What is System Betting?
Let’s begin this article with the most obvious question that might trouble newbies in the sports betting world – what is system betting exactly?
Well, the answer is rather simple – a system bet is a very exciting and popular way of betting on several events without you needing to guess them all correctly to get a return – as is the case with an accumulator bet.
Depending on the size of your stake, the events you bet on and their odds, you might just be able to land yourself some hefty winnings!
So, system bets remove the “all or nothing” approach of other bet types, as you still have a margin of error allowed.
Before you place a system bet, you need to ask and answer two key questions:
- How many combinations should you include on the bet slip?
- How many of these combinations are needed for you to land a win?
Once you answer these questions, you will get a better idea of how much you should wager and your potential payouts. Note that you can place system bets on any type of sport and any type of bet can be included in your combinations!
Why Punters Should Do System Betting?
System bets come with plenty of interesting benefits. We are strong advocates of system bets, so some of the reasons why we think they are a good idea for all Nigerian punters are the following:
- A higher winning percentage – of course, as you don’t need to have all your predictions turn out correctly, the chances of you securing a payout increase drastically.
- You can use various betting types – as mentioned above in the article, you are free to use all bet types as you see fit, so you can stick to what you know and even further boost your chances of landing a win!
- You get to experiment – as you have a slightly higher margin of error in system bets, nothing should stop you from being adventurous and placing a more risky bet. Just imagine the payouts if that one “Hail Mary” bet actually comes off!
- A large number of betting markets
- Betting with cryptocurrencies
- In-play betting and live-streaming
Maximize Your Advantages With System Bets
Even though system bets allow you to make a mistake or two with your prediction, it doesn’t mean that you should always rely on it to secure profits. There is no winning strategy in sports betting that will guarantee you returns, but that doesn’t mean you should wager on sports completely blindfolded.
There are some aspects that we would like you to pay close attention to when system betting to have a better chance of landing a payout.
First off, be careful with the bookie you choose. Not all bookies that accept Nigerians are reliable, so only search for those with a valid license.
Then, you need to determine the number of events you want to include on the betslip and calculate their odds.
With this, you can understand how much liability you need in total and you will have a better idea of your potential returns – hence, determining whether the betslip is actually worth the risk.
Besides doing the basic research before placing a system bet, we would also advise you to get familiar with some common strategies for this bet type. You can find tons of those online, but the ones we would recommend for newbies are:
- Use odds calculators – for you to get a better idea of how much you can expect to secure in payouts, you will know the risk factor and your bet size. So, an odds calculator is always a good idea at the start!
- Bet on sports you know – don’t just think that beginner’s luck will follow you even if you place bets on something you don’t know. So, stick to your favourite sport and place wagers accordingly.
- Add an element of risk – no one stops you from backing an underdog when you place system bets. This is how you can further enhance your potential payouts, and even if that doesn’t come off, you can still secure a small profit.
- Keep an eye on the cash-out function – the most reliable bookies in Nigeria offer you the chance to cash out your betslip. This is a very sensitive subject, as we don’t tell you that you should always accept it, but keeping a close eye on it doesn’t hurt.
- Claim bonuses – bookmakers know that bonuses and ongoing promotions are very attractive for punters, so they offer them for all sports. Therefore, claiming the right one can help you boost your bankroll and potential wins.
When you combine strategies such as the above-mentioned and your controlled way of wagering, then you are sure to have lots of fun with the system bets!
System Bets Betting Example
The good news about system bets is that they allow you to decide how many of the combinations you should win.
An example would make things much more clear: Let’s say I have four games in mind for this weekend:
- Liverpool vs Manchester United – Liverpool to win
- Bayern Munich vs Stuttgart – Bayern to win and over 3 goals to be scored
- Barcelona vs Malaga – Barcelona to win and both teams to score
- Arsenal vs Chelsea – a high-scoring draw with over four goals
So, for me to minimize the risk of losing my bet, I can select that I want three of the above-mentioned predictions to come out correctly.
If I win all four, then the payout will be even bigger, but I will still win if I get three correctly. Depending on which three predictions come successfully, I can expect different payouts – the odds make the difference here.
You can use this system for two out of three, two out of four, three out of five, etc. There is usually no limit on how many selections you can include, so you can let your imagination work!
Pros/Cons
As seen above in the article, system bets hold several advantages, but we would also like to point out some minor disadvantages. Before you start using system betting, you need to know the whole picture!
Pros
- Allows you to make a mistake – there is no need for you to have a perfect betslip, instead, you can get at least one of your predictions wrong.
- Big profits are still possible – just because the risk factor decreases doesn’t mean the payout must do that. Depending on your selections and bet size, you can still secure some big returns.
- You can use all bet types and all sports – there is no limit on what kind of bet types you need to include in your betslip or the sport you need to wager on. You are free to do what you wish!
Cons
- May need higher investment – due to the nature of system bets, you may need to place an initial bigger stake on your betslip – depending on your selections.
- Winnings may not cover your stake – there is a scenario that can see you win less than what you have wagered, but this depends on the odds.
- May not be suited best for newbies – when you combine the factors above, you can see why new punters may not feel like system bets is their ideal choice at the start.
