This sub-article belongs to the Betfair football trading pillar. Compared with Match Odds or Over/Under, the BTTS market has a sharper binary outcome — there is no middle ground. The simplicity makes it ideal for new traders and for combination plays with Lay-the-Draw. Read the pillar for the strategy overview; this page covers BTTS specifically.
What BTTS actually settles on
BTTS = "Both Teams to Score". Yes wins if each team scores at least one goal in regulation time. No wins if either team fails to score. The settlement is on 90 minutes plus stoppage time only — extra time and penalties do not affect settlement. Own goals count for the team credited with the goal in official records (i.e. the team that benefits). Read Betfair rules for the edge cases.
Crucially, BTTS does not care about scoreline. 1-1, 2-1, 3-3 and 1-4 all settle Yes. 0-0, 1-0 and 4-0 all settle No. This is what makes BTTS easier to read than Correct Score — fewer scenarios to track in-play.
Pre-match BTTS prices and what they imply
Average BTTS-Yes price for top-five-league fixtures is 1.75–1.95, implying ~55% probability. BTTS-No correspondingly trades 1.95–2.30, implying ~45%. Over-rounds vary by liquidity; in deep EPL Match Odds-equivalent BTTS markets the over-round is 102–104%.
Pre-match BTTS prices move on the same catalysts as Over/Under 2.5: confirmed attacking lineups, weather, defensive injuries, and recreational sentiment. They do not move much on Match Odds news (a striker missing for the favourite shortens BTTS-No only marginally, because the favourite is still likely to win 1-0).
Read Over/Under goals trading for the broader goal-market mechanics.
Trading BTTS-Yes
Two distinct strategies use BTTS-Yes.
Strategy A — Pre-match high-xG backing
Identify fixtures with combined xG over 3.0, both teams creating chances regularly, no defensive injury list. Back BTTS-Yes pre-match at 1.70–1.85. Hedge when first goal lands and BTTS-Yes price shortens. Typical mechanic: back at 1.80 with £100; first goal arrives at 25 mins; BTTS-Yes shortens to 1.40; lay £128.57 to lock equal profit.
Strategy B — In-play after the first goal
Wait for first goal. Then assess whether second goal looks likely (attacking patterns, both teams pressing for next). Back BTTS-Yes at the new shorter price (e.g. 1.40 after 1-0 at 30 mins). Hedge when second goal lands (BTTS-Yes goes to 1.01) or close at small loss if no second goal by 75 mins.
Trading BTTS-No
Two distinct strategies use BTTS-No.
Strategy C — Pre-match defensive-fixture backing
Defensive coaches, both teams structurally low-scoring, weather adversity. Back BTTS-No at 2.00–2.30 pre-match. Hedge as the price decays in-play. Similar to the 0-0 trade but with a softer downside — see trading 0-0 draws.
Strategy D — Lay-the-Goal late hedge
Back BTTS-No pre-match. If no goal arrives by 60 mins, partial hedge. If first goal arrives but heavily favours the leading team (a 2-0 lead at 70 mins), BTTS-No can still pay if the trailing team fails to score. Trade requires steady nerves.
In-play BTTS decay curves
The most important pattern for BTTS traders is the decay curve. Memorise these typical price levels.
Kick-off: BTTS-Yes 1.80, BTTS-No 2.10.
30 mins, 0-0: BTTS-Yes 2.20, BTTS-No 1.75.
45 mins, 0-0: BTTS-Yes 2.80, BTTS-No 1.45.
60 mins, 0-0: BTTS-Yes 3.60, BTTS-No 1.30.
75 mins, 0-0: BTTS-Yes 5.40, BTTS-No 1.18.
Kick-off, 1-0 at 20 mins: BTTS-Yes drops to 1.50, BTTS-No drifts to 2.65.
1-0 at 60 mins, no second goal: BTTS-Yes 2.40, BTTS-No 1.65.
