Soccer is the most commonly watched sports around the world. It also happens to be the most popular sport to bet on.

Betting on soccer can be a very lucrative past time. However, it can also cost you big too if you do not know what you’re doing.

Whether you prefer to bet online or would rather do it in person at a casino you will be well advised to have a basic understanding of how to wager before you actually do it.  The best to safeguard you have for your money is knowledge.

Here are a few quick tips on how to bet on soccer.

1. Know your options

Because betting on soccer is something that is done around the world, there are a variety of different variations on how you can place your bets.

When you choose an online betting site it is a good idea to go with one that has a good reputation.  Click here to see what the reputable site Boyds Bets recommends.

The site should always have it’s licensing and certification in order and you will want to review their customer service reviews too.

Make sure that any website you decide to use accepts common methods of payment and also offers some level of protection against fraud or theft.

2. Optimize Your Chances to Win

Before you bet on any sport or game, it is smart to make sure that you understand it first. Before you place any bets on soccer make sure to do some basic research on the sport itself.

Also do some additional research on recent records, soccer teams, and individual players. You may also want to run an online search for some basic betting tips on soccer too.

3. Understand your odds of winning and losing

Another basic principle of betting on any game or sport is to understand what you were odds are of winning or losing before placing that bad. Make sure that before you do so you know whether your odds are fixed or will have a variable.

For example, let’s say that you place a bet of $100 on a game of soccer with odds of 1.5 in Spain’s favor. If Spain wins, you will make get $150 back, giving you a profit of $50.

Depending on who you place your bet with and where it is placed, the odds will be different which will also change your possible returns.

4. Placing the bet

Perhaps one of the most important things anyone needs to do before placing a bet of any amount on anything is to set a budget and resolve to stick to it. Every day people’s lives are ruined because they become addicted to gambling and squander away all of their money.

So before you do anything set a reasonable and conservative budget of an amount that your are comfortable losing. You will need to set two amounts.

First, you will need to come up with an amount for your starting betting bankroll. That will be the amount of money that all future betting will either benefit or deplete. In most cases it is recomended that beginning betters start out with a bank role of $1,000.

Again, if you can’t afford to loseth is amount then you will need to decrease the amount. On your first time betting it is wise to only wager one or two percent of your entire bankroll.

Betting on soccer can be a fun and lucrative hobby. Just remember to keep your betting under control and never wager more than you can afford.

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If you are anything of a fan of the Premier League, then you more than likely are wondering the same question that tons of other people are wondering. Who will win the Premiere League this year?

The answer when we look into the crystal ball comes down to one of four teams. The teams that seem to have the best chance are Arsenal, Man City, Tottenham and Leicester. These are the teams that seem to have it all going in the right direction and are poised to make an impact in the Premier League.

We will take a look at these four teams and breakdown the reasons why they are poised to win it all.

Arsenal

First is Arsenal who is third in the standings. Arsenal is a team that has a long, hard road ahead of them over the rest of the season. Where a number of the top teams will have the road laid out in front of them, Arsenal will have to fight and scratch just to have a chance at winning.

Some of the players that will be called upon to help the team are Alex Sanchez and Olivier Giroud who will have to step up and perform like they never have this season.

One of their toughest opponents will be that of Barcelona, who is always a yearly thorn in Arsenals side.

Leicester

Leicester will be the next team that will be looking to make an impact on winning the Premier League this season. Jamie Vardy, Robert Huth and a couple of others will be the players that the entire hopes and dreams of this feisty little underdog will rest upon.

Leicester city was only sent to the ranks of the Premier league just last season. That in itself makes this a very big David versus Goliath story in which David this time very well might still wind up losing.

The upside of all of this is the fact that Leicester is not looking at having to play any of the other three teams this season. This allows them to have a better chance against an easier schedule.

Manchester City

Manchester City was supposed to be the great hope for all of those fans that were looking for a hero. This came after Chelsea had a complete meltdown earlier this season.

A lot of fans saw Manchester City not grab the brass ring and take ownership of their own destiny. There has seemed to be a laid back approach to this season and as a result has seen their opportunities slip away from them and potentially their entire hopes of winning the Championship.

