Best Nigerian Football Betting Sites (2024)
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Football Betting in Nigeria
With famous players such as Jay-Jay Okocha, Jon-Obi Mikel and Victor Osimhen wearing the Nigerian shirt, it's not exactly surprising that football is the biggest sport in Nigeria. Many of the country's players have made the trip to Europe to play at the highest level and this has naturally increased the interest, while the national team generally has performed as well.
Sports betting has become more and more popular all over the world and Nigeria hasn't escaped this trend, with many placing wagers on football games in the country. As a direct result of this, more foreign betting sites have also established themselves in Nigeria and today, there are many options to choose between for Nigerian bettors.
Key Information About the Best Football Bookies
| 💻 Operator |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⚽ Football Coverage | 250 markets | 200 markets | 200 markets | 200 markets | 200 markets |
| 📊 Football Betting Margins | 4.43% | 4.5% | 5.1% | 4.63% | 5.42% |
| 👷 Bet Builder | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| 📺 Football Live Streaming | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| 💰 Football Promotions | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Bet on Football | 👉 Visit Site | 👉 Visit Site | 👉 Visit Site | 👉 Visit Site | 👉 Visit Site |
Best Football Betting Sites - Our Top 5 List
As alluded to earlier, it can be rather difficult to identify the best betting sites in Nigeria these days, especially the best ones for football. Therefore, our experts have put together a list of the top 5 best football betting sites. Hopefully, this should guide you towards a better football betting experience, as we focused on the factors that truly matter.
#1 Best Football Betting Site: Bet9ja
Bet9ja is a very solid choice for any sport but Nigerian bettors will know the site as being heavily focused on football, given that it sponsors the Nigerian national team. It is one of many reasons why it has been named the best football betting site by us, as we were very impressed by the features when we tested the bookie.
Football leagues from all over the world are available, as you would expect, and those who sign up will usually find up to 250 markets for the more prominent games. This is a very good figure and we were also impressed by the betting margins, coming in at an average of 4.43%. Bettors will not have to worry about excessive fees, in other words.
Unfortunately, there is no bet builder available but we imagine that this is something that Bet9ja will fix in the future. On the live streaming front, meanwhile, no complaints can be made as the site offers streaming of games in La Liga, Ligue 1, Serie A and more. Customers just need to have 200NGN in their account to access the streams, which is great.
In terms of promotions, there are indeed a few art Bet9ja, including an acca boost as well as insurance. Accas are very popular among football bettors so having this promotion really enhances the betting experience. There is also a free predictions game, with customers needing to submit the correct scores for 6 selected games to have a chance of winning 10,000,000NGN.
Pros
- Lowest betting margins: 4.43%
- Great football coverage: 250 markets
- Football live streaming
- Great football promotions
Cons
- No football bet builder yet
#2 Best Football Betting Site: bet365
bet365 is considered to be one of the best betting sites for football all over the world, always at the forefront of innovation with live streaming and a bet builder offered very early on. Bettors in Nigeria will not be disappointed after signing up, that is for sure, as the sportsbook is more or less the same as in the rest of the world.
All of the leagues you can think of are available, with around 200 markets offered for the big games, and the bet builder is truly the best in the business. Markets such as player card and player shots on target are available for the tool, which is great. The betting margins were also quite low when we tested them, with an average of 4.5%, and this means no excessive fees are charged.
Live streaming has always been one of bet365's main strengths and this is the case in Nigeria as well, with some of the top football leagues available to stream on the site. The live betting experience overall is also superb with a great infographic and stats for each game, which is something that most punters will appreciate.
Finally, bet365 has several good promotions such as its acca boost (on winnings) and the 2up promotion, which means your selection/bet will be marked as a winner of the team you backed goes up by two goals. In short, bet365 is a fantastic choice for betting on football, even if the localisation factor means it is only second here.
Pros
- Lowest betting margins: 4.5%
- Great football coverage: 200 markets
- Great football bet builder
- Football live streaming
- Great football promotions
#3 Best Football Betting Site: Betway
Betway is a well-known betting site all over the world and thanks to several high-profile sponsorships, this is especially the case among football bettors. While the site has changed slightly for the Nigerian market, the product is ultimately very similar to the strong UK sportsbook of Betway and this means that a great product is on offer.
For the biggest football action, bettors will find that Betway has up to 200 markets per game and even the less prominent ones are quite well covered. There is also a fantastic bet builder tool available and given how popular this type of bet has become, allowing bettors to maximise the odds, Betway is certainly future-proof in that sense.
Our test of the betting margins showed that they were slightly higher on average, at 5.1%, but this is still a good score and one that shouldn't worry the bettors. Unfortunately, however, live streaming is not offered on the site and that is partly why we opted against naming Betway in the first place here.
Promotions-wise, odds are regularly boosted on the site and a 'super boost' is put into play for selected events every Saturday. Betway also rewards loyal customers with free bets every Friday so the site does indeed get a pass on this front. Live streaming would have taken it to the next level, but it's still very good.