1-0 at 80 mins: BTTS-Yes 4.20, BTTS-No 1.30.
The pattern: after the first goal, BTTS prices reflect the probability of the team that hasn't scored finding a goal in the remaining time. Late 1-0 leads heavily favour BTTS-No.
Worked trades
Match: Brentford v Tottenham, EPL, Saturday 15:00. Combined xG 3.2, both teams attacking, no key absentees.
Pre-match BTTS-Yes: 1.78.
Step 1 (kick-off): Back £100 of BTTS-Yes at 1.78. Stake £100, max profit £78.
Step 2 (28 mins, Brentford 1-0): BTTS-Yes shortens to 1.42.
Step 3 (hedge): Lay £125.35 of BTTS-Yes at 1.42. Locks £25.35 across all outcomes.
Net P&L: £25.35 less 5% commission ~£1.27. Profit £24.08 on £100 stake — 24% return.
Match: Atlético Madrid v Sevilla, La Liga, Sunday 21:00. Both defensive, combined xG 1.8, no full-strength attackers.
Pre-match BTTS-No: 2.10.
Step 1: Back £100 of BTTS-No at 2.10.
Step 2 (50 mins, Atlético 1-0): BTTS-No at 1.70. Sevilla creates only one half-chance.
Step 3 (partial hedge): Lay £58.82 of BTTS-No at 1.70. Locks £41.18 across all outcomes.
Net P&L: £41.18 less commission ~£2.06. Profit £39.12 on £100 stake — 39% return.
Match: Aston Villa v Newcastle, EPL. 1-0 to Villa at 22 mins.
BTTS-Yes after first goal: 1.55. Newcastle creates chances, market expects equaliser.
Step 1 (22 min): Back £100 of BTTS-Yes at 1.55.
Step 2 (58 mins, 1-1): BTTS-Yes settles, lays at 1.01.
Step 3: Trade settles for full profit. Net £55 less commission ~£2.75. Profit £52.25 on £100 stake — 52%.
Combining BTTS with Lay-the-Draw
BTTS-Yes and Lay-the-Draw are highly correlated trades. Both pay when goals come. Many traders combine them on the same fixture as a portfolio play.
The standard combination: lay the Draw at 3.50 with £100 (liability £250), back BTTS-Yes at 1.80 with £100 (stake £100). Two correlated positive trades — if a goal arrives, both move in your favour simultaneously.
The downside: correlated risk. If the match stays 0-0, you lose both. The combined position has higher variance than either trade alone. Read Lay the Draw complete guide for the headline strategy and treat BTTS as the amplifier.
League and team filters
League-level BTTS rates vary materially. Use these as starting filters.
Bundesliga — highest BTTS rate of the major leagues (~62%). Attacking football, fewer 1-0 finishes. BTTS-Yes pre-match value is occasional but in-play decay trades reliable.
Premier League — 56% BTTS rate. Mid-range. Both BTTS-Yes and BTTS-No work depending on fixture.
La Liga — 54% BTTS rate. Mid-range with seasonal variance.
Serie A — 50% BTTS rate. Lower-scoring on average; BTTS-No has a slight pre-match value bias.
Ligue 1 — 48% BTTS rate. The lowest BTTS rate of the major leagues. BTTS-No is the structural lean.
Team-level patterns
Some teams score frequently but concede rarely — BTTS-No leans (Atlético Madrid, Inter, Bayer Leverkusen under defensive setups). Some teams score and concede freely — BTTS-Yes leans (Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund, Brighton). Track current season form rather than reputation; patterns shift season to season.
Seasonal BTTS patterns
BTTS rates shift across the football season in ways most traders ignore. Knowing the pattern lets you tilt entries seasonally rather than treating every fixture as a fresh statistical event.
Pre-season and August opening rounds. Higher BTTS rates than season average (~62%). Defensive systems not yet bedded in, fitness uneven, attacking lines firing. BTTS-Yes has a slight pre-match value bias for the first three rounds.
