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What are Winning Margin Bets?
The winning margin of a game is the number of goals or points by which the winning team triumphs. For example, if it is a basketball match and the final score is 99-95, the winning margin is four points. If it is a football match, and the final outcome is 4-2, the winning margin is two goals.
Possible Bets
Below are examples of possible winning margin bets you can place:
Winning Margin | Description |
---|---|
Team A by 1 |
Team A wins by a margin of 1 goal/point |
Team A by 2 |
Team A wins by a margin of 2 goals/points |
Team B by 1 |
Team B wins by a margin of 1 goal/point |
Team B by 2 |
Team B wins by a margin of 2 goals/points |
Draw |
No winning margin, the match ends in a draw |
Winning Margin Examples
Let's look at a winning margin example from football and basketball to explain how the market works. Let's say you are placing a bet where the winning margin is 2 goals. In that case, you look for a result such as 2-0, 3-1, 4-2, 5-3, etc. If the football match ends with a winning margin of one, three, four, or more goals, you lose your bet.
Similarly, if you are predicting that a basketball game will end with an 11-15 winning margin, you look for a result where the margin of victory is within that range (110-98, 102-89, 100-86, etc.) If the game ends with a lower margin than 11 e.g. 100-90, you lose your bet. The same happens if the margin of victory is higher than 15 (100-84, 116-99, etc.)
Winning Examples
Here are examples of winning margin bets with outcomes:
Match | Prediction | Result | Bet Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
Team A vs. Team B |
Team A by 2 |
3-1 |
Bet wins |
Team A vs. Team C |
Team C by 1 |
1-2 |
Bet wins |
Team A vs. Team D |
Draw |
1-1 |
Bet wins |
Team A vs. Team E |
Team A by 1 |
2-1 |
Bet wins |
Losing Examples
Here are examples where the winning margin bet did not succeed:
Match | Prediction | Result | Bet Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
Team A vs. Team F |
Team A by 2 |
2-1 |
Bet loses |
Team A vs. Team G |
Team G by 1 |
0-2 |
Bet loses |
Team A vs. Team H |
Draw |
2-1 |
Bet loses |
Team A vs. Team I |
Team I by 1 |
1-3 |
Bet loses |
Sports with Winning Margin Betting Markets
You can bet on the winning margin of games in most sports out there. After all, sports matches always produce some score. That means there's always a winning margin to bet on. Some of the most popular sports for which top 100 UK bookmakers offer the winning margin market include:
As you can see, the list of sports is pretty extensive and includes even more sports than those listed here. Football and basketball are probably the two sports punters go for most of the time. As a result, the winning margin betting markets for these sports offer the most betting options.
Winning Margin Strategies and Tips
You can increase the success of your winning margin bets if you use tried and tested strategies. The idea here is to do a lot of research before placing your bet. Predicting the exact winning margin means doing your betting homework so that you don't rely on luck only. Read on to discover some useful strategies and tips which can help you place a winning bet.
Analyse Head-to-Head Record
When you pick a particular game to bet on, always check the head-to-head record of the two teams. That's because history often repeats itself. Even though matches may not end with the same results as in the past, they often end with the same margin of victory.
And that's to be expected. It is difficult to replicate the exact final outcome. However, when the same teams play each other, it is reasonable to expect that their matches would result in similar winning margins.
Pick Evenly Matched Teams and Bet on Small Margins
This one is pretty specific. Basically, you need to look for teams that come with similar odds for winning. That means you should avoid matches where one team is a strong favourite.
The idea is that evenly matched teams would produce tight matches where the winner would win with the smallest possible winning margin. In other words, you pick teams similar in strength and bet on the lowest possible margin. If the match doesn't end in a draw, you should get a winning bet.
Find a Quality Betting Site
Lastly, find yourself a quality betting site that will offer a wide range of winning margin markets. As a rule of thumb, new bookmakers tend to offer more winning margin options than established betting sites. They try to impress punters with the number of betting markets on offer, so they usually have more options for you.

Pros and Cons of Winning Margin Bets
Want to learn whether winning margin betting is for you? You came to the right place. Read the pros and cons of winning margin bets and find out why the betting market might be everything you have been looking for.
Pros
- Better odds than other markets
- You don't need to predict which team will win
- You don't really care who wins
- Low margins are quite easy to get right
- Can win big with small bet stakes
- Great for accumulator bets
Cons
- You must do your betting homework and analyse stats and other factors
- High margins have great odds but are difficult to predict
Conclusion
It is evident that winning margin bets are a great alternative to the standard match winner markets. With them, you don't care which team wins the match as long as you predict the winning margin.
So, even if a favourite fails to win, you can still have a winning bet, while everyone around you loses their wagers. As long as you predict the correct winning margin, you will be able to collect your winnings regardless of the winner of the match.