Pros
- Good betting margins: 5.1%
- Great football coverage: 200 markets
- Great football bet builder
- Good football promotions
Cons
- No football live streaming yet
#4 Best Football Betting Site: betBonanza
betBonanza was founded in 2019 and has certainly made a strong start in Nigeria, now considered one of the biggest online gambling sites in the country. It is easy to see why, at least if we take a look at the sportsbook, given that a plethora of football leagues are available to bet on. The design is also quite nice, we must say.
The biggest leagues and competitions are well covered on the site, with up to 200 markets available to bet on per game. There is also bet builder tool, which is already a plus, but some popular markets were lacking for it. Player card is one that football bettors make great use of these days and while the site offers the market, it doesn't for the bet builder.
The betting margins are very good on the site, with an average of 4.63% and this is great news for any football bettor who is looking for value. However, live streaming is only offered for some very small games (+eFootball) and thus we have labelled the site as not having live streaming, especially compared with what bet9ja offers.
betBonanza offers an acca club of sorts, with free bets being handed out for every five accas placed, and there is also an acca insurance promotion (albeit not fantastic). Similarly to bet365, there is also a great 'two goals ahead' promotion to make use of. Overall, the site is a great option for football bettors and since there is still room for improvement, it could well rise on this list in the future.
Pros
- Great betting margins: 4.63%
- Great football coverage: 200 markets
- Good football promotions
- Good football bet builder
Cons
- No football live streaming yet
#5 Best Football Betting Site: 22Bet
22Bet has always been a very strong betting site when it comes to coverage and market depth, with pretty much anything you could look for available. However, the bookie struggles tremendously with a poor website design - both on desktop and mobile - which makes it difficult to find the different leagues and games. Something to keep in mind, although not a deal-breaker.
Anyway, taking a look at the football section of the site, there are usually around 200 markets for each game. This is very similar to most sites on this list, so market depth is perhaps not something Nigerian bettors need to focus on too much. Unfortunately, 22Bet doesn't have a bet builder and this is something that will have to be fixed.
As for the betting margins, they are the highest on this list with an average of 5.42%. This is far from outrageous but there are evidently better options out there on this front. Live streaming is offered for less prominent leagues but none of the big ones, so those who prioritise this will have to opt for bet9ja.
We couldn't find any promotions section on the site but we managed to click through to an acca winnings boost. In short, there is one promotion to make use of and the terms are actually quite decent. However, we would have liked to see more (at least two) and this is something that the site must work on.
Pros
- Great football coverage: 200 markets
- Okay betting margins: 5.42%
Cons
- Football live streaming underdeveloped
- No football bet builder
How We Rank Soccer Betting Sites in Nigeria
In our test of the best football betting sites in Nigeria, we made sure to focus on the factors that truly matter when betting on the sport. How many markets are offered for each game? Is there live streaming of the action? We have touched on these and a few more factors in our top 5 list but below, we will delve a bit deeper and explain why they matter so much.
Leagues Available and Betting Markets
Before joining a betting site, you want to make sure the bookie offers a wide range of football events and markets including the leagues/competitions you want to bet on. We recommend sticking to a league you know well, as football is a notoriously difficult sport to predict.
The majority of betting sites will offer the top soccer leagues from Europe, and the big competitions, but, it is also important to make sure they offer the smaller leagues as there is less data on these leagues, and often have great potential for high-value bets. It is also important to double-check the market depth, with most betting sites offering 200+ markets for prominent games these days.
Football Betting Margins
One of the most important factors is the football betting margins/betting odds available on each bookie. Betting margins are essentially the amount a betting site "charges" you to place a bet, and the margins can be as low as 0% up to 12+. In our test, which led to the top 5 list, we tested three Premier League gamnes on each site to determine the average.
Most of the site scored well on this front, with figures of 4-5%, and this is certainly not that high. We have seen a lot worse in other markets although Parimatch, which is not included in our top five list, scored a whopping 14% in our pre-testing. In other words, it is important to check the margins of the big betting sites as well.
Live Betting and Streaming
The best betting sites tend to offer fantastic in-play/live betting experiences with free live streams, cashout options and a wide variety of live betting markets throughout the match. Bet9ja and bet365 are two great sites for live streaming football action, while the latter is slightly ahead in terms of the live betting expoerience overall.
Streaming is certainly not necessary for betting, nor is a nice live interface, but it makes the process so much easier. Football games can change within seconds and staying on top of the matter is really important, which a good live betting interface helps with. This is one of the things we looked at in our test of the sites, in other words.
Football Promotions
There are so many football betting special offers and promotions out there nowadays that it is impossible to list them all in one place. New deals are also being launched regularly, including exclusive no deposit free bet bonuses for new Nigerian customers. This is mainly because betting sites always have to be offering something different to stand out.