Tottenham

Tottenham seems to be the team that has it all put together in one neat little package. They have managed to keep their core players healthy and with the assistance of some unlikely heroes they have been able to start strong and maintain their dominance.

This does come with the bad news that the rest of their schedule is not going to be a cake walk and they will have to fight for every win and claw their way to the Championship.

These are the teams that have the best chance at going all the way and actually winning the championship. While some are in better position than others, it is anyone’s game and anything can happen over the course of the rest of the season.

With careful planning and offensive moves any of these teams can win it all and bring glory to their respective clubs. Never say never when it comes to the Premier League and who will win it all.

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The United States Women’s soccer national team is more famous than the men’s version.  That’s probably because they have had a lot more success.  The Americans have participated in every Olympic Games, with gold medal wins in 1996, 2004, 2008, and 2012.  The US team also had a silver medal in 2000.

So what do we face?  Six teams will try to qualify for two spots.  Those two teams make it to Rio.  The US team plays February 10th against Costa Rica, the 13th versus Mexico, and the 15th against Puerto Rico.

If they make it to the semifinals (they will) then the game is February 19th.  The Final is then played on the 21st.

No team has secured the Women’s World Cup and Olympic gold in back-to-back years.  The US will be the first team to try to do that, and the first team to win four straight gold medals.  It all starts here.

The US Women are missing four retired players.  Abby Wambach is done.  So is Lauren Holiday, Shannon Boxx, and Lori Chalupny.

Two women are pregnant: Amy Rodriguez and Sydney Leroux.  Megan Rapine and Christie Rampone will miss the games due to injury.

Format

There are two groups.  The US is in Group A along with Mexico, Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico.  Mexico is stocked with talented players who played college ball in America.  Costa Rica is improved and is coming off of their World Cup debut.

Group B has Canada, Guatemala, Trinidad & Tobago, and Guyana.

The top two teams in each will advance. The first place team plays the other groups second place team.

Prediction

I think USA is a virtual lock to make it.  It’s nearly impossible to score on them.  Goalkeeper Hope Solo has allowed just a single goal in six World Cup matches before surrendering two in the final against Japan.  Carli Lloyed scored in the last two Olympic gold medal games and made a name for herself in the World Cup final.

Who else makes it?  Costa Rica is probably the next best team.  They have Raquel Rodriguez who was the first Tica to score at the World Cup.  She also just won the Hermann Trophy as the best women’s college player last season.

Here is a video of the President honoring the World Cup championship team from last year.

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Steve Nash was one of my all-time favorites.  I’m obviously a big soccer fan, but basketball is a close second for me.

That is why I was so excited when I found out that Nash has purchased a soccer team.

Not him specifically, but he joined a group that includes Phoenix Suns owner Robert Saver.  They are called Liga ACQ Legacy Partners.

The group purchased the Spanish professional soccer club called RCD Mallorca.  The team is in the second division of La Liga after being relegated.  Mallorca spent the previous 16 years in the top flight.

Fans had to be pumped about getting a different owner, but one of Nash’s stature is extra special.  He was a star for the international basketball scene when he played for his country of Canada.

Nash’s role is still up in the air, but Marca has said that he will be involved in the day-to-day.

This wasn’t the first team Nash and Sarver had tried to buy.  A deal with Levante fell through last summer.

The team recently ran into some financial issues and went bankrupt.  They were taken over by the government and they put up for sale to recoup the investment.

But, things didn’t work out.  This time it did.

You might be surprised that Nash would partner up with Sarver.  Server was largely responsible for trading the Suns great from Phoenix to Los Angeles in 2012.  Everyone knew it was time to rebuild, but Nash appreciated the fact that he was sent to LA.  It was supposed to be a win-win, but Nash never lived up to his end of the deal for the Lakers.  Still, Sarver made sure that Nash was kept within a close distance to his children.

If you don’t think Nash has any soccer skills, then check out this video of him playing during the NBA lockout back in 2011. He played a lot of soccer to stay fit and keep up his agility skills.

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