Specials are the markets that sit outside the standard board: corners, throw-ins, shots on target, first-half winners, player props, and the long-odds combinations bookmakers build to catch the eye. Some are genuinely worth betting. Most are priced to be fun.
The categories
| Type | Examples | Typical margin |
|---|---|---|
| Match specials | Corners, cards, offsides, throw-ins | Moderate |
| Player props | Shots on target, tackles, passes completed | Wide |
| Time-based | First-half result, goal in both halves, time of first goal | Moderate to wide |
| Method markets | Method of first goal, winning margin | Wide |
| Combination | Bet builders, scorecast, wincast | Wide |
| Season specials | Manager to leave, top four finish, relegation | Wide |
Corners: the most tractable special
Corner markets are the one part of this list where research reliably helps, because corners are produced by playing style and style is stable.
Typical lines sit at 9.5 or 10.5 total corners. What moves them:
- Width. Teams that attack down the flanks and cross generate corners. Teams that play through the middle generate fewer.
- Game state. A side chasing a goal in the final twenty minutes produces a cluster of corners. This is why corner totals often land late, and why in-play corner betting behaves differently from pre-match.
- Mismatch. Sustained pressure against a deep block is the classic high-corner scenario — the same fixture profile that raises the chance of a penalty.
Corner markets carry a wider margin than goals over/under, but considerably less than method-of-goal markets, and the underlying process is more predictable than most people assume.
Player props and the minutes problem
Shots on target, tackles, passes, fouls won. The market has grown quickly because bet builders made it easy to combine.
The variable that decides nearly all of them is minutes on the pitch. A player substituted on the hour cannot reach a line set for ninety minutes, however good he is. Rotation, fitness doubts and a manager with a midweek fixture in mind matter more than talent here. Confirmed line-ups, published about an hour before kick-off, are not optional reading for these markets.
Method markets are for fun
Method of first goal — header, penalty, free kick, own goal, shot from outside the box — carries some of the widest margins in football. Add up the implied probabilities of every option and you will often find an overround of 130 per cent or more.
The same applies to winning margin, time of first goal in ten-minute bands, and most of what appears under "match specials" on a big fixture. They are priced knowing they will be bet in small stakes for entertainment, and the price reflects that.
How to tell a good special from a bad one
One test, and it takes a minute: add up the implied probabilities. Divide 100 by each decimal price on the board and sum the results.
- Under 106 — competitive. Two-way specials like corners over/under often sit here.
- 108 to 115 — the normal cost of a specials market.
- Over 125 — you are paying heavily for the novelty. Method of goal and first scorer boards live here.
The second test is whether you can form a view the bookmaker might not share. On corners, sometimes. On method of first goal, never.
Season specials
Manager to leave by Christmas, a club to finish in the top four, a side to be relegated. These are ante-post bets with all the same properties: long odds, money tied up for months, and prices that move on news rather than on results.
The manager markets in particular are driven by media speculation as much as by league position, which makes them volatile and occasionally mispriced in the window between a result and the market's reaction.
Frequently asked questions
Do corners awarded but not taken count?
No. Settlement is on corners actually taken, so one awarded at the final whistle and not taken does not count.
Are player props voided if the player does not play?
Yes. If the player takes no part, the bet is void and the stake returned. If he plays one minute, the bet stands.
Do specials include extra time?
No, unless the market states otherwise. Football specials settle on 90 minutes plus stoppage time.
Which special has the best value?
Corner totals, generally. It is the market where the underlying process is most predictable and the margin is closest to a mainstream one.
Related guides: card betting · novelty betting · anytime goalscorer · football betting