I have written this article to help you maximise what is one of my favourite markets in football — the very profitable "Both Teams to Score" market.

This is a fairly in-depth guide to the Both Teams to Score (BTTS) market, but trust me — it's well worth the read. You can't strike gold without putting in a little effort, right?

In this article, I'll explain exactly why I love this market so much, share the key numbers and stats that show why it can be so profitable, walk you through my pre-match selection process for spotting real value, and reveal a simple but powerful in-play strategy built around two crucial factors that often give us a clear edge during the game.

To finish up, I'll share some exciting upcoming developments in the BTTS world that could help all of us turn this market into even bigger profits.

Why I Love This Market

Firstly, it is what is known as a binary bet.

A binary bet is one of the simplest types of bets out there — it's basically a straightforward "yes or no" wager on whether something will happen or not. For example: you bet £10 on "Will both teams score in this football match?" If you're right, you win a fixed payout. If you're wrong, you just lose your £10 stake — no partial wins or complicated calculations. Everything is decided at the end of the event, and you know your exact risk and potential reward right from the start. It's like flipping a coin with better odds if you pick smartly!

Secondly, from a value perspective, I believe the BTTS market often offers better bang for your buck than other popular goal-line markets.

For example, plenty of games end 1-1 these days — and in those matches, the Over 1.5 Goals price is usually very short, sitting anywhere between 1.20 and 1.40. Meanwhile, BTTS Yes is often priced around even money (2.00) or better, so you can get involved with much nicer odds right from the start. Over 2.5 Goals might look similar in price to BTTS at first glance, but it gets stung far too often by that dreaded 1-1 draw (which wins BTTS Yes but loses Over 2.5). That's why the strategy I'll share with you focuses only on backing BTTS Yes trades at even money (2.00) or higher — giving us a stronger edge when the value is truly there.

Lastly, from a pure psychological and enjoyment perspective — who doesn't love watching a game where you're rooting for goals from both sides? With BTTS, it doesn't matter which team scores; you're cheering for action and excitement the whole match. You essentially get to support both teams, making every attack feel thrilling and keeping the fun dialled up until the final whistle!

Why the Numbers Work

We're only backing BTTS Yes at even money (2.00) or better, while targeting a realistic 60% strike rate. Hitting 6 out of 10 bets is more than achievable if you focus on the right matchups — leaky defences, attacking teams, high-BTTS leagues — and at those odds, it delivers a solid 20% return on investment.

Quick example:

  • Place 10 bets of £100 each at 2.00 odds.
  • 6 winners → £1,200 returned (6 × £200 profit + stakes).
  • 4 losers → £400 lost.
  • Net profit: £200 on £1,000 staked = 20% ROI.

That's the beauty of it — consistent value hunting in this market can turn steady selections into real, sustainable gains. Stick to the plan, and the maths starts working in your favour.

The Selection Process

Every day, I put in the hours to scan for the best opportunities.

I start by identifying the high-BTTS leagues with fixtures that day — typical examples include the Dutch Eredivisie, Swiss Super League, or Brazilian Serie A, where both teams score in 60–70%+ of games on average.

I also keep an eye on "sleepy" or lower-profile leagues, because hidden gems can pop up there too. In these quieter competitions, bookies sometimes offer juicier prices on BTTS Yes when the right teams match up — you just have to spot the attacking side facing a leaky defence, and suddenly you're getting even better value.

Then I dig deeper: hunting for high-attacking teams with strong scoring form, leaky defences that concede regularly, solid recent BTTS records, xG data showing real chance creation, team news (injuries to key players?), and match context like motivation, stakes, and style of play.

The list goes on, but as the universal law of cause and effect reminds us: the effort you put in directly produces the rewards. Consistent research turns good ideas into profitable bets — there's no shortcut, but the results make it all worthwhile.

Pre-Match Value

If we follow this selection process rigorously, this is exactly where the hard work pays off. Every match I identify has at least a 60% probability of BTTS happening — that's equivalent to fair odds of around 1.67 (or 3/5 in fractional). So when we snag BTTS Yes at even money (2.00) or better, we've truly struck gold: built-in value right from kick-off.

I spot these opportunities all the time, with some games going off as high as 2.70 pre-match — real pre-match edges that make the effort worthwhile.

In-Running Value

At this stage, we might still have plenty of games on our shortlist, but their pre-match BTTS Yes odds are all below even money (under 2.00). That's where the magic of in-running trading comes in to unlock our value.

The process is simple: we place our desired even money (or better) back bet on BTTS Yes directly into Betfair's exchange and click "Keep" (or set it to persist) so the bet stays open, waiting to be matched once the match goes in-play. Not every bet will get matched — but those that do give us exactly the price we want (2.00+), turning a marginal pre-match opportunity into solid value.

This approach works brilliantly because it exploits two key factors that influence every football match…

Factor One: The 30-Minute Rule

The average time for the first goal in football matches is typically around the 30-minute mark.

This isn't just made up — check it out on any league in the world:

  • Premier League: 30–32 minutes on average
  • Bundesliga: Around 28 minutes
  • La Liga / Serie A / Ligue 1: Closer to 31–34 minutes

The reason this factor stays so strong is simple: teams are at their most organised right at the start of the game. The manager's instructions are still fresh, everyone's sticking rigidly to the tactical plan, and shapes are tight. But as the half progresses, things naturally start to get more ragged. Fatigue sets in, concentration dips slightly, players push forward more, and little gaps appear in defences that weren't there earlier. That's when chances multiply — and BTTS opportunities really open up.

That's why waiting until the 20–30 minute mark can be pure gold: if it's still 0-0, the BTTS Yes odds often drift higher as time ticks by, giving us the chance to get our juicy even-money price matched once the action really starts to build.

Factor Two: The Last 30 Minutes

The last 30 minutes of a football match (including stoppage time) is where the most goals are scored.

Some games will see an early goal, but in plenty of others we can reach the hour mark and the score is still 0-0. That's exactly when Factor Two kicks in — and it's based on a rock-solid fact: the last 30 minutes produce more goals than any other period.

The first 30 minutes are usually disciplined and organised — teams stick to the plan, shapes are tight, and caution rules. But as the game wears on, someone is almost always chasing a result, fatigue creeps in, defences open up, and the match becomes wide open. Naturally, goals follow.

In these situations, even if your bet hasn't matched early, you're perfectly positioned: the odds can stay attractive (or even drift a bit more) into that high-goal window, giving us a great chance to get our original target of even money (2.00) matched in-play.

Exciting BTTS Developments

We're putting together some handy betting tools to help you spot your own picks, sharpen your skills, and trade more effectively — whether you're a complete beginner or looking to level up.

These tools are being built exclusively for members, using AI-assisted research and data feeds that are improving almost daily. The pace is relentless — and it's all being built to give you a real edge over the bookmakers.

The grave is empty. The profits are rising. Join us.