Football fans will already be salivating at the prospect of the next world cup this summer in sunny South Africa. And so are spread betters.
Compare thetop 20 spread betting accounts here
That's because these days there is a huge array of ways to bet on the outcome of every game. At sportingindex.com, for example, you can place a bet on the performance of a single player.
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For example, if a player such as Wayne Rooney scores a goal, they might earn 25 points. For an assist, ten points. Forcing a corner could be worth three, as is winning a free kick and so on. Yellow cards lose them ten points and a red costs 25.
So, a broker might offer you a spread of, say, 70-75 on a particular game. If you think Rooney will have a prolific night, scoring lots of goals and setting up others, all without unleashing his famous temper, you could buy the spread at, say, £10 a point. If Rooney then amasses say 80 points during the game, you makefive points (80-75) at £5 a point, so £25. That'll at least pay for the half-time beers.
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The beauty of this type of betting is you don't need to pick the winning team, or even the leading goal scorer. A player who is on the losing side but forces lots of corners, or makes successful passes in the opposition half, will rack up points and potentially make you money. You could even place a down bet on a player you think will get the wrong side of the referee and win a yellow or red card!
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