BTTS (Both Teams to Score) is one of the most popular and easiest football betting markets available. It removes the rule that a final score must be set before a bet wins and instead focuses on a simple question: ‘will both sides score?’
Whether you’re building accumulator bets, supporting bet builders, or just want an easy wager that doesn’t rely on a winning scoreline, BTTS is certainly worth your time.
This MatchPlug guide explains how both teams to score works, what factors influence it, betting tips, strategies, best leagues for BTTS, and a whole lot of other topics related to understanding this market.
While you read, check out a similar article we wrote on Guide to Win Draw Win (1X2).
Table of Contents:
- What is a BTTS bet?
- How BTTS betting works
- Different types of BTTS explained
- Best leagues for BTTS
- When to avoid BTTS
- What factors influence BTTS?
- BTTS betting tips
- Best strategies for finding BTTS value
- Common mistakes bettors make in BTTS
What is a BTTS Bet?
A BTTS bet is a bet on whether both clubs in a matchup will score at least one goal. It is a straightforward bet, and you don’t need to predict a winner, final scoreline, or a draw. If both sides score, it is BTTS Yes. If they fail to score, BTTS No.
How BTTS Betting Works
Both teams to score betting is straightforward to understand and wager on. Here is how it works:
1. Pick A reliable BTTS betting site
Sign up at a reliable football prediction site with both-teams-to-score markets like MatchPlug.
2. Choose A Game To Bet On
Pick a football match you want to wager on.
3. Place Your Bets
Choose “Yes” for both teams to score or “No” for one team not to score.
4. Wait For Results
If you chose “Yes” and both teams score, you win. If not, your wager loses.
Different Types of BTTS Explained
There are different types of both teams to score. We’ve explained some of them below:
1. BTTS Yes / No
The odds for both teams to score ‘Yes’ usually range from 1.60 to 1.90 for matches between attacking sides with poor defensive records. Backing both teams to score ‘No’ is ideal for matches with a dominant defensive club against a team struggling with goals.
However, don’t bet based on personal bias. Back ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ if you truly find value in either option.
2. BTTS & Over / Under Goals
Both teams to score & Over 2.5 is the most common combo. The teams have to score 3 goals, so a 2-1 win works.
3. BTTS & Under 3.5
This is a more subtle bet for fixtures where you expect both to score but not for high-scoring matches.
4. BTTS & Home Win
Both teams to score & Home Win may price at 3.50 or higher in a match where the straight home win is 1.70. This bet is ideal when you already know the result but still expect both sides to score.
5. BTTS & Win (Home or Away)
Both teams to score and the home or away side wins. This favors an outcome where both sides score. It rules out a clean sheet victory, so the winner needs to score more goals.
6. BTTS in Both Halves
For this bet to win, both clubs must score in the first half and second half. This means at least four goals across the game. Both halves suit two sides that attack well but defend poorly.
Best Leagues For BTTS
| League | Rate | Reason |
| Bundesliga | 55-60% | High tempo and attacking play |
| Eredivisie | 55-65% | Open attacking football and weak defenses |
| EFL Championship | 50-55% | Competitive balance, attacking ambition and uneven defensive quality |
| Premier League | 45-50% | Defensively organized sides |
| La Liga | 45-50% | |
| Serie A | 40-45% | Strong defensive heritage |
| Ligue 1 | 40-45% |
When To Avoid BTTS
Both teams to score is one of the simplest ways to win in football betting, but you shouldn’t back it every time. Here are some of those times:
1. Both Teams Want Clean Sheets
Highly defensive matches where both teams want to keep clean sheets often end goalless.
2. Bad Weather
Heavy weather affects passing accuracy and hampers a team’s attacking quality. Strong winds ruin shooting and crossing. Both conditions quell goal scoring and make backing BTTS No the smarter option.
3. High Stakes Matches
Finals are tougher to bet on for both teams to score, because none of the clubs want to lose first. Dead-rubber fixtures, too, can be unpredictable and lead to low-effort performances.
Furthermore, if top players are resting for a more important match later in the week, their attacking performance reduces.
4. Derby Matches
While some derby matches are high-scoring affairs, most are intense because the fear of losing outweighs the need to attack.
What Factors Influence BTTS?
There are certain features that can affect the both teams to score market; here are some of them:
1. Home and Away Records
Some clubs defend better at home, but leave their nets open away. Others lose easily at home, but play stronger on the road. Check a team’s home and away record before backing BTTS.
2. Referee Interference
Referees can influence a match’s flow. Officials who let play run typically produce more open matches. Those who blow the whistle at every player contact that breaks attacking momentum. Consider this when placing your wager.
3. Attacking VS Defensive Record
The perfect BTTS match is between two clubs that create chances and still concede them. A club averaging 1.8 goals per match but keeping a clean sheet in half its matches isn’t ideal for this market.
Look for clubs that score often but defend poorly. High-scoring matches paired with a low clean sheet percentage is what you want.
4. League Trends
The German Bundesliga produces the most goals historically in European leagues, with its BTTS rate around 55-60% in recent seasons. The Premier League is 45-50% but still produces lots of goals.
Serie A and Ligue 1 alternate between seasons that produce high BTTS rates and others that are more defensive.
Understanding each season’s BTTS rate helps you spot where the value is.
