BTTS stands for both teams to score. The bet is simple, but the price and the match both need a closer look. Here is how it works and what to check first.
BTTS means "both teams to score". It is a football betting market where you do not bet on who wins, only on whether each side finds the net at least once. The result of the match and the number of goals do not matter, as long as both teams are on the scoreboard.
How the bet is settled
There are two selections:
- BTTS Yes wins if the home team and the away team both score at least one goal.
- BTTS No wins if at least one team fails to score. A 0-0 draw and a 1-0 win both land on No.
A few examples of final scores:
- 2-1 or 1-1: both teams scored, so Yes wins.
- 3-0 or 0-1: one team did not score, so No wins.
- 0-0: nobody scored, so No wins.
- 4-4: both teams scored, so Yes wins. The number of goals is irrelevant.
The bet is graded on the 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Extra time and penalty shoot-outs do not count in most markets, so check the rules of the bookmaker you use for cup ties. If a match is abandoned, the bet is normally void. How an own goal is credited can differ between bookmakers, so read their rules if it matters. On our results page we grade a BTTS tip from the final score line.
Reading the price
BTTS prices are usually quoted in decimal. A price of 1.80 on Yes means a 10 stake returns 18 if it wins: 8 profit plus your stake back. To see what chance the price implies, divide 1 by the price: 1 / 1.80 is about 55.6%. To make money in the long run on that price, Yes has to happen more often than 55.6% of the time, which is what we mean by "value". Our guide to implied probability and value goes through the arithmetic, and the one on odds formats covers the other ways a price can be written.
What to check before backing Yes
- Goals scored by each side. A team that has failed to score in several of its recent matches is a risk for Yes, even if the other side leaks goals.
- Goals conceded. Weak defences make both halves of the bet more likely. Look at the home record of the home team and the away record of the visitors, not only the season totals.
- Absences. A missing striker or first-choice goalkeeper can change a match. Check line-ups close to kick-off, as our match pages show them when they are published.
- Style and stakes. Two open, attacking teams tend to produce Yes. A cautious side that needs only a point, or a cup tie where neither wants to lose, often leans to No.
- Head to head, with care. Past meetings can show a pattern, but squads and managers change. See how to use form and head to head.
When No is the better side
BTTS No is not just the opposite of Yes. It covers 0-0 draws and every match where one team keeps a clean sheet or fails to score, which includes most comfortable one-sided wins. A strong favourite at home against a team with little attack is the classic case: the favourite will probably score, so the question is whether the underdog does.
Combining BTTS with other markets
Bookmakers also sell BTTS together with the result (for example "home win and BTTS Yes") or with the goals total (for example "BTTS Yes and over 2.5"). These combinations pay more because there are more ways to lose. Treat them as separate bets with their own price, not as a small upgrade to a BTTS pick. The basics of the totals line are in our guide to over 2.5 goals.
BTTS tips on GoalWhiz
Every BTTS tip we publish is time-stamped before kick-off and graded from the final score. You can follow today's selections on our both teams to score tips page, and check how that market has actually performed on the results page. For the other markets we cover, see football betting markets explained.
18+ only. Betting can be addictive: never stake money you cannot afford to lose. Read our responsible gambling page.