There are 3 things that almost always happen in a football game:

• Goals
• Corners
• Cards

In this article, we will teach you how to bet on the card market.

In this article, we will show you the best betting sites for betting on cards and give you some good tips for doing well in this type of bet.

Sites to bet on the card market

Good card betting sites must always have:

These points are essential for bettors to try to ensure good winnings.

If your focus is really on betting on cards, the following bookmakers are some of the most recommended:

How does the card market work?

Betting on the occurrence of cards is quite normal. This moment is part of the show!

Despite being a punitive resource, it has become common in football, gaining popularity in sports betting.

But how can you take advantage of this when betting on football? See below 4 ways to bet on cards!

1. Over/Under yellow cards for each rime

The objective of this market is to bet on whether the number of cards for one side will be above or below “x” value.

Let’s take the clash between England and Belgium as an example.

The odds offered for both Over are lower, which indicates a tight game. The possibility of having several cards is high.

Also learn : how to use Over/Under in goals !

2. Total cards in the entire match

The total cards in the entire match works similarly to an Over/Under.

In the same match between England and Belgium you can bet on whether the total number of cards will be over or under 3 .

If you bet on the Over, your bet will win if there are at least 4 counting both teams.

The odds are very even. The difference between them is 0!

3. Red card

A good way to bet on cards is whether or not an expulsion occurs during the game.

The red card in this case can be direct or as a consequence of 2 yellows.

There are 3 main types of bets involving red cards:

• Whether there will be a red card in the match;
• If both teams will have players sent off;
• If only one side will have a player sent off.

In the match between Spain and Switzerland we found that the odds of a card NOT occurring are lower.

The bookmaker believes that there is a greater chance that no one will be sent off during the entire match.

Typically, you will find that for most events, websites calculate that there is less chance of a red card being shown.

But make no mistake! A smart bettor makes a deeper analysis of each event.

This market, by the way, is great for finding value bets , especially if you know there is a more “hot-headed” player on the field.

4. Single player card

If you want a dynamic, high-risk card market, bet on a certain player to receive a card.

This bet is challenging and requires a lot of study of the event. It is necessary to know the behavior of the teams and their players.

5. Asian Handicap Yellow Cards

The yellow card handicap is a market that is very popular with bettors. Especially the Asian handicap! It is one of the simplest, although it is not very common in bookmakers.

In this market, you will bet that a certain team will start with more or fewer cards in the match.

It is worth it in matches where one side is more likely to be booked. You can set a Handicap indicating that, fictitiously, this team starts with -2.0 cards, for example.

If they have at least 3 yellow cards in the entire game, you win the bet!

Other less common card markets are:

• The exact minute of the first card in the game;
• First player on a team to receive a card.

10 tips for making money with cards

As we saw above, there are some good options for those who want to bet on card markets. To place bets on the World Cup , for example, it can be interesting to diversify your predictions and increase your profits.

It’s a matter of finding the right opportunity.

Regardless of which option you choose, it is important to have some strategies in mind. Knowing the markets is not enough.

In this sense, we list and explain below 10 essential attitudes for bettors who want to profit from this type of bet.

1. Analyze the match referee

The referee is the reference figure when it comes to issuing yellow cards or sending them off. Therefore, your first step is to get to know the match referee.

He will certainly be influenced by the behavior of the teams. Still, each referee has his own style of refereeing.

Therefore, as soon as you choose an event to bet on cards, find out who will referee the match.

Check the professional’s stats. Does he hand out a lot of yellow cards? Are there any red cards in his matches?

More than that, try to figure out what minute of the match he usually gives the first card. There are referees who yellow card you straight away.

Even if all referees receive the same instructions, each one will always whistle in a very particular way.

2. View team card history

This attitude is fundamental. But go further: don’t just look at the teams, but also at the leagues.

On the website The Stats Don’t Lie you have access to the football leagues with the highest and lowest average number of cards per game.

This allows you to filter which competitions are most worth betting on.

After that, go to My Results . There you can see the data for each team in a competition.

This way you will have access to your card averages since the start of the season.

NOTE: in addition to My Results, see other apps for bettors .

3. Pay attention to that key player

We can all list at least 1 or 2 of the most inconsequential players on the pitch:

• Pepe;
• Felipe Melo;
• D’alessandro;
• Neymar;
• Sergio Ramos.

Regardless of each one’s reasons, it is a fact that these are players targeted by the referees . They complain, hit or simulate too much.

These are your main targets if you are going to bet on cards occurring for a specific player.

