Form Betting Term Meaning

Form as a betting term has evolved considerably. In the days before internet sportsbooks, form was chiefly associated with horse and dog racing. Today, punters have access to vast amounts of data, analytics and form guides across every sport imaginable. 

Before you place a bet it’s crucial that you check out the form. This will give you an indication as to how a team, horse, or player has performed in recent weeks or outings. For instance, if Roger Federer has just won the Halle tennis tournament, he would be classed as going into Wimbledon in good form. 

The reverse applies if he has suffered a couple of back-to-back first-round defeats in his last few events.

Form is one of the main factors that a bookmakers including bet365 will use to set its odds. If a football team is in superb form and has won ten games in a row, their odds will be shortened as there’s a good chance of them winning their next match. 

If you’ve been betting for a while, you’ve probably already figured out how to analyse form. For those new to the industry, we’re going to show you how it’s done.

When you’re analysing a football team’s form there are two important things to consider. First of all, check out their previous five results. This will give you an indication as to whether they’re winning, losing, or drawing their matches. 

Secondly, keep an eye out for goals scored and conceded. Your best bet is to back a team that are scoring plenty of goals and conceding very few.

Form is vital in horse racing. If a horse has won six of its last seven races, there’s a good chance it’ll be the favourite. However, if it hasn’t placed in any of its last ten races, the likelihood of it winning is slim. 

Each way bets can provide real value in horse racing when you find one in good form. In this case, it’ll only need to finish in the top 3 or 4 for you to see a return.

It is also important to consider the variables. For instance, a horse may have won its last four races against weaker opposition. The fifth race could be a step-up in class. 

The weather conditions, race course and distance will play a role in the horse’s performance as well. Astute punters consider all options in addition to just prior form, so you should, too.

It’s much easier to study individual form compared to team sports like football. In tennis, there’s no hiding place if a player is playing badly. In terms of betting, it’s extremely rare that any players outside of the top 20 win major tournaments but it’s very possible for underdogs to win individual matches. 

A recent example of this was world number 1 Novak Djokovic losing a third-round tie at the Indian Wells tournament to Philipp Kohlschreiber who is number 42 in the ATP world rankings.