matter who wins, how many goals are scored, or what the final result is. As long as each side finds the net once, the bet lands. Simple, right?
From my own experience, this is one of the cleanest football markets you can play. It strips the game back to a single, straightforward question: Will both teams score? That simplicity is what makes BTTS so appealing, especially on football betting sites where prices are often influenced more by match odds than actual goal trends.

A BTTS wager usually comes in two forms: Yes or No.

BTTS Yes means both teams score at least one goal.
BTTS No means one or both teams fail to score.

Over the years, I’ve found BTTS Yes to be particularly valuable in matches involving attack-minded teams, shaky defences, or situations where both sides clearly need a result.

At its core, BTTS betting is about understanding scoring tendencies rather than predicting outcomes. Once you start looking at matches through that lens, it becomes one of the most consistent and readable markets in football.

Manchester United have been one of the most BTTS-friendly teams in the English Premier League in recent seasons, with both teams scoring in around 75 % of their matches – a much higher rate than most clubs and a clear indicator of their attacking style and defensive vulnerability. (Source: footystats.org)

How BTTS Betting Works

A BTTS bet only wins if both teams score within normal time, but the path to that outcome matters. I’ve learned to pay close attention to game state. A team that concedes early doesn’t always respond by attacking. Some teams panic, others sit deeper, and a few completely lose their shape. BTTS only stays alive if both sides are willing and able to keep pushing.

In practice, BTTS works best when both teams have clear incentive to score, whether that’s chasing points, protecting league position, or simply playing in a system that prioritises attacking football. Once I stopped looking at BTTS as a static yes-or-no bet and started reading how matches breathe and evolve, my decision-making improved significantly.

Let's look at Liverpool vs Manchester City, which took place on 8 February 2026, as an example. As you can see in the screenshot below, the odds were in favour of Liverpool winning, given home ground advantage.

Now, instead of backing a winner in what was always going to be a close content, at the top of our Suggested Bets for this game was Both Teams To Score – Yes.

The price was quite reasonable at 1.87 odds, and it proved to be the smartest bet as the favourites, Liverpool, had lost 2-1 to the Citizens.

I expected that both sides would field attacking teams based on SportsBoom’s predicted line-up for this match, with the likes of Salah, Gakpo, Semenyo, and Haaland. In the end, both frontlines produced the goods, and BTTS prevailed yet again.

I always back up the league data by checking recent form, head-to-head results, team news, and predicted line-ups, and I make sure I’m placing my BTTS bets with betting sites that consistently offer competitive odds on this market.

Why BTTS Betting Works

Football tends to follow patterns. Strong teams create chances, weaker teams concede, and mistakes happen. If you watch the game closely, you can often predict when both teams are likely to score. Even when a team dominates, gaps appear, and BTTS can land where match-winner bets might fail.

Best BTTS Betting Leagues

It took me a while to break the habit of treating every league as if it plays the same way. The reality is that some leagues are far more open, while others are generally tighter and more controlled. When it comes to the Premier League and Bundesliga, though, BTTS tends to land far more often than not. That’s why I always start by looking at league-wide trends before drilling down into individual matches.

My filtered results based on the league have given me a better result for BTTS than all the other statistics combined.

Leagues I trust most for BTTS

Over time, a few leagues have consistently stood out for me. I don’t try to cover every competition on the coupon. Instead, I focus on the leagues where BTTS performs well season after season.

Premier League (England) – BTTS usually lands in roughly 52–55% of matches. The speed of the league and the attacking approach of most teams make clean sheets difficult to rely on.
Bundesliga (Germany) – One of the strongest BTTS leagues statistically, with BTTS hitting around 58–60% of matches. The open style of play and quick transitions suit this market perfectly.
Serie A (Italy) – No longer the defensive league it once was. BTTS now lands in approximately 54–57% of fixtures, particularly in games involving mid-table sides.
La Liga (Spain) – BTTS tends to sit at around 50–53%, with the best value often found outside the traditional top clubs, where defensive organisation drops off.
Eredivisie (Netherlands) – A standout league for goals, where BTTS regularly reaches 60% or higher. Matches are open, attacking, and rarely played at a cautious pace.

These are the leagues I return to because the numbers match what I see on the pitch. When the style of football encourages both teams to attack, and mistakes are part of the game, BTTS becomes a far more reliable option.

