Sports betting is not just about who will win and who will lose a particular event. In fact, the outcome ⚾️ of the overall event is completely irrelevant when wagering on many proposition bets such as the yellow and red cards/total ⚾️ bookings markets.
Wagering on yellow and red cards might not seem like an obvious bet choice to new punters, but it ⚾️ is a very popular market amongst more seasoned bettors. This is because the statistics are easy to research, and rules ⚾️ are straightforward.
This gives the bettor more of a sense that they are making an informed decision based on data rather ⚾️ than just going on gut instinct. Of all the stats-friendly markets, betting on cards is one of the easiest for ⚾️ punters to quickly get up to speed on.
Those looking to become knowledgeable about a particular market can easily find stats ⚾️ or keep their own records of cards issued in their league of choice, or even across multiple leagues. By delving ⚾️ deep into these niche markets, it can sometimes be easier to find high-value bets.
So let’s take a closer look at ⚾️ the choices available in the bookings market.
First Bookings
There are several ways in which you can bet on yellow and red ⚾️ cards. The first, and most simple, way is to bet on which team will receive the first booking in the ⚾️ match.
The odds for each team to be booked first are usually quite close to EVENS in this market, while the ⚾️ odds for no booking at all are typically quite high, often as much as 16/1 such is the rarity of ⚾️ this occurrence. You can find all betting odds explained in our handy guide.
A much harder bet to predict is which ⚾️ player will be booked first, but there are plenty of hot-headed characters out there who attract action in this market.
This ⚾️ bet can also be attractive if there is a big derby game involving a player with a feisty reputation. In ⚾️ such a situation, the next bet types could also come into play.
Team To Have A Player Sent Off
Bettors who feel ⚾️ that a particular game might get a bit heated could be tempted to delve into this market. Just predict if ⚾️ a team will have a player sent off at any point in the encounter.
The price you are offered could be ⚾️ affected by many factors such as the team’s reputation, their previous dismissal record and which team they are facing.
A Specific ⚾️ Player To Be Sent Off
Much like the previous bet but you must name the player who you think is going ⚾️ to see red. Certain players are more likely to get sent off than others and certain games can produce more ⚾️ reds than others.
Identifying the teams, players and head-to-head encounters that are more likely to draw a dismissal is the key ⚾️ to finding value in this market.
Of the players still active in the game, Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos holds the record ⚾️ for the highest number of red cards received with a total of 23 accumulated over a 16 year period.
But remarkably, ⚾️ he has never been sent off while playing for the Spanish national team despite making 149 appearances.
Having said that, Ramos ⚾️ still has a long way to go to match the record of 46 red cards picked up by retired Colombian ⚾️ defensive midfielder Gerardo Bedoya.
The hot-headed former Millonarios and Santa Fe man was once suspended for 15 matches for violent conduct ⚾️ following an incident in the Bogota derby.
Total Booking Points
This market is appealing to regular punters because there is no requirement ⚾️ to predict the exact player or team to which the cards will be issued.
Wagers are simply placed according to the ⚾️ overall number of booking points that will be accumulated in the game.
To bet in this market you need to understand ⚾️ the booking points system. All bookmakers use a points system to allocate values to the cards.
For example, at 888sport, the ⚾️ following point are allocated bookings:
Yellow card = 10 points
Red card = 25 points
Two yellow cards leading to a red = ⚾️ 35 points
This makes it easy for bettors to understand and allows markets to be set at certain benchmarks. Here are ⚾️ a few bets that you may be offered in this market:
Over 3.5 booking points
Under 3.5 booking points
Home team Under 1.5 ⚾️ booking points
Home team Over 1.5 booking points
Home team Under 1.5 booking points
Home team Over 1.5 booking points
So, for the Premier ⚾️ League match between Arsenal and Newcastle in December, 888sport were offering 5/4 for under 3.5 cards and 11/20 for over ⚾️ 3.5 cards.
However, Arsenal were 6/4 to receive over 1.5 points, while Newcastle were 1/2 in the same market, suggesting that ⚾️ visitors were expected to take up more space in the referee's book.
Handicap Cards Betting
Handicap betting on cards works the same ⚾️ as in any other soccer handicap market. The bookmaker will give one side an advantage or head start over the ⚾️ other in order to balance any perceived bias between the two.
A team with a -1 handicap would have to receive ⚾️ one booking point just to draw level with the other team who would start with a +1 handicap. If the ⚾️ first team received two more booking points than the second, the handicap bet would win.
But if they received the same ⚾️ or fewer points, the second team would win. If the first team received one more point, the points would be ⚾️ equal when the handicap is applied resulting in a push result and stakes would be returned.
The push scenario can be ⚾️ avoided with fractional handicaps. So, one team might have a -0.5 handicap and the other a +0.5. In this situation, ⚾️ a push is not possible as one team would always have the edge over the other.
For example, if the first ⚾️ team (-0.5) gets one more card than the second team (+0.5) they would have a half point advantage and would ⚾️ the bet would. But if they have the same or fewer points, they would lose once the handicap is applied.
Crunching ⚾️ The Numbers
You can look at stats to help you make a decision. For example, with 18 games played this season, ⚾️ all of Brighton and Hove Albion’s away matches had produced 3.5 booking points or less, while 77.8% of West Ham’s ⚾️ away games had produced that number or higher.
It is also worth noting that some match referees tend to give out ⚾️ more yellow cards per game than others, while some hand out fewer yellows but are more likely to show red.
These ⚾️ kind of discrepancies can be used to help you make your final decision. So it is important to check which ⚾️ man in black will be taking charge of a game before placing any bets.
By looking at all the numbers and ⚾️ also considering other factors such as card-happy referees, derby matches etc. sharp punters can make accurate estimations about the total ⚾️ number of booking points in a game.
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
