Accumulator betting strategy

Accumulators are among the most popular bet types in football. This is because they give you a chance to win with very high odds after combining several events into one bet slip.

Nevertheless, accumulators, also known as accas or multibets, are not that easy to win. You need a proper accumulator betting strategy if you want to win consistently and enjoy good returns.

This article explains how to go about placing accumulator bets with a high rate of success. Our accumulator betting strategies are generated by betting experts who understand the game and are able to guide you on the dos and don’ts of accumulator betting.

Accumulators explained

An accumulator combines several selections into a single bet and the bet can only be successful if all the predictions in the bet slip turn out to be correct. If just one prediction turns out wrong, the whole multibet is considered as lost. Nevertheless, it is worth the risk because a successful accumulator will give you a much greater payout from the combined odds of all the predictions in the bet slip. Each event prediction in the accumulator comes with its own odds. The odds are multiplied together to generate the combined odds for the acca, which is considerably higher than any of the single events in the bet slip.

Example for a 7-fold Acca bet slip at Bet365

Suggested Bookies for an ACCA

As part of your accumulator betting strategy, you should be able to identify the right bookmakers to place accas with. Some of the leading bookmakers try to make accumulator betting more interesting with various offers and rewards. There is the acca insurance, which guarantees your stake back as a free bet in case one of the selections in your multibet lets you down. You may be required to meet certain conditions, such as minimum number of selections or minimum odds in order to qualify for the acca insurance or cash back.

Some bookmakers also offer the accumulator bonus, meaning you are rewarded with extra bonuses on top of your accumulator winnings when your acca bet is successful. The more selections you add to your accumulator, the higher the potential bonus winnings. This may be tempting to make you go for a large accumulator with many selections but remember every addition increases the risk of losing the multibet altogether. Using the right accumulator betting strategy will help you know how to balance between risk and potential rewards.

Accumulator betting strategy tips

With accumulators, you are able to risk a small amount of money in a bid to win a much larger sum. If you have a few single bet picks that you are fairly certain about, you can combine them into one bet to earn you greater returns. We recommend that you follow the tips below when betting accumulators to help you increase the chances of winning while also minimizing potential losses:

Try and stick to what you know

Avoid the temptation to populate your accumulator with all sorts of games from lower leagues or matches across the world that you know little about. These just increase your risk of losing the accumulator since you know little about the games to help you make the right predictions. Instead, keep to the leagues and competitions that you know about, such as the top European leagues. These are highly popular in Africa and across the world so there will always be lots of fresh information, match broadcasts, and expert analysis that can help you make the right decisions when picking your bets. Similarly, it is advisable to bet on classic markets such as 1X2, Over/Under, and BTTS rather than exotic betting markets that are more likely to hurt your bet slip.

Avoid high-risk bets

High risk bets come with high odds, so on paper they look like they will bring you a lot of money when you win. However, such bets are likely to ruin your acca as the probability of winning is lower. For example, Liverpool vs. Norwich City at odds of 8.50 for Norwich City win can magnify your accumulator odds considerably and present you with a huge potential payout. However, realistically, what are the possibilities of Norwich City beating Liverpool at Anfield in the league? Of course such a result is possible in football but it is rare. It is advisable to try safer options such as Liverpool Win, Double Chance 1X, or the Over/Under markets.

Example of a conservative / low risk Acca

In order not to risk too much at the start of your acca career – try out a similar and not very risky 3-fold acca

Limit the number of selections per slip

As much as the whole idea of accumulators is to combine several predictions for a bigger payout, the longer your bet slip the higher the risk of losing. Each event that you add to the bet slip will increase your combined acca odds but at the same time increase the chances of the bet slip being ruined. From my experience, having between 3 to 6 selections per acca is reasonable enough and keeps your stake safe enough while also giving good returns. There are cases of people winning big with 10-fold or even 20-fold accas but these are rare occurrences.

Take advantage of bookmaker promotions

You can increase your chances of winning greater returns by betting accas with bookmakers who have various accumulator related promotions and rewards. These include accumulator bonus, acca insurance, cash back, and boosted odds. Personally, I find the acca insurance or cash back a really attractive feature since the idea of one selection ruining my multibet is usually too painful. Getting your stake refunded in such a case gives you a chance to try again rather than lose everything altogether.

Summary

With the right accumulator betting strategy, you stand to win big and minimize your risks when you place accumulator bets. The aim is to win a large amount from a relatively small stake, but you have to be careful not to get greedy and sloppy. Just try to bet on teams and leagues that you are well familiar with, pick a reasonable number of events per slip, and keep to the classic bet types as much as possible. Choosing the right bookmaker with accumulator offers and rewards is an added advantage.

Useful links

You can read more about football betting strategies on our overview page

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