BTTS Betting Tips
1. Check MatchPlug’s BTTS Page
MatchPlug has a dedicated BTTS Predictions Today page where we publish a BTTS call for every match we cover. We build our predictions in this market from each club’s scoring and conceding track records, home and away splits, expected goals for and against, and whether a heavy favorite is likely to win.
We publish both sides of the market, covering matchups where both teams should score, and the defensive fixtures where BTTS No is the stronger wager.
2. Analyze Head-to-Head Data
Research how often a match between two clubs has ended in a both-teams-to-score situation. If it is in 7 out of the last 10 meetings, that is worth noting.
Build BTTS Accumulator Bets Smartly
Accumulator bets accompanying both teams to score matches are often compelling because each odds are short enough to feel safe. But selecting 5 to 6 BTTS Yes means every match must produce a goal from both clubs.
Best Strategies for Finding BTTS Value
These are some proven strategies for finding value in the both teams to score betting market.
1. Evaluate Recent Form
The last 5-10 games a team plays provide enough data to reveal patterns in their scoring and losses, and are recent enough to reflect their current form. Also look at the quality of the teams they’ve faced. Scoring against teams with tough defenses matters more than racking up goals against struggling teams.
To make your evaluation more well-rounded, find clubs whose offense and defense lean in a way that supports BTTS. A side that scores over two goals while conceding more than one in the last 10 fixtures is an ideal candidate for this market.
2. Analyze Individual Match Performance
How a team performs in individual matches matters more than its reputation. Two attack-focused clubs playing each other creates room for BTTS no matter how the match ends. Tactical conflicts determine how a game flows.
High possession teams against high-pressing clubs produce turnovers and transitions that create chances for both teams to score.
3. Probability Modeling
There are three steps to pulling this off:
- Estimate each club’s scoring probability:
Club A scores in 50% of recent fixtures.
Club B scores in 60% of recent fixtures
- Calculate their combined BTTS probability
Multiply individual probabilities: 0.50 x 0.60 = 30%.
- Compare to implied odds
Bookmaker odds: 3.00 (33.3% implied probability)
Your estimate: 30%
Value exists (your estimate > implied probability)
Probability models spot value betting opportunities easily. You can improve it further by adding home/away splits, recent team form, and defensive-quality adjustments.
4. The BTTS No Approach
While most bettors lean towards ‘BTTS Yes’, ‘BTTS No’ offers true value when public opinion outweighs a potentially attacking match.
Some BTTS scenarios include:
- Defensive-minded clubs facing weak attacking clubs
- Poor weather conditions
- Cup finals or high-stakes knockout fixtures
- When both clubs want clean sheets or defensive priorities
The idea is to spot when public opinion misreads a match’s likely outcome. A strong defensive club facing relegation hosting a free-scoring but defensively poor mid-table club may favor a BTTS No bet more than the market agrees, especially if the hosts want to avoid a loss more than they want goals.
5. Seasonal Timing
There are several football seasonal patterns that affect both teams’ scoring rates:
1. August – September
August to September is early season; teams are still finding their footing, and defensive organization is weaker than attacking coordination. Experimenting with tactics causes unpredictability. BTTS rates feel higher during this period.
2. October – March
Around mid-season, tactics are formed, patterns become clear, and forms stabilize. Regular BTTS gain here. This is also the best time to use strategic statistical approaches.
3. April – May
Towards the end of the season, team motivations change. More dead-rubber fixtures appear, and relegation battles swing between desperate attacking and scared defending.
When betting, align with seasonal patterns. Early season favors back-to-back both-teams-to-score approaches. Mid-season becomes ideal for systematic value hunting. The end of the season demands meticulous case-by-case evaluation.
Common Mistakes Bettors Make in BTTS
These are some common mistakes that can affect the success of your both teams to score bet.
1. Overlooking Defensive Statistics
The most common both teams to score mistake is focusing solely on attacking strength while ignoring defensive prowess. Two high-scoring clubs playing doesn’t guarantee BTTS if one has excellent defense.
2. Overestimating Attacking Reputations
Strong attacking and scoring history doesn’t guarantee current performance. Form changes, and so do systems; injuries affect team output. A top striker who hasn’t scored in a while may still be valuable for a BTTS bet despite struggling.
Checking recent form is how you close that gap. A club averaging 2 goals per game but scoring 0.5 over the last 5 games faces regression. Contrarily, a struggling club with improving xG (Expected Goals) may score more soon.
3. Ignoring Team News
Always confirm the lineup at least one hour before kickoff, because lineup announcements significantly affect both teams’ scoring probability. Top player absences affect scoring and conceding probability. In addition, bookies slowly adjust to lineup news, creating a brief window for smart bettors to cop value.
4. Chasing Streaks Without Context
Streaks don’t forecast future outcomes. The idea is to investigate why a streak occurred and if the factors influencing it persist. When relying on streaks, treat them as context, not prediction tools. Analyze each match independently based on recent circumstances, and watch for when that context suddenly changes.
5. Wagering On Every Match
BTTS isn’t always the ideal market for a match. Some games suit over/under bets, Asian handicaps, or result betting better. Betting on every match to suit both teams to score guarantees long-term losses. Be selective.
Conclusion
When betting BTTS, don’t get carried away by how simple this bet is. Do thorough research on whether the match favors BTTS before betting.
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