A Beginner’s Guide to Bandy Betting

An Introduction to Bandy  

To the uninitiated, bandy looks a lot like ice hockey, it is played on ice with sticks. However, that is basically where the similarities end. The game is actually closer to football in its rules.  

It takes place on an ice rink that is the size of a football pitch with two teams of 11 players each and two 45-minute halves. Furthermore, it is played with a small plastic ball rather than with a puck. Just as with football, only the goalkeeper may touch the ball with their hands or arms, and this can only be done in the penalty area in front of the goal. 

The way that substitutions work is closer to ice hockey. They can take place at any point during a match and there is no need to inform the referee. The only stipulation is that the substitute may not enter the field before the out-going player has left, otherwise a five-minute ban may be imposed on the player.  

There are also some different rules in regards to warnings and penalties. Players receive a ten-minute penalty if they are shown a blue card for misbehaving, blocking the ball, or violently attacking a player. If a player is penalised three times then they are sent off for the rest of that match and they can only be replaced by a substitute after 5-10 minutes. It is also possible to be shown a red card for abusive language or directly attacking an opponent, and this results in a full game penalty. 

Penalty shots are awarded if one of four things happens in a team’s penalty area: a player violently attacks an opponent or holds/hooks an opponent, hitting, blocking or kicking an opponent’s stick, blocking a goal situation with a lifted skate, thrown glove, stick or helmet, and finally, for throwing oneself down on the ice or kneeling down to stop the ball or an opponent.  

There are a number of Bandy leagues across the world that fans enjoy betting on and the Swedish Elitserien is generally considered the best of them. In addition, there are a number of major tournaments such as the annual World Championship and the annual World Cup, both of which provide plenty of betting opportunities.  

Bandy Betting Markets 

When you first go to bet on Bandy, you may be slightly overwhelmed by the huge number of betting markets available. You can bet on many different aspects of a match, league or tournament, and you can use these markets to build a betting strategy. To help you get started, here is a quick explanation of the most popular types of bets.  

Match Winner 

No matter what sport you are betting on, this is always the easiest bet to place and the most popular. As the name suggests, you simply bet on which of the teams you think will win, or on a draw. As long as your chosen team wins, then you win your bet.  

Handicap Betting 

If you are placing a match winner bet, you will notice that the odds on the favourite are normally quite short. Because of this, you will need to risk a lot of money to be in with the chance of winning a significant amount when backing the favourite. This is why handicap betting was introduced. It allows for longer odds on the favourite, which makes the bet more attractive.  

As the name suggests, handicap betting gives the favourite team a handicap that they need to overcome. For example, you may see Team A -7.5 Goals, Team B +7.5 goals. This means that if you back Team A, then you will win your bet as long as they are still the winners once 7.5 goals have been subtracted from their total. If you back Team B, then you win the bet as long as they win after 7.5 goals have been added to their total. The half goals are used to eliminate the possibility of a draw.  

Over/Under Bets 

This is a type of bet that is often available on a number of different aspects of a match. Most often you will find it offered on the total number of goals scored between both teams. For example, you may see Over/Under 8.5 Goals. If you think that the total number of goals in the match will be 8 or less then you bet Under while if you think the total number will be 9 or more then you bet Over. A common variant is Total Goals Team A/B, which is a bet on the total number of goals scored by one of the two teams. You may also find markets such as Total Goals 1st/2nd Half, which is on the total number of goals scored in one of the halves. Occasionally you may find other markets such as Total Penalties or Total Fouls. Regardless of what the bet relates to, the markets work in the same way.  

Correct Score 

This is a bet on an exact score for the match. There will be a number of options to choose from, such as 6-4, and you just pick the one that you want to bet on. As it is a hard thing to predict, the odds will often be very generous.  

Half-Time/Full-Time 

When offered, this market offers some interesting opportunities. It requires you to pick which team will be leading at half time and which will win. As such, it requires you to analyse how you think a team will perform over the course of a match. For instance, you could bet on ‘Lose-Win’ for the home team, meaning you think that they will be behind at half time but then come back to win the match.  

Outrights 

These are markets that are on a tournament or league rather than an individual match. For instance, you can bet on which team will win the league or tournament. You may also find player proposition bets, such as markets on which player will score the most goals over the course of the season. The markets will differ slightly for every league and tournament so they are always work checking. Furthermore, if you back a team that is considered weak early in the season, then you may find some very generous odds.  

In-Play 

If you are looking for a way to make watching Bandy even more exciting then in-play betting is the answer. It allows you to bet on a match as it is taking place. You will find many of the betting markets described above and the odds will be updated in real time to reflect what is happening on the rink. Furthermore, there are often special bets such as next player or team to score, or next to foul, so by keeping a close eye on the action, you may spot some fantastic opportunities.  

What to Consider When Betting on Bandy  

No matter what sport you are betting on, the key is to do as much research as possible. While you can never be sure of winning your bet, the more information you take into account when placing a bet, the better your chances of winning it.  

Most of the research that you should do is self-explanatory. You should start by looking at the two teams taking part in a match. Take a look at some of their recent results to get a sense of what kind of form they are in. Be sure to also take note of their home and away records, as this can have a big influence on a match. You also need to consider the individual players; are any players injured or missing for any other reason? If a star player is missing then it can have a big knock on effect.  

Other things to consider include the teams’ schedules (if they have been playing and travelling a lot then they may be tired), and what kind of pressure they may be under. For instance, if a team is more desperate for points, then it may give them the edge they need. 

Of course, you should also be watching as much Bandy as possible. This way you will get a sense for the different teams and the players. You can then use all of this knowledge to make decisions regarding the betting markets described above, and with a bit of luck, you will soon be enjoying your first winnings from Bandy betting.