A correct score bet requires the bettor to select the exact final scoreline in a soccer match at the end of full time.
The bettor must not only pick the winning outcome; they must also select the exact number of goals that each team will score. There are many possible outcomes when it comes to correct score betting; as such, the bet type is seen to be highly speculative.
Even though soccer is a relatively low scoring sport, there are many possible outcomes for correct score bets. As such, correct score markets are often presented in tables like the one below that we have used from bookmaker BetEasy. The graphic shows the number of possible outcomes for a correct score bet between Russia and Saudi Arabia:
The most likely match result according to the bookmaker is Russia to win 1-0, or Russia to win 2-0; both outcomes are rated as $4.50 chances. A 2-2 draw is listed as a $34 chance while a Saudi 1-0 victory is at the fixed odds of $19.
Due to the high number of outcomes, correct score betting is one of the more speculative types of sports bet available to bettors. The only other soccer bet type that provides a large number of possible outcomes is the Half Time Full Time bet, though there aren’t as many possible outcomes as there are for correct score betting.
All of the UK online bookmakers tend to offer correct score betting on major soccer matches. It is a potentially lucrative market for bookmakers as it is easy to conceal a high margin due to the number of outcomes. Correct score betting typically attracts lots of smaller bets as opposed to larger, well-constructed wagers.
Correct score betting is a much more precise form of margin betting, whereby the bettor selects the winning outcome margin range. It is also far more precise than forms of handicap betting, that use goal margins, but there remain only two or three possible outcomes.
