Accumulator Betting: A Strategy for Success

There’s no doubt it; accumulator betting is one of the fastest growing types of wagering available in the virtual space, particularly in relation to sports such as football. The reason for this is simple; as it while it offers prohibitive odds it also delivers potentially seismic returns if your bet comes in.

This is borne out by the sheer number of big money wins achieved through various accumulators, with one lucky Londoner earning a staggering £650,000 from a single £100 acca at odds of 6542/1.

Of course, to have any chance of achieving this type of success you’ll need to develop a viable strategy and learn how to structure a winning accumulator. Here’s some advice to help you on your way:

1. Understand the Latest Trends and Statistics
   

Thanks to resources like Opta and Accanation, football fans can access an array of different data sets when appraising different betting selections.

While the majority of these relate to individual teams and competitors rather than actual match-ups, they still provide valuable information that can help you to structure a potential accumulator.

For example, it’s currently estimated that around 48% of all football matches end in home wins. This means that even five and six-team accumulators should feature a relatively high proportions of home victories, although your final selections should always be based on more detailed data sets (we’ll have a little more on this later).

When prioritising your choice of potential home winners, you should also use sites like Accanation” to appraise which teams showcase the best form in front of their own fans. This should help you to separate home bankers from tighter and harder to predict games, increasing your chances of winning across several different matches.

When selecting away teams that are likely to win, you can also identify which teams perform well on the road or have achieved a sequence of positive results outside of their home ground.

As a general rule, it may also help to select dominant teams as potential away winners, as sides like Liverpool and Manchester City showcase consistent form regardless of where they play. You may also be able to access slightly better odds when backing these teams in away matches, but once again you’ll need to judge each potential selection on its individual merits.

2. Use Data to Inform your Potential Selections

An accumulator can only ever be as successful as its individual selections, as just one wrong choice can put paid to your chances of achieving a desired return.

The way in which you build your accumulator is therefore crucial, as you must use data and insight to inform your selections rather than relying on instinct, bravado or a tribal preference for one team or another.  So, once you’ve identified your initial selections by analysing trends and statistics, the next step is to evaluate specific match-ups and review form tables to see which bets offer the best value.

If Celtic were playing Aberdeen in the Scottish Premier League, for example, you’d initially look to back the Hoops as they’ve won their last 14 matches at Celtic Park. Conversely, however, the Dons have won successive matches on the road, meaning this may not be the best wager to include in your accumulator (depending on the odds, of course).  Similarly, you should try to analyse these data sets without factoring in league position, as clubs such as League One Coventry City continue to sit in the lower reaches of the table despite having an outstanding home record.

The Sky Blues subsequently offer better-than-expected value as a home wager, depending on their respective opponent and their form on the road.  With the analysis of these additional guides and data sets, you can refine your accumulator selections and build a more value-conscious betslip.

3. Refine your Selection by Determining Value and Exploring Alternative Markets
   

At this stage, you should be left with a short list of potential selections to include in your accumulator. While you’re free to include these in a single wager, however, you should look to refine your acca further by determining value and exploring alternative betting markets.

In terms of the former, the odds on offer an initial insight into the likelihood of specific outcomes and your potential returns as a punter. However, these odds are often manipulated by bookmakers to offset their potential losses, so it’s important to review prices and identify the real value that underpins them.

In some instances, your analysis may find that bookies are offering slightly generous odds on specific outcomes. In the case of tomorrow’s EPL game between Huddersfield and Wolves, for example, the latter side are priced at a reasonable 5/2 despite the poor home form of the Terriers.

This makes the wager far better value than initially meets the eye, and including this in your acca can boost potential returns without overly compromising your chances of winning.  You can also tailor the odds by accessing alternative betting markets, particularly in an age where so more diversity exists in the online betting space.

From the identity of the first goalscorer to a wide range of in-play markets (the punter who placed the highest earning acca placed his wager during matches and while each of his selections were losing), the betting options enable you to turn the odds in your favour and capitalise on in-game events as they occur.

So, by appraising real value and striving to improve your acca odds by exploring alternative betting markets, you can structure a betting slip that really pays its way.

4. Don’t Back Draws on Big Multiples

Occasionally, you may tempted to include a draw or two in large accumulators or big multiples.

Not only is this statistically one of the least likely results to occur during a matchday weekend, but you’ll require a huge amount of luck when backing the draw and identifying the games in which this is likely to occur.

There are exceptions, of course, with games between the traditional ‘big six’ in England’s Premier League often cagey and low-scoring affairs (see Manchester United’s recent 0-0 draw with Liverpool at Old Trafford).

This hasn’t always been the case, and the goalscoring trends in these games tends to fluctuate over time. They definitely offer the most likely candidates for the draw in the current market, however, particularly with teams like Chelsea and Manchester United adopting slightly more defensive tactics against more dominant sides such as City and Liverpool.

As a general rule, however, we’d recommend avoiding the draw and focus on backing decisive results one way or another.

5. Take Advantage of Bookmaker Offers and Promotions
   

We’ve talked a great deal about seeking out value before placing an accumulator, and it’s with this in mind that you should consider taking advantage of real-time bookmaker offers and prices.  After all, the online sports betting market is increasingly lucrative and competitive, with brands adopting an increasingly aggressive approach to claiming their share and making a profit.

One of the most effective customer acquisition methods is to publish lucrative bonuses and promotions, which often translate into generous deposit matches and free bets. Operators may also offer new customer price boosts and enhanced multiples, which can be applied directly to accumulators to create superior value and your bottom line returns.

The key is to compare the market thoroughly, factoring in the largest accessible sports betting platforms and using objective comparison sites to broaden your options. By shopping around and relying on accurate data sets, you can identify the best possible value and make an informed choice.

As a note of caution; just be wary of the terms and conditions and wagering requirements associated with specific promotions. These may place some restrictions on how and when your winnings can be withdrawn, while also requiring you to wager your capital several more times before you can cash in.

By reviewing these terms before you commit, you can safeguard your bankroll and make sure that any potential promotion delivers the value promised.

The Last Word

Hopefully, these strategic tips can help you to build and structure a successful accumulator, and one that’s based on data and insight rather than instinct and partisan support.  In general terms, just remember to keep things simple when building an accumulator, while always keeping one eye on the value on offer and the range of relevant betting markets available.