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*