Odds
To give you an idea of how odds work in system bets, we need to include a practical example. Let’s analyze a 2/3 system bet from three different Premier League fixtures:
- Liverpool vs Arsenal – Liverpool to win with 1.7 odds
- Chelsea vs Manchester United – Chelsea to win at 1.5 odds
- Tottenham vs Leicester – Tottenham to win with 2.5 odds
Now, there are three combinations that can get you a win:
- Liverpool and Chelsea
- Chelsea and Tottenham
- Liverpool and Tottenham
So, to calculate the odds manually, you need to bet the same amount for each betting series above. As an example, let’s say you place a $10 wager on each betting series – $30 in total. It would look as follows:
- AB – Liverpool and Chelsea – 10 x 1.7 x 1.5 = $25.50
- BC – Chelsea and Tottenham – 10 x 1.5 x 2.5 = $37.50
- AC – Liverpool and Tottehnam – 10 x 1.7 x 2.5 = $42.50
Your total wager is $30, so the total for the three series is $105.50. You can calculate your net profit with the following formula:
- Total winnings – total wager, $105.50 – $30 = $75.50
An example here would go as follows – let’s say Chelsea loses its game against Spurs. In that case, the AB and the BC will be lost combinations, with AC the only winning one. So, using the formula above, you can calculate your returns – $42.50 – $30 = $12.50.
The logic around calculating odds and returns with system bets is very simple, but if you feel overwhelmed at first, you will be happy to know that there are tons of system betting calculators that can calculate your returns within seconds.
System Bets Offers and Promotions
Bonuses and ongoing promotions are arguably the main marketing tools bookies in Nigeria use to attract more bettors to register and to keep the already-existing ones loyal.
Sports betting sites always get creative when introducing promotions, but our research showed that some of them are repetitive and common. In that line, the most common offers you can use for your system bets are the following:
- Welcome bonuses – as the name itself suggests, welcome bonuses are special offers that are valid for newly registered bettors. Usually, you can expect a deposit match bonus up to a certain percentage and sum that you can use for your first system bet and potentially boost your winnings.
- Free bet – sometimes, online sports betting sites will offer free bets to new or loyal players to incentivize them to continue playing. Due to the nature of the bet itself, you won’t need to place a real-money wager on your system bets.
- Boosted odds – a very common ongoing promotion among bookies that sees a selection of games for the day have boosted odds. You can use them to further enhance your potential winnings with your system bets.
- Cashback – if you are ever on an unlucky run while system betting, you can feel some ease if you have a cashback incentive to cover at least some of your losses. Usually, bookies offer cashbacks on a weekly basis.
Regardless of which type of promotion you claim at sports betting sites, never neglect to check what the terms and conditions have to say. They are a vital part of every promotion as they specify the rules for using them. Some important aspects of a bonus T&C include:
- Duration – you always have a predetermined time in which you are allowed to use the specific bonus.
- Betting markets – you may see some betting markets being excluded from a certain promotion, so you won’t be able to use them on your system bets.
- Minimum odds – similarly, some offers may have minimum odds you need to adhere to when claiming them. As a way for the bookie to protect itself against bettors placing bets only on favourites, they will impose minimum odds.
- Wagering requirements – finally, wagering requirements specify how many times you need to play through a certain bonus amount before you are able to cash out your winnings.
- 300% first deposit bonus of up to NGN145,600
- eSports Era: Place a risk-free bet
- 100% Cashback
- 100% bonus of up to NGN105,000
- 5x wagering requirements
- Bet9ja Fantasy Premier League: Compete for monthly prizes of NGN350,000
- Super9ja: predict 6 correct scores and win NGN10,000,000
What are the Alternatives for System Betting?
Just because we are huge fans of system bets doesn’t mean that you don’t have several alternatives at your disposal. The sports betting world has expanded drastically in recent years, so more and more betting types are at your disposal, but here, we will only list our favourites.
First off, we cannot forget about accumulator bets. They are the sheer contrast to system bets, but they are hugely popular in Nigeria due to their high payout potential. This is a bet that sees you combine bets from several games into one betslip to create one payout. You need to have all predictions correctly to secure a win.
Secondly, single bets are also common, especially among high-rollers. As the name would suggest, a single bet will see you wager on one event. Depending on the odds and your wager, your potential payout can vary.
Finally, we have to mention bet builders as relatively new entries into the sports betting world. With it, you can build your own accumulator from one game and a variety of markets. As an example, you can wager on Barcelona to win a game, more than 3 yellow cards to be given, over 4 corners, and for Gavi to score the first goal.
FAQ: System Bets
Placing a system bet is a simple process. All you need to do is to choose your selections and decide how many of those you think will be correct. As an example, you can have 3 games in your betslip, but back at least 2 to be correct.
Yes, you can include as many selections as you wish in your betslip, but the nature itself of system bets stipulates that you need to specify the minimum number of correct predictions.
Yes, the most reliable bookies in Nigeria allow you to utilize the cash-out function. The amount that is offered depends on your betslip and its odds, of course.
All world-class operators in Nigeria have mobile-friendly websites or apps that allow you to place wagers on your smartphone from any place and any location.
Even though there is nothing wrong with being confident, you cannot expect all your bets to be successful. That is the nature of sports betting in general – sometimes you win, other times you end up on the losing side.
Responsible Gambling
Gambling responsibly is the golden rule of sports betting, regardless of how big your wallet is. If you are to make sure sports betting remains just a popular pastime activity and nothing more, you need to make sure to gamble within your limits.
Gambling addiction can be a very serious problem, so always prepare a budget that you will use for system bets and never step out of it!
Recap of System Bets
All in all, we can say that there is plenty to look forward to when it comes to system bets. This system has tons of advantages and arguably implements the most sought-after factor in sports betting – the margin for error.
You don’t need to have all your bets correct, system bets allow you to make a mistake, and it is easy to see why Nigerians are falling in love with it.
Now that you are armed with this knowledge, you can feel free to test out this system and hopefully, it will generate nice returns! Just make sure to understand the basics of system betting, do your research on games and gamble responsibly – the rest is out of your control!