BTTS Team Patterns to Look For

Team / Match Type	Why They Suit (or Don’t Suit) BTTS	Typical BTTS Outcome
Brighton (home vs mid-table sides)	Play out from the back, commit numbers forward, but leave space behind	BTTS Yes more often than not
Tottenham (vs attacking teams)	High defensive line creates chances at both ends	BTTS Yes
Brentford (away vs top-six sides)	Often score on the break but concede territory	BTTS Yes
Atalanta (Serie A)	Aggressive pressing and attacking full-backs	BTTS Yes
Manchester City (home vs bottom sides)	Control games and limit chances conceded	BTTS No more common
Juventus (away in tight fixtures)	Prioritise control over open play	BTTS No

BTTS Pros and Cons

BTTS has tons going for it, and lots to lose if you’re not thinking straight. Keeping them both in mind keeps me disciplined.

Pros

I don’t have to pick a winner
In-play opportunities can add value
Good for competitive, unpredictable matches
Odds are decent on most matches
I often don’t have to wait 90 minutes

Cons

Missed chances can ruin a BTTS Yes scenario
If a team gets a red card, it can impact the game

The Three Drivers of BTTS Value

Over time, I’ve realised that I don’t need every single factor to line up for a successful BTTS bet, but there are three main drivers I always look for. If at least two of these are present, the bet usually has real value.

Attacking Intent – Both teams need a clear willingness to create chances and push forward.
Defensive Weakness – Vulnerabilities at the back increase the likelihood of both sides scoring.
Match Incentives – If the situation demands a result, pressure often forces mistakes and open play.

BTTS Betting vs Other Football Markets

For me, BTTS stands out because it’s much simpler than trying to predict match winners or exact scores. When I first started betting, I spent hours analysing who would win, only to find my predictions often wrong. BTTS changed all that – now I focus on one question: will both teams score? That alone makes it far easier to read a game and spot value.

Compared to match result betting, where you have to call a home win, draw, or away win, BTTS removes a lot of guesswork. You don’t care who scores first or who wins, as long as both teams find the net. That’s a huge advantage when I spot matches with open, attacking football.

It’s also different from Over/Under goals. With Over 2.5, I need three goals total to win, which often feels rigid. BTTS lets me win even if it’s just 1–1, giving me more flexibility and better chances in games where both sides attack but the total goals might stay low.

BTTS Betting Checklist

Over the years, I’ve learned that having a simple checklist keeps my BTTS bets disciplined and consistent. Before I place a bet, I ask myself:

Do both teams need a positive result from this match?
Will they actively attack if they fall behind?
Are there key defensive absences that could affect goals?
Does the price reflect true value, or is it just a popular match being backed by the crowd?
If the answer to most of these is yes, I move forward. If not, I step away. Following this checklist has saved me from a lot of bad bets and keeps my BTTS strategy sharp.

Common BTTS Betting Mistakes

Even though BTTS looks like one of the simplest markets on the board, plenty of bettors, including ones who know football, trip up because they misread key factors. Here are the mistakes I see most often:

Betting on every fixture – Not all games are suited to BTTS. Some matches, especially low‑stakes or cagey affairs, rarely see both sides score.
Ignoring defensive quality – Just because a team scores regularly doesn’t mean they’ll concede. Strong defences can turn what looks like an open game into a BTTS No.
Overvaluing recent goals without context – A big win or a five‑goal spectacle doesn’t automatically mean both teams will score next time. You need deeper context.
Skipping team news – Missing attackers or defenders can dramatically change how a game plays out, and ignoring that kills value.
Chasing odds or trends blindly – Odds that look big aren’t always value, and BTTS streaks without underlying reasons rarely continue.
BTTS can be one of the most rewarding markets when you pick the right games, but these common missteps are how most bettors lose long‑term.

FAQs

Does 1-1 always win BTTS?

Of course. Any scoreline where both teams have scored at least one goal wins BTTS – Yes.

Is BTTS better pre-match or in-play?

Personally, I prefer in-play as I enjoy seeing tempo and intention before making a commitment.

Is BTTS profitable?

Yes, BTTS can be a profitable bet if you use it well. However, you cannot rely solely on BTTS as a profitable bet.

Is BTTS a good bet type for beginners?

BTTS does not require you to predict a team’s victory, so yes, BTTS is a good option for a beginner, as it is simple to understand. If you sign up with low deposit betting sites that have free bets as part of the welcome bonus, you’ve got nothing to lose.

Lucie TurnerSports Betting Writer

Lucie is a content specialist with extensive expertise in the iGaming and Sports betting industries. With a strong background in PR and Marketing Communications, she excels at crafting engaging casino and slot reviews that resonate with players.