Some promotions are more attractive than others, though, with a lot of special offers for football betting turning out to be less worthwhile than they seem at first glance. Sifting through the various free bets offers and promotions that can be claimed is a challenge, so we made sure to highlight the good/bad promotions in our review of each site.
Football Betting Markets Explained
It is not uncommon for a big game in a competition like the English Premier League or the Champions League to have hundreds of different markets on sports betting sites. However, here are some of the most common football betting markets and what they mean:
1x2 (full-time result): A simple one to start off, 1x2 is the match odds market. 1 refers to the home team, 2 to the away team, and the x is the draw. Backers have to predict the final result.
Accumulators: Very popular with football fans in Nigeria and around the world, accumulators are cherished as they offer a chance to win life-changing money from relatively small stakes. Backers combine a number of bets into the same wager in order to bump up the odds by a lot.
Double chance: Again, this bet is what bettors would expect. Double chance bets give players two opportunities to win. An example of a double chance bet would be backing the result to be either a draw or a win for the away team. It is particularly useful when backing the underdog.
Correct score: Predicting the correct score in football betting is famously difficult, but that does not stop a lot of fans of the game from trying. The correct score bet is only valid for the first 90 minutes, in the event of a match in a cup competition going to either extra time or penalties.
Halftime/fulltime: Similar to 1x2 bets, the extra facet of halftime/fulltime bets is that backers have to guess the result at both the break and the final whistle. For example, fans might want to bet on the away side to be in front at halftime but for the home team to turn it around by the end.
Goalscorers (first, last, and anytime): Very popular for football betting, goal scorer markets can provide a lot of value. It is possible to bet on who scores the first goal in the game, or the last goal, or even just betting on a player to score at any time in the game. Additionally, a lot of the top betting sites in Nigeria offer similar markets such as to score and win the game.
Both teams to score: This bet is handy for games where goals are expected. As long as both teams in the game can find the net, then the BTTS bet will be a winning wager.
Over/under goals: Goals markets are a very popular choice, with over/under the main choice. It is usually the case that over/under 2.5 goals is the default. This means if there are three or more goals in the game, over 2.5 wins, and if there are two or less, then under 2.5 goals wins. This bet works the same whether the number is 2.5 or 0.5, 1.5, 3,5, 4.5 and so on.
In-Depth Tips and Strategy for Betting on Football
There are no shortcuts to success when betting on football. After all, if it was easy to make a lot of profit from football betting, everyone would be able to do it. The bookmakers would go bust!
However, following a football betting strategy can be a good way to increase the chances of getting one over the bookies. Many people find that sticking to a certain type of market, such as both teams to score, is their best way of maximising earnings as a result of placing football bets.
Research is the key. With so much information out there, much of it in the form of data and statistics that is easy to digest, there is no excuse for not being clued up before having a bet. It is also crucial to know all the latest news from the world of football, as an injury or illness to a key player is likely to have a big impact on a team's chances of winning their next games.
Football betting tips can be found all over the internet these days, but it is hard to know which ones are worth following. The best football betting tipsters are open about their records.
Many football fans also use strategies such as matched betting in order to profit. In theory, matched betting provides a guaranteed profit as a result of all potential outcomes being covered. This tactic relies on using free bets from bookmakers and then betting on exchanges as well.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Football Betting
Some of the most common mistakes to avoid in football betting are relevant for other sports. For example, chasing losses is almost always a bad idea. It is also important to remain in control by ensuring a budget is maintained - never bet more than you can afford to lose.
On a similar note betting while emotional, or while under the influence of alcohol, is never a good idea. There is nothing wrong with taking a break from football betting when on a bad run.
Having unrealistic expectations over how much money can be won through football betting is another common mistake. The vast majority of accumulators lose. While they offer the chance to win big, the likelihood is that at least one result will let down this type of bet. It is often better to stick with singles and doubles that bettors have full confidence in.
Missing out on the best odds is also a mistake many bettors make. Even when a bookmaker has enhanced odds for a certain bet, this is not necessarily the best price that is available. It is usually worth taking a bit of time to shop around with various bookmakers in order to ensure the top value is taken from a wager. A small difference in odds might not seem like it makes a big impact. However, those who regularly bet on football will see it all mounts up in the long run.
Linked to the above is the need to have accounts with a range of different football betting sites. There is nothing wrong with doing this, in fact, it is recommended. While some bookmakers do try to reward the loyalty of their customers, usually the number of free bets that are offered across the industry means that it just makes a lot of sense to have many more options.
Lastly, placing too many wagers is something football fans should avoid when betting. It is usually more profitable to carry out deep research on a few well-chosen bets rather than spreading money around a large number of wagers. While it might seem as though more bets equals more chances to win, this is not the case if they are bad bets.
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James is responsible for the Nigerian market on BettingGuide. He has a keen interest in sports betting and Gambling laws in particular. James is a Lawyer practising in East Africa, loves writing, and has a Law Degree from Makerere University, Uganda and a Post Graduate Diploma from the Kenya School of Law, Kenya.
