Both teams to score, commonly abbreviated as BTTS, is a football market on betting sites where punters are presented with a yes-or-no choice to back both teams to score in one game or not.
It’s one of the most straightforward bets in football and isn’t dependent on the result of the match, only whether the two teams involved scored at least one goal each or not.
How the odds work
Let’s use a hypothetical match between Manchester United and Liverpool as an example.
For this match, football betting sites have priced up both teams to score at 4/9, while the no selection has odds of 11/10.
A £10 bet on both teams to score would return £14.44, a profit of £4.44. A £10 wager on both teams not to score would return £21 in total, a profit of £11.
Games featuring teams with a track record of high-scoring results tend to mean the betting odds on yes in both teams to score markets are shortened, while sides known for defensive, low-scoring games shorten the price of no.
BTTS is priced independently of the match result, so a team can win 3-0, and BTTS still settles as no.
Pairing BTTS with other markets
BTTS is commonly combined with a total goals line on betting apps, such as BTTS and over 2.5 goals, for a bigger combined price. Alternative goal lines, such as 1.5 goals, may need to be put into a bet builder with BTTS if punters want to back both, but most UK bookmakers provide a combined market for BTTS and over 2.5 goals.
The other common market to pair with BTTS is the match result. Bettors expecting a high-scoring match and a win for one side can boost the odds on those outcomes by pairing them.
Where BTTS bets catch people out
There are common traps people fall into when betting on BTTS.
Backing a yes selection solely because two teams have strong attacks can prove costly if their defensive records are also strong.
Missing players, such as a top-scoring striker or key defender, or just general rotation, can completely change the landscape of a BTTS market even if, prior to line-ups, it looked likely to land.
Check both teams' scoring and conceding trends - not just one side's attacking output - as well as their expected goals (xG), as an overperforming team can regress to their underlying numbers quite quickly.
BTTS betting - FAQs
What happens to a BTTS bet if a match is postponed or abandoned?
What happens to a BTTS bet when a game is postponed or abandoned largely depends on the bookmakers’ terms and conditions. Some will void all bets made on a game that is subsequently abandoned, including markets that have already been paid out, while some bookies will allow bets that have already won to stand.
For example, if both teams scored in the first-half of a game abandoned in the second period, a bookmaker may pay out on BTTS yes selections - but it is down to their discretion and terms & conditions.
How does BTTS differ from a straight match result bet?
Both teams to score bets are settled regardless of the final match result. A yes selection wins as long as both teams score at least once - meaning a 5-1 win still sees the selection land.
Similarly, no matter how many goals one team scores, a no selection will still land if the other side fails to score. For example, a 6-0 win would still see BTTS no land.