September to November. Settle to season-typical rates (~55%). Pricing efficient. Trade on fixture-specific filters rather than seasonal lean.
December festive period. Slight uptick in BTTS rates (~58%) due to fixture congestion and tired defensive lines. Three-fixtures-a-week clubs concede more than they normally would.
January and February. Cup distractions and squad rotation produce mixed effects. BTTS rates close to season average. Trade carefully — rotation patterns can confuse normal fixture reads.
March and April. Title races and relegation battles produce more cautious football. BTTS rates dip slightly (~52%). BTTS-No has a small structural lean in high-stakes fixtures.
Final weeks of the season. Open football from teams with nothing to play for produces BTTS-Yes spikes. Backing BTTS-Yes on "dead rubber" fixtures works reliably.
Read the Betfair seasonal trading calendar for the broader pattern view.
Cup-tie BTTS specifics
FA Cup, EFL Cup, Champions League and Europa League knockout ties produce systematically lower BTTS rates than league fixtures. The cup mentality favours defensive caution, particularly in first legs of two-leg ties. Typical cup BTTS rates: 48–52% versus 55–58% league rates.
Important: BTTS settles on 90 minutes plus stoppage time. A 0-0 in regulation that finishes 2-2 after extra time still settles BTTS-No. Always check the market rules before opening a cup-tie BTTS position — see Betfair rules — match settled, abandoned, void.
Common BTTS mistakes
1. Treating BTTS like Over/Under 2.5. Similar but not the same. 2-0 wins Over 2.5 (with overtime in some markets) but loses BTTS-Yes. Read the market name carefully.
2. Holding BTTS-No into the 85th minute on a 1-0 match. Late equalisers happen in 12–15% of 1-0 matches at 80 minutes. Partial-hedge by 75 minutes.
3. Ignoring set-pieces. Set-piece-heavy teams produce BTTS-Yes outcomes from corners and free kicks even when open-play xG is low. Check set-piece data.
4. Backing BTTS-Yes on cup ties with extra time. Settlement is on 90 minutes plus stoppage time. A 0-0 in 90 minutes settles BTTS-No regardless of extra-time goals.
5. Stacking BTTS-Yes across the same matchday. If your thesis is "weekend will be high-scoring", that is one bet on weather and pace, not five independent trades.
BTTS is the cleanest binary market in football trading. Pair it with Lay-the-Draw on attacking fixtures, or use it standalone on defensive fixtures. The simpler the setup, the easier the discipline.
Trading Calculator Open Betfair Account →FAQ
Is BTTS easier than Lay-the-Draw?
Simpler outcome. Yes/No only. Lay-the-Draw involves any scoreline including 1-0, 2-0 etc. BTTS-Yes is more forgiving in setup (any goal scored by either team), Lay-the-Draw is more rewarding when goals come fast.
What is the typical BTTS-Yes pre-match price?
1.70–1.95 for top-five-league fixtures. Lower (1.50–1.70) for known high-scoring fixtures. Higher (2.00+) for defensive matchups.
Can I trade BTTS on the Betfair website?
Yes — the market is well-supported. But software (Bet Angel, Geeks Toy) makes the in-play hedge timing faster and more reliable.
Does BTTS settle on extra-time goals in cup matches?
No. 90 minutes plus stoppage time only. Always check the market rules before opening a position on a knockout fixture.
How much capital do I need for BTTS trading?
£200–£400. BTTS stakes are typically smaller than Lay-the-Draw liabilities. How much money to start with covers the maths.
BTTS-No held to full time on a 1-0 match exposes you to a single late goal collapsing the trade. Partial-hedge by 75 minutes is mandatory. BTTS-Yes held to full time on a 0-0 match loses the full stake. Both directions have binary downside without disciplined exits. Gambling involves risk and you can lose money. If gambling is causing distress, contact BeGambleAware.org.