Key Statistics For In-Play Betting Success

• September 12,2023
• -
• Oscar Holt

Key Statistics For In-Play Betting Success

Soccer - also known as football in countries outside of the US - is a sport loved by billions of people around the globe. The game’s dynamic nature and the unpredictability of its outcomes make it great to watch and bet on. Over the last few years, the availability of statistics has revolutionized how people analyze and approach soccer betting. Understanding statistics, knowing how to interpret them, and how to use them can and will provide valuable insights and help bettors make informed decisions. Today, we’ll explore some of the most important statistics that can contribute to successful in-play betting.

Per 90s

When assessing a single player’s performance, you must examine the time spent on the field. Some players are starters that play entire games, while others are substitutes that play a dozen or so minutes per game. To compare players accurately, you need to normalize their statistics per 90 minutes of soccer play. The metric will give you a fair representation of a player’s contribution, no matter how long they’ve played.

Shots

Next, you need to know the number of shots a team takes. You can’t just look at goals scored and conceded. You must scrutinize shot data to understand the attacking and defending abilities fully. By examining the volume and quality of shots, you can gain insights into the overall performance of a given team and make your betting decision more quickly.

Shooting Percentage

How effective is a player on offense? You can find that out by looking at their shooting percentage. That stat divides the number of goals by the number of shots taken. Shooting percentage is an excellent indicator of a player’s offensive skills. Of course, you need to exercise caution when looking at shooting percentage. Several factors, such as shot location, quality, and luck, can influence this statistic.

Ball Possession

You must look at ball possession to know how much control a given team has during games. Although a high ball possession percentage is usually associated with high-ranking teams, it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. Some teams play defensive styles that require less ball possession, instead focusing on counterattacks. That means you need to analyze this statistic in conjunction with other metrics to assess the quality of a given team.

Expected Goals

Expected goals or xG is a measure that assigns a value to each shot based on its likelihood of resulting in a goal. You can make better predictions about a team’s future performance by analyzing this statistic. The metric also provides a more nuanced understanding of any team’s defensive and offensive capabilities.

xGChain

The following statistic builds upon the concept of expected goals. It tracks back to the players involved in creating scoring opportunities, attributing credit to every player who participated in the offense, not just the player taking the goal-scoring shot. The metric allows you to evaluate individual players and their contributions to their team’s overall performance more comprehensively.

Closing Thoughts

Stats are a significant part of today’s in-play betting. If you want to do your homework and gain skills to win big, you must understand and learn how to analyze statistics. Use the metrics we provided wisely and consider in which context to apply.