Both teams to score in betting
A bet on whether both sides find the net. It settles Yes if each team scores at least once, and No if either fails to score.
What both teams to score means
A bet on whether both sides find the net. It settles Yes if each team scores at least once, and No if either fails to score.
How it works
BTTS ignores the result entirely, which is why it survives red cards, late equalisers and shock scorelines that would kill a match-odds bet. Pricing keys off two things: each team's scoring rate and each defence's clean-sheet rate. A fixture between two open, mid-table sides that both concede regularly is the classic Yes profile; a defensive favourite hosting a toothless bottom side is the classic No.
P(BTTS Yes) ≈ P(home scores) x P(away scores), adjusted for match state and correlation.
A worked example
Team A scores in 78% of matches, Team B in 61%. If you treat those as roughly independent, BTTS Yes is 0.78 x 0.61 = 47.6%, fair price 2.10. If the market is 1.85 (54%), it is charging well above the raw estimate and No may be the better side — assuming your base rates are sound and the sample is recent.
Why it changes your returns
It is one of the few popular markets where simple, publicly available base rates get you close to a fair price. That makes it a good training ground for probability discipline.
Both teams to score for Nigerian bettors
BTTS is a staple of Nigerian betslips and jackpot coupons. NPFL matches have historically lower scoring and heavy home advantage, so importing Premier League BTTS instincts into local fixtures is a common and expensive mistake.
Common mistakes
- Using season-long averages when a team has changed manager or lost its main striker.
- Ignoring that a heavy favourite at 1.25 often kills the game and the away side never threatens.
- Treating the two scoring events as fully independent when game state clearly links them.
Questions bettors ask
Does BTTS include own goals?+
Yes — an own goal counts for the team credited with the goal at almost every operator.
Is BTTS Yes or No better long term?+
Neither by default. No tends to be underpriced in low-scoring leagues, Yes in open ones; the edge is in matching the market to the league.
Does extra time count?+
No. BTTS settles on 90 minutes plus stoppage time unless the market explicitly says otherwise.
Put it to work
Related terms
Back to the full betting glossary, or read the key betting terms guide.