Neymar , for example. In 2010 he received 22 yellow cards and 1 red card while playing for Santos. In 2016/2017 he broke the record for yellow cards for Barça.

4. Use the classics to your advantage

We mentioned D’alessandro above. The Argentine, a former Internacional player, was combative and stressed. Especially in classics.

In every Grenal, it was expected that he would receive a yellow card. He dedicated himself a lot to each ball and always complained to the referees.

Classics and their actors are great opportunities to bet on cards. These are games where the atmosphere always heats up.

It makes things even easier if you try to choose matches where there are players with a history of yellow or red cards.

5. Place live bets

Even with the 4 tips above it can be quite difficult to predict good chances of winning in the card markets.

To make your life easier, opt for predictions made during matches. Live bets are better for finding good odds .

This is when we are talking about more dynamic bets than normal. And the cards depend a lot on the pace of each game.

Therefore, in addition to knowing the events well, analyzing the refereeing and knowing the statistics, learn to read the pace of the game.

This attitude will allow you to find value bets in markets such as the first and last cards of the game.

6. Be aware of the type of competition

The structure of a competition is very important when betting on cards in Football.

Tournaments like the Libertadores and Champions League always reach the knockout stage.

At this stage, it’s almost “life or death” for the teams. The games get more intense and the players’ nerves are on edge.

Furthermore, there is always a player willing to be sent off to prevent his team from losing the match. Something extreme, but quite common!

7. See who goes to the game with a yellow card

This tip is even more important in knockout games. A player who is already on a yellow card is one of the most targeted by everyone.

But why?

Let’s say that in the match between River and Boca in the round of 16 of the Libertadores, one of the River players is on a yellow card.

If you get another card in this match, you won’t play in the next one. The opposing players know this and so does the referee.

Therefore, it may be that in an opponent’s counterattack this particular player will not take as many risks in stopping the opponent.

After all, he may not want to harm himself by being left out of the next meeting.

Thinking about this, as well as the previous tip, is important. This increases the tension of the match from the beginning.

And sometimes a tense atmosphere is enough to make the referee want to hand out yellow cards to control the game.

8. Meet the team captains

The captain is that cerebral player. He commands the emotions and behavior of the team on the field.

It’s no wonder that Neymar is rarely captain of the Brazilian national team . He is a volatile and explosive player.

D’alessandro, at Internacional, is captain precisely because he is explosive. He demands a lot, fights and moves the team.

Knowing who wears the armband makes a difference in the card market.

Players who tend to calm the team down tend to avoid cards for complaining.

Those who are more incisive may not only get yellow cards themselves but also encourage others to behave in a similar way.

9. Look at the goalkeepers

You may have noticed that goalkeepers from small teams tend to stand out a lot. Even more so against big teams.

The defensive system is not capable of playing against powerful attacks. The goalkeeper is left to try to avoid routs.

Sometimes, in this attempt, it is inevitable that the goalkeeper will commit a penalty. Depending on the intensity, it is not even a yellow card: it is an expulsion!

At the same time, goalkeepers from big teams can mess up the game. They delay the ball from coming out, feign injury…

When it’s a classic, then, my friend, this is even more common. The fans put pressure on and the referee ends up giving the player a yellow card.

Here is another good opportunity for you to bet with good chances of return!

10. Know the personality of the technicians

Finally, let’s talk about the coaches. They are key figures in matches. And often not in a good way.

Take, for example, coaches like Mourinho, Vanderlei Luxemburgo and Felipão. All three have explosive temperaments.

They tend to fight A LOT with opposing players, coaches and their own players.

Whether we like it or not, this causes instability on the lawn.

Being charged by your “professor” can leave a player with blood in his eyes in a dispute for the ball. And then comes the card.

The coach can encourage the team to put more pressure on the referee. More reason to yellow card or send off.

Paying attention to this is important. Coaches who are too “excited” can destabilize players and referees on the field.

Conclusion

One of the biggest advantages of betting on a card market is knowing that in most matches there is at least one yellow card.

Combine this with the careful selection of events. Classics and competitive matches are usually real gold mines!

Another important point is to focus on in-play betting . Football is dynamic, and feeling the heat of the game will give you more opportunities.

Don’t take things for granted. Defensive players get more cards, but so do very “animated” attackers.

Goalkeepers from much smaller teams can commit penalties. Incidentally, penalties and fouls are related to cards.

In this sense, it is worth analyzing whether a given team has high rates of penalties or fouls called against it.

The important thing, in the end, is to study the market . Compare the odds of the same events between bookmakers before placing a bet.