How does the Football Ground change your Odds?

If you're an avid football bettor, then you'll probably notice the odds can change quite a lot during different games. One element that you will see having an impact on these is the football ground, but why is this the case? We're here to tell you all about it!

The Home Advantage

When the bookies calculate their odds, they take a range of different factors into account. One of these is the grounds and whether the teams are playing at home or away. Over the years, we've seen this give an underdog team an advantage each and every time.

It's hard to put our fingers on exactly why this seems to affect the outcome so much, though there are quite a few different reasons why this could be the case.

First up, the home team doesn't need to travel. Think about how you feel when you travel, are you really feeling your best that day? The chances are that you wouldn't be as alert and active as you would be on a regular day. Sleeping in your own bed and being fully rested has a big effect, on us and on footballers.

If you think about it, this really does make sense! With a small change in the demeanour of a player having the potential to make a big difference to their game, it's not surprising that this is on the bookies radar.

We also have the support of the fans to think about too, as this can also give the team a boost. The fan support is enough to give players the incentive to go the extra mile and push themselves further. This goes all the way back to the origins of the game, in which the presence of home fans would push players to greater success.

Cheering and support has a massive psychological effect, as we've seen many times before. This is particularly clear in grounds that host a long term feud, as both teams have fans that are eager for the win. In clashes like this, both sides are louder and more supportive, which does have an effect on the game. For this reason, you'll often see the odds on the home side reduced within these games.

We have seen trouble with teams moving grounds too, as they're just out of their element. When Arsenal moved to the Emirates, the home results were not good. This came from a range of factors, like the amount of support they received and getting accustomed to the new ground.

The Impact on Referees

It's also possible that the support has an effect on the ref too and the number of cards and penalties that are given out. A study looked into this by showing two groups of referees the same video, one with the noise of the fans and one without. The refs that watched the video with sound were more likely to call fouls than those that watched in silence.

This is a really interesting effect that fans can have and one that you may not have considered. The refs themselves said that they tended to block out the noise of fans, but it may have impacted them on a subconscious level. With some football grounds holding thousands of people, the noise for refs could potentially be a distraction.

Compared to Other Sports

Football seems to be one of the few games in which a home advantage has a serious effect on the outcome. The NHL has been looking into this phenomenon and they've found that the impact of a home advantage has been reduced over time. This could be due to a decline in viewership or the fact that more people choose to view from home.

In traditionally more refined sports, like golf, the home advantage is virtually non-existent. This does suggest that the noise factor plays into it, as crowds are kept quiet for much of these tournaments. They also tend to clap and give their support in different ways when compared to other crowds.

Even in louder games, like American Football, the home advantage seems slightly lessened. It's hard to pick out where exactly the advantage comes from, but it does have an impact.

How does it Effect Betting Odds?

The bookies calculate their odds using all sorts of different statistics, but the home advantage does play a role. This will automatically reduce the odds that you get on the home team, though they can still be better than the alternative.

If you choose to bet in play, this new method of football betting will change on a second by second basis. By being able to jump in and out of the betting pool, your odds will change quite a bit. While there may be a home advantage included in this, the individual moments and actions within the game will have more of an impact.

Getting the best odds possible is key for players, so make sure you take a good look around if you plan to bet on these games. Whether there's a home advantage in there or not, you can compare these odds to get the best possible deal.

The football ground definitely has an effect on the odds that you get, we hope you have more of an understanding of why that is now. Now that you have more knowledge, keep an eye out for this when you attend games